Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel - DAY 4!

We're moving right along with Day 4 of the series affectionately dubbed Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel! You read, I open an Advent Calendar door, and I yammer on about fuzzballs for way too long. It's a magical process.

Today's door brings us back to the "Winged Kuriboh" side of the box. What could be floating just above his head?

It's one of the more recent additions to the Kuriboh family, Clear Kuriboh!

General Observation:

Clear Kuriboh is very much like its original counterpart in that you can discard it to avoid damage. However, Clear Kuriboh deals exclusively in Monster effect-inflicted damage, negating said effect upon being dropped. This guy also has an additional effect on top of that: if you're about to take a direct attack and he's resting in your grave, you can banish him to draw a card. If said card is a Monster, you can then special summon it and change the attack target to that card. Quite handy for tight spots. (Especially if you run something like a Blue-Eyes deck with scores of easily special summoned Monsters.)

Trivia Observation:

Clear Kuriboh was originally printed exclusively in the Dark Side of Dimensions Movie Pack and its Gold equivalent released around the time of the actual film in the West. Given that information, you'd probably assume he was part of the film as well. You'd be correct, as his effect-cancelling and monster summoning abilities were put to good use by Yugi during his and Kaiba's little duel against the Millenium Ring-corrupted Diva in the film's climax.

Personal Observation:

Ha! Honestly forgot about this guy. Should be fun to see what other members of the Kuriboh family my mind blanked on as we continue.

20 days to go, so be sure to report back here tomorrow for more of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel!

Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel - DAY 3!

Give it up for Day 3 of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel, a little series where a box gives me a Kuriboh-related card and I have to do my best to talk about it. Also Christmas is involved.

What awaits behind that little green paw?

Oooh, quite a unique one, actually! It's our first Token Card in Advent history, the Kuriboh Token!

General Observation:

The Kuriboh Token can only enter the duel by way of an effect that special summons a Token. It can be used in place of any Token called for by said effect, but the stats and such of this particular card are custom-made for easy use as a Kuriboh Token summoned by yesterday's card, Multiply. 

As fully outlined yesterday, Tokens are mainly useful as either a temporary shield or part of a combo with certain Spells and Traps like Token Thanksgiving and Token Feastevil. You could also use them in place of a tribute needed for an effect of some sort. (Though, not a tribute summon in a lot of cases depending on the card. Multiply in particular states that you can't tribute your Kuriboh Tokens to summon other monsters.)

Trivia Observation:

We already went into Multiply's (and by extension, the Kuriboh Token's) famous roles in the anime/manga yesterday, so we'll stick to TCG factoids today. 

Interestingly, as far as I can tell, this Advent Calendar is the very first TCG release for a specifically Kuriboh Token. Tokens WERE released before with the same Kuriboh art as today's card (as well as the alternate art seen above) within the Legendary Collection 3: Yugi's World boxes, but those were all treated as generic Tokens with only the artwork differing. Whereas, today's card has both the name AND specific stats of Multiply's Kuriboh Tokens. Pretty cool and very fitting for this Calendar.

Personal Observation:

I'd say this is our first curveball! I NEVER expected a Token Card to be included in any of these boxes, let alone a specifically-branded one, so this is a treat!

That's everything I've got on the Kuriboh Token, but be back here tomorrow for another card and another tangent on Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel!

Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel - DAY 2!

Hello again and welcome to our second helping of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel, a series where I deal out daily trading card offerings from an adorable and festive box.

This door's on the other side of the box. What could it be hiding?

Another perfect early pull, that's what! It's the Spell Card Multiply!

General Observation:

Multiply is a quick-play Spell that allows you to tribute a Kuriboh to fill the field with Kuriboh Tokens with the exact same specs. This could be useful either as a stalling measure for when you're in a jam or as a piece of a larger combo involving cards that utilize Tokens. (Cards like Token Thanksgiving when you need a life fill-up, last year's Token Feastevil for when your preference is picking apart your opponent's points with small damage, or another Spell that specifically calls for the use of Kuriboh Tokens that I'm sure is somewhere in this box.)

Trivia Observation:

Multiply was first printed in the TCG set Crimson Crisis, nearly a decade after it was originally printed in Japan. (It shares this distinction with Time Machine.) Of course, it's best known in the anime/manga for being a part of Yami Yugi's strategy to take down Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in Duelist Kingdom by absorbing every one of his attacks with an endless Kuriboh shield. (A strategy that would NOT WORK IN THE SLIGHTEST utilizing the same cards in the actual game, but hey, anime/ manga Duelist Kingdom. They hadn't ironed much out yet.)

Personal Observation:

ANOTHER classic! Had a feeling this would be following up the OG Kuriboh yesterday. They're like Peanut Butter and Jelly.

That's everything on Multiply, but come back tomorrow for another dose of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel!

Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel - DAY 1!

Welcome back! It's December again, which means it's time for the start of the follow-up to that pulling-cards-out-of-a-box thing that I did last year! It's Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel! In case you don't know how this works: every day in December I'll pull a card out of the 2019 Yu-Gi-Oh! Advent Calendar and do the best of my very limited abilities to provide strategies and trivia for each and every one! Without further ado, let's get started!

Who or what could be hiding behind our first box?

Why, it's the best possible start to a Kuriboh-themed Advent Calendar...classic/vanilla Kuriboh!

General Observation:

Setting the template for your typical Kuriboh, this little guy doesn't pack much of a punch in either attack or defense, but more than makes up for it with its damage-blocking effect. Just discard him from your hand, and any incoming damage you're about to take from an attack will be reduced to 0! He's perfect for saving for when you're in a pinch!

Trivia Observation:

The trivia section here should be a little bit obvious to those with a cursory Yu-Gi-Oh! knowledge (how Kuriboh was always in Yugi's deck in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga and anime and oftentimes came off like his mascot and went on to inspire quite a few spin-off cards that may all be contained within this very box), so I'll go for some more off-beat factoids. 

For instance, did you know that "Kuriboh" translated from Japanese is a portmanteau of the words "chestnut" and "boy" or "person" or that he pretty much shares his name with the Japanese name of the famous Super Mario enemy, Goomba? (Kuribo) Goomba ALSO spawned quite a few variations and spin-offs, so I guess Japan is ALL ABOUT the little chestnut people.

Personal Observation:

Ah, classic, and a perfect way to start us off!

Day 1 is officially in the bag! However, we've still got 23 more boxes to open, so come back tomorrow for Day 2 of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel!

Hauls: Pre-Holiday Clean-Up

Yo! Back again for another haul post. Not as much to catalog this time, but this is essentially me getting all this stuff out of the way before December hits. What happens in December aside from the obvious, you ask? Well, if you've been keeping track of this little blog for a year, you might already have an idea of what I'm cooking up:

Yup, it's baaaaaaaaack! Astral's Advent Observations will be returning for a second year of holly jolly reveals utilizing the newly-released 2019 Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Advent Calendar! This year's box is a lot smaller than the previous one, but you'll still get 24 whole days of new cards and amateur-level strategies and factoids about said cards! Our new batch also seems to be explicitly Kuriboh-centric, so I'll be calling this a "Kuriquel." Brand it. The fun begins in a little over a week, so stay tuned!

Anyway, on to the rest I've got to share:

PowerA Nintendo Switch Premium Game Card Case (Mario ? Block) (Target)

Since Day 1, I've been using a Mario Kart-themed Switch case to hold my system during travel as well as its various accessories and a selection of games. However, as more and more games come out, I've been getting more and more conflicted about which titles to keep in my case. (It basically comes down to recent games I want to play vs. multiplayer-centric titles that I want to keep in my case at all times to be ready for impromptu social throwdowns.) 

That ongoing internal debate made me think of getting a separate card case to keep in my system case so I could carry more games with me, and after a bit of research, I learned that these PowerA cases were the best of the bunch for an efficient price. After finding a Mario-themed one on Target's site, I grabbed it, and MAN, were they not lying. It is VERY nice. Well-made, sturdy, fits twelve game cards, AND doesn't utilize hard clips that could damage your games. I'd absolutely recommend these if you're looking for more quick game storage.

Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans (Blu-ray Combo) (Walmart)

This was the last thing I pre-ordered with my Birthday cash a couple months back. I am personally heavily entertained by the sometimes-meta but often-absurd antics of Teen Titans Go! and the idea of a crossover film with the 2003 Teen Titans series from my childhood that inspired it was too good to pass up on Blu-ray. 

All in all, it ended up being a fun little ride from start to finish. While not perfect (the non-Go Titans are bit more limited in their movement animation-wise due to adapting to Go-style and some moments like the normally laid back 03 Beast Boy randomly doing sit-ups to showcase him as a more "serious" hero than his Go counterpart struck me as strange), there are plenty of really fun and hilarious interactions. (Especially between the two drastically-different Robins.)

Funko POP! Marvel: Scarlet Spider (Kaine Parker) (Walgreens)

Ohhhhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaah. If you kept tabs on both my previous posts AND general Funko Pop news, then you knew that I HAD to add my personal favorite Spider, Kaine, to my collection the second he was announced. Wasn't sure if I'd be able to score him being a Walgreens exclusive and all, but their site happily assisted (well, once the checkout errors finally stopped) and I was able to get him for retail. Now he stands next to the OTHER angsty, manmade, red-and-black character on my Pop shelf.

Incineroar amiibo (Amazon)

Simon amiibo (Amazon)

Capping things off with yet more amiibo! My Alolan starter finishes off the Pokemon roster while Simon joins Snake in repping Konami!

That's all I've got, but be sure to come back here on December 1st for the start of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel!

Hauls: VACATION DISNEYSPLOSION!!

Howdy, guys! Been a little over a month since my last post, so, of course, I've got some hauls to unload!

Toy Story (Blu-ray Combo) (Amazon)

    Toy Story of Terror! (Blu-ray + Digital) (Amazon)

Starting things off with what I scored with the majority of my Birthday cash, I snagged the last of the Toy Story TV specials as well as finally added the first movie to my Blu-ray library. As with all Disney releases, these came with Disney Movie Rewards codes, which helpfully segways into the eponymous "DISNEYSPLOSION" of this post.

Y'see, DMR is changing to "Disney Movie Insiders" a bit later this month, and in the process of the move, has had a TON of sales on their physical rewards. The discounts were INSANE (with rewards that originally cost 1500 points dropping to a mere 450 and so on), so I absolutely couldn't resist blowing quite a few points. (I had also recently come into 2000 bonus points thanks to the Summer of Disney Regal promotion, so I had the means to go a little nuts.)

Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection (Blu-ray Combo)

Muppets Most Wanted (Blu-ray Combo)

These two came in first. While having the sheer variety of Disney's modern theatrical shorts on Blu-ray essentially for free is a great enough value on its own, the REAL gem here is the Movies Anywhere-exclusive digital inclusion of Runaway Brain, a great Mickey short from the 90's that was only previously available on a long-out-of-print DVD set. (Remember Julius, the Secret Boss from Kingdom Hearts 3D? Yeah, he's from that short.) Being able to watch Runaway Brain legally anywhere and any when I want is just fantastic.

As for the other title, ya just can't beat Muppets for a fun, goofy laugh.

The Lion King 1 1/2 (Blu-ray Combo)

Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel (DVD)

Lion King's third (sort of) installment marks the first DTVquel to enter my Blu-ray shelf, and I think it's a pretty solid one. (Weird continuity surrounding Timon and Rafiki knowing each other notwithstanding.)

As far as Phineas and Ferb goes, I'm a pretty casual observer rather than an all-out fan, but I really enjoyed the Mission Marvel special they put out a while ago full of goofy super hero hijnks, so grabbing the DVD from the DMR catalog when it dropped to like 300 points seemed like a no-brainer.

Sugar Rush Online (Ralph Breaks the Internet) Japanese Theatrical Poster

Hey, remember when I said those stickers from a previous haul would probably be my last Ralph Breaks the Internet-related DMR acquisition due to the sequel quickly becoming old news? Well, I didn't count on them both restocking the Japanese poster for the film AND severely discounting it to the point where it was the CHEAPEST poster I've ever redeemed from DMR. (I think I actually managed to grab their last one, too, as it disappeared from the catalog shortly after I got it in.) 

This is probably my favorite get of the entire sale, both because I've had my eye on this particular poster for quite a while (I actually got this in almost exactly a year following that tweet. Funny how things work out sometimes.) and because when a Wreck-It Ralph sequel was announced in the first place, I set a personal goal to save up enough DMR points to redeem an official theatrical poster so I could have a little shrine to show my Ralph love in my room. Well, now I own THREE, including both English and Japanese versions, so I think it's safe to say that I WRECKED dat goal! 

Moving on from all the Disney, I visited my Sis and brother-in-law's place a little bit later and the latter gave me some of the random swag he had lying around the house (Presumably to help clear space for my future nephew), mostly from past Loot Crates:

Not a whole lot I'd actually buy if given the chance, but when someone offers you transforming robot dinosaurs and plastic Xenomorphs for free, YOU TAKE THEM.

Before I get into the next big part of this post, I randomly ordered this a little after I got back:

Ghostbusters: Interdimensional Cross-Rip (Amazon)

I've been casually picking up the Ghostbusters comics from IDW over the years (Mostly the TMNT crossovers and other interesting stuff like the Real Ghostbusters team-up), but getting the first chunk of their ongoing run for Christmas a couple years back combined with all the crazy multiverse stuff they've had going on recently has really made me want to catch up on them full-on. 

This hardcover is the first step in that effort, collecting the Ghostbusters International series (essentially Volume 3 of the ongoing) as well as the previously cited Real Ghostbusters team-up and the 2015 Annual, a story previously uncollected. I WAS going to wait to get it, but after seeing how quickly the Volume 2 hardcover went out-of-print (Just look up "Ghostbusters: Mass Hysteria" on Amazon and watch your jaw drop at the prices), I didn't want to take any chances. 

So, from here on, I'm going to wait on Volume 2 to finish in the softcover "Spectral Shenanigans" trades next year (Probably around the time of the next hardcover) and then get pretty much everything I'm missing in one fell swoop so I can immerse myself in spooky comics. Comic books are kind of a complicated hobby at times.

Moving on, early on in September, me and the fam went on a trip to Florida, during which I scored even more stuff:

Toy Story 2 (Blu-ray Combo) (Walmart)

Toy Story 3 (Blu-ray Combo) (Walmart)

Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl The Complete Season (Walmart)

More Toy Story, finishing off my collection until 4 comes out! Also really looking forward to giving the Diamond and Pearl anime a full watch, as that was when I became a more casual watcher and mostly took in events from screencaps on Serebii.

Olaf's Frozen Adventure (Blu-ray Combo) (Walmart)

$20 Nintendo eShop Card (Walmart)

A Christmas special that I've been meaning to rewatch completes my Frozen home media library until the sequel releases while some extra eShop credit snagged me the Expansion Pass for Ultimate Alliance 3. (Bring on the FF!)

Power Rangers Lightning Collection Beast Morphers Red Ranger (Walgreens)

Stopped by a Walgreens because I had heard that Wave 2 of the Lightning Collection figures were starting to hit there and I NEEDED me dat Magna Defender, but only found Devon here. Still a score nonetheless, with the current, extremely solid season finally getting some representation on my shelves. He stands nicely right next to Tyler, readying themselves for a fun time next year.

Pichu amiibo (Target)

$10 Nintendo eShop Card (Target)

Trident Vibes with CTR Code (Target)

Went to a Target to look for Lightning figures again. Absolutely no luck this time (They only had Cruger, Tyler, and Tommy), but to offset the lack of luck in that particular field, I found the first amiibo display I've seen in an actual store in many months and it was FULL of ONLY Pichu, AKA, the one recent amiibo I kind of wanted for collection purposes, but didn't care enough to pre-order. Now my Pokemon amiibo collection is once again complete! Rounding that Target trip out was more eShop cash and a pack of gum that unlocks an exclusive paint job in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled. Yes, really.

My Little Pony The Manga: A Day in the Life of Equestria Volume 1 (Books-A-Million)

Finishing off things in Florida, I also hit up a Books-A-Million and found the first volume of the new MLP manga. Haven't read it yet, but skimming reveals a story where Twilight is a Sailor Moon-esque magical girl chosen one who unites with the rest of the Mane 6 to form a ponified Megazord to battle a Godzilla version of Spike, so looking forward to THAT.

Pikachu's Winter Vacation (DVD) (Amazon)

Destruction Dragon (Amazon)

Ring of Defense (Amazon)

When I got back from my trip, I had this stuff waiting on me. I finally upgraded my old Pikachu's Winter Vacation VHS tapes with a cheap used DVD from Amazon (Works perfectly, though) and also snagged some Kaiba cards I didn't have. (Destruction Dragon isn't from the show, but I kinda love everything relating to the Legendary Dragons, so I kinda needed him.)

Tangled: Before Ever After (DVD) (DMR)

Exodia: The Legendary Defender (Amazon)

DMR had yet ANOTHER sale right before I left for Florida, so I redeemed more swag and it came in after I got back. Still need to pick up the original film on Blu-ray, but adding the TV movie sequel to Tangled that also acts as the pilot for the TV series for only like 300 points seemed like a sound decision. Also, a straggler from the previous card haul: a new Exodia monster with a VERY interesting effect!

Ivysaur amiibo (Best Buy)

Squirtle amiibo (Best Buy)

Snake amiibo (Amazon)

More amiibo pre-orders came in recently, completing the Pokemon Trainer's team as well as Brawl's third-party character roster!

Detective Pikachu (Blu-ray Combo)

Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (Blu-ray Combo) (DMR)

More DMR swag in the form of more Mickey, but the Detective Pikachu Blu-ray is noteworthy in that I actually won it in a Loot Crate giveaway that I forgot that I entered. (Actually found out that I won it when I was in Florida!) Add that to my overall 2019 winnings! (For those keeping track, that's a comic, a hardcover art book, a figure, and a Blu-ray so far.)

The Muppets (Blu-ray Combo) 

Finishing things off, we have one last DMR redemption, courtesy of points that I earned off of a copy of Santa Buddies that was just in the condo that my family was renting during vacation. (Yes, really.) Figured since I already scored the Muppets sequel, that I should complete the set, lack of a Movies Anywhere code notwithstanding.

That's the end! Next post probably isn't going to be until like November, but I should have something fun and festive to announce around then, so look forward to it!

28th Birthday Haul

Welp, another Birthday has come and gone and I'm still a bit tired. Spent most of yesterday in town celebrating with Ice Cream and Spider-Man: Far from Home, but it always feels really nice to get home and just lounge for a bit. Anyway, enough preamble, let's get to my Birthday goodies!

Funko Pop! Games Howard the Duck (Contest of Champions)

This first gift's a bit special. Y'see, I actually got this guy back in June when me and my Sister were stocking up for OMGcon. I saw this at Walmart and was, of course, in awe at a Pop figure of Howard the Duck in a mech suit, but also a bit conflicted to spend my con funds on it. My Sister, being as fantastic as she is, decided to grab it for me as an early Birthday gift. (That also saved her from having to worry about getting a gift later.) Now Howard stands as the tallest figure on my Pop shelf. Appropriate.

Super Mario Maker 2

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Nitros Oxide and Pin Bundle (Switch)

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Dashboard Bobble

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Marvel's Spider-Man

Detective Pikachu

This year's crop of games is a good'n, with several that I've already sunk WAY too many hours into. (I may have gotten some things a bit early.) I'm completely addicted to unlocking things in Nitro-Fueled, I've completed MUA3's story (REALLY cool Final Boss, BTW) and am currently grinding Infinity Rifts to unlock Thanos, and I'm so enamored with swinging around and doing all the side stuff in Spidey PS4 that I've barely progressed in the story! (Already have all the Backpacks, Landmarks, Fisk Hideouts, and Towers.) Plus, that's not even getting to Mario Maker and Detective Pikachu, both of which I've barely scratched the surface of. (Well, mostly creation in Mario Maker's case. Already beat the Story Mode.) Heck, just Nitro-Fueled's Grand Prixs alone are going to make sure I'm busy for quite a while.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Blu-ray Combo)

Spider-Geddon

Spider-Geddon: Covert Ops

More Spidey fun straight from the Spider-Verse! Miles finally gets mainstream spotlight in his Academy Award-winning film from last year (still need to watch the Alternate Universe mode) while the Inheritors return to destroy the Web in the sequel to the original comic Spider-Verse. (The latter was an absolute must, considering PS4 Spidey plays a big role in it.) Also included is Covert Ops, a Spider-Geddon tie-in trade that I mostly got because Kaine leads a team in the first series included and I love me some Kaine. 

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II

Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road

Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 2: The Fate of Dr. Eggman

Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 3: Battle for Angel Island

Wrapping things up with some books! IDW TMNT representation is a bit lighter this year to fit in the Spidey stuff, but I couldn't resist grabbing the sequel to the absolutely hysterical Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything regardless. Batman/TMNT II was a series I held off on picking up mostly because I heard bad things, but when the animated movie and third series were announced, I figured there wasn't a better time to finally take the plunge. (It's okay. There's a lot less crazy fun crossover stuff, though, so it's pretty dull in comparison to the first series.) More IDW Sonic from my main man Ian Flynn rounds things out! (Lots of Sonic Heroes callbacks in this batch!)

That's all she wrote for this year's Birthday haul, but I'll have a couple things coming soon, so stay tuned to hear all about those!