The Normanic Vault celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and while I haven’t really done much to support that because of work and dealing with the backlog for my anime and games, I have continued to provide you lot with various posts throughout each month. I know the number of posts hasn’t always been as large as previous years, but I do want to ensure quality over quantity whenever possible.
I have plans for dozens of unboxings related to Asian Cinema but they’re being handled differently to anime because I want to avoid repetition for the write-ups due to lack of knowledge on each film, otherwise it would be a messy post – so if you saw the Category III unboxings that I did, they were made possible because I watched each film before writing them up, so it’s more like adding my experiences with the film than not knowing what it is, which is the format I’ll be using for Asian Cinema and also European Cinema unboxings if I have time. Anime is handled differently to this mainly because I know enough about each show or film and in a lot of cases I have watched them during simulcasts or a prior viewing experience years ago.
The blog has had a few modifications also. The presentation of the pages have changed because I wanted to switch things up. This does mean a lot of older posts will need to be updated so they are more accessible, which I will try and sort out. Also the blog was temporarily down at one point due to an error in the WordPress system so I have backed up most of my unboxing posts.
Anyway, we’re not here to talk about my blog but rather my latest complete collection haul! This is the 11th update if I have counted that correctly and once again my job has managed to keep the hauls going.
Since the previous update I had gone through at least two pay raises; the first is what I was given before 2023, and the second was a structural change within the business so everyone got one but also reduced hours so I was able to leave 30 minutes earlier than usual. The pay raises allowed more items to join the collection and more money towards savings and essentials. That said, the job isn’t perfect because the workload has spiralled out of control and I’ve done way too much overtime to deal with this, especially as I don’t have co-workers who are able to tackle tasks when I’m away, which is why I don’t take time off when I should.
At least the hauls have grown, with new experiences and additions to the collection. US forwarding services has allowed me to ensure that I am able to get more items imported to the UK at a better deal, so while it will take longer shipping-wise it is cost effective and better for my spending. Limited Run Games titles have also joined the collection officially with various new Switch titles (and eventually PS5 when they get around to the ones that I want to own). Also introduced to the collection is European Cinema from Radiance Films which is a new area that I would like to keep up on.
My plans for 2024 in terms of the presentation of the collection includes new shelving to replace the old bookcase and mini ones where space is available, a new layout below my TV to allow better positioning for my consoles and players, a new multi-region Blu-ray player to replace my cheaper existing one, and most importantly a new phone because my current one (the Huawei P20 Pro, which is what I’ve had since January 2019 and is what was used to take photos for all of my items and such over the past few years) is unfortunately on its way out due to age, so I am exploring a new phone which should be around in January if things go to plan. Therefore do expect the picture quality to change going forward.
Also want to highlight that the photos that I’ve taken are not the best that it should be and I will consider the idea of revising them when I get a new phone that will have a better camera.
Above Bookcases
Starting off the list with the box sets that I have placed above the bookcases due to space reasons. The only new addition here is from Anime Limited with just one title.
New additions for Anime Limited (Ultimate Editions):
- Blood-C & Blood-C: The Last Dark
Bookcase #1 (Rows 1-7)
For our first bookcase we have most of the rows focused on the collector’s releases for Anime Limited excluding the ultimate editions, Gundam collection and 4K releases. As per usual I have been pre-ordering a lot of Anime Limited’s releases via their Early Bird deals. There were supposed to be about seven more that would have made this update but they didn’t ship in time for the December haul.
New additions for Anime Limited (Collector’s Editions, Limited Editions):
- Ascendance of a Bookworm Seasons 1 & 2
- Burn the Witch
- Cyber City Oedo 808 (HD Remaster)
- The Deer King
- Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
- Goodbye, Don Glees!
- Gunbuster
- The House of the Lost on the Cape
- Hula Fulla Dance
- INU-OH
- Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 Part 2
- JUNK HEAD
- Levius
- Liz and the Blue Bird
- Looking for Magical Doremi
- Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Host Club Season 1
- Love Live! Superstar!! Season 1
- Love Me, Love Me Not
- Pompo: The Cinephile
- Princess Jellyfish
- Summer Ghost
- To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts
Bookcase #2 (Rows 1-7)
Now we are onto the second bookcase, once again focusing on the first seven rows (the 8th row will be in a separate section later!). These rows used to be focused mainly on UK distributors but I have changed the layout so that it’s mainly focused on limited edition releases instead.
On the first two rows (with a few in the third row) are my Aniplex of America titles, which finally got an update after not picking up any for a while. This update is caused by Rightstuf’s closure and their farewell sale also allowing Aniplex titles to be bought at discount.
New additions for Aniplex of America:
- Fate/Grand Carnival
- Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia Box Sets 1 & 2
- Fate/Grand Order: Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot Paladin;Agateram
- Fate/Grand Order: Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot Wandering;Agateram
- Fate/Grand Order: Final Singularity Grand Temple of Time: Solomon
- Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-
On the third and fourth rows (with a few more on the fifth row) are my Crunchyroll & Funimation limited edition releases as well as the UK variations by Funimation UK & Manga Entertainment that match the US format. Also on the fifth row are my MVM Entertainment limited edition releases but there’s no new additions for this update.
New additions for Crunchyroll (US) (Limited Edition):
- ARIFURETA: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest Season 2
- Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Season 1
- Mieruko-chan
- My Dress-Up Darling Season 1
- My Senpai is Annoying
- OVERLORD IV
- Ranking of Kings Part 1
- Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2
- Restaurant to Another World Season 2
New additions for Crunchyroll (UK) (Limited Edition):
- Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2
- Yu Yu Hakusho
New additions for Funimation (US) (Limited Edition):
- Akudama Drive
New additions for Manga Entertainment (Limited Edition):
- ID: INVADED
On the sixth row are my Anime Limited Gundam Collection titles, which is currently using a stacked format so there are a few in front of most of the sets in this row. Not pictured are the older designed Funimation limited edition releases which are behind the first row of Aniplex releases as there’s no new updates on them going forward.
New additions for Anime Limited (Gundam Collection):
- Gundam Build Fighters Parts 1 & 2
- Mobile Fighter G Gundam Parts 1 & 2
Bookcase #3 (Rows 1-7)
Now onto the third bookcase, which consists of mainly standard edition releases but also a selection of 4K titles at the bottom of the shelf. Much like the first row of the second bookcase, the other half of the older designed Funimation limited edition releases are behind the titles on the first row of this shelf.
On the first row we have the North American Funimation releases which includes their old Classics model releases as well as their Essentials releases. There are some Essential releases left to get but it’s not a priority at this point in time.
New additions for Funimation (Essentials):
- Anime-Gataris
- Buddy Complex
- Hundred
- Interviews with Monster Girls
- Maken-Ki! Two
- Record of Lodoss War
- Restaurant to Another World Season 1 (not pictured, stored with Season 2’s limited edition)
- Tales of the Abyss
- Tales of Zestiria the X
- Zillion
On the second and third rows we have our Manga Entertainment releases with some MVM Entertainment releases at the end of the third row also (with a few leading into the fourth row). Behind the second row are the Funimation UK releases that Anime Limited distributed, a few KAZE UK titles, the classic Manga Entertainment logo releases, the Bandai Visual releases and a few more anime from various publishers. A few new additions to the classic label group and I might try and get a few more to officially conclude this section.
New additions for ‘classic’ Manga Entertainment:
- Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai
- Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike
New additions for Manga Entertainment:
- Dragon Ball Super
- HUMAN LOST
- One Piece: Stampede
- Steamboy
New additions for Funimation (UK):
- Golden Kamuy Season 1
- Golden Kamuy Season 2
- One Piece Film: Gold
New additions for Crunchyroll (UK):
- Black Clover Season 3
- Black Clover Season 4
- Jujutsu Kaisen 0
- Konosuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Legend of Crimson
- My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
On the fourth row are the regular editions for the North American Crunchyroll & Funimation releases, followed by the Sentai Filmworks titles which includes ADV & Maiden Japan which continues into the fifth row.
New additions for Crunchyroll (US):
- The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 1
- The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt
- The Heike Story
- How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Part 2 (not pictured, stored with Part 1’s limited edition)
- Ranking of Kings Part 2 (not pictured, stored with Part 1’s limited edition)
- Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs Season 1
New additions for Funimation (US):
- Arte
- Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki
- ENDRO!
- If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die
- Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life Season 1
- Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life Season 2
- MEGALOBOX 2: NOMAD
- Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou
- The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent Season 1
- Smile Down the Runway
- SSSS.DYNAZENON
- Wave, Listen to Me!
New additions for Maiden Japan:
- Basquash!
- Natsu no Arashi!
- This Art Club Has a Problem!
New additions for Sentai Filmworks:
- Broken Blade
- BTOOOM!
- CANAAN
- Demon King Daimao
- Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 1
- Girls Beyond the Wasteland
- Gugure! Kokkuri-san
- Hayate the Combat Butler Ultimate Collection
- Infinite Stratos
- Initial D Legend Theatrical Collection
- K-On! Ultimate Collection
- Kids on the Slope
- Made in Abyss Theatrical Collection
- Monster Girl Doctor
- Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
- Mother of the Goddess’ Dormitory
- Negima & Negima?
- The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
- Peter Grill and the Philosopher’s Time
- PUNCH-LINE
- Queen’s Blade: Rebel Warriors Collection
- The Qwaser of Stigmata
- She, The Ultimate Weapon
- To Love Ru Collection
- YA BOY KONGMING!
- Yuyushiki
Also on the fifth are the Discotek Media titles, which continues into the sixth and seventh rows. All of these will continue to be updated over the course of 2024, especially the latter to make sure I am in the best position possible to avoid any further out of print notices. Throughout 2023 I had a bi-monthly plan in mind and this may change because there’s still a lot of titles that I want to make sure I have sorted.
New additions for Discotek Media:
- Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales
- Battery the Animation
- Battle Athletes
- Getter Robo Armageddon
- Golgo 13: The Professional
- The Great Passage
- Hanasakeru Seishonen
- Hells
- Hi-sCool! Seha Girls
- Inukami
- Isuca
- Kamen no Maid Guy
- Kimagure Orange Road Collection 1 (TV Series)
- Kimagure Orange Road Collection 2 (OVAs & The Movie: I Want to Return to That Day)
- The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar
- The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar Final
- The Legend of Black Heaven
- Library War
- Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid
- Lupin the Third: Bye Bye Lady Liberty
- Lupin the Third: Dragon of Doom
- Lupin the Third: Goodbye Partner
- Lupin the Third: Island of Assassins
- Lupin the Third: Missed By a Dollar
- Lupin the Third: The Columbus Files
- Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog
- Lupin the Third: The Last Job
- Lupin the Third: The Legend of the Gold Babylon
- Lupin the Third: The Pursuit of Harimao’s Treasure
- Lupin the Third: The Secret of Twilight Gemini
- Lupin the Third: Tokyo Crisis
- Lupin the Third: Voyage to Danger
- Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!
- Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles
- Ms. Vampire Who Lives in My Neighborhood
- Nagasarete Airanto
- Planet With
- s-CRY-ed
- School Days
- Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san
- Stellvia
- Tales of Phantasia the Animation
- Tales of Symphonia the Animation
- Tekkaman Blade II
- The Twelve Kingdoms
- True Tears
- Yowamushi Pedal: New Generation
Also on the seventh row are the 4K Ultra HD anime releases from Anime Limited, Discotek Media & Manga Entertainment. Expect a few more 4K anime releases in 2024.
New additions for Discotek Media (4K Ultra HD):
- Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro
- Robot Carnival
- Space Adventure Cobra the Movie
New additions for Anime Limited (4K Ultra HD):
- Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time
- One Piece Film: Red
Bookcase #1-3 (Row 8)
These shelves were getting full and I had to figure out ways to keep specific sections going. So what I ended up doing was store the hardcover Viz Media manga not related to Junji Ito and store them at the back of the first two bookcases whilst the rest is focused on the other Blu-rays. In relation to the books, the big factor here is mainly the JoJo series as I was pretty far behind but now I’m not far off from catching up, since the latest part has just started being released in English.
New additions for Viz Media:
- Fist of the North Star – Omnibus 4
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable – Omnibus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind – Omnibus 1, 2 & 3
In front of the books on the first bookcase are the 88 Films releases as well as Criterion, MUBI, Picturehouse and 4K Ultra HD non-rigid releases. Most of the new releases here are mainly from 88 Films because they continue to put out various Hong Kong films over the past year. Next year they’re adding Japanese films to the mix which is interesting but still decently priced to catch up at least.
Criterion has a small update but it is disappointing a few launch releases have discontinued as these don’t go down on offer properly over the years. MUBI has an update as well, which did get a 4K release not long after which doesn’t help. Picturehouse is a new addition to the collection but I don’t consider them to be a big contributor to the collection as this is probably a one-off.
The 4K Ultra HD section has one new addition from Arrow Video in this layout which is neat, and they have one more planned for Spring so that’ll be sorted.
New additions for 88 Films:
- Battle Creek Brawl (殺手壕)
- The Blue Jean Monster (着牛仔裤的钟馗)
- God of Gamblers (賭神)
- Gorgeous (玻璃樽)
- Hard Boiled 2: The Last Blood (驚天十二小時)
- The Inspector Wears Skirts (霸王花)
- Last Hero in China (黃飛鴻之鐵雞鬥蜈蚣)
- Magic Cop (驅魔警察)
- Magic Crystal (魔翡翠)
- The Medallion (飛龍再生/免死金牌)
- The Postman Fights Back (巡城马)
- Taxi Hunter (的士判官)
New additions for Arrow Video:
- Ring (リング)
New additions for Criterion:
- A Brighter Summer Day (牯嶺街少年殺人事件)
- Yi Yi (一一)
New additions for MUBI:
- Decision to Leave (헤어질 결심)
New additions for Picturehouse:
- Broker (브로커)
On the second bookcase we have Discotek’s Nihon Nights, Tartan Video, Anime Limited, British Film Institute, Radiance Films and the large box sets from Arrow Video and Criterion.
Speaking of Radiance Films, they’re a brand new distributor who started their releases in January 2023 and I’ll be picking up both their Asian Cinema titles and their European Cinema titles. Discotek’s Nihon Nights is also relatively new and they have more titles that I am interested in owning. I also picked up a Criterion box set which is reasonably sized for the collection as well as the Arrow’s second Shawscope release.
New additions for Nihon Nights:
- Another (アナザー)
- Suicide Club (自殺サークル)
- Uzumaki (うずまき)
New additions for Arrow Video (Large-Sized Box Sets):
- Shawscope Volume 2:
- The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (少林三十六房)
- Return to the 36th Chamber (少林搭棚大師)
- Disciples of the 36th Chamber (霹靂十傑)
- Mad Monkey Kung Fu (瘋猴)
- Five Superfighters (唐山五虎)
- Invincible Shaolin (南少林與北少林)
- The Kid with the Golden Arm (金臂童)
- Magnificent Ruffians (賣命小子)
- Ten Tigers of Kwangtung (廣東十虎與後五虎)
- My Young Auntie (長輩)
- Mercenaries from Hong Kong (猎魔者)
- The Boxer’s Omen (魔)
- Martial Arts of Shaolin (南北少林)
- The Bare-Footed Kid (赤脚小子)
New additions for Criterion (Box Set):
- Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman:
- The Tale of Zatoichi (座頭市物語)
- The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (続・座頭市物語)
- New Tale of Zatoichi (新・座頭市物語)
- Zatoichi the Fugitive (座頭市兇状旅)
- Zatoichi on the Road (座頭市喧嘩旅)
- Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (座頭市千両首)
- Zatoichi’s Flashing Sword (座頭市あばれ凧)
- Fight, Zatoichi, Fight (座頭市血笑旅)
- Adventures of Zatoichi (座頭市関所破り)
- Zatoichi’s Revenge (座頭市二段斬り)
- Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (座頭市逆手斬り)
- Zatoichi and the Chess Expert (座頭市地獄旅)
- Zatoichi’s Vengeance (座頭市地獄旅)
- Zatoichi’s Pilgrimage (座頭市海を渡る)
- Zatoichi’s Cane Sword (座頭市鉄火旅)
- Zatoichi the Outlaw (座頭市牢破り)
- Zatoichi Challenged (座頭市血煙り街道)
- Zatoichi and the Fugitives (座頭市果し状)
- Samaritan Zatoichi (座頭市喧嘩太鼓)
- Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (座頭市と用心棒)
- Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival (座頭市あばれ火祭り)
- Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman (新座頭市・破れ！唐人剣)
- Zatoichi at Large (座頭市御用旅)
- Zatoichi in Desperation (新座頭市物語・折れた杖)
- Zatoichi’s Conspiracy (新座頭市物語・笠間の血祭り)
New additions for Radiance Films:
- Big Time Gambling Boss (博奕打ち 総長賭博)
- Commedia all’italiana: Three Films by Dino Risi:
- Il Vedovo
- Il Mattatore
- Il Sorpasso
- Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero in three Mafia Tales by Damiano Damiani:
- The Day of the Owl (Il giorno della civetta)
- The Case Is Closed, Forget It (L’istruttoria è chiusa: dimentichi)
- How to Kill a Judge (Perché si uccide un magistrato)
- Elegant Beast (しとやかな獣)
- The Iron Prefect (Il prefetto di ferro)
- A Moment of Romance (天若有情)
- The Sunday Woman (La donna della domenica)
- Visible Secret (幽靈人間)
- The Working Class Goes to Heaven (La classe operaia va in paradiso)
- World Noir Vol. 1:
- I Am Waiting (俺は待ってるぜ)
- Witness in the City (Un témoin dans la ville)
- The Facts of Murder (Un maledetto imbroglio)
- Yakuza Graveyard (やくざの墓場 くちなしの花)
On the third bookcase we have the 88 Films deluxe collector’s edition releases located at the back of Row 7 (despite the header yes it’s not on the 8th row), and the limited edition releases for Arrow Video, Eureka Entertainment and Warner Bros.
New additions for 88 Films (Limited Editions):
- Battle Creek Brawl (殺手壕)
- Fight Back to School Trilogy:
- Fight Back to School (逃學威龍)
- Fight Back to School 2 (逃學威龍2)
- Fight Back to School 3 (逃學威龍3之龍過雞年)
- The Long Arm of the Law Parts I & II:
- The Long Arm of the Law (省港旗兵)
- The Long Arm of the Law Saga II (省港旗兵續集)
- Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (蛇鶴八步)
- Twin Dragons (雙龍會)
- The Untold Story (八仙飯店之人肉叉燒包)
New additions for Arrow Video (Limited Editions & Box Sets):
- Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest:
- The Big Boss (唐山大兄)
- Fist of Fury (精武門)
- The Way of the Dragon (猛龍過江)
- Enter the Dragon (40th Anniversary Edition) (龍爭虎鬥)
- Game of Death (死亡遊戲)
- Game of Death II / Tower of Death (死亡塔)
- Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend (李小龍的生與死)
- Bruce Lee: The Legend
- Gamera: The Heisei Era:
- Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (ガメラ 大怪獣空中決戦)
- Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (ガメラ2 レギオン襲来)
- Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (ガメラ3 邪神〈イリス〉覚醒)
- Gamera the Brave (小さき勇者たち〜ガメラ〜)
- Gamera: The Showa Era:
- Gamera the Giant Monster (大怪獣ガメラ)
- Gamera vs. Barugon (大怪獣決闘 ガメラ対バルゴン)
- Gamera vs. Gyaos (大怪獣空中戦 ガメラ対ギャオス)
- Gamera vs. Viras (ガメラ対宇宙怪獣バイラス)
- Gamera vs. Guiron (ガメラ対大悪獣ギロン)
- Gamera vs. Jiger (ガメラ対大魔獣ジャイガー)
- Gamera vs. Zigra (ガメラ対深海怪獣ジグラ)
- Gamera: Super Monster (宇宙怪獣ガメラ)
New additions for Warner Bros:
- Enter the Dragon (50th Anniversary Edition) (龍爭虎鬥)
Glass Shelf
Moving to the Glass Shelf section are the rest of our Asian Cinema films. On the first row is our Arrow Video & Arrow Academy releases. I’ve received a few titles for Arrow this past year but it’s not much of a priority currently compared to other distributors (both Eureka and Radiance Films pretty much took the titles that Arrow would normally go for).
New additions for Arrow Video:
- The Executioner Collection:
- The Executioner (直撃! 地獄拳)
- The Executioner II: Karate Inferno (直撃地獄拳 大逆転)
- The Game Trilogy:
- The Most Dangerous Game (最も危険な遊戯)
- The Killing Game (殺人遊戯)
- The Execution Game (処刑遊戯)
- The Street Fighter Trilogy:
- The Street Fighter (激突! 殺人拳)
- Return of the Street Fighter (殺人拳２)
- The Street Fighter’s Last Revenge (逆襲！殺人拳)
On the second and third rows (with two titles on the fourth row) are our Eureka Entertainment releases. There were so many Asian Cinema releases released throughout the year and I managed to get most of them. They’re doing well for the distributor and I know people are annoyed there’s so much, but to be fair many of these were locked away for years so it took the past few years to finally get them out to the UK audience.
New additions for Eureka Entertainment:
- Angela Mao: Hapkido & Lady Whirlwind:
- Hapkido (合氣道)
- Lady Whirlwind (鐵掌旋風腿)
- Beach of the War Gods (戰神灘)
- The Bullet Train (新幹線大爆破)
- Burning Paradise (火燒紅蓮寺)
- Casino Raiders (至尊無上)
- Daughter of the Nile (尼羅河女兒)
- Drunken Master (醉拳)
- Execution in Autumn (秋決)
- The Fall of Ako Castle (赤穂城断絶)
- From Beijing With Love (國產凌凌漆)
- Full Alert (高度戒備)
- Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ13)
- Harakiri (切腹)
- Harmonium (淵に立つ)
- Heroes & Villains: Three Films Starring Jet Li:
- My Father is a Hero (给爸爸的信)
- Dr. Wai in “The Scripture with No Words” (冒險王)
- Hitman (殺手之王)
- In the Line of Duty III (皇家師姐III 雌雄大盜)
- In the Line of Duty IV (皇家師姐IV 直擊證人)
- Journey to the Shore (岸辺の旅)
- Lady Reporter (The Blonde Fury) (師姐大晒)
- Magnificent Warriors (中華戰士)
- The Mourning Forest (殯の森)
- Revenge (仇討)
- Rich and Famous & Tragic Hero:
- Rich and Famous (江湖情)
- Tragic Hero (英雄好漢)
- Royal Tramp Collection:
- Royal Tramp (鹿鼎記)
- Royal Tramp 2 (鹿鼎記2 神龍教)
- Royal Warriors (皇家戰士)
- Samurai Reincarnation (魔界転生)
- She Shoots Straight (皇家女將)
- Sweet Bean (あん)
- Tag (リアル鬼ごっこ)
- Violent Streets (暴力街)
- Wild Search (伴我闖天涯)
On the fourth and fifth rows (with a couple on the sixth row) is our Third Window Films releases and on the sixth row is where you can see our Terracotta Distribution title as well as Curzon Artificial Eye, Manga Entertainment, Studio Canal, Thunderbird Releasing, Warner Bros and films from other distributors.
Third Window is the only one with new updates and here I went for a mix of new and older releases. There’s still a fair bit of older releases that I need to chase up but I’m not far off.
New additions for Third Window Films:
- Crazy Thunder Road (狂い咲きサンダーロード)
- DOOR:
- Door (ドア)
- Door II: Tokyo Diary (ドア2：東京日記)
- Electric Dragon 80000V (エレクトリック·ドラゴン 80000V)
- Fish Story (フィッシュストーリー)
- Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers! (腑抜けども、悲しみの愛を見せろ)
- GO
- The Guard from Underground (地獄の警備員)
- Katsuhito Ishii Collection:
- Shark Skin Man & Peach Hip Girl (鮫肌男と桃尻女)
- Promise of August (8月の約束)
- PARTY 7
- Sorasoi (そらそい)
- Hello Junichi (ハロー!純一)
- Norioka Workshop (ノリオカワークショップ)
- Punk Samurai (パンク侍、斬られて候)
- Summer Time Machine Blues (サマー タイム マシン ブルース)
- Tezuka’s Barbara (ばるぼら)
- Typhoon Club (台風クラブ)
- Zokki (ゾッキ)
Bookcase #4
Next we have the fourth bookcase which consists of the books – light novel, manga and larger sized artbooks.
In the top row, you will see the larger books are located here including the Bitmap Books collection as well as the hardcover Junji Ito releases from Viz Media, and a few miscellaneous volumes from Kodansha Comics, Vertical and Yen Press.
New additions for Bitmap Books:
- From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror
- PC Engine: The Box Art Collection
New additions for Misc. Distributor:
- Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun
On the second row we have our light novel volumes from Seven Seas‘ label Airship. I’ve made no progress on these titles this year but I am hoping to get more in 2024. On the third row we have our light novel volumes for Yen Press‘ label Yen On. Some progress had been made here.
New additions for Yen On:
- Another 2001 – Novel
- The Eminence in Shadow – Novels 1 & 2
- The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt – Novel 1
- I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too – Novel 1
- OVERLORD – Novels 10, 11, 12 & 13
On the fourth row at the back we have our Dark Horse volumes as well as the Kodansha Comics box sets. In the front we have a few Kodansha Comics volumes and a few Yen Press volumes. On the rest of that row as well as the fifth row is our Viz Media Shonen Jump volumes. Most of the progress has been towards Viz Media throughout the year.
New additions for Viz Media (Shonen Jump, Shonen Sunday):
- Black Clover – Volumes 11, 12, 13 & 14
- Blue Exorcist – Volumes 5 & 6
- Chainsaw Man: Buddy Stories – Novel
- Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Volumes 6, 7, 8 & 9
- Jujutsu Kaisen – Volumes 15, 16 & 17
- Komi Can’t Communicate – Volumes 5, 6 & 7
- Mashle: Magic & Muscles – Volumes 10, 11, 12 & 13
- One-Punch Man – Volumes 11 & 12
- Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21
- Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 22-26
On the sixth and seventh rows is our Seven Seas volumes including their label Ghost Ship. This has made some progress but I would like to make more progress in 2024.
New additions for Seven Seas & Ghost Ship:
- GIGANT – Volumes 9 & 10
- Plus-Sized Elf – Volume 8
- Who Wants to Marry a Billionaire? – Volumes 3, 4 & 5
- Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs – Volumes 22, 23 & 24
And on the eighth and ninth rows is our Viz Media SIGNATURE label volumes as well as any non-hardcover larger-sized books. This section also made good progress throughout the year.
New additions for Viz Media (SIGNATURE):
- Alice in Borderland – Omnibus 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7
- Golden Kamuy – Volumes 2 & 3
- Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku – Volumes 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13
- Monster – Omnibus 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead – Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Old Bookcase
And here we are with the old bookcase section where my video games are all located. Now I haven’t provided photos for the other consoles because there’s been no updates on them and the layout has largely unchanged, so feel free to check the previous updates to see how they look.
For this section we’re mainly going to be focusing on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. My Nintendo 3DS games are also on the top half of the shelf but mainly to ensure the games don’t fall over heh.
So you will have noticed that this shelf is using a stacked approach which I don’t mind as there’s a lot of games to deal with. There’s not as many rows available for this shelf compared to others so there’s that to take into account also.
On the first row is my PlayStation 3 collection (excluding the Japanese imports which are located further down below the shelf) and here I did manage to pickup a few more games for this section. Not many but slowly filling the gaps to make this a nice and tidy done and dusted section.
New additions for PlayStation 3 (excluding Japanese Imports):
- Bleach: Soul Resurrección
- Gran Turismo 5 Academy Edition
- Prince of Persia
- SEGA Rally
- Split/Second
- Stranglehold
On the second and third rows are my PlayStation 4 collection (also excluding the Japanese imports). This has now surpassed 200 physical games in total and we’re at a point where I am slowing down on buying more physical games for this console as the PlayStation 5 starts to take all of the new games along the way.
New additions for PlayStation 4 (excluding Japanese Imports):
- Burnout Paradise Remastered
- CRYSTAR
- Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
- Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory
- Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
- Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
- Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4: Road to Boruto
- One Piece World Seeker
- One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4
- Shadow of the Colossus
- Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
- WipEout Omega Collection
Also on the third row is my PlayStation 5 collection which has been growing throughout the year and will eventually have tons more in 2024.
New additions for PlayStation 5:
- Alan Wake Remastered
- Control Ultimate Edition
- Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles
- The DioField Chronicle
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Forspoken
- Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut
- Ghostwire: Tokyo
- GrimGrimoire OnceMore
- Hades
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- MONARK
- Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten
- Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters
- One Piece: Odyssey
- Pac-Man World Re-Pac
- Resident Evil 4
- SD Gundam Battle Alliance
- Soul Hackers 2
- Star Ocean: The Divine Force
- Star Ocean: The Second Story R
- Tactics Ogre Reborn
- Tales of Arise
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
- Valkyrie Elysium
- Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of DANA
- Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
- Yurukill: The Calumniation Games
On the fourth row we have our Japanese imports for PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4 at the back and in the front is my Nintendo Switch collection which has drastically grown due to the inclusion of Limited Run Games physical releases which I had found an opportunity to pick up thanks to VideoGamesPlus.
New additions for PlayStation 3 (Japanese Imports):
- Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting! (はじめの一歩 THE FIGHTING!)
- Sakigake!! Otoko Juku: Nihonyo Korega Otoko Dearu (魁!! 男塾 ～日本よ、これが男である!～)
New additions for PlayStation 4 (Japanese Imports):
- Kyoei Toshi (巨影都市)
- Toaru Majutsu no Den’nō Senki (とある魔術の電脳戦機)
New additions for Nintendo Switch (excluding Japanese Imports):
- Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition
- Castlevania Anniversary Collection
- Collection of Mana
- Contra Anniversary Collection
- Cytus Alpha
- Demon’s Tilt
- DoDonPachi Resurrection
- DOOM 64
- DOOM: The Classic Collection
- Espgaluda II
- Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remasters
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
- The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
- Live A Live
- Metroid Dread
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Mushihimesama
- MUSYNX
- Octopath Traveler
- Powerslave Exhumed
- Quake
- Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles
- River City Girls Zero
- Senran Kagura Peach Ball
- Shadow Man Remastered
- Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection I
- Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection II
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country
New additions for Nintendo Switch (Japanese Imports):
- Witch on the Holy Night (魔法使いの夜)
And that concludes the 11th otaku collection update, also known as the 2023 otaku collection update! Much like 2022, the 2023 haul overall was pretty solid with a great selection of anime, video games, books and films on home video. Again, all of this was made possible by having enough income each month thanks to my current job.
Saying that I won’t lie that my spending was a bit unstable throughout the second half of the year due to opportunities to pick up specific titles without worrying about losing out on them (or having to spend way more later), the most notable was the Rightstuf farewell sale in September & October time. The forwarding service Stackry was the solution to a lot of these issues in terms of cost, but had I used it much sooner I would have saved a lot of money over the years.
Regardless, 2024 is going to be using a lot of forwarding services because Rightstuf has merged with the Crunchyroll store, which also resulted in both Otaku UK and United Publications not being able to stock US imports anymore. In other words, Crunchyroll US has blocked international access for home video.
The Discotek hauls have been going well, but delays in the latter half has made me miss a month or two, so I would like to put more focus on the distributor at least in the first half of the year to make sure I can get into the best stance possible so that whenever a title goes out of print I have that title sorted and don’t need to worry. The old Funimation titles discontinuing doesn’t help either but I’ll try and get that sorted, especially as the distributor has been slowing down on their releases. Sentai progress has been pretty good with a number of older titles picked up and a few saved before they would discontinue.
For video games I expect the PS3 & PS4 game collecting to slow down much further, while the PS5 and Nintendo Switch speeds up the pace. There are rumours of a new Nintendo console but I don’t mind jumping on board if it supports backwards compatibility for Switch cartridges.
Regardless the other mediums are going at their usual paces so I don’t have much to say on that part, but I will need to sort out shelving to ensure that I can keep up on those titles. I have no clue how 2024 will turn out but I am hoping it’ll be more positive than 2023 has been.
Here’s an overall shot of most of the collection:
The Normanic Vault 
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