I saw your post on buying Hakuouki plushies (they are so cute). However, the ones on buyee are just so expensive and the ones on AmiAmi say order closed (does this mean they won't be back in stock?)
Hi Anon! It isn't possible to buy the Hakuouki plushies new anymore. They've been "out of print" for several years now. That leaves the second hand sellers from eBay, Japanese second-hand retailers (such as Surugaya), and private sellers (found on Yahoo!JP, Rakuten, Mercari, etc.).
For almost all Japanese sellers you need a proxy - somebody who will contact the seller for you in Japanese, and conduct the transaction through a Japanese financial institution. Buyee is a proxy - they'll charge you a fee to act as your agent. FromJapan is another proxy.
Sadly, the Gift Hakuouki plushies are usually expensive (Gift is the manufacturer). Not all of them are though, if you can be patient and watch what's available. If you're in North America or Europe, eBay isn't a bad choice, although the prices are sometimes very inflated, and the selection at any given time is limited.
Which character(s) are you looking for? Maybe I can help.
As a long (very long) time fan of P&P, and a huge fan of Darcy and Elizabeth, I can definitely see what you mean. Here are my quick thoughts on this:
Awkward Badass: Right? I mean, they’re so good at what they do (not to mention decisive and alert), but so *bad* at social situations (for example, if there’s a right way and a wrong way to express something, they’ll generally go with either “wrong” or “silent”)
Perceptive Idiot: they’re both very good at *noticing* things and making connections, but sometimes [O sweet gods and goddesses!] you want to shake them. Also, they’re self-critical, but periodically suffer from fits of complete, perhaps willful, blindness.
Aloof But Devoted (aka Closet Worriers): they look after and worry about their friends and loved ones to their own detriment, but only in secret; outwardly they project indifference bordering on arctic chill (which may *seem* altruistic, except it’s partly/mostly to avoid the sheer embarrassment of dealing with gratitude and other scary public displays of emotion)
Basic Black: it’s a small thing, but both men favour being neatly and appropriately dressed, but unostentatious; you just *know* that Darcy would never wear anything other than black and white, and maybe the occasional grey for special occasions XD [and yet, anybody who really matters will notice the power - at least, that’s the sense I get]
So you’ve got the two faces of Darcy and Saito: cold, competent, inflexible honour [versus] caring, awkward, secretly anxious
Of course, there are also some notable differences, which isn’t surprising since one is an English gentleman of wealth and impeccable lineage, and the other is a (disgraced) Japanese swordsman from the lowest ranks of the “educated” class. But still... you’re right!
As threatened! :) Share 5 things that bring you joy, and ask the last 10 people who reblogged something from you (or your biggest fans) to do the same.
Thank you @todayintokyo :)
~ Writing (to which I will return soon!)
~ Plushies (more a lifestyle than a hobby at this point)
[this is a sample only... judge if you must]
~ Books (fiction; paperback by preference)
~ A brand new computer game that works first try and lives up to my hopes (...the kind of game you immediately wish you could play for the first time again...)
~ Chocolate (dark; or white - technically not chocolate idc)
I will send asks soon! May you all be finding things to bring you joy right now.
NOTE: My blog is almost 100% real life free, and that’s deliberate. However, below you will find a little bit of personal stuff, and a little bit of real life commentary.
So, life has been a LITTLE difficult the last few days...
I now have personal experience with having a medical emergency during covid-19. Makes me pretty okay with our local response team and basic Canadian health care.
My husband had a ladder collapse out from under him when he was partway up. Unfortunately, he landed on pavement, not grass. Fortunately, he doesn’t appear to have injured his head, neck, or spine/back. But he does have multiple compound fractures to lower leg, ankle, and foot. He... really messed up his leg from mid-calf down.
I got him stabilized (I’m anxious over dumb stuff, but good in real emergencies), then called 911 once it was apparent it probably wasn’t a sprain. They were there within 5 minutes, and super friendly and professional. They were happy that he’d already had appropriate painkillers (ibuprofen plus acetaminophen), had the shoe off, and had leg and foot supported, and elevated on pillows (they swiped one of my pillows for the ambulance ride XD). They were *thrilled* that he was outside, so that they didn’t have to suit up, as required by covid-19 protocols.
But I couldn’t go with him in the ambulance. I can’t visit him in the hospital. Dropping off clean clothes and toiletries has to be done via security (preferably by arrangement), and he couldn’t receive any snacks - or anything that couldn’t be wiped down or sprayed with Lysol.
So far he’s had x-rays, a cat-scan, and an ultrasound. He was able to get into surgery (the first of three) with an orthopedic specialist the evening he arrived. He’s having a second surgery today, and there will be at least one more. And the (direct) cost to us? Probably $30 for the crutches (you can get them free if necessary), and maybe some minor incidentals. Other than the incremental cost of having a semi-private room, not much will go on private insurance (via employment) either.
The thing is... Everyone should have access to this kind of system. It’s not perfect. But ambulances and x-rays and other necessary testing should be covered for everyone. Not a fiscal calamity and/or buried in paperwork.
This is something that really matters to me. It will take a long time, but eventually we *have* to move past a social model that values property/wealth over human need. Taxes aren’t fun, and governments are a long way from perfect - so tax money won’t be spent perfectly - but taxes are necessary to having a better quality of life for everyone.
I’m so very glad that I could focus on the right thing in this emergency, and not on how I was going to pay for the required medical care. ...Though I do wish it hadn’t happened during the covid-19 pandemic.
