Thursday, December 27, 2012

Funimation Adds Heaven's Lost Property: Angeloid of Clockwork Movie

Funimation sent over a note yesterday (and I can't believe anyone is actually working down there this week) that they have decided to add the Angeloid of Clockwork movie to the February schedule.

Heaven's Lost Property (Sora no Otoshimono) Movie: Angeloid of Clockwork DVD/BD Set

Now they have 4 releases scheduled for February - woohoo! MSRP will be $34.98 and we'll be offering it for $10 less. And don't be surprised if it gets delayed folks - these surprise late December announcements for Feb releases from Funi usually do. But until we hear different, it's setup for Feb 26th.

We still have a few HLP magnetic clings laying around here somewhere, and if you've been a regular RACS customer we'd be happy to toss one in with your pre-order - but only if you ask nicely. -_^


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Post Holiday Order Shipping and Bad Weather Notice

We're back folks! After the 4 day weekend we've got a huge stack of accumulated orders to work through - thanks!

The Snow Storm west of the DC area is going to hamper our operations today. The crew has been trickling in all morning getting here as best they can over the really bad roads, and as the conditions deteriorate throughout the day I'm not sure how long we will be able to stay before things get bad enough that I have to start letting folks go to head home. I'm sure outbound shipments will be impacted as well.

Anyway we're doing our best, so just try to be patient with us regarding getting your orders shipped and your e-mails answered over the next couple of days. Remember, asking us more than once about the status of your order won't help us to get it processed any faster.

We shouldn't have any problem getting all caught up by Friday before we break for the new years holiday, so keep those orders coming!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Let Me Brush It [Nisemonogatari]

For those of you who thought you were already familiar enough with Karen's mouth:



Brushing your teeth will never feel the same again...  From Nisemonogatari, the sequel to Bakemonogatari.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Just in case the world does end tomorrow...

...I’ll miss you guys. After all, I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. -_^




Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Great Last Minute Gift Ideas from RACS!

We'll, we're down to the wire for Christmas shipping, but it's still not too late to get something for that special Otaku!

RACS store orders (shipping within the US) can still be there by Dec 24th if you use our flat rate 2nd day air shipping option as long as your order is placed before 4pm EST on Thursday afternoon.

Don't forget, RACS e-newsletter subscribers can get FREE 2nd Day Air shipping thru 4pm tomorrow on any order over $200 by using our SHIPFAST coupon at checkout.

After that, Dec 24th delivery is still possible if you select our FedEx Next Day Air option and place your order no later than 3PM EST on Friday afternoon.

If you are still pondering that last minute gift, and just can't figure out what the right thing would be, here are some RACS staff recommendations you really can't go wrong with:

Bunny Drop Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Premium Edition)
Natsume's Book of Friends Seasons 1&2 DVD Collection (Premium Edition)
Serial Experiments Lain Complete Series DVD/BD Combo Set
Children Who Chase Lost Voices DVD
Haibane Renmei Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set
The Book of Bantorra Collection DVD
A Certain Magical Index (Toaru Majutsu no Index) DVD
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere DVD
Hakuoki: Dream of the Fleeting Blossom Season 1 Collection DVD
Ai Yori Aoshi / Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi, Complete Collection DVD

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind , Graphic Novel Box Set (Vol #1-7) (Hardcover)
Ouran High School Host Club Graphic Novel Box Set (Vol #1-18)
Legend of Zelda Graphic Novel Boxed Set (Vol #1-10)
Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl Adventure, Graphic Novel Box Set (Vol #1-8)
Vampire Knight Graphic Novel Collectors Boxed Set (Vol #1-10)

xxxHolic 16" Mokona Back Pillow
Sonic The Hedgehog: 20" Plush Bag / Bakpack - Sonic

I Don't Have Many Friends: Yozora Mikaduki ~ Monster Hunter Version ~ 1/8 Scale PVC Figure
Tekken TT2: Asuka Kazama Bishoujo Statue
DC Bishoujo Wonder Woman Statue
Cowboy Bebop Spike Spiegel Play Arts Kai Action Figure
Guilty Crown: Inori Yuzuriha 1/8 Scale PVC Figure
Last Exile: Alvis & Lavie 1/8 Scale PVC Figure
Mayo Chiki! Nakuru Narumi 1/4.5 Polyresin Figure
Linkin Park Nendoroid Petite Action Figure Set
Working!! Aoi Yamada Nendoroid Action Figure
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Sakura Kyoko Nendoroid Action Figure
One Piece: Jewelry Bonney Portrait of Pirates NEO-DX 1/8 Scale PVC Figure
Queens Blade Rebellion Annelotte Blue Knight Princess ExModel Core PVC Figure

All of the above items are currently in stock at our Winchester, VA fulfillment center. Don't forget, our big figurine sale ends Dec 21st, so there are only two days left to save big on hundreds of different Anime figures and toys. Don't miss out!

We also have some great exclusive deals going on at our Amazon store, and if you are a prime member you can get free 2nd day shipping there. Checkout some of these great deals, all under $25:



Our inventory for all of the above items are already in stock at Amazon's warehouse and ready to ship directly to you!

We'll be breaking for the long holiday weekend at the close of business on Friday, so 3pm EST on Dec 21st is going to be our drop dead for any orders to ship out prior to Christmas. After that, consider giving an RACS e-Gift certificate. They come in domination's as little as $25 and will be available for delivery via e-mail including your personal gift message right up through Christmas eve on the 24th.

Time for me to get back to work. Happy holidays everyone! :-)

Monday, December 10, 2012

Amazing Odaiba Gundam HDR Time Lapse Video

Amazing HDR time lapse video of the full size Gundam on Tokyo's Odaiba island:


I'm sorry, but this is totally badass! More info here.

Friday, December 07, 2012

NIS Announces Natsume's Book of Friends Season 3 Premium for March!

NIS has sent over the paperwork for their Natsume's Book of Friends Season 3 premium release, and we now have it up on the store site for pre-order:

Natsume's Book of Friends Season 3 DVD/BD Combo Collection (Premium Edition)

Each collection includes a hardcover art book, “Natsume’s Book of Friends,” (full color, 32 pages) which provides a deeper viewing experience with detailed character info, an episode guide, rough sketches, and Japanese DVD package illustrations. The set will street on March 5th and carry an MSRP of $69.98, but of course you can pre-order it from RACS for 30% off that price.

And yes, we are aware this the S3 set will be getting BD treatment as a BD/DVD combo set where the first set was DVD only. I've asked NISA to comment on that.

Synopsis: Takashi Natsume has always been shunned by those around him because of his mysterious ability to see yokai. Eventually, he came into possession of his grandmother Reiko’s “Book of Friends,” and together with his bodyguard Nyanko-sensei he set out to return the names of the yokai contained within it. Since then, he’s found a home with the Fujiwaras and surrounded himself with friends at school. Little does he know he's about to be dragged unwittingly into further trouble...


UPDATE: NISA gives us the official word on why the 1st Natsume set (S1-2) was DVD only:

"We originally planned to put seasons 1 and 2 together in the same Premium Edition because both seasons were released in Japan quite a while ago, and we felt that in order to be able to release seasons 3 and 4 in a timely manner, placing the first two seasons together was the best route for us. We are aware that seasons 1 and 2 became available in Blu-ray format earlier this year in Japan; however, in order to make the Season 1 & 2 Premium Edition affordable for our customers, we opted to release it on DVD instead of a Blu-ray combo. Timing was also a key factor; had we opted to go with Blu-ray, the original release of Season 1 & 2 Premium Edition would have been delayed as well."

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Otaku's Room - Cool!

Here's how one Otaku lives the life:


As a side note, I love his collection, but I can't help to notice that his figures are suffocating in their original boxes - probably because he read on a forum somewhere that 'true collectors' never take their figures out of the window boxes. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I have felt for a long time that there is this really fine line in some circles between hoarders and collectors. If your figure collection is sitting in the original boxes stacked up in the back of a closet somewhere, you might want to rethink your reasons for collecting in the first place. I mean, this good man doesn't keep his posters in the original mailing tubes, does he? He puts them out for display so he and all around him can enjoy them in all their glory. So I would just like to debunk this 'window box' myth by saying that REAL collectors aren't afraid to touch the shiny parts, and shouldn't care about the potential 'resale' value of their figurines because we will NEVER want to sell them anyway. I have over 800 figurines in my personal collection (they occupy a whole room in my house), and don't have a single window box cluttering up my space. We should collect them to enjoy them. If you prefer to keep them in their boxes, that's fine, but don't be afraid to get rid of them and display your figures openly either - you'll be glad you did. :-)

Holiday Stocking List - Top 50 Manga Releases of 2012 at RACS

In the spirit of our best selling Anime releases of 2012, here is our list of our top 50 selling Manga volumes so far for this year - again sorted simply by the number of units that RACS has shipped to customers.

Without a doubt Rosario + Vampire has been our most shipped Manga series, and pretty much has been since it debuted in 2008. While Sailor Moon has been one of the shining stars of Manga in the book trades this year, none of the recent volumes makes our top 50 list. This is purely a reflection of our niche audience vs. book store shoppers.

Note that three 'H' titles made the list - unlike traditional manga releases, those tend to be long tail items for us that we ship fairly consistently for long periods of time.

Rosario+Vampire Series II , Vol #8, Graphic Novel 9781421540504
Rosario+Vampire Series II , Vol #7, Graphic Novel 9781421540269
Rosario+Vampire Series II , Vol #9, Graphic Novel 9781421542096
Omamori Himari , Vol #6, Graphic Novel 9780316195737
Dance in the Vampire Bund , Vol #11, Graphic Novel 9781935934042
High School of the Dead , Vol #5, Graphic Novel 9780316132466
Omamori Himari , Vol #8, Graphic Novel 9780316209427
High School of the Dead , Vol #6, Graphic Novel 9780316209434
Negima, Vol #33, Graphic Novel 9781612621159
High School of the Dead , Vol #7, Graphic Novel 9780316209441
Omamori Himari , Vol #7, Graphic Novel 9780316195744
Negima, Vol #34, Graphic Novel 9781612621166
A Strange Kind of Woman Graphic Novel (Adult) 9781606995143
Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol #19, Graphic Novel 9781421533483
Negima, Vol #35, Graphic Novel 9781612621203
Rosario+Vampire Series II , Vol #10, Graphic Novel 9781421548791
Neon Genesis Evanglion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project , Vol #10, Graphic Novel 9781595828798
Oh My Goddess!, Vol #41, Graphic Novel 9781595828910
Dance in the Vampire Bund , Vol #12, Graphic Novel 9781935934721
Oh My Goddess!, Vol #40, Graphic Novel 9781595828705
Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You) , Vol #13, Graphic Novel 9781421541204
Negima, Vol #36, Graphic Novel 9781612622392
Toradora! , Vol #4, Graphic Novel 9781935934172
Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol #20, Graphic Novel 9781421533490
Oreimo , Vol #1, Graphic Novel 9781595829566
A Certain Scientific Railgun , Vol #3, Graphic Novel 9781935934127
Dance in the Vampire Bund , Vol #13, Graphic Novel 9781937867027
Yotsuba&!, Vol #11, Graphic Novel 9780316225397
Neon Genesis Evanglion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project , Vol #11, Graphic Novel 9781595829320
Berserk, Vol #36, Graphic Novel 9781595829429
Shocking Pink! Graphic Novel (Adult) 9781934129500
Embrace and Bloom Graphic Novel (Adult) 9781934129524
A Certain Scientific Railgun , Vol #5, Graphic Novel 9781935934783
Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You) , Vol #12, Graphic Novel 9781421540238
A Certain Scientific Railgun , Vol #4, Graphic Novel 9781935934189
High School of the Dead , Color Omnibus Edition (Vol #1-4), Graphic Novel 9780316201049
Neon Genesis Evangelion, Vol #13, Graphic Novel (2nd Edition) 9781421552910
Sumomomo Momomo , Vol #11, Graphic Novel 9780316204699
Omamori Himari , Vol #0, Graphic Novel 9780316209410
Spice and Wolf , Vol #6, Graphic Novel 9780316210324
Omamori Himari , Vol #9, Graphic Novel 9780316229159
Excel Saga, Vol #23, Graphic Novel 9781421536415
Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You) , Vol #14, Graphic Novel 9781421542669
Ninja Girls , Vol #9, Graphic Novel 9781612620701
Toradora! , Vol #5, Graphic Novel 9781935934790
Bamboo Blade , Vol #12, Graphic Novel 9780316189439
Bunny Drop , Vol #5, Graphic Novel 9780316210331
Is This A Zombie? , Vol #1, Graphic Novel 9780316210362
Claymore, Vol #20, Graphic Novel 9781421542119
Bamboo Blade , Vol #14, Graphic Novel 9780316189583

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Holiday Stocking List - Top 50 Anime Releases of 2012 at RACS

If you've been scratching your head wondering what to fill up the stocking of that special Otaku with, or just wondering what would be a good Anime to pickup for yourself next, here is a list of our Top Selling 50 Anime releases so far this year sorted by the number of units that RACS has shipped to customers. Actually, it's the top 47 because three of the titles that popped up on the list are OOP and no longer available.

For reference, the Okami-san and Her Seven Companions DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-12) (Limited Edition) is the number 1 purchased Anime so far this year at RACS, and we have shipped about 3x the number of units of it than of the Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girl Complete Collection DVD at the bottom of the list.

Note that Hellsing Ultimate Vol #5-8 DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set is ranking #11 even though it's only been shipping for around 3 weeks. I would bet $1 that, given another month, it will end up being our #1 selling Anime release this year.

 Okami-san and Her Seven Companions DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-12) (Limited Edition) FN-06965  44.98 
 Heaven's Lost Property Season 2 Complete Collection DVD Box (Limited Edition) FN-05886  44.98 
 Strike Witches TV Series (Season 2) Complete DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set (Limited Edition) FN-01193  44.98 
 Rosario+Vampire Capu2 (Season 2) Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #14-26) FN-09682  44.98 
 Freezing Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set (Eps #1-12 + OVA #1-6) FN-09515  48.98 
 Sekirei 2: Pure Engagement Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set (Limited Edition) FN-05841  58.98 
 AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day Complete DVD/BD Combo Set (Premium Edition) NIS011967  68.98 
 Infinite Stratos Complete Collection DVD (Eps #-1-12 + OVA + Bonus CD) SFIFS100  39.98 
 Bunny Drop Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Premium Edition) NIS012131  58.98 
 Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Anime Legends) 80338  68.98 
 Hellsing Ultimate Vol #5-8 DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set FN-09102  48.98 
 Kimi ni Todoke Premium Edition DVD/BD Combo Collection #1 (Eps #1-12) NIS011462  48.98 
 K-On! (Season 1) Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-14) 20030  28.98 
 Kimi ni Todoke Premium Edition DVD/BD Combo Collection #2 (Eps #13-24) NIS011479  48.98 
 Mayo Chiki Complete Collection DVD SF-MC100  34.98 
 Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt Complete Collection DVD Set (Limited Edition) FN-09071  44.98 
 Motto To Love Ru (Season 2) Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-12) SFMLR100  34.98 
 Infinite Stratos Complete Collection BLURAY (Eps #-1-12 + OVA + Bonus CD) SFBIFS100  44.98 
 Fairy Tail Collection #4 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #37-48) FN-08766  36.98 
 B Gata H Kei – Yamada’s First Time Complete DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set (Limited Edition) FN-08940  48.98 
 Aria the Scarlet Ammo Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-12) (Limited Edition) FN-09120  44.98 
 Kimi ni Todoke Premium Edition DVD/BD Combo Collection #3 (Eps #25-37) NIS011974  48.98 
 Rosario+Vampire Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) (Limited First Pressing) FN-09681  48.98 
 Fairy Tail Collection #2 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #13-24) FN-08764  36.98 
 Fairy Tail Collection #3 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #25-36) FN-08765  36.98 
 Deadman Wonderland Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-12) FN-07580  44.98 
 Rosario+Vampire Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) (Standard Edition) FN09681alt  44.98 
 The Book of Bantorra Collection 1 DVD (Eps #1-13) SFBOB100  39.98 
 Dream Eater Merry Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-13) SFDEM100  39.98 
 K-On!! (Season 2) Collection #1 Boxed Set BLURAY (Eps #1-13) SFBKON201  48.98 
 Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girl Complete Collection BLURAY SFBMSG100  48.98 
 Shangri-La Part 1 DVD Collection (Eps #1-12) (Limited Edition) FN-01521  44.98 
 Legend of the Legendary Heroes Part #2 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #14-25) FN-08951  44.98 
 Tales of Vesperia the Motion Picture DVD/BD Combo Set FN-09081  26.98 
 Occult Academy Complete Collection BLURAY Set (Premium Edition) NIS-011943  88.98 
 Black Butler Season 2 Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #25-42) FN-05935  44.98 
 The Book of Bantorra Collection 2 DVD (Eps #14-26) SF-BOB200  39.98 
 Princess Resurrection Complete Collection DVD Box (Eps #1-26) (Bilingual Edition) SF-PR400  48.98 
 SteinsGate Collection Part #1 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-12) FN-01540  48.98 
 Shangri-La Part 2 DVD Collection (Eps #13-24) FN-01522  39.98 
 Natsume's Book of Friends Seasons 1&2 DVD Collection (Premium Edition) NIS-012513  58.98 
 Legend of the Legendary Heroes Part #1 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-13) (Limited Edition) FN-08950  44.98 
 Fractale Complete Collection DVD/BD Boxed Set (Limited Edition) FN-09031  48.98 
 Shiki Collection Part 1 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-12) (Limited Edition) FN-08970  48.98 
 K-On!! (Season 2) Collection #2 DVD Boxed Set (Eps #14-26) SF-KON202  39.98 
 Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girl Complete Collection DVD SF-MSG100  39.98 
 Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Complete DVD Boxed Set (Anime Legends) 80337  68.98