Kotobukiya has announced that a rerelease of the Liger Zero Panzer will happen in April. You can find pre-order links below, and we'd just like to remind everyone that we do have a review up for this Zoid in the Model Kits section. More to the point we'd like to remind everyone to be careful with the pull out missile pods of their Panzers! These are very fragile!

    The Zoids Original website has updated with both Zoids Original Story 10 and with profiles to accompany the update. The new story notes the existence of other aerial machines like Sinker and Redler. We are aware there has not been an SS update for a while; that's because we're trying to get our pre order slot for the Blu-rays paid off before ordering more cost-heavy translations. Thank you for your patience and hopefully things will pick up in a month or so again!

    Oh no, the Blade Ligers are multiplying! We've added a ton of reviews for Blade Liger related items, starting with these bootlegs from STK and Dragon Momoko. Some of them include custom box art (simply recolored from the standard) and even custom colored instructions. Those that don't have had the box scans and instructions simply left out, since they're the same as the official blue D-Style Blade Liger.

    We've also added a review for the official Blade Liger Limited. Version (Blue), which was a chrome D-Style Blade Liger. Rather poor quality, but awfully shiny!

    To finish off the Blade Liger reviews we've added two reviews for the Tomica Blade Ligers, completing that section under Action Figures. The new reviews are the Blue Blade Liger and the Zoids Struggle Blade Liger Mirage. Neither have box scans yet, hopefully I'll find their boxes again.

    In the Model Kit reviews the Zoids Monthly Graphics Lidier has been updated. It now contains scans of the Zoids Monthly Graphics Volume 10 book that came with the kit. This includes some awesome concept art of the video gmae Zoids, battle story info, and some snippits of other print media, all with compelling imagery.

    The Zoids Battle Card game has been updated with some new figure reviews of the miniatures that came in the booster packs. Volume 5 has been updated with the clear Barigator chase figure and the Republican Stealth Viper. Volume 6 has been updated with the Republican Konig Wolf and its clear chase figure, as well as the Snipe Master.

    A section has been added to articles for the Zoids Graphics. These were a series of pamphlets that were sold with Customize Parts and other model kit material. They include concept artwork of the Zoids and information on the Battle Story. Right now we have only posted a part of Volume 1, which is actually a bit out of order. We're working on the remainder of the pamphlet and will post it in proper order once we are able. Right now it includes concept art of the Konig Wolf.

    We have had quite a big update to the Zoids card games sections. A new page has been added for Zoids Scramble Vol. 1, which was previously unlinked. It includes examples of the holo foils, scans of the booster covers, and scans of the booster box that was released for the series. Currently it contains 77/99 of the cards.

    New pages have also been added for Zoids Colosseum Second Version, Volume 5 and Volume 8. Volume 8 admittedly only has one card, but still! At least we know it exists. An extensive list of cards has been added to the other Colosseum pages as well. The new cards are:

    Volume 1: 09, 10, 22, 23, 24, 45
    Volume 2: 08, 10, 20, 23, 24
    Volume 3: 07, 09, 10, 19, 22, 23, 45
    Volume 4: 07, 08, 09, 12, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52
    Second Version, Volume 5: 20, 22
    Second Version, Volume 6: 11, 14, 19, 20, 21, 41
    Second Version, Volume 7: 43, 45, 46
    Second Version, Volume 8: 17

    In addition to the cards we've added a gold-plated text example to Volumes 1-4. There is confirmed to be gold-plated text in Volumes 5 and up but I don't have an example of the cards in the Second Version format with them (I only have a Battle Chance card). Volume 6 has also had a section added to the bottom for the Secret cards, which were alternative versions of other cards in the set.

    While I'm aware there are lists of them in other series I have only personally confirmed it in 6, so for the time being that is the only page that contains such info.

    The Zoids Chaotic Century manga directory has been updated with Volume 11. I personally find this to be a very interesting volume because of its explanation of the berserker system, the implication of illegal technology and the way it is used on the battlefield. It really gives a lot of depth to the creation of this wicked Zoid.

    A page has also been linked for each model kit section, beside the series title (for example, Tomy Release: Information). You can still use the main model kit page as a directory but the individual pages contain information about each series, and pages of further viewing that are relevant to the model line.

    A review has been added to the Model Kits section for the Leoshop Black & Gold Chrome Command Wolf. Leo-shop Zoids are only distinguished by a single sticker on the box, usually, which varies depending on what the Zoid was for. Since I find it necessary to distinguish the difference between illegal copies of Zoids and legal variations of Zoids, such as chrome or plated, I've renammed the Bootlegs section to 'Unofficial'.

    (In case anyone missed it we posted another update just a day or so ago). The Zoids Chaotic Century manga directory has been updated with Volume 10 of the Viz Manga. This features Hannah, one of Prozen's soldiers, trying to stir up some trouble in the already-tense border between the two governing factions. This just leaves four more books to update before the CC section is entirely complete!

    To be honest we will probably move on to book media after CC and Zoids SS. They will be our primary focus, but we'd still like to have the occasional manga update. Chances are that manga will continue to be the web comic presented in video format.

    Today there is a lot of good and bad news. We will get the bad news out of the way first.

    The Zoids Original series is coming to an end. A notice on the Line Up page says that the Storm Sworder FSV will be the last kit sold from this line. This means that the only running media for the Zoids franchise, the Zoids SS manga is also likely to end in only 1-3 months. It's a sad day, but let's not forget that for a brief moment in time we not only had new characters and media, stories, and comics, but the long-awaited revival of a motorized line, however short it may have been!

    TakaraTomy is grateful for the continued support of the Zoids line, and have posted wall papers of the kits in this line. They have also posted the first part of the Storm Sworder FSV story. The profile page from the main page currently links to the Command Wolf RGC stats, but change the URL to 04 to get the FSV story characters.

    The main TakaraTomy site has updated the Zoids Web Stories with some of the remaining profiles. These are more or less the same as those from the Concept Art Books.

    A new Blu-Ray Box, this time for New Century /Zero has been announced! It is very exciting, as we've been hoping for this for a while now. The box set is scheduled for an early August release. Maybe we can assume the same time (August 2nd) as the CC Box set? Although that is purely speculation. Cheapest price I've seen so far is AmiAmi at 24,600 (Roughly $246) for the basic set and 30,100 yen (roughly $300) for the limited set. Both items require payment up front.

    This set is sad to be 4 discs, which is impressively small considering the NC0 DVDs had 9 volumes. The previously released Chaotic Century box set gives us a better concept of what to expect.

Both regular and limited editions:
    - Original CG Illustration 3-sided case (the outter box of the set)
    - Tadashi Sakazaki original illustration special digistack case (the box that contains the discs)
    - ZOIDS encyclopedia special edition (36 pages) (likely a direct reprint of the NC0 section of the 2009 Encyclopedia)
    

Limited Edition Set:
    HMM Liger Zero 2014 Blu-Ray BOX Limited Ver. (All clear plastics)

    This time around there is no mention of a special CG opening, so we can probably assume that it won't have the Liger Zero version of what the CC BR Box had. Nonetheless, NC0 in high quality is A+.

    The Zoids Chaotic Century manga directory has been updated with the Zoids XG pages. There are 22 pages added, which concludes this story, but also means that all of Ueyama's Zoids Manga has now been translated. There will be no more updates of manga from this artist, as we've completed them all! Translations courtesy of Emeryl!

    With this finished we will be moving on to more progress with other medias. Our primary focus for now is the Bucks Vs. Maya web comic, then hopefully the others~ We also hope to get back to Zoids Generations soon!

    On note of the web comic, we've added a new chapter from the Zoids Web Comic! This is "Story 1" of Bucks Vs. Maya, and features how Bucks and Celica came to work together. I just want to note that there are a lot of ways to work with Bucks' name. The original name (Bakusu) can be translated as either Bucks or Backs, but since Bucks is the more widely accepted version we've opted to go with that. Translations courtesy of Emeryl!

    The second half of Story 7 and the entirety of Story 8 of the Zoids Original Story have been updated! They are the last of the Command Wolf RGC story, most likely, just as the comic was the last update for it. These translations are courtesy of Falcarius!

    Due to a recent run-in with AmiAmi I've been forced to ammend their otherwise glowing review in the Buying Zoids article, and wish to relay that story here. Please understand that this is by no means an attempt to slander the company, but that I believe in being wholely honest with people about what sort of service to expect with stores that I recommend on my website. I was saddened at the idea of having to go with another store and as bitter as I am over this, I will continue to use their store.

    In December I ordered the HMM Gojulas, which ended up about $280 after shipping. I was shocked when the Zoid reached customs and was noted as 'returned to sender'. This occurred because the customs packet had been removed from the box, either forcably from mishandling or from simply not being attached securely.

    When I contacted AmiAmi I was told that they would refund me the item cost when and only when the item got back to them. I expect similar responses from low feedback Ebay sellers, but I've never had a company refuse to refund the full item and shipping cost if I won't be getting any items for my money. Nonetheless they would ask me to pay shipping twice, which would have added over $100 onto the bill to get an item that I had already fully paid for. I was told I would not receive the item if I didn't pay this second shipping charge. Amiami's reasoning for this was that it was 'unfair' to ask them to repay me for shipping, or to ship it again without charging me. I can understand that, again, coming from an individual, but I consider it extremely poor customer service coming from a larger company.

    Either way, the item packet had been lost, meaning it would never actually find its way back to AmiAmi. This meant that even though the tracking information confirmed that I hadn't received my item, AmiAmi would never refund me a penny of the $280 I spent at their store.

    After days of back-and-forth with USPS I was told that I was unable to file a claim, or to file for a refund for the package because I was the buyer, not the sender. I told AmiAmi how to submit for a refund request, and was told they were unable to do so. They said that maybe after the holidays they'd contact Japan Post and ask them to do it,but that they felt that it was unfair that they even had to do that.

    Basically, in summary, their store policy was "If something goes wrong the buyer is completely screwed, and we'll make no effort whatsoever to earn back our customer". As someone who has bought from their store every month for two or three years I was extremely offended to be treated this way. They wouldn't even make the most trivial effort (submitting a refund request to USPS) to get my money back. They just wanted me to pay double the shipping and eat the cost.

    Unfortunately because AmiAmi fits my buying parameters much more than other stores, I'll likely continue to use them, but I think it's very important to know how a store will help you when something goes wrong. I've ordered for years without issue, but when I did have an issue, I was essentially out $300. I've recently gotten in better contact with USPS thanks to my sister, and will be getting my item, but at no help from AmiAmi. Even after the holidays they did NOT submit a request or inquiry for the item. So, buyers beware.