All the Christmas Things!

Welcome to The Pickle and Daweeb Show, where we dress as Lolita maids, fling leeks, and talk about anime and manga-related news. This week, we’re getting ready for Christmas. Go go gadget gifts!

Supply Chain Woes Continue

Right, let’s get the depressing stuff out of the way. The production pipeline, which depends on logistics to bring you all the anime figures and doujinshi you love, is suffering some serious holiday constipation. The situation is exacerbated by the global pandemic. Although shipping congestion at LA and Long Beach ports has reduced significantly, Loadstar reports that air freight costs are… ahem… soaring. Expect delays out of the North Pole, wink wink.

As always, you can keep up with the status of J-List’s shipping to your country on J-List’s support page.

Pokémon Tops the TCG Pile in November

According to ICv2, which follows geek culture business trends, the Pokémon TCG outsold all other TCGs in November 2021. This includes the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG and Magic: The Gathering, which is in something of a slump. This is great news for Pokémon card collectors because it means a hungry market, ready to snap up your first printing foil Charizard.

NISIOISIN’s Bundle of Love

NISIOISIN, the best-selling author of the Monogatari series, has a whole Humble Bundle dedicated to here works. The bundle includes manga and light novels, and proceeds go to a good cause.

Find the NISIOISIN Humble Bundle here.

Committing Harakiri for the Hardcore Weebage

Harakiri: Blades of Honor is a cooperative campaign-based board game with detailed miniatures, set in a fantasy version of feudal Japan. If you love your history flavored with strong hints of magic, the occult, and monsters, then this might be for you.

Let’s face it, though, “Harakiri” is an awful name for a game. It’s as if the designers tried hard to remember a cool Japanese word, then slapped that on the box. Imagine a game called “Ritual Suicide” because that’s exactly what this is. I’m hiding behind the couch, waiting for the woke police to yell “cultural appropriation”. Why not call it Giri: Blades of Honor?

Okay, this isn’t related to any manga or anime property, I know I know. Maybe I need to pick my news items better, but this Kickstarter campaign ticks all my boxes, despite the name. Can we at least agree that Japanese monsters are cool?

With only a few days left of their Kickstarter campaign, Harakiri: Blades of Honor has blown through their funding goal and unlocked the majority of their stretch goals. I think proves something, I’m just not sure what.

Get 100% Orange Juice, Cheap

Do you love cards and waifu collecting? Do you love board games, even digital ones? 100% Orange Juice, from publisher Fruitbat Factory, is cheap on Steam until the 13th. It also features in a dungeon delve-themed Humble Bundle, so you’ve got no excuse to grab this for a friend.

And no, I don’t get kickbacks from Steam or Humble Bundle.

More Gifts from J-List

Have you been naughty or nice this year? J-List has all sorts of nice things for good otaku boys and girls, from our Regular and Deluxe Snack Box to Anime Figure Fukubukuro (gift bag), Deluxe Figure Fukubukuro, and Ultimate Japanese Adult Fukubukuro. Try saying “fukubukuro” ten times fast without getting strange looks!

Time to Wrap Those Gifts

Till next time, why not check out the J-List Store for the best goods for people of culture. If you have anime or manga-related news tips, or just want to hang out, then join us on Discord. Lastly, if you have amazing writing skills and would love to write for us, fill out our writer’s application.