MeUndies - February, 2016

Hi! Mike here, and this is going to be a somewhat odd review. Why? Because it's going to be about underwear. No, you didn't read that wrong. I said "underwear". More specifically, MY underwear. 

Now, don't run away screaming. Give me a chance here! Last month, I was Googling comfortable underwear when I was directed to the web site of a company called "MeUndies". I liked the designs they had and decided to look up some reviews. As it turned out, their products are supposed to be some of the best on the market. Plus, they have a subscription service that sends 1 pair of underpants per month for $16.00 USD. My usual brands cost more, so I went for it.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago and here is what I got in the mail:

When I first signed up for MeUndies, I was expecting my deliveries to arrive in plastic shipping bags like the T-shirts I order from Ript Apparel or Tee Fury. What I wasn't expecting was a box. But, it was a blessing in disguise since it met the box criteria for this blog, so now I'm here reviewing it for you. LOL

Here's what I found when I opened up the box:

Ooooookay... Is that a baseball cap?! Yes, it's a baseball cap. And, it has the MeUndies logo on it. Here's a closer look:

I am definitely not going to be wearing this hat, but at least the quality is nice.

What's more shocking than getting a baseball cap with an underwear order is what was under the hat. Have a look:

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!

*Cough*

Moving on. Here's what I found once I stuck my finger in the hole and pulled:

Man, all this packaging for a hat and a pair of boxer briefs. Here's what they look like in all their underwear-y glory:

I personally love the cartoony design. The material is very soft and feels like it's pretty high quality. After having worn them, I can confirm that the reviews on other sites are correct - These boxer briefs are extremely comfortable.

All in all, I'm very happy to have ordered from MeUndies and can't wait for the March pair, which will probably arrive in early April. If you're interested in buying a pair of comfortable underpants, go to www.meundies.com and see if anything suits your fancy.

And, that's it for now. Stay tuned for more In Box with Mike & Jess coming soon!

~ Mike

Loot Anime - January, 2016 - Episode 3: Equip

Heya, peeps! Mike here! Do you remember when I criticized Nerd Block a while back for going crazy and creating a whole bunch of different themed subscription box programs? Well, it looks like others have decided to join the madness, and Loot Crate is among them. Behold... LOOT ANIME!

So, if I'm not a fan of a ridiculous amount of genre-specific subscriptions, why did I go and order myself a Loot Anime box? Honestly, I just wanted to see if I'm the one who's actually nuts. LOL

Before checking out what my box had inside, let's get some business out of the way. If you're new to Loot Anime, it's a subscription program that sends you a box every month filled with Anime-related goodies based around a theme. Here are the different subscription options they have:

Monthly - $34.95 USD

Every 3 Months - $101.85 USD

Every 6 Months - $197.70 USD

Yearly - $383.40 USD

All prices include shipping and handling to Canada. Also, payments are recurring until you cancel. I decided to keep the pricing in US Dollars because the Canadian dollar conversion keeps changing (mostly for the worse as of late). I recommending checking the current rate to make sure you have the funds for this or any other subscription box program.

OKAY! Let's move on to the good stuff. 

JANUARY - EPISODE 3: EQUIP

You may be wondering why the title says that this is the January box when it's already mid-February. That's because this is how long it took for my box to arrive! It was quite the wait, so let's see if it was worth it. Here's what I was greeted with when I opened my Loot Anime box:

And, here's a list of the items themselves, along with approximate Canadian pricing:

- Loot Anime Charm ($3.50 CAD)

- Loot Anime Poster ($5.00 CAD)

- Hi-Chew Candy ($1.50 CAD)

- Steins; Gate #1 ($13.00 CAD)

- Monster Hunter Pen ($12.00 CAD)

- Dragon Ball Z Scouter ($17.00 CAD)

- Akame Ga Kill Tote Bag ($8.00 CAD)

- Kill La Kill T-Shirt ($18.00 CAD)

Loot Anime Custom Box

I am a sucker for custom boxes and this one is by far my favourite ever. It's so friggin' cool and something I am more than happy to display. Good job, Loot Crate peeps!

Loot Anime Charm

I loved the pins from Loot Crate, but this? This is genius. This "charm" can be placed on your keychain or plugged into the headphone jack of your cell phone. Its metal backing also makes it sturdier than it looks. I can see that a lot of thought has been put into designing this charm, which is something I appreciate very much.

Loot Anime Poster

I can't pinpoint why a poster just feels very appropriate for an Anime-themed subscription box to me, but it does. This one has an awesome design. I'm not sure where the design is from and the items list on the back of it doesn't mention anything about it, but I don't care. I like it.

Hi-Chew Candy

I had never heard of this candy before, but now that I have and have tried it... I WANT MORE. The cherry flavour is delicious! Other Looters could have gotten different flavours and I want to try them all. Can someone please direct me to where I can buy some more? Thanks!

Steins; Gate #1

Wow, another thing I hadn't heard of until now. Thankfully, Looters were given the first volume of this manga so I can start from the beginning. Splendid.

Monster Hunter Pen

Back in 2014, Loot Crate subscribers were given a custom "Dead Rising" pen. I'm pretty sure the company that made that pen also made this incredible "Monster Hunter" one. The attention to detail is phenomenal.

Dragon Ball Z Scouter

Looters could have received one of 2 variations of this awesome "Dragon Ball Z" wearable Scouter. It's lots of fun going around with it on and screaming at people about how their Power Levels are over 9,000 (8,000 if you're referring to the manga).

Akame Ga Kill Tote Bag

What-a-what Kill, now? When I saw this tote bag, I thought the design was from "Kill La Kill" and the title on it was some kind of joke or reference I didn't get. I mean, look at the scissors! But, as Google has informed me, "Akame Ga Kill!" is a completely different, absolutely unrelated series. Well, then. More for me to watch!

Kill La Kill T-Shirt

We now come to my favourite item in the box. Yes, it's only a T-shirt... But, it's not black! And, it has a "Kill La Kill" design on it that's actually pretty cool! And... and... I just love it. Period.

OVERVIEW

For all my complaints about subscription box companies branching out with specialized programs, I have to hand it to Loot Crate for putting together an excellent Anime-themed box. The items were great and were definitely worth the price of admission (at the current USD to CAD conversion rate). I'd say that at least with Loot Anime, if they can keep up the good work, it'd be worth considering. I wouldn't say it's better than Loot Crate, especially if you're not all that into Anime or are not looking to only get Anime-related items. But, if you are in the market for an Anime box, then I think this one's pretty good, especially considering what I've seen from its previous months on other blogs.

If you're interested in learning more about Loot Anime, check out their web site HERE. Also, if you look up "Loot Crate" on Facebook and join their Page, you can get discount codes for money off a new subscription.

And, that's all for Loot Anime. I wasn't interested in more than one box, so I didn't renew. But, I do have more reviews coming soon for other boxes and toys, so stay tuned!

~ Mike

Marvel Collector Corps - 2015 - Box 5 - Guardians of the Galaxy

Heya, peeps! Mike here, and there are less than 6 hours before 2016 here in Toronto. What a perfect time for a final review before 2015 ends! And, what box happened to show up right before Christmas so that I could give Jess something extra special from it? Why, the Guardians of the Galaxy box for Marvel Collector Corps, of course!

Before I move on to describing what was inside the box, here's some vital pricing info if you're new to this program by Marvel Comics and Funko Toys:

Bi-Monthly Subscription

$31.95 USD to the US / $39.00 USD to Canada (Shipping Included)

Yearly Subscription

$191.70 USD to the US / $234.00 USD to Canada (Shipping Included)

As you may have noticed above, this isn't a monthly subscription. Instead, Funko sends a box out every 2 months, thus the higher box price compared to programs like Loot Crate and Nerd Block. If you get the yearly subscription, you get an 8" bonus figure each year on the anniversary of your subscription.

Okay, now that the business is out of the way, here's what my box looked like when I opened it:

That looks very promising, yes? Well, here's a list of items with their approximate Canadian pricing:

- Collector Corps Pin ($5.00 CAD)

- Collector Corps Patch ($5.00 CAD)

- Guardians of Infinity #001 Comic ($5.00 CAD)

- Pop! Bobblers Christmas Ornaments ($25.00 CAD)

- Star-Lord Pop! Mug ($15.00 CAD)

- Guardians of the Galaxy Scarf ($30.00 CAD)

Collector Corps Box

As with previous months, the inside of the Collector Corps box has a comic panels design. This time around, the panels are from "Guardians of the Galaxy" and they're very dynamic. Nice!

Collector Corps Pin

This is honestly my favourite pin to date. Groot looks amazing here!

Collector Corps Patch

This Rocket Raccoon patch is not only pretty badass, but it also complements the Groot pin quite well. Also, this is my favourite patch to date!

Guardians of Infinity #001 Comic

My buddy Ryan and I had a conversation recently about receiving comics in subscriptions boxes. We've come to the agreement that although it's awesome to get comics, neither of us are ever encouraged to read the rest of the different series being promoted. This "Guardians of Infinity" comic has a fantastic Variant Cover and all, but I'll be honest when I say it's wasted on me. I've kind of lost interest in Marvel comics lately due to their "reboot", so this issue will probably just sit in one of my comics boxes collecting dust. Still, for anyone who is still into Marvel comics, it's a good item.

Pop! Bobblers Christmas Ornaments

Not only is this set of Pop! Christmas Ornaments ridiculously awesome, they're also very appropriate for the season. They're my favourite part of this box!

Star-Lord Pop! Mug

Finally, something that doesn't have Groot or Rocket Raccoon on it! LOL Seriously, this is an awesome mug. It'll definitely be use quite a bit!

Guardians of the Galaxy Scarf

This is the item that I gave to Jess as part of her Christmas Gift Package. I'm pretty sure it was her favourite present from me. Thanks, Funko and Marvel!

OVERVIEW

This was honestly one of the best Marvel Collector Corps boxes so far. I'm sure my opinion was obvious from how many times I used the word "favourite". Great items, incredible value, and amazing fun. I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store!

If you want more information on this subscription box program, check out the Collector Corps web site HERE.

And, that's all for 2015. Thank you for supporting this blog and have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~ Mike

GameStop Funko Mystery Box 2015

Do you remember Black Friday this year? I remember Black Friday this year. It's when I went to EB Games early in the day to pick up a Funko Mystery Box and discovered they were sold out of their very small stock of boxes pretty much when the store opened its doors.

If you hadn't heard of the Funko Mystery Box, it was a Black Friday exclusive at GameStop / EB Games that contained 1 of 5 Pop! figures, a random Pop! keychain, a random Pop! pin, and 2 random ReAction figures. For the price of $20 USD / $25 CAD, you couldn't go wrong.

Fast forward to yesterday. I was at the EB Games next to the Eaton Centre in Toronto with my pal Rob checking out some XBOX One games when something shiny caught my eye. I turned around and, OMG, there was an entire pile of Funko Mystery Boxes near the back of the store! Long story short, I bought one!

And, this is what I was greeted with when I "unboxed" it:

Awesome, right? Now, let's take a closer look at the items themselves.

Batman Pop! Vinyl

As I mentioned, there were 5 possible Pop! vinyls and I got Batman. I love the "old school" outfit! The other 4 possible Pop! vinyls were Batgirl, Blackest Night Superman, Claptrap, and Fallout Power Armor.

Elsa Pop! Keychain

I saw this keychain on several blogs and now I have one, too. It seems like Funko put Elsa in quite a few boxes. I'm not a huge fan of "Frozen", so I'll probably end up giving this to someone as a gift.

Deadpool Pop! Pin

This is definitely a way better find for me than the Elsa keychain and a very welcome addition to my growing collection of pins.

Breaking Bad ReAction Figures

I love "Breaking Bad" and I'm developing a love for ReAction figures. My Mystery Box gave me the best possible "Breaking Bad" figure combo, in my opinion - Heisenberg and Jesse Pinkman. There's only one giant problem, though... I already own both of these figures!!!

I am in shock at my horrible luck with these! But, hey, if anybody else got this combo, congrats!

OVERVIEW

The thing about boxes with random loot is that sometimes, you'll get stuff you have or don't want. I got smacked in the face real hard with my box, but I honestly can't say that the box is bad. The combined value of the items is well above what I paid, which is fantastic. I guess in the end, I now have a lot of great gifts that I didn't pay full price for, and that's definitely worth it for me.

And, that's all for now. Stay tuned for yet another review coming soon. Thanks!

~ Mike

Loot Crate - Limited Edition Star Wars Crate

There has been an awakening. Loot Crate has realized the potential in selling limited edition themed Crates, and with all the excitement over "The Force Awakens", making one for "Star Wars" was a no-brainer.

When I first saw the $100 USD US / $130 USD International price tag on the "Star Wars" Crate, I was going to pass on it. Jess actually laughed at Loot Crate's audacity in charging so much. However, our good friend Tom had purchased a "Fallout" Crate not long ago and insisted that not only would the "Star Wars" one be worth the cost, it would actually blow our minds. He even ordered a "Star Wars" Crate himself to prove his point. I have to admit that I was pretty much convinced since Tom is not only honest, but also quite particular. So, Jess and I ordered a "Star Wars" Crate.

Fast-forward to December 18th - the day "The Force Awakens" opened in theatres. I woke up to find a giant Loot Crate at the door. Here, have a look!

If you can't tell, the box is approximately the size of 4 regular Loot Crates! Wow! And, check out the cool Millennium Falcon label.

Cool, right? Now, here's what Jess and I were greeted with when we opened the box after seeing "The Force Awakens" on the 20th:

Want to know my reaction? Here's an animated GIF to help you imagine it:

Once I picked myself up off the floor, Jess and I went through the items. Here's a list with approximate Canadian pricing:

- Star Wars Toque ($30.00 CAD)

- Star Wars Scarf ($30.00 CAD)

- BB-8 Raglan Tee ($20.00 CAD)

- Darth Vader Poptater ($20.00 CAD)

- Star Wars Little Golden Books ($35.94 CAD)

- Vader Down #001 Comic ($6.00 CAD)

- Metal Earth Kylo Ren Shuttle ($15.00 CAD)

- Rebel Alliance Gadget Pouch ($18.00 CAD)

- BB-8 10 oz Ceramic Mug ($12.00 CAD)

Loot Crate Box

Before I talk about the items in the box, I wanted to mention that the box itself has an incredible Millennium Falcon design on the inside. I was absolutely blown away by it.

Star Wars Toque

I'm Canadian. This is a toque, not a "pom beanie hat". The design is fantastic, but I have to admit that the size is too small for both Jess and myself.

Star Wars Scarf

Where the toque is small, the scarf is huge! I have never owned a scarf this long before, which is why I'm going to be wearing it this winter. In fact, I wore it yesterday and got some very positive comments from passersby!

BB-8 Raglan Tee

I also wore this shirt yesterday because the design is amazing. Simple, but stylish. I love it!

Darth Vader Poptater

Poptaters are 6" Mr. Potato Head toys that, I assume, are trying to compete with Pop! Vinyls by Funko. Aside from having "Pop" in the name, there are also more and more Poptaters for different fandoms, like "Breaking Bad", horror icons, and Marvel Comics. There are, of course, Poptaters for "Star Wars" and the one in this Crate is a collector's edition Darth Vader. It looks just like a regular Darth Vader Mr. Potato Head, so I'm not sure what's special about it. But, hey, it's still pretty cool.

Star Wars Little Golden Books

This is a set of 6 books that take the original "Star Wars" movies and turns them into kids books. They're great for introducing children to "Star Wars" and Jess and I are definitely going to read them to our kids when we have them.

Vader Down #001 Comic

For the older reader, Loot Crate provided the first issue of the new "Vader Down" comic series, complete with variant cover. Nice!

Metal Earth Kylo Ren Shuttle

I've seen Metal Earth 3D Models at 401 Games in Toronto quite a few times and have always been tempted to get the Millennium Falcon, but have been hesitant since I'm not sure if I'll enjoy building it since the metal looks kind of flimsy and I feel like I'd probably break a piece or two. Well, now I can test out the sturdiness of Metal Earth models by building Kylo Ren's shuttle! Sweet!

Rebel Alliance Gadget Pouch

If "gadget" equals "make-up", yeah, this is a gadget pouch. More specifically, it's a gadget pouch that now belongs solely to Jess. :p

BB-8 10 oz Ceramic Mug

My favourite item in the entire Crate is this mug. BB-8 was a surprisingly wonderful character in "The Force Awakens" and this mug captures her cuteness quite well. I'm only moderately disturbed that I'd be drinking out of his head. (Yes, I'm purposely using both male and female possessive adjectives. LOL)

OVERVIEW

I have to admit that there was a part of me that was quite worried that I wouldn't be getting my money's worth due to the very high cost of this Loot Crate. $130 US is around $180 CAD after all due to the stupidly weak Canadian Dollar. If you add up the approximate values of the items, you'll notice that it's just a few dollars over $180 CAD, so technically, we're pretty much only breaking even up here in the Great White North. However, when it comes to the items themselves, I think they're worth every penny, err, nickel. We don't have pennies anymore...

All in all, I'm extremely impressed and very happy with this Limited Edition Loot Crate. Great items, decent value, and lots of excitement. Would I buy another Limited Edition Crate? With the cost in mind, it would have to be for a fandom I care a lot about. For those of you who love something enough to spend this kind of money, I say head on over to the Loot Crate Web Site and go for it!

Stay tuned for more coming soon this month. And, as always, thank you!

~ Mike