toyboxdx toy blog brog: is graceful art of daily expressing japanese toy  

Yep, I’m stupid. It took me over eight months to discover that Bandai’s GD-56 Mechagodzilla 1974 was cool, but now I bear witness to His Rivet-Covered Glory.

Why? For starters, they absolutely nailed the likeness. Every angle, every armor segment and every rivet is right where it should be. I can imagine the sculptor sitting in front of the suit for days, whittling away and scrutinizing every detail to make sure that kaiju freaks everywhere would be satisfied.

Then there are the features. The knee missiles pop off. The hands swap out to make it look like the finger missiles have been fired. The mouth and chest hatch open. Swap out the head and fold back the arms, and you can put him in flying mode. Push on the spikes on his back and make his head spin.

There are a couple of minuses. Metal parts are limited to the chest and legs, a little disappointing for a toy that bears the Chogokin moniker. It would also have been nice if it came with a little plastic stand for when you pose him in flying mode. All of these things just amount to the difference between an A and an A- in my book, though.

Like any other toy company, Bandai can’t resist squeezing as much as they can out of tooling costs by issuing color variations. A few months after the regular one came out, a GD-56M chrome version was released. Many collectors, myself included, rolled their eyes at this, but here’s a little secret: the chrome one is better.

Even if you don’t have the normal one to compare to, once you take the chrome one out of the box you are completely dazzled. Instead of just dipping the whole thing in chrome, selected parts are left with a matte finish, and the remaining surfaces are gloss. This contrast only brings out the beauty of the sculpt even more.

Again, there are some minor downsides. The chrome one costs a bit more (7500 yen as opposed to 6800 yen), has grayscale package art, and lacks the neat clamshell presentation of the original. Also, the finish on the metal parts isn’t as glossy as the plastic ones, so in a strange way the low die-cast content works in the toy’s favor.

Relatively speaking, not too many of these were made. Less than 10,000 of the normally colored version were cranked out by Bandai, and perhaps even less of the chrome ones were produced. From what I’m told, demand for these in Japan has been steady and strong, to the point where some dealers are asking American sellers if they could re-import the toys back.

Should you get one? If you have a special place in your artificial heart for Mechagodzilla and you feel like paying for it, definitely, but if you must pick one, go for the chrome. If my words haven’t convinced you, then squint at this picture. Yep, same tan wood and tile coffee table, same perspective, same schmuck taking the picture. My apologies.

I remember having the Aquarius Camus saint action figure back in the 80’s, when the series was on TV. At that time, the figure and the armor didn’t have as much detail. The armor was still a shiny gold color and made mostly of metal. And plastic in certain areas

In 2003, Bandai introduces their new series reviving the Saint Seiya figure line called the Saint Myth Cloth series. This Aquarius is the second one in the gold saint series to be released. I ordered one from a shop in hawaii. I was actually excited to get when it came in the mail. I just ripped the package open like a kid opening a christmas present. The box itself folded in a book like manner. Which opens to reveal two sides containing the pieces. One side contains a tray insert with the main body of the figure and some armor pieces. The other side with the second tray insert containing the an extra head of Cygnus Hyoga, some armor pieces and parts for the Aquarius object. And, a cape. This is a first for me, still. I have the Leo saint. And it too came with a cape.

Taking out the figure first. I noticed it was about 5 inches tall a little larger than its predecessor. It did have a lot more detail. The face detail on both heads is close to the original on the show. The armor to has more detail and is more accurately designed to look almost exactly like the original. The armor is a gold color and made of a heavier metal. And better quality. Than its predecessor. Still a very nice piece. Unlike the 80’s version, this one has a set of different hands that are interchangeable. For a different variety of poses. Like the Camus head, the mask fits the Hyoga head too. Like on the show, when Hyoga wears the Aquarius armor. I couldn’t get over how nicely designed and detaliled the figure is. Bandai also did it in such a way that every myth cloth series figure was designed in a similar manner, making it possible for the saints in the bronze series to be able to wear the gold armor too.

I played with the figure a little. Seeing what it can do. Having to do a variety of poses. The articulation in the joints are really good. There was a good amount of it. The double hands for Camus’ Aurora Execution attack. I thought it was pretty neat to actually recreate that. Then the two open hands for Hyoga’s Hakucho-no-tsubasa pose. Like he does in the show before attacking. One thing I thought was pretty tricky was to actually have the figure posed standing and holding its head piece. It takes some patience to get it right. Like how Camus or Hyoga does it in the show, cradleing the head piece in their arm on either side. The hands have to grip the bottom of the head piece, depending on which side the figure will hold it. Visible on both Camus and the Hyoga rear view, the cape is on. This cape is part of the set. On the show, when Hyoga wears the Aquarius armor, it has no cape. I just decided to put it on. It looks better with the cape on. This new figure is a very welcome addition to my collection. ANd the best one. I have it on my shelf displayed as Hyoga. Actually, becomes he the next Aquarius saint. Its not in the story, but an original idea I thought of. The style of the figure is very good. Even the armor in the form of the Aquarius object looks really good. This is not the last gold saint in my collection.

That’s the great thing about living in Tokyo: just when you think you’ve seen it all, just when you think they can’t take things any farther, you stumble across something that upends your complacent little worldview.

Zooplankton gashapon. I rub my eyes. This has to be a dream. My long, long wait for toys of microorganisms, each carefully suspended in a vile-looking fluid that appears to be mint jelly cut with turpentine, is over at last.

And it’s all thanks to Epoch. Man, I love Japanese toy-makers. Even if they’re only making gashapon. With a trembling hand, I put my hundred-yen coin in the slot and spin the wheel, placing my fate in the hands of the toy-gods.

My heart’s in my throat as I reach for the jolly, candy-like capsule that drops into the machine’s cold yet welcoming orifice.

Branchiopoda. The “chase microbe.” Clutching the vial in my hand, I can sense the minty, translucent love of the Lord of Gashapon radiating down upon me from his throne on hallowed Mount Polyvinylchloride. This is a message. I can feel it in my bones.

It’s time to get back on the crack.

I dig another hundred yen out of my pocket, spin the dial again, and pray for a paramecium.

Lookie here, Toybox DX got a mention in Uchusen Magazine #113 as part of their April Chiller Theatre coverage. Under this photo of Betsy Palmer (Jason’s mom in the original Friday the 13th) with a scruffy jet lagged gaijin, the text reads:

“This is Roger, who helped us coordinate our coverage of the event. He’s a staff member at the American website ToyboxDX.com, which is a site for collectors of Japanese toys.”

Props to our homie Tadayuki Osumi for getting Roger’s ugly mug and our URL in the mag. Ladies of Japan, start writing those fan letters. If it worked for Josh Fraser, it should work for Rog…

(Uh, huh-huh-huh, “staff member”.)

Sometime in July 1988, the first ever incarnation of Kaneda’s Bike from AKIRA exploded into existance in the form of Bandai’s 1/35 scale toy. Years later, the fame and popularity of AKIRA grew tremendously. Europe, America, Asia… the world of SF/anime/manga fandom was blown away by the superb story, art and breathtaking animation in the various translated editions. And for most part, the fans wondered: “Where are the toys??!!!”

There was no eBay then, folks. The few who knew about the BANDAI 1/35 scale still had to go toy-hunting the old-fashioned way… Friends-of-friends(-of-friends), grubby middlemen, ruthless convention dealers and Major Moolah.

Then a couple years back (2000/1?), we got a pretty decent and affordable McFarlane Toys version. Still, I decided to shell out the bucks (85 clams) for the dinky little BANDAI… mostly for the thrill of having the most accurately reproduced decals. Probably because of licensing issues, McFarlane Toys could only settle for names like “CORRUPT” instead of “CANON“, and “IMMIGRANT” instead of “CITIZEN” and a “radiation sign” instead of the “BMW quadrant“… etc. You get the idea ;-)

Now finally in July 2004 (16 years later!), BIG-B has bestowed upon us a truly brilliant gem of anime-memorabillia: The Soul of Popynica PX-03 Kaneda’s Bike!

Words fail me in trying to describe the giddy excitement upon laying hands on the box. The stark red & black styling of the package instantly recalls the bold graphic design Otomo pioneered with AKIRA in the 80s. The window cutouts display the sleek profile of the bike, fully covered from the front, and with removed panels to show off the remarkably detailed diecast structure from behind.

True, there’s no fetishistic styrofoam tray to hold the goodies, but the silver-foil coating on the insides do add a touch of class. Equally amazing is the lifelike sculpt of Kaneda himself, in his trademark insouciant slacker’s pose. And who could forget the drug capsule and motto emblazoned across the back of his jacket? “GOOD FOR HEALTH / BAD FOR EDUCATION” is not only punkishly cool, it’s even grammatically correct Japlish. :-)

No doubt, this review is mainly about the PX-03, but I thought a little comparison with the old 1/35 toy would be interesting. First up there is the matter of size: The old 1/35 measures a mere 10cm in length while its big brother stops the tape at just over 20cm. Nonetheless, it seems the 1/35 holds its own interms of accurate scaling when you compare how Kaneda fits into the seat… PX-03 seems a tad too small for its infamous delinquent owner.

But once you get down to DETAILS… there’s no question about it, the PX-03 is hands down the winner. I mean, there’s just no way hand-applied stickers could match up to solid-colored tampo printing, especially on devillishly curvy surfaces! And while the 1/35 bike could do the mecha toy equivalent of a strip tease, with the PX-03 you get the Full Monty. Wheels covers front & back, side farings, wind shield, side covers, rear shroud, top hatch… everything comes off. You’ve got to give points to the 1/35 designers for giving a fine effort back in 1988, but the PX-03 simply takes the cake! This is like the Dougram of anime vehicles! Check out the detailing that went into the diecast parts… I never get tired of pouring my eyes over the superb craftsmanship!

More details… Rolling rubber wheels (of course), spring loaded suspension front and back, front wheel/fork assembly telescopes up (for maintenance) and actually steers. Flip out stand underneath, flip up front light. Bandai even included 2 sets of side fairings: one-piece L/R parts, and 2-piece L/R parts for showing the bike in semi-disassembled state. Personally, I prefer the 2-piece version – the almost unnoticeable seam line where the halves meet adds a neat measure of realism for me.

Oh yes, the instrument panel. Whereas I had to settle for a pretty nice sticker on the smaller toy, BANDAI has seen fit to go all out with properly molded buttons and see-thru covers over neatly printed speedometer and navigation displays. Is that a smirk I see on you, Kaneda?

To sum it up, if you enjoyed AKIRA, the PX-03 is a no brainer. Kaneda might be too big for his bike, but that’s a real minor quibble next to all the goodies you get for (a measely) 6500yen. But don’t write off the smaller toy either… I find it an excellent (and highly durable) companion piece for any chogo-connoisseur or AKIRA fanatic. Will the success of the PX-03 see other SOP releases for AKIRA (like the flying attack craft, for example)? I sure hope so. Thanks for the ride, BANDAI!

A surprise trip to famed toy-collector Teruhisa Kitahara’s tin toy museum in scenic, mountainous Hakone Japan yielded this handful of photos.

Unlike Kitahara’s tin toy museum near Yokohama, which focuses on tin robots and spaceships, the Hakone annex is largely filled with tin cars and airplanes. But that being said, no hall of Japanese toys would be complete without a few selected robots and monsters, and the Hakone Toy Museum delivers.

Check out those Bullmark tin kaiju! And the life-sized (well, human-sized) Tetsujin 28 and
Astroboy statues! The anime-style renditions of long-gone American movie stars! And who could forget that krazy-looking Kute Kitty?

It’s a lot of fun. Unless you’re a tin toy maniac, though, I’m not sure if the museum is really worth making a special trip from Tokyo. (It’s a good two hours away.) But it sure is a nice respite between taking dips in Hakone’s famed hot springs!

Chogokin Chronicle: Selected by Katsushi Murakami is hands-down the glossiest (and, at more than $50, the most expensive) coffee table book on Chogokin ever produced. The presentation is stunning. It’s large-format — at 8 1/2 by 12 inches, it’s even larger than the previous heavyweight, THE Chogokin. It’s hardcover and slip-cased. And it also contains a DVD packed full of interviews, old Chogokin commercials, and an oddly alluring video gallery of the toys featured in the book set to (kinda lame) music.

The scope of the book is quite small: the evolution of the Japanese robot as seen though the eyes of Popy’s head designer Katsushi Murakami. As such, it focuses on just 22 of the Chogokin character lines, each selected to illustrate the sense of evolution and personal one-upmanship within Popy. (The last few pages of the book contains a “thumbnail” gallery of every Chogokin toy, arranged in chronological order, but it’s all in black and white.)

Visually, there isn’t a whole lot of new information here. (In fact, if anything, the photographic style echoes that of Tim Brisko’s work.) The twist comes from getting to read a personal take on the design process for each of the featured toys. (A full seven are dedicated to the hallowed Chokinzoku Tetsujin 28, which Murakami designed himself.) Perhaps the most fascinating aspect is realizing just how much of a fundamental role Popy played in creating many of the classic robot character designs. According to the book, Murakami and his design staff either proposed or finalized the specific layout and color scheme of nearly every giant robot character that Popy produced in toy form.

Do you need Chogokin Chronicle? To answer that question, you’ve got to know thyself. Are you an inveterate, obsessive completist? Or a laid-back sort who only enjoys the occasional ogle of shiny robo-porn? If you’re looking for a visually-oriented field guide, Igarashi’s Encyclopedia of Chogokin and Popinika is a better bet. And if you’ve already got THE Chogokin, you may find yourself disappointed in the narrower scope. Then again, Chogokin Chronicle does feature superior photography, interesting (albeit totally Japanese) commentary, and that nifty DVD of vintage Chogokin commercials. Pick yer poison!

Inside Report: Soul of Chogokin

Adults in touch with their inner children, challenging themselves to re-create the robots they loved as kids!

Chances are you have at least one favorite anime robot. These overwhelmingly powerful, invincible defenders of Earth left a deep impression on those who watched their exploits. Bandai gave these feelings solid form with the Chogokin series of toys, which were made available to viewers all over the country.

In 1997, more than twenty years after the birth of the Chogokin series, a new toy series designed to stoke the spirit of the generation that loved the originals appeared: “Soul of Chogokin.” They’re made for adults and portray the exact same anime robots as the original Chogokin toys. Just how does Bandai make these Soul of Chogokin toys? We sent an undercover reporter into their laboratory to throw some light on the subject.

The Soul of Chogokin production process:

1) Deciding on a character (1 – 2 months)

2) Rough design and blueprints (2 – 3 months)

3) Detailed blueprints for each part ( 2 – 3 months)

4) Deciding on gimmicks via prototyping and re-design (1 – 2 months)

5) Creation of molds and final adjustments (1 – 2 months)

6) Manufacture

7) Packaging and sale

An Explosion of Ideas! A Passionate Debate Over Robots!
The Project Starts!

The Soul of Chogokin series is reknowned for its realistic renditions of animated robot designs. The series builds on the incredibly popular first series of Chogokin from the 1970s. Much attention is paid to improving the detail, articulation, and functionality over the original toys and to replicate the “coolness” of the original animated designs to the ultimate degree. Although they’re toys, they’re intended for adults rather than children. Why aim for an adult demographic? And why pick Chogokin for this sort of treatment? We spoke to one of the people responsible for guiding the Soul of Chogokin series: Hiroaki Tanaka from Design Team 3 of the Bandai Character Toy Division.

Tanaka:Even before the Soul of Chogokin series, there were people at Bandai who wanted to develop “Chogokin for adult consumers.” Circumstances dictated otherwise and it never actually happened.

Around 1995, the popularity of high-quality action figures from series like Spawn and Star Wars created a market for toys intended for adults. People began re-discovering Chogokin at the time, and more and more people within the company began saying that they ‘wanted to create a Chogokin for my generation.’ So there was a match between what fans and the staff wanted, and the result was the beginning of a new chogokin project. The first toy in the Soul of Chogokin series was Mazinger Z. Mazinger Z was the character at the vanguard of the Chogokin series in the 1970s. We wanted to create the same excitement among people in their 20s and 30s as the original Mazinger Z Chogokin had created among kids in the 1970s. That’s why we picked the character to kick off the series. Ever since, we’ve picked a new design every year based on what we hear from the consumers.

As I look over the design proposals on my desk, I discuss them with colleagues who happen to pass by: “I’d like to see this gimmick,” “I’d like it to be able to take that pose,” and debate the kinds of things I’d like to see in the toy myself. Sometimes we get wrapped up in reminiscing about the show, though. (Laughs) Occasionally, I’ll get mad at someone: “how could you NOT remember that line?” or “you don’t remember that weapon?” (Laughs) And of course, I re-watch all of the related material on DVD. My parents used to yell at me for reading comic books as a kid, but now that I’m an adult and it’s part of my job, they yell at me for not reading them enough. It’s kind of funny, actually.

The thing is, you really have to understand exactly what would make you happy in a toy rendition of a given character before you start working on it. If you don’t, you’ll never make something that will please the fans. So it’s very important for me to watch the show again and try to recall how I felt about it as a kid.

Mo’ show photo.

Another year, another Tokyo Toy Show.

Not much to report this time around. Although there seemed to be a lot more people this year — last year, the organizers actually told people from China and Southeast Asia not to come because of SARS concerns — there wasn’t a whole helluva lot of “wow” to go around.

About the biggest surprise — well, to me, anyway — was the announcement that the next Shin Seiki Gokin toys will be a 1:72 APC and Dropship from the film “Aliens” and a 1/48 scale rendition of “Airwolf” from that ’80s TV “hit” of the same name. SCRAPE THE BARREL, BABY!

On the Bandai front, buncha chunky Dekaranger stuff. Some random SD figs. Some decently detailed plastic toys from the upcoming Thunderbirds flick. Also, a Kado Senshi Zeta Gundam in black-and-blue “Titans” colors was on display. Alas, alert security men tackled me as I tried to photograph it. I also had my first view of the new Soul of Sofubi figures, which turned out to be the exact same size and quality as standard Bandai Ultraman vinyls.

And that’s about it. Enjoy a random-ass sampling of shots from the show. Highlights include some nice shots of the Yamato’s upcoming Koenig Monster and Scopedog toys (and lemme tell ya, that Scope Doggy Dog is biggie big. A good 12″ tall, easy.)

Bear in mind that the toys photographed represent my frighteningly short attention span and in no way indicates the complete range of stuff on display at the show.