Why has japan never had a proper figure line?

[OmegaGaijin]

i have always found this puzzling? How come there has never been a proper 'articulated' figure line? apart from a couple of 3 3/4 GI Joe one offs theres nothing proper(in an articulated sense).there was a wcw galoob type run with a ring aswell,i also dont consider the limited noah figures as a proper line (personally). esp with a country where toys and wrestling are popular,i find it amazing we have not had a proper and consistent figure line with fully articulated figures? is there a reason for this?

[Ruby Fusion]

You got me puzzled on the "WCW Galoob type run with a ring".

Anyway, most japanese figs are articulated; they move at the arms and waist. Why figures aren't super-articulated; I guess the japanese don't care much for articulation, they care for detail.

U.S. figures are super-articulated but feature like 4 or 5 bodytypes. In Japan every figure looks like the wrestler: not just lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight or super heavy.

[the franchise]

I never knew that proper action figures had to have a ton of articulation.

[ICHIBAN 一番]

I guess japanese prefer detail and collect figures more than play with them.

[bix]

Didn't the most articulated action figure in history come from Japan...Ryo-san or something like that, with 70+ points including some fingers?

[Ruby Fusion]

Jan 16, 2010 14:13:06 GMT -5 bix said:

Didn't the most articulated action figure in history come from Japan...Ryo-san or something like that, with 70+ points including some fingers?

Also a pretty big figure I think, around 10"?

[ICHIBAN 一番]

any pics of this figure ryo san figure?

I think japanese figures are the greatest figures on earth, ive got many complete collections of other lines to compare to them and the sheer detail is amazing.

[Ruby Fusion]

Jan 16, 2010 15:14:09 GMT -5 ICHIBAN 一番 said:

any pics of this figure ryo san figure?

I think japanese figures are the greatest figures on earth, ive got many complete collections of other lines to compare to them and the sheer detail is amazing.

It's from an anime or so (Lupin III I think)
Google Kankichi Ryotsu.

[The Warsman]

While I think in terms of detail and likenesses, Japanese figures are second to none, but to me, they are just like the Todd McFarlane figures--minorly articulated statues, not really "action figures." (And yes, LJNs *are,* but only because they seem to be designed to beat the crap out of each other, the Japanese figures with their switchable arms, hands, etc. do not)

It might have to do with their intended audience-- perhaps it is a more adult driven collector's market in Japan vs. the American market system designed mainly for kids and kids' play-value. Do we have any Japanese WFigs posters who might talk about this a bit? I'm interested, too.

I wish the Scorpio/Vader 2 pack I have was as articulated as Mattel or Jakks!!

Wars

[Calcifer Boheme]

Kinnikuman figures are super articulated, but I guess that's not the same thing.

[The Warsman]

Jan 17, 2010 1:43:30 GMT -5 Calcifer Boheme said:

Kinnikuman figures are super articulated, but I guess that's not the same thing.

Not the little pink ones ;D

The BIG Romandos are articulated about as well as a Jakks RA, but the little Microman sized ones are AWESOMELY articulated!!

But alas, you're right, not really the same thing

Wars

[jlavaia]

it all goes based on company, like in the US. some companies prefer to make very articulated figures (like Hasbro, Mattel, etc in the US & Takara, Revoltech, etc in Japan), others put in less articulation and more detail (like McFarlane, NECA, Art Asylum, DC Direct, etc in the US & HAO, Mogura House, CharaPro, Yamato, etc in Japan). its all what the company wants to make. WCW OSFTM didnt have any articulation at first, and then they moved to plastic and had only minimal articulation.

and agent peter keyes, i dont know of any Galoob-type wrestling figs in japan. are you sure they werent customs? and CharaPro had a very consistant line of figs that they produced for NJPW. over 80 figs, 7 years releasing figs is pretty consistant. same thing with HAO. Hao even branched out and produces multiple size figures.

i also believe the current market is for smaller keychain mini figures right now. those sell good and are cheaper to produce so thats what has been made the past few years.

[ICHIBAN 一番]

Jan 16, 2010 16:54:59 GMT -5 Ruby Fusion said:

Jan 16, 2010 15:14:09 GMT -5 ICHIBAN 一番 said:

any pics of this figure ryo san figure?

I think japanese figures are the greatest figures on earth, ive got many complete collections of other lines to compare to them and the sheer detail is amazing.

It's from an anime or so (Lupin III I think)
Google Kankichi Ryotsu.

Thanks ruby, this has 40 points of articulation:

[OmegaGaijin]

kind of shown my ignorance here a bit,sorry that i have seemed to have giving some people the hump(the franchise). anyways,i am by no means an expert on Japanese figures,and can only go on the stuff i have seen on magazines and on the web,which is not alot. maybe i did not make myself clear in the original post,what i was trying to ask the experts was 'why has there not been a proper articulated line apart the 3/34 line?'. the galoob type figures i was referring to was these ones,


the reason why i referred to them like this was because i asked an ebay seller what size the ring was compared to north American figures,and he said they matched up great with the wcw galoob line,so i assumed as i have never seen the figures first hand that they were like the galoobs.

obviously articulation is down to individual perception here,but i was meaning something similar to toybiz/jakks da. Its a real pity,because i would spend an absolute fortune on them if they existed.

this thread was by no means an attack on japanese figures.

[Ruby Fusion]

What you show here was considered the mainline from 1999 until April 2007: 5" figures (well scaled, meaning Giant Singh - WWE's Great Khali - is bigger than Keiji Mutoh) by Charapro/Mogura House. Unlike Galoobs these japanese figs are articulated; they move at arms and waist.
For super articulation you only have the 3 3/4" line.

[JCWBobC]

Does anyone have the magazine or book that shows all the Japanese wrestling figures that they can scan and post pictures from? I checked my local Japanese mall and they don't have it.

They sell Japanese figures like Chono and Lyger but their all beat up and they want $40 for each one.

Bob

[Ruby Fusion]

Jan 19, 2010 14:00:26 GMT -5 JCWBobC said:

Does anyone have the magazine or book that shows all the Japanese wrestling figures that they can scan and post pictures from? I checked my local Japanese mall and they don't have it.

They sell Japanese figures like Chono and Lyger but their all beat up and they want $40 for each one.

Bob

I have a book, but scanning will take too long...
I can give you links to buy it on yahoo! japan auctions if you don't mind paying a bidding agent in Japan.

[JCWBobC]

I just started my third year out of work so I can't justify spending the money on the book, especially if I have to pay more to get it from Japan.

Thanks,
Bob