Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

For the discussion of Toho toys, models, figures and other collectibles of this nature.
Post Reply
GodzillaKong54
GPN Volunteer
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2024 4:26 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by GodzillaKong54 »

Does anyone else know if Godzilla day is going to reveal more figures? Really hoping for a Godzilla 62 on gday!!!

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 16680
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

Don't expect them by Christmas. In the past it would take months before we got the new figures. Unless something changed.

GodzillaKong54
GPN Volunteer
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2024 4:26 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by GodzillaKong54 »

In the past I was able to get the other winners by Christmas. Gorosaurus, varan, rose biollante all came before Christmas

User avatar
Creature22
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2286
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:06 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Creature22 »

LSD Jellyfish wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2024 11:03 pmSide tangent, but this 100%. Japan has a very consumerist culture that quickly moves on to the next big thing. Maybe TMI, but I’m in the process of buying a car here, and despite finding good deals on older cars that run well, I keep getting disapproval from my family as they think it’s “too old”.
I believe it. When I lived there it was around 2018 or so. Shin Godzilla was still fresh in my mind and I remember talking about it with my neighbors and them remarking that Shin Godzilla was “so old”.

I also think we tend to overestimate how much Godzilla lore Japanese consumers actually follow. Living in Tokyo was a surreal thing because Godzilla is just openly available and there, but it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone is into it as deeply as we are. My neighbors all knew Mothra and Ghidorah, for example, but couldn’t put a name to Baragon despite growing up with GMK. Pair that with the consumer culture mentality of moving on quickly, and you’ve got a large chunk of people who wouldn’t even be aware that the Movie Monster Series was a thing before 2016.

I will be very interested in the results for this upcoming poll, especially if Bandai decides to analyze the Japanese and US results separately.

JVM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 6002
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:06 pm
Location: Milwaukee, WI

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by JVM »

Creature22 wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2024 7:37 am
LSD Jellyfish wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2024 11:03 pmSide tangent, but this 100%. Japan has a very consumerist culture that quickly moves on to the next big thing. Maybe TMI, but I’m in the process of buying a car here, and despite finding good deals on older cars that run well, I keep getting disapproval from my family as they think it’s “too old”.
I believe it. When I lived there it was around 2018 or so. Shin Godzilla was still fresh in my mind and I remember talking about it with my neighbors and them remarking that Shin Godzilla was “so old”.

I also think we tend to overestimate how much Godzilla lore Japanese consumers actually follow. Living in Tokyo was a surreal thing because Godzilla is just openly available and there, but it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone is into it as deeply as we are. My neighbors all knew Mothra and Ghidorah, for example, but couldn’t put a name to Baragon despite growing up with GMK. Pair that with the consumer culture mentality of moving on quickly, and you’ve got a large chunk of people who wouldn’t even be aware that the Movie Monster Series was a thing before 2016.

I will be very interested in the results for this upcoming poll, especially if Bandai decides to analyze the Japanese and US results separately.
I would actually say US consumer culture is something more like this than we can see an appreciate online, definitely more than collectors online like to admit. Collecting groups for Marvel will want variants of classic comic costumes, and for Star Wars will want new original trilogy characters -- but a lot of casual collectors will want designs from the latest movie or just want the still evergreen Darth Vader and a Baby Yoda, and these characters do tend to sell in some capacity or another, not to say ever product with a popular character is a gold mine, but there are parents out there looking for Baby Yoda. A lot of people I grew up with as kids who liked Star Wars were into what was new at the time and I was a bit more of an outlier in that I enjoyed a good back catalog alongside whatever new thing I liked. There's also the old chestnut that most Batman toy lines will sell a lot of Batman figures but not necessarily even his villains, because every kid will just want a Batman. There's a more niche fandom of mine that has been chugging for a long time and switched from a primacy bias to a recency bias to a degree that feels very parallel.

I mean, it sounds a lot like my argument is 'popular characters win' but I do think a lot of it has to do with the fact the popularity of a character represents the 'now' and the 'moment' and a little while later it will be old.

Not saying it's on the level of Japan, of course.
I used to be a lot more optimistic and outgoing, believe it or not. I used to actually be passionate about this stuff.

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 16680
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

I think this is why so much lately is being released through the Godzilla Store instead of retail. I think casuals are more likely to stop at a Japanese Toys R US and pick up a Godzilla, Kiryu or a Space Godzilla, while fans will be the ones to go online and buy Showa Godzillas, Hedorah variants or Bagans from the Godzilla Store.

I wonder how well that retail stuff from last Spring/Summer sold, because by the Fall Bandai seemed to have restructured everything. The ocassional Godzilla Store exclusive became far more common and the retail stuff has been cut back considerably compared to last year.

I think Bandai finally figured things out. The polls probably also had a lot to do with it.

User avatar
Gojirasaur
G-Force Personnel
Posts: 643
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:56 am
Location: NYC

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Gojirasaur »

It's interesting to see a recent uptick in Godzilla figures lately at local brick and mortar retail shops in New York City. I am seeing stock on the Banpresto deformed figures taking the sweet spot at the top of display cases in Miniso. I think the Bandai Namco rep has a say in how those are arranged (as it's mostly Gundam), and Godzilla is at the top now. They also had restocks on the recent J-carded Ultra figures including Gomora, and it's clear they are selling.

If Miniso, Teso, or others get MMS, I'd be over the moon, but I'd sooner expect to see the recent Godzilla action figures there next than those.
Image

GodzillaKong54
GPN Volunteer
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2024 4:26 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by GodzillaKong54 »

Do you think they will use the same mold and size of the Bandai premium blue king ghidorah for the king ghidorah in the 5 set? Just changing it to gold

User avatar
LSD Jellyfish
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 15236
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

GodzillaKong54 wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2024 7:39 am Do you think they will use the same mold and size of the Bandai premium blue king ghidorah for the king ghidorah in the 5 set? Just changing it to gold
That is exactly what they’ll do.

It’s funny that because of that premium Bandai figure we knew far in advance that Ghidorah had won.
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.

GodzillaKong54
GPN Volunteer
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2024 4:26 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by GodzillaKong54 »

That’s exciting!! A size accurate Showa ghidorah figure from the mms line!! But what’s sad is the premium figure doesn’t come with a tag so I’m nervous this set won’t come with the tags. The tags are one of the best parts of collecting these figures

Godziboomer64
GPN Volunteer
Posts: 101
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2024 2:25 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Godziboomer64 »

LSD Jellyfish wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2024 1:36 pm
GodzillaKong54 wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2024 7:39 am Do you think they will use the same mold and size of the Bandai premium blue king ghidorah for the king ghidorah in the 5 set? Just changing it to gold
That is exactly what they’ll do.

It’s funny that because of that premium Bandai figure we knew far in advance that Ghidorah had won.
This kind of makes me wonder. Would it have been a better business proposition for Bandai to release the Gold King Ghidorah first as a single release then sell the variant rainbow blue version as part of the 5 box set?

That way, people are compelled to buy the variant to get the other figures. Just a thought.

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 16680
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

Nah, it's better for the blue one to be optional. I'm glad Bandai isn't playing games with this.

JVM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 6002
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:06 pm
Location: Milwaukee, WI

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by JVM »

G2001 and KG2001 arrived today. Great figures and I'm so glad to finally have them in the 6" line. Might grab some photos comparing 8" and 6" GMKzilla later.
I used to be a lot more optimistic and outgoing, believe it or not. I used to actually be passionate about this stuff.

Godziboomer64
GPN Volunteer
Posts: 101
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2024 2:25 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Godziboomer64 »

Legion1979 wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2024 5:25 pm Nah, it's better for the blue one to be optional. I'm glad Bandai isn't playing games with this.
I agree. It’s better for the consumer this way. ;)

User avatar
Gojirasaur
G-Force Personnel
Posts: 643
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:56 am
Location: NYC

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Gojirasaur »

GodzillaKong54 wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2024 2:53 pm The tags are one of the best parts of collecting these figures
I wonder if many agree. I can't bring myself to say the same. Of course, as originally intended, with them being toys they should be snipped off. As a whole we collectors preserve them, and I'm one of them as I'd gotten used to them being there long, long ago.

All in all though, the efforts needed to preserve them are more frustration to me and take a little fun out of the game. The pride I might otherwise feel at having preserved tags on older rarer figures is tempered by always worrying about them. Hell, if I used toploaders like many (rather than softer sleeves) I'd be more anxious at damaging paint from those sharper edges.

Yeah, they're not my favorite aspect.
Image

User avatar
canofhumdingers
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2182
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:34 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by canofhumdingers »

The tag discussion comes up pretty often in this hobby. To each their own, I say.

Personally, I remove them. I used to just cut the hanger but then I learned how to soften the figure with a hair dryer and yank it out so there’s not a little nub rattling around in there. Then I put the tags in a baseball card binder. I like having them to look at, but I hate displaying figures with the tags on. The tag just gets in the way of having fun.

User avatar
gojiwr20
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 277
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2023 1:39 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by gojiwr20 »

I love the tag designs but for photography I prefer them off, but I make sure to preserve them.

Of course higher value stuff like the OG 1991 from 2021 I keep the tag on, but if it was of like 20-30$ value like the 2024 variant it would probably not have said tag.

User avatar
Gojirasaur
G-Force Personnel
Posts: 643
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:56 am
Location: NYC

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Gojirasaur »

canofhumdingers wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2024 8:28 am The tag discussion comes up pretty often in this hobby. To each their own, I say.

Personally, I remove them. I used to just cut the hanger but then I learned how to soften the figure with a hair dryer and yank it out so there’s not a little nub rattling around in there. Then I put the tags in a baseball card binder. I like having them to look at, but I hate displaying figures with the tags on. The tag just gets in the way of having fun.
I've thought about doing the same, but totally agree with the last sentence.
Image

User avatar
Creature22
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2286
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:06 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Creature22 »

As a kid I would cut the tags off and saved each and every one stacked up in a box under my bed. I’ve still got them, even if I no longer have the toy it went to. It’s the one little piece I allow myself to keep if selling an item from my childhood, to remind me.

Nowadays I cut the tag off and add it to the same box, but only if I determine it’s a figure I want to keep after having it in hand and displaying it for a few days. Sometimes the item is just not as great in person and I will then sell it on eBay as new.

In general, I’ve always enjoyed the tags though I believe the larger ones accompanying the Gamera vinyls are a lot better in quality. Especially for the Showa/Heisei releases, these are a throwback to the larger gatefolds that came with the 8” line way back when.

User avatar
Rody
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5653
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Rody »

I do keep the tags, but I admit it was a lot more fun to keep them when they displayed a whole catalog's worth of other Bandai figures inside.

Post Reply