Kotobukiya | Geekscape

Kotobukiya’s Genjyo Sanzo DX ARTFX-J Is Up For Pre-order!

by Natalie KipperNovember 14, 2016

Genjyo Sanzo of Kazuya Minekura’s Saiyuki Reload Blast is immortalized in the latest statue from Kotobukiya‘s ARTFX-J DX line. This line of statues focuses on Japanese series (hence the “J” after the “ARTFX”). I personally love Saiyuki so seeing this character artfully recreated is a happy surprise.

As you can see, Sanzo sits on the remnants of a statue while in the midst of reloading his gun and smoking one of his beloved cigarettes. He must be recovering from quite a fight, given the fresh blood stains on his robe. I can’t get over how pretty this figure looks!

Made of PVC, the statue is 1/8-scale and measures 4.8 inches tall. This DX version includes an exclusive art print. Genjyo Sanzo DX ART-J costs $129.99 and ships in May 2017. He is available to pre-order at the Kotobukiya online store.

‘Black Butler’ Sebastian Is Simply One Hell Of A Cu-Poche

by Natalie KipperAugust 24, 2016

To promote the upcoming anime movie, Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic, Kotobukiya Japan is releasing a Cu-poche figure of the titular demonic manservant himself, Sebastian Michaelis. The majority of Cu-poche up to this point have been based on female characters so it is nice to see more variety in gender.

Like all Cu-Poche, Sebastian is jointed and has interchangeable hands and facial expressions. Fans of the series will be pleased with the inclusion of cutlery as a hand accessory. It feels like every season has at least one instance of Sebastian using the utensils as deadly weapons.

Cu-Poche Sebastian Michaelis, at press time, seems to only be available on the Japanese Kotobukiya store. I would say that the odds are good that he will be sold at import shops soon. In the meantime, the 110 millimeter tall figure costs ￥4,860 and is scheduled to release in January 2017.

SDCC 2016: Heroes And Villains Mingle At Kotobukiya’s Booth

by Natalie KipperJuly 26, 2016

Over at Kotobukiya‘s San Diego Comic-Con booth, fans of both American and Japanese licenses found figures that fit their needs. While there was plenty of items on display that were already released, let’s focus on those teaser pieces!

Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo figure series was well represented at their booth. From the horror film branch of the line, there was a prototype of Bishoujo Edward Scissorhands as well as concept art for Bishoujo Tiffany and Chucky. On the gaming side, Ibuki and R. Mika from Street Fighter both had concept art on display.

There were also prototypes and concept art for DC Comics-branded Bishoujo figures. Of the three on display, Squirrel Girl was by far my favorite. The design is playful and captures the character’s essence very well.

Springing from a partnership between Kotobukiya and Supercell, here are prototypes of five statues based on the games, Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. The characters included are Barbarian, Archer, Wizard, P.E.K.K.A, and the Prince.

From the Japanese gaming sector, Tales of Berseria‘s Velvet Crowe and Touken Ranbu Online‘s Shokudaikiri Mitsutada will both be getting the ArtFX J treatment.

Anime fans weren’t forgotten either. Edward Elric and Roy Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist will be joining the company’s ArtFX J series. Yu-Gi-Oh also has its own line of ArtFX J figures, many of which are scheduled to be release in the fourth Quarter of 2016 or the beginning of 2017. There was even a prototype Cu-Poche (a series I personally adore). The figure in question was of Maho Nishizumi from Girls Und Panzer.

There was plenty of Star Wars merchandise to go around but one of the most impressive of was this ArtFX statue of Darth Vader – A New Hope ver. The 1/7-scale figure was rather imposing up close.

Characters from the Marvel universe were in abundance. I thought the battle-damaged bases for the Captain America and Iron Man ArtFX+ figures were nice touches. And check out that Thanos! He is a Fine Art Statue rather than one of the ArtFX figures, which explains the increased price tag.

There was a large lineup from the DC universe as well. They had figures of classic heroes (and villains) in several different art styles. Those from the Batman and Superman series had the most variety.

Did you stop by Kotobukiya’s SDCC booth yourself? What did you think of their offerings? Let us know in the comments!

WonderCon 2016: Here’s A Look At Kotobukiya’s Displays!

by Natalie KipperMarch 29, 2016

Kotobukiya’s booth at this year’s WonderCon was swarmed with fans taking pictures but that is to be expected. Cons are when Kotobukiya showcases prototypes of upcoming items along with announcements of figures in development. And this time was no different.

First is the next entry in Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo figure line, Kill Bill‘s The Bride. This figure is so new, they didn’t even have a prototype yet. Instead, they displayed its concept art.

Also part of their Bishoujo line was Lucky Chloe from Tekken Tag Tournament. This figure is currently available for pre-order online. It is scheduled to release in August.

From the ArtFX+ line is Halo‘s Spartan Athlon. You can pre-order this figure online with an expected May release.

The Alien Warrior Drone ArtFX+ was more than a little unsettling. It ships in April but you can still pre-order it here. Note: the tiny Alien dudes aren’t part of the package.

An item that garnered a lot of attention was the prototype of the upcoming Kylo Ren ArtFX+ figure. It is always neat to see this portion of the design process. The finished product is available to pre-order online with an expected July release.

Building on the popularity of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Kotobukiya will also be releasing a set of ArtFX+ figures starring C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8. This item, while still listed on Kotobukiya’s online store, is currently sold out.

Positioned beside the Kylo Ren prototype were the Captain Phasma and First Order Stormtrooper ArtFX+ figures. I thought it was a nice touch that you could choose between a single First Order Stormtrooper or a two-pack.

And thus ends my list of highlights from Kotobukiya’s booth. Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments!

Geekscape Toys: Two New Figures Join Kotobukiya’s ‘Star Wars VII’ ARTFX+ Line!

by Natalie KipperDecember 15, 2015

Hype for Star Wars: The Force Awakens certainly isn’t limited to North America. Japan has its share of fans and some pretty swanky merchandise, too. Two such pieces of merchandise come to us by way of Kotobukiya, producers of the ARTFX+ figure line (and the cutesy Cu-Poche line, among others). The ARTFX+ series are pre-painted statues that you can assemble without glue. Just snap the parts into place and you are good to go.

The first figure is Captain Phasma. Standing at almost eight inches (1/10th scale), this statue is reinforced by magnets in her feet that add stability when paired with the included metal base. Plasma is also armed with her blaster from the film. Interchangeable arm parts allow for two different poses. The Captain Phasma ARTFX+ statue is available for pre-order now, priced at US$69.99. The figure is scheduled to ship in April 2016.

The second figure is the Imperial First Order Storm Trooper, the soldiers under Captain Phasma’s command. Like Phasma, this statue is 1/10th scale but stands a little over seven inches tall rather than their Captain’s eight. The Storm Trooper is packaged with a blaster and three different shoulder pauldrons: black, white, and red. It also comes with a metal base similar to Phasma’s, to match the magnets in its feet. The Imperial First Order Storm Trooper ARTFX+ statue is available to pre-order now for US$54.99. It is also scheduled to ship in April 2016.

Are you planning on pre-ordering either (or both) of these figures? What characters would you like to see next? Post your thoughts in the comments but please avoid spoiling as much as possible.

Kotobukiya Adds Original Character to Cu-Poche Figure Line

by Natalie KipperNovember 8, 2015

Japanese toy manufacturer, Kotobukiya, listed another figure, Anne, in their Cu-Poche line for pre-order. For those unfamiliar with Cu-Poche, they are four and a half inch articulated figures with magnets in their feet, enabling the, to stand on their metallic bases. They come with a variety of accessories, depending on what character the figure is based on.

What sets this particular toy apart from those that came before is its source material. Cup-Poche tend to be based on anime such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Idol M@ster. Anne, however, was created by Kotobukiya specifically for this line. She is also the first Cu-Poche to come wearing fabric clothing (which can be worn by any other Cu-Poche you own as well). If Kotobukiya Japan’s official Cu-Poche twitter is any indication, more fabric outfits should be on the way.

Kotobukiya has also listed a special accessory set containing additional items for Anne: three facial expressions (dubbed “sparkling eyes,” “unhappy face,” and “excited”), a ponytail hair style, and items to decorate the ponytail (a bow and a scrunchie-like hair tie).

You can pre-order Cu-Poche: Friends Anne from the official Kotobukiya online store [link]. She will cost $34.99 and is scheduled to ship January 2016. Her accessory set containing the three extra expressions and hair pieces is exclusively available to pre-order at the official Kotobukiya online store [link] for $19.99 with an estimated ship date of February 2016.

Are you planning on ordering this little lady? Do you own any other Cu-Poche figures? Let us know in the comments!

[images via Kotobukiya]