Character Product Naoya Ogawa Bronze Type figure review

For blog #72, we'll be taking a look at another early figure produced
by Japanese figure maker Character Product in the late 1990's.

Released in 1999, Naoya Ogawa (best known for his infamous,
worked fight-turned-shoot against NJPW star Shinya Hashimoto)
received his first action figure in three special variants.

Today's figure coverage is about the special "bronze type" variant.

The bronze-type Naoya Ogawa figure in original packaging.

                        

The packaging contains the U.F.O. stable copyright as well as a graphic
of Ogawa holding the NWA Heavyweight Championship.


                      

Again, the original Character Product logo "Charapro" is
displayed at the bottom right corner along with Ogawa's bio
and stats for the era.

Above the Charapro logo is an illustration demonstrating how to
attach the snap-on accessories included with the Ogawa figure.

Let's take a look at the Ogawa bronze figure removed from it's
packaging:

                   

The Naoya Ogawa bronze-type figure with NWA Heavyweight
Championship belt and taunt pose.

                        

                      

The Bronze-Type figure design was first introduced in 1997 for
Toukon Shop's Super Star Figure Collection as a side series.

The figures themselves are intended to resemble ancient bronze
statues which date back to 2500 BCE; being reserved for the
company's biggest stars.

                    

As a deluxe figure, the Bronze-Type Naoya Ogawa figure also
comes with a bronze NWA Heavyweight Championship and
a bonus set of arms!


                   

With arms removed. The salmon colour of the Ogawa figure's
arm joints was actually the same colour used for prototypes
from the series.

                   

The same salmon colour is also included on the insides of the
Ogawa figure's extra arm accessories.

                      


                      


With bonus arms attached, the Naoya Ogawa Bronze-Type figure
can recreate his signature "airplane" victory taunt.


                     


For those wondering, the "Bronze-Type" figures are simply
regular Character Product figures painted black.


                          

Like the front of the packaging, the back of the Ogawa Bronze-Type
figure is etched with the U.F.O. copyright.

Unfortunately (even fresh out of the packaging) the black paint is
peeling on the back of this example.

                          

The most important (and unique) inclusion with the Bronze-Type
Naoya Ogawa figure is the bronze NWA Heavyweight Champion
-ship accessory.

The last championship belt to receive a bronze treatment was
Toukon Shop's Antonio Inoki (with NWF belt) Super Star Figure
Collection figure (which, coincidentally, also trained and instructed
Ogawa during his NJPW run).

                   

The Bronze-Type belt accessory makes the perfect template for
your own belt customization!

Tune in next time for more in-depth figure reviews!