Pro-Gressa Michinoku Pro-Wrestling Sofubicchi Collection review

On the subject of rare and obscure figure sets from Japan, Japanese toymaker Pro-Gressa
(sometimes stylized as PRO-GRESSA) shows up once again for another figure review.

For Blog #199, we'll be taking a look at the Pro-Gressa Michinoku Pro-Wrestling Sofubi
Collection.

This early 2000's figure line (I'm estimating no later than 2002 since Tiger Mask IV left Michinoku
Pro-Wrestling for NJPW around 2001) was made by Pro-Gressa. Certain sites list figures from this
set as 2002.

The six Wrestlers featured in the Michinoku Sofubi collection are:

Top row: Goemon, Gran Hamada & Sasuke The Great
Bottom row: Jinsei Shinzaki, The Great Sasuke and Tiger Mask IV.

The ring playset mentions Michinoku Pro-Wrestling's Junior Heavyweight league, the Pro-gressa
logo to the right and Jinsei Shinzaki on the left.

Each soft vinyl minifigure comes in a blind box. You never knew which figure you had
until you opened the packaging.

This particular figure line is known in Japan as:

みちのくプロレス SOFUBICCHI ソフビ コレクション (Michinoku Pro-Wrestling
SOFUBICCHI Sofubi Collection)

The word "Sofubicchi" is most likely a portmanteau of "Sofubi" (the Japanization of
the words "soft vinyl") and "ichi" (which means one in Japanese).

The bottom of the packaging mentions there are five standard figures to collect plus one
mystery secret figure.

Jinsei Shinzaki next to a blind box. The side art features graphics of Gran Hamada and
Tiger Mask IV.

Gran Hamada only has two figures that I know of (the figure in this set being the first).

An illustration of Sasuke The Great is depicted on the bottom of the packaging. Sasuke is
saying "シークレットは、常じゃないで! バカヤロー" (rough translation: "Not always
a secret, you idiot!").

Sasuke The Great letting us know exactly how he feels.

Since The Great Sasuke is shown on the front of every box, Gran Hamada and Tiger
Mask IV from the side of the packaging (and with Sasuke The Great on the bottom),
I'm guessing the "Secret" figure of the set is either Jinsei Shinzaki or Goemon.

An order form was supposedly included with every blind box that allowed collectors
to purchase other Pro-gressa items such as t-shirts and model cars made by the company.

I assume this was also how the Sofubicchi ring was made available, too.


Closing thoughts:


Finding pictures of this very rare Pro-Gressa figure set is a chore in itself. In Japanese listings,
Pro-Gressa is listed in Japanese as "プログレッサ" (Progressa).

Most times, I usually find figures from this set by writing (for example):

"新崎 人生 ソフビ フィギュア" (Jinsei Shinzaki sofubi figure) or "プログレッサ ソフビ
フィギュア" (Progressa Sofubi Figure).