Nakajima Corporation Plush figures review

While we're on the subject of plush figures from Japan, I felt there's no time like the present
to talk about FMW's plush offerings. Let's head back to the glory days of Deathmatch
Puroresu for Blog #226 which explodes with the Nakajima Corporation FMW
plush figures.


Medium size figures

Listed as (M) on their tags, these plush figures stand about 13 inches (35cm) in height.

First up is FMW star Atsushi Onita.

Atsushi Onita is crafted in his early 1990's FMW-era ring attire and posed in Onita's
signature "FIRE!" taunt.

While the overall design is minimal when compared to Rollertron's plushies, the likeness
to Onita is still quite recognizable.

Onita comes with his iconic bandage over the Onita plush's left eyebrow.

Interestingly, the Onita plush also contains some stitching on Onita's left shoulder. A nod
to all of the injuries Onita sustained over the years for his numerous hardcore matches.

The Atsushi Onita plush stands 35cm (about 13 inches) tall.

The front of the tag on Onita's right boot reads "FMW" and "Relax²".

The back of the production tag reads NAKAJIMA CORPORATION as the manufacturer.

The front of the attached card tag. Relax's logo is also visible once again.

Onita's name and (M) for medium size is shown on the back of the card tag.

Relax and Nakajima's logos are present once again.

The card tag opens up to reveal two pages worth of Wrestler illustrations. These illustrations served
as the figures available in the FMW plush line.

The first three figures are: Megumi Kudo, Atsushi Onita and Combat Toyoda. The first three
tags read:

Megumi Kudo                                       Atsushi Onita  
 
Height: 162cm                                       Height: 181cm
Weight: 62kg                                         Weight: 105kg
Finishing move: Flying Neck               Finishing move: Thunder Fire
                            Breaker Drop            Powerbomb

Combat Toyoda

Height: 168cm
Weight: 80kg
Finishing move: Powerslam






The second page of the card shows three more Wrestlers from the plush line. The corresponding
profiles read:


Ricky Fuji                                     Tarzan Goto              

Height: 177cm                               Height: 178cm
Weight: 98kg                                 Weight: 120kg
Finishing move: Front Block       Finishing move: Facebuster
                             -buster


Sambo Asako

Height: 180cm
Weight: 130kg
Finishing move: Kneel Kick

Going back to the plush figures themselves, next up is Combat Toyoda.

Toyoda is most famous for her legendary 1996 No-Rope Electrified Barbwire Deathmatch
against Megumi Kudo (a match that is revered by many as the greatest Women's deathmatch
of all time).

Toyoda contains a single bandana tied on her right pant leg, recognizable eyeshadow
and wild hair colours.

A packaged example of Nakajima's Megumi Kudo medium size plush figure.



Thanks to Dylan Sharek at wrestlingfiguredatabase.com for the excellent photo.

The complete set of medium size figures. From left to right: Sambo Asako, Ricky Fujim
Tarzan Goto, Atsushi Onita, Megumi Kudo and Combat Toyoda.

Since I've never seen Tarzan, Fuji or Sambo in any other photos, I'll assume that the above
photo features prototypes that may not have made it out of development.

Small size

Beyond the medium size plushies, Nakajima Corporation also released small size (S)
figures, too.

                       

The (S) size Atsushi Onita figure is a smaller copy of the medium variant; right down to
the identical pose.

At a smaller scale, it seems the small version doesn't include the stitching in Onita's left
arm or the laces in Onita's boots.

                             

The small scale Onita plush looks to be no bigger than 7 inches in height.









Keychains

If you thought collecting the same figure twice was gruelling enough, Nakajima
Corporation also released plush keychains of their FMW figures, too!

Megumi Kudo and Atsushi Onita.

Megumi Kudo looks more like 80's WWF legend Wendi Richter.

Strangely, Onita's kneepads are aqua green instead of blue in keychain format.


Closing thoughts:

During FMW's heyday in the early to mid 1990's, there was a slew of merchandise
released. Posters, keychains, model kits, t-shirts, music CD's and even a video game
on the Super Famicom.

More figure reviews coming your way!

Rollertron NJPW plush figures (part 3) review

Continuing our marathon of plush figures, we're stepping back into the squared circle
once again to tackle the third wave of Japanese crane prizes based on the biggest stars
from New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the early 1990's.

Blog #225 focuses on Rollertron's NJPW plush figures (part 3):

                         

The first plush figure is the master of the Sasori-Gatame: Riki Choshu!

Riki Choshu comes crafted in his signature raised fist pose and includes Choshu's
white entrance tee.

By the looks of it, the transparent tee could be removed (though, I recommend
otherwise out of fear of ruining the stitching on these older plush figures).

Like the AJPW and WAR plush figures released by Rollertron, each plush comes with
a tag that includes a glossy photo of each Wrestler on the front of their corresponding
tags; along with the Wrestler's individual profiles on the back.

The profile format reads:

Real name:
Height:
Weight:
Date of birth:
Billed from:
Blood Type:
Debut:
Titles:
Finisher:

The absolute highlight from the third wave of NJPW plush figures has to be The Great
Muta! The cartoonish charm of Rollertron's designs are on full-display here.

Strangely, I've always thought the black dots (which I'm guessing are supposed to
represent taste buds) looked more like a green strawberry.

Some might consider it sacrilege in the world of kayfabe, but Great Muta's "real name"
(Keiji Mutoh) is even included in the profile section of the Muta plush's card.

From the very beginning, The Great Muta was considered the alter ego of Keiji Mutoh
in Japan. Even in various pieces of marketing from the era.


    
                         
The second member of the Toukon Sanjuushi, "The King of Destruction" Shinya Hashimoto.

With his glitter, polyester-styled pants and crafted pose, this Shinya Hashimoto plush
reminds me of Abdullah The Butcher from Rollertron's AJPW line.
                       

This would be Shinya's second outing into plush format and first to feature the
legend without his shortly-lived beard.

The third member of the Toukon Sanjuushi. "Mr. G1" Masahiro Chono.

Chono comes decked out in his pre-NWO Japan white and green tights.

Chono is posed performing his trademark "Kenka Kick".

In New Japan Pro-Wrestling lore, Antonio Inoki, Seiji Sakaguchi, Riki Choshu and
Masa Saitoh were considered the first generation of stars in NJPW from the 1970's
to late 1980's.


Likewise, Keiji Mutoh, Masahiro Chono, Shinya Hashimoto and ....

...Hiroshi Hase were considered the second generation of superstars that would become
the face of NJPW in the 1990's.

Hase's early 1990's ring attire is accurate and even includes two blue stars along Hase's
boots.

The blue stars on Hase's attire have often been associated with Hase's Northern Lights
Suplex finisher.

Another standout that just brings a smile to my face is NJPW veteran and colour commentator
Masa "Go for broke" Saitoh.

You just can't help but love that mischievous grin on Saitoh's face!

Last but not least is Jushin Thunder Liger. A figure so elusive that it rarely goes for sale
on the secondary markets.

There aren't too many Liger figures that contain such clear details of Liger's eyes pictured
from beneath his ring mask.

          

Closing thoughts:


Rollertron were responsible for five major Pro-Wrestling figure series' in the early 1990's
that encompassed the greatest Puroresu promotions in Japan of the era including: AJPW,
NJPW, WAR, UWFI and Fujiwara Gumi.

Personally, I've considered the Rollertron figures as Japan's smaller equivalent to Tonka's
popular Wrestling buddies. A sentiment many Wrestling Buddies collectors also share.

Whether it's a teddy bear of Tetsuya Naito or an oversized stuffed animal of Hiromu
Takashi's cat Daryl, New Japan Pro-Wrestling is still releasing tons of plush figures to
this day in multiple formats.

Tune in next time for a special look at plush figures made for Japanese Hardcore
promotion FMW!

Rollertron WAR plush figures review

We're back again with even more plush coverage.  Blog #224 covers Rollertron's WAR plush
figures.

After releasing plush figures for All Japan Pro-Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling,
Rollertron set their sights on creating plushies of the recently-created WAR promotion.
Included below are seven plush figures from the WAR Rollertron series.

The first plush figure is WAR founder and AJPW veteran Genichiro Tenryu.

Tenryu is crafted performing one of his signature moves ...a Lariat!

The back of Tenryu's tag includes the date "'93" (under the "event" section of the card);
making me think these figures were released the same year.

Like the All Japan plush figures, the included tag contains a profile for each Wrestler.
Each Wrestler's tag contains different categories. But, the general breakdown is:

Nickname:

Real name:

Height/Weight:

Titles:

Signature moves:

Blood Type:

Event: (I'm guessing this is a major event for each Wrestler)

The second figure is another All Japan Pro-Wrestling veteran: The Great Kabuki.

Kabuki is crafted in a pose ready to spray Kabuki's signature Poison Mist!

Kabuki's glittery pants and body shape looks like it was mostly-recycled from Rollertron's
Abdullah The Butcher (from the AJPW line) plushie.

Wear and tear are common with Rollertron figures. Ultimo Dragon's Rollertron plush
figure is sadly a prime example.

A real shame, really, as the Ultimo Plush contains the most detail out of the All Star lineup.

Now, we are entering Shoot Fighting territory with Nobuhiko Takada.

Nobuhiko Takada is the first example of a Wrestler from the All Star line who was
featured from a different promotion other than WAR. In this case, Takada's tag displays
the UWFI Promotion logo (a promotion in which Takada was the star of until UWFI's
closure in 1996).

The included belt is the Pro-Wrestling Heavyweight Championship; the same belt
Lou Thesz wore in the 1950's.

The sides of Takada's leg guards contain the text "UWF", a reference to the
promotion of the same name that Takada was a part of before the formation
of UWFI.

Next up is fellow UWF veteran and popular shoot fighter  Kazuo Yamazaki.

Again, there is a bit of wear on Yamazaki's right boot.

Like Jo Higuchi from the All Japan Pro-Wrestling Rollertron line, this plush figure is
just one of few merchandise examples made in Yamazaki's likeness.

This bizarre-looking fellow is the third UWF native featured in Rollertron's All Star
plush line: "Submission Master" Yoshiaki Fujiwara.

The red towel makes me think of Antonio Inoki and the placement of Fujiwara's
moustache is a bit unsettling. Though, Rollertron's designs were always intentionally
over the top  and cartoon-ish in nature.

The included tag depicts the logo of Fujiwara's promotion "Pro-Wrestling Fujiwara
Gumi", a promotion which ran from 1991 to 1996 (about the same span as Nobuhiko
Takada's UWFI promotion).

I believe this may be Yoshiaki Fujiwara's first actual figure, too.

Lastly, we have NJPW hall of famer Animal Hamaguchi.

Hamaguchi was always known for his intense, charismatic facial expressions. Whether
as a Pro-Wrestler himself or by cheering on his daughter freestyle Wrestler Kyoko
Hamaguchi from the sidelines.

        


With the All Star lineup, Rollertron's quality was certainly improving. Hair portions became
evenly stitched and each plush included a tag depicting great shots and a mini bio of the
corresponding Wrestlers.

Additionally, seeing lesser-merchandised Wrestlers such as Kazuo Yamazaki and Animal
Hamaguchi  helps make Rollertron's All Star series stand out even better; begging the question
"what other Wrestlers could Rollertron have added to this line?".

Akira Maeda seems like a safe bet. Masakatsu Funaki, Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock or Minoru
Suzuki from PANCRASE? How about Koji Kitao (a WAR staple for years) or the biggest
stars from the FMW, WING or IWA promotions?

Next up, we have one more Rollertron set to look at. The final wave of New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Rollertron plushes from the early 1990's. Stay tuned!

All Japan Pro-Wrestling Rollertron Plush Figures

One trend that never goes out of style is Japan's love of claw vending machines.

Tucked away in many an arcade parlour or shopping mall in the west, claw vending machines
are a whole different animal in Japan - with some of the biggest licensed properties being
converted in crane prizes.

Previously, we already covered the first and second batches of plush figures that were sold
by Rollerton (which you can read HERE). For Blog #223, we'll be looking at Rollertron's All
Japan Pro-Wrestling plush figures.

First up is "The Giant of The East" Giant Baba.

Baba was always known for his smile, but here, AJPW's Giant looks extra cheerful.

Each figure stands about 7 to 9 inches in height.

                      

On the back of each tag is the corresponding Wrestler's profile. The profile reads:

Nickname:

Name:

Height:

Date of birth:

From:

Blood type:

Debut:

Titles:

Signature moves:

"Mr. Triple Crown" Mitsuharu Misawa.

The Misawa plush comes with one of All Japan Pro-Wrestling's Triple Crown Championship
belts. In this case, the included belt is the NWA International Heavyweight Championship.

Mitsuharu Misawa would become All Japan's 10th Triple Crown Champion in 1992.

I wouldn't recommend it, but the attached belt looks like it can be removed.

"Dangerous K" Toshiaki Kawada.

Kawada comes crafted with a raised knee pose and a surly facial expression. Someone
is certainly ready for a brawl!

Not having Akira Taue (the second half of infamous AJPW tag team Holy Demon Army)
makes me wonder if these Rollertron figures were made before 1993 (my personal guess
is around 1992).

"The Demon of The Mic" Rusher Kimura!

Rusher Kimura was repackaged as a comedy relief by this point in his career. Kimura's
face includes blade marks (a nod to Kimura's bloody bouts from the past) as well as a
wise-cracking look on Kimura's face.

With microphone in hand, the Rusher Kimura plush figure is always ready to drop
a verbal evisceration.

And, of course, the included bio on the back of Rusher's tag.

Stan "The Lariat" Hansen.

The Hansen plush figure contains the most detail with entrance vest, cowboy hat,
bullrope and signature Texas Longhorns pose.
                                

There's even a fringe pattern on Hansen's vest!

"The Black Shaman" Abdullah The Butcher's 2nd time as a plushie figure.

Like the attached photo of the real-life Butcher the Abdullah plushy is crafted in the
middle of Abby's karate routine.

Notice the small typo on Abdullah's name?

Each figure (except for Stan Hansen from what I can see) has a black string to hang
the plushies from a hook.

Often regarded as one of the greatest referees in Japan, the last figure in the Rollertron AJPW
set is referee Joe Higuchi.

Joe is crafted in a counting pose.

                                   

What makes this collectible even more special is the fact that this plush is the only
known figure made of Joe to date.

Original photo credits: Toy&JAN
Website: https://profile.ameba.jp/ameba/teppest8/


Stay tuned for more Japanese plush figures reviews to come!