Riki Choshu Voice Mascot set review

 

In Blog #283, Riki Choshu continues to have new merchandise made of him.

This five figure collection loosely translates to the 'Inspirational Words Voice Mascot' (迷言 ボイス マスコット) set.




Each acrylic figure comes with a bonus acrylic quote. Both of which attach to the included RikiPro base.



The quotes are:

Red mascot:        キレてないですよ                  I'm not mad.
Purple mascot:    食ってみな 飛ぶぞぉ              Try it, it'll fly!
Yellow mascot:    それがお前のやり方か?           Is that your way?
Orange mascot:   逆境? それ、チャンスだよ      Adversity? It's an opportunity.
Green mascot:     なにコラ! タココラ!             What's this?! You bloody idiot!

Each base contains a button that activates a short voice sample from Riki Choshu himself:



These mascot figures were issued this year by Peanuts Club. By the looks of their packaging, I'd say they are available as gatchapon-style figures.



Similar capsule toys exist for Internet entrepreneur, TV personality and 4chan administrator Hiroyuki Nishimura.

This particular product advertises that Hiroyuki's voice can be used to annoy friends and co-workers alike (I don't recommend this...).

For the last decade or so, these inexpensive oddities have become a trend in Japanese culture. Just about every major Japanese Wrestling promotion has them. From New Japan, All Japan, Pro-Wrestling NOAH, and even the former WRESTLE-1. And there doesn't seem to be any slowing down for the acrylic craze anytime soon. 

Toukon Shop Full Movable Action Figure review

Inspired by the success of the incredibly popular G.I. Joe brand,

Toukon Shop set out to create their own line of fully articulated
figures based on the biggest stars of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Released in 2001 as the "フル可動アクションフィギュア"
(Full Moveable action figure - a reference to the phrase "Full
Action Figure" which is used to describe G.I. Joe's in Japan)
line, Toukon Shop released a number of 3 inch figures in G.I.
Joe scale.

In blog #71, we'll be taking a look at three figures from the set.

The first figure is the Japanese Hell Demon himself, The Great
Muta.

The packaging features members of the Team 2000 and B.A.T.T.
stables.

                                

Clearly Cobra material, Great Muta comes dressed in his classic
white facepaint and black ring attire.


                                           

Muto's stats and a bio are presented on the back mentioning the
gimmick's debut, IWGP and NWA championship victories as
well as Muto's involvement with the NWO.

It's worth noting that the G.I. Joe Muta figure would be one of
the  very last created under the Toukon Shop banner. The figure
itself was released after Keiji Mutoh shaved his hair and re
-designed himself as the "Cross Wizard" in 2000; abandoning
his Great Muta gimmick until 2002 for Mutoh's debut in AJPW.


                              

Next up is the "Revolution Warrior" and master of the Sasori-ga
-tame: Riki Choshu!




                              

Move over Sgt. Slaughter, Riki's stern facial expression in G.I.
Joe form.

                              

The only real problem I have with the G.I. Joe NJPW figures
is their eye-straining designs on the backs of the packaging.

The design reminds me of the eye-straining comics found on
the inside labels of cans of Heinz Spaghetti in tomato sauce
with cheese:


                   


If you were a 90's kid growing up in North America, you prob
-ably remember Heinz's superhero mascot of the era "Strand
Man"; but I digress.

Let's look at an unboxed example:

                               

Up next is one of the very last Toukon Shop figures of Keiji
Mutoh (and one of the very first based on Mutoh's recently-
created "Cross Wizard" persona).


                           

Toukon Shop's Full Movable Action Figure line has the look
and feel of the classic G.I. Joe figures right down to the screws
in the backs of each figure!


                            

Sacrificing height for articulation, Toukon Shop's Full Movable
Action series stands 3 3/4" scale (the common scale of most G.I.
Joe's starting in 1982) and are significantly smaller than Toukon
Shop's regular action figures from the era.

In total, there are only a handful of Full Movable Figures released
by Toukon Shop for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (and the only figures
that I can think of that feature full-articulation from the company
in general).

The Full Action series would continue under Toukon's "Character
Product" banner and would include other NJPW legends and not
-able Wrestlers from the PANCRASE, RINGS and PRIDE
promotions.

80's Golden New Japan Pro-Wrestling Coffee Figures

In 2007 Japanese coffee maker Asahi Coffee would release their
second wave of New Japan figures along with select cans of their
canned Coffee drinks.


                        

The complete set with matching booklets, stands and original
coffee caps.

Like New Japan's previous line of Coffee figures (the IWGP
Champions figure set released in 2005), this 5 figure set was
inserted at random and included mini booklets and individual
display stands.

                  

The set itself was named "80's Golden New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Figure" and revolves around some of the promotion's most famous
legends.

For size comparisons, I'll be comparing each figure to their Mini
Big Head counterparts (all using Tiger Jeet's stand for reference).
The figures in this set are:

Antonio Inoki with famous jawline and red fight towel.

Riki Choshu in his trademark fist pump pose.

The 80's New Japan Coffee figures stand out easily with their
more cartoonish, super deformed features and lighter skin tones.

Each base is detachable and contains each Wrestler's name
written in the Japanese Kanji and Katakana alphabets.

Not Rikidozan: Tatsumi Fujinami with his 1980's attire.

The 80's Golden version of Fujinami features a white robe
which Fujinami wore during the 1980's before sporting his
more well known red and black entrance robe (a feature no
other Fujinami figure contains as to my knowledge).

Kotetsu Yamamoto doing his best Mr. Clean impersonation.

The strict New Japan dojo trainer and legendary Wrestler
Kotetsu Yamamoto has once again been recreated.

While Yamamoto is my second favorite figure from the Golden
series, I wish Asahi adjusted the color of Yamamoto's shirt to a
slightly lighter colour to avoid blending in with his skin tone in
the above figure.

                         

The last figure and sole Gaijin in the set is of Tiger Jeet Singh.

The amount of detail in Singh's clothing mixed with the assort
-ment of colors easily makes this my most favorite figure of the
set.

It should also be noted that these two versions are the only
known figures of Tiger that include his classic indian entrance
gown.

                                    

Like similar Japanese Coffee figures. The Golden set also
contained a mini booklet packaged with every figure.

The inside of the booklet includes illustrations and a short
biography for each Wrestler.

The booklet also contains a bit of shameless self-promotion;
encouraging customers to buy more canned Coffee!

                                   
                                       
The backside of the booklet promotes NJPW related website
links and associated sponsors.

This incredibly rare set is extremely hard to come by. Finding
a complete set is even more difficult.