Play Set Products Jumbo Muto Bear Plush review

Continuing over from our previous coverage of Play Set Product's Muto Bear
keychain plushies, blog #137 supersizes to incredible proportions with another
great find.

Today's collectible coverage is all about Play Set Product's JUMBO Muto Bear
plush figures:




                               

You may recognize this adorable character as the mascot of the WRESTLE1
promotion. The first Jumbo plush is the Keiji Mutoh-inspired Muto Bear.

Just like his smaller plush keychain counterpart, Muto Bear's attire is based
on Keiji Mutoh's "Sir PROMENADE" (also shortened to "PROM") ring
gear from the mid 2000's.

The included championship belt is not intended to be removed.

With his unique kneeling pose, Muto Bear can stand on his own for display
purposes when not being cuddled.

Also unlike the smaller keychain version, there is no strap or hook attached
to Muto Bear's head.

The second jumbo Muto Bear variant is based on Keiji Mutoh's evil Pro-Wrestling
alter ego: The Great Muta.

From his ring pants to his Darth Maul-inspired ring mask and body paint, the
Great Muta Muto Bear figure contains plenty of detail. There's even a draw
string on Muta's pants!

The only downside (and a very minor one at that) is the lack of detail from
the back of both plushies.

Given that this figure is made of plush with a unique design, it's also quite
difficult to stand this version of Muto Bear on his own.

When compared to a standard Japanese figure (Toukon Shop's 5" Hiroyoshi
Tenzan figure).

Both Jumbo Muto Bear plushies stand an impressive 15 inches (38 cm) tall
(making them some of the biggest Great Muta/Keiji Mutoh figures ever created).

                              

Both plushies (and their smaller keychain equivalents) include an identical tag
which includes a picture of the Wrestler the Muto Bears are based off of (Keiji
Mutoh/The Great Muta) in front of an All Japan Pro-Wrestling backdrop (which
Keiji Mutoh served as president for between 2002 to 2013).

Confusingly, the first version is listed as "Mutoh Bear" while the Great Muta
version is simply listed as "Great Muta".

The back of the tag reads "Play Set Products X Keiji Mutoh
                                           Play Set Products Mutoh Bear
                                           MUTO BEAR Plushie"

                                                                  

Toukon Shop Keiji Mutoh & Masahiro Chono DX figure set review

Welcome back to the largest source of Puroresu collectibles information on

the web.

For blog #132, we'll be taking an in-depth look at another exciting figure two
-pack released by Toukon Shop in the late 1990's. Get ready to turn heel with
the Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono NWO Japan DX figure set.

                        

Released in 1998 as part of Toukon Shop's "Strong Style Tag Figure Collection",
this two-pack would mark the first time figures of Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro
Chono would be packaged together.

The included Keiji Mutoh figure features a brand new head sculpt of Mutoh
and is the first figure ever to feature Mutoh with a full beard (the only other
figure being the12 inch version released by TAKARA around the same time).

Both Mutoh and Chono come with a pair of removable ARISTRIST (Chono's
official clothing line) necklace pendants.

Keiji Mutoh switched his orange trunks in the late 1990's for Wrestling tights
adorned with an array of graphics representing Mutoh's shocking heel-turn to
the NWO Japan stable.
The text on Mutoh's left pant leg reads "IF ANYTHING SHOULD
OCCUR".

                                


Wrestling trivia:
Mutoh's official heel turn took place on September 23rd, 1997 for New
Japan Pro-Wrestling's "NJPW G1 Climax Special 1997 - Tag 11 ~ Grapple
Climax" event which featured a tag match between Masahiro Chono & The
Great Muta against Kensuke Sasaki and Kazuo Yamazaki.

During the match, Masahiro Chono accidentally hit The Great Muta (
Keiji Mutoh's Wrestling evil alter ego) causing Muta to become enraged
and leave the ring abruptly.

Keiji Mutoh would return to the ring a short time later (stripped of his Muta
attire) and finish the match with his patented Moonsalt - shocking the Wrestling
world by celebrating in the ring with the members of the NWO Japan.

At long last, Keiji Mutoh had finally become a "full" member of the NWO.



                                  

The side of Mutoh's left pant leg also includes the NWO logo.

Mutoh's right pant leg reads "NONE OF YOUR TRICKS WITH ME"
(there's also an "A" beyond Mutoh's right knee pad).

The text on Mutoh's right knee pad reads "STUN"

...and the text on Mutoh's left kneepad reads "SLAM" (most likely a reference
to Mutoh's rib breaker and moonsalt).

Both figures also contain two matching staff accessories which are also
removable.

Next up is "Mr. Blackjack" himself: Masahiro Chono!

Masahiro Chono is featured for the first time ever in action figure format with

his black ring gear.
                                     

Masahiro Chono's shades are also removable.

As IWGP tag team champions, both figures include two IWGP championship
tag belts ...with the NWO logo spray painted over them!

I'm sure the U.S. NWO faction would be proud.

Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono would become IWGP tag team champions
by defeating Kensuke Sasaki and Kazuo Yamazaki once again on October 19th,
1997 - less than one month after their last bout.

Toukon Shop Kokushi Muso Super Start Figure Collection 47 review

Our next figure coverage is all about one of the many alter-egos of Keiji Mutoh. In blog #66,
we'll be taking a look at Toukon Shop's Kokushi Muso Super Star Figure Collection 47 figure.

                                

Released in 2001 through New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Toukon Shop
store. the packaging of the Kokushi Muso figure contains the NJPW
logo and a full-colour graphic of Muso

  .

In the same style as Keiji Mutoh's alter-ego The Great Muta, the back
of the packaging features a separate bio focusing solely on Kokushi

Muso's accolades (once again, this gimmick was treated as a separate
Wrestler altogether).

The back of the packaging also contains two great graphics of Muso.

Now, let's take a closer look at an unboxed example:

                               

The Kokushi Muso figure uses a mixture of Toukon Shop's Keiji
Mutoh head sculpt and upper torso while mixing in Great Muta's
ring pants (with a newly added belt).

The front of Kokushi's included monk staff accessory reads
"BADASS TRANSLATE TRADING" or simply B.A.T.T.
which was the name of Keiji Mutoh's cross-promotion
Wrestling stable at the time.

                                    


The back of the monk staff contains various Japanese Kanji. The
second half reads "黒師無双" (Kokushi Muso).As a play on Muso's
B.A.T.T. team mate and long-time rival, Jinsei Shinzaki, the Kokushi
Muso Toukon Shop figure features monk-inspired "tattoos" scrawled
across Muso's upper body.

On closer inspection,t he tattoos on Muso's chest reads "PROWRE
'S LOVE" (a nod to Mutoh's "Pro-Wrestling LOVE" slogan) and
"BAD ASS TRANS TRADING".

The only problem I have with the Kokushi Muso figure is it's
hand molds. Neither hands can properly grip the included staff
accessory.


                         

Muso's mixture of Kanji and English writing is also printed
along the left side of Muso's pants and arms.


                 


The right side of Muso's pants contains "Cross Wizard" graphics,
a design that Keiji Mutoh began wearing as part of his ring and
entrance from B.A.T.T.'s creation through Mutoh's early AJPW
run starting in 2002.


                    

The back of the Kokushi Muso figure contains a mixture of the
tattoos featured on the front in both English and Japanese.

The Kokushi Muso Super Star Collection Figure would be the
last figure released of Mutoh under New Japan's Toukon Shop
banner; as Mutoh would leave New Japan Pro-Wrestling for
rival promotion All Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2002.

As Mutoh only used the monk-inspired Muso gimmick for
a brief period (which originally ended in 2002 when Mutoh
resurrected his Great Muta gimmick in AJPW - only to be
brought back for special occasions from then on), there are
only three Kokushi Muso figures in existence.