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Commentaries

  • ToyPunkJan angel

    ToyPunkJan

    1881 1896 2109

    13 years ago

    When it comes to categorizing a toy like this, would you describe it as:
    A) Designer Toy
    B) Mini figure
    C) Kaiju
    D) Neo Kaiju

    Huh?

  • jazzydan angel

    jazzydan

    499 646 2538

    13 years ago

    Kaiju

  • moshi

    moshi

    244 247 111

    13 years ago

    Answer : E) Candy

  • jeremyriad angel

    jeremyriad

    566 356 245

    13 years ago

    Super7 would lose their heads if this got labeled kaiju. In an interview last year, Brian Flynn said that Super7 doesn't really make kaiju; the people who own it/work there collect kaiju toys. He wants Super7's toys to be considered just "well-designed toys". "Designer toys" won't cut it with him b/c of the stigma/precedent of that term. I think "Neo Kaiju" got stigmatized too. I guess the technical term for this figure category could be "pocket". "Pocket" feels like an eastern version of "mini-figure" which makes me feel like we could categorize it "mini-figure," but I'm sure someone hates that expression for some reason too :) OK who else wants to enter into this semantics fray?!

  • CoMus angel

    CoMus

    171 468 619

    13 years ago

    A) Designer Toy

  • SillyK angel

    SillyK

    154 1426 1657

    13 years ago

    i like answer E a lot.... now i want some

  • jazzydan angel

    jazzydan

    499 646 2538

    13 years ago

    Whether Super 7 like it or not, I still think Kaiju when I look at these. It's a small vinyl monster, so Kaiju. It's not a bad thing, Kaiju is awesome!!

  • jeremyriad angel

    jeremyriad

    566 356 245

    13 years ago

    Not to beat a dead alligator, but this toy doesn't actually fit the definition of "kaiju," which is: Japanese monster. This is a cute alligator, nothing monstrous about it. And it has nothing to do with Japanese lore or history. It's only tie to Japan is that it was produced there. It's an alligator designed by an American. I'd vote for "designer toy" as the definition and say Super7 has to just deal with that.

  • Alphakitty

    Alphakitty

    930 38 82

    13 years ago

    This is definitely a monster (it's a MUMMY aka a type of monster), and not all Japanese kaiju is strictly horrific. And not all kaiju is connected to Japanese lore. I have one that looks like a blob of goo/a nose-eating monster, what does that have to do with Japan? Nothing, it's just a monster. And there are certainly a few pieces that quality as cutesy, so if you are going STRICTLY by looks, yes, the Pocket Mummy Gator could fall quite easily into the Kaiju realm.

  • SirNarwhal

    SirNarwhal

    882 206 13

    13 years ago

    Kaiju doesn't refer to a figure of a monster; hell all the stuff Kidrobot puts out then would technically be kaiju. Kaiju refers to the process that the figure is made in, namely, it is hand spun vinyl pulled from molds and not rotocasted vinyl that is created by machines. Yes, Brian has stated that he doesn't want to be called kaiju, but you cannot deny that his process was directly influenced by kaiju (it's actually the exact same) and that, without a doubt, this is kaiju. If you want to make a distinction between US and Japanese kaiju, fine, call the US ones soft vinyl, but at the end of the day, you're just arguing semantics and this is most definitely a form of kaiju.

  • jonpaulkaiser angel

    jonpaulkaiser

    556 952 193

    13 years ago

    Sorry to interrupt, but according the the source of all super-accurate info; Wikipedia, Kaiju translates as "Strange Beast".

  • jeremyriad angel

    jeremyriad

    566 356 245

    13 years ago

    Ah, you're right. I kind of forget this figure is also a mummy. I still disagree that this figure is a form of kaiju though, but I don't have a dog in this fight. What would be useful is to have someone on Rotocasted who actually collects kaiju toys chime in on this debate.

  • jazzydan angel

    jazzydan

    499 646 2538

    13 years ago

    I'm not really to bothered either way. It would be nice for categorisation reasons. If I have to call it, I'd call kaijiu,

  • lordsketch angel

    lordsketch

    381 1089 1433

    13 years ago

    American design, Japanese vinyl

  • CoMus angel

    CoMus

    171 468 619

    13 years ago

    Toys are in this year

  • CoMus angel

    CoMus

    171 468 619

    13 years ago

    Furthermore, where did SirNarwhal get his view on what "kaiju" is?

    Point 2 is where its all at!

  • geoffw

    geoffw

    121 12 5

    13 years ago

    I have no idea where SirNarwhal got that from but it highlights the issue of the word 'kaiju' now and it's (mis) use among toy nerds. This is a) Designer Toy

  • jazzydan angel

    jazzydan

    499 646 2538

    13 years ago

    All very interesting. Do we actually need to differentiate designer toys and kaiju at all?

  • delme

    delme

    372 147 108

    13 years ago

    I want it.

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