I received a press release yesterday from a new Hong Kong-based figure company known as Hobby Figures Global. Unlike other companies operating out of the region they seem determined to do right by artists, fans, and IP holders alike, having expressed an ambitious vision that includes an officially licensed figure line from Samurai Champloo, as well as a PVC lineup from Queen’s Blade which will be rolled out over the coming months. Sample images and details on their first figure (Samurai Champloo’s Mugen) can be found below.
The potential for a morally and ethically righteous figure company operating out of Hong Kong is one that has me personally incredibly excited, and with their ability to coordinate production combined with international sculpting talent it’s possible they could become a potent force in the figure market in the near future. I’m happy to be able to introduce their first figure here in the hopes that it’s the beginning of wonderful things to come:
Figure information from the press release:
Scale: 1/8
Character: Mugen
License: Samurai Champloo (サムライチャンプルー)
Material: Cold Cast
Sculptor: Takahashi Tsuyoshi (Ichigo no Eiga Ippai no Sake)
Prototype painting: Yamashita Tooru
Size: 14.5cm height
Length: 26cm
Release Date: 2008 June
Japanese Price: 12800 yens
This edition will be limited and numbered to 2000 pieces worldwide.
While I think this stunning rendition of Mugen is a great way to kick off a figure brand, I’m even more excited about the prospect of the future of this international collaboration. There isn’t much solid information to go on yet, but with the official Hobby Figures site scheduled to go online within a week I’ll be on the lookout for further details and bring them here as they happen. The fact that they’re collaborating in honest business with the Japanese IP holders and sculptors speaks volumes to me about what’s possible for figure makers outside Japan, and I wish them all the best! Here’s hoping they decide to go PVC as soon as possible.
Holy shit.
Super Dynamic pose
Wow that Mugen looks awesome! I would love to pick it up, but couldn’t afford the cold cast. I also hope they’ll go PVC in the near future. I’m definitely looking forward to their upcoming releases though.
I can’t imagine what that could look like if it were low grade PVC in the scorching heat of a tropical country.
I received it too, looks very promising !
Excellent pose. I won’t be buying it due to price, character and etc. but it is a great pose, and it looks like a great sculpt too.
I have the Takahashi Tsuyoshi (Ichigo no Eiga Ippai no Sake) sculpted KOS-MOS that Alter released a couple of years back, and it is brilliant. As of it’s initial release it may very well have been the best 1/8 PVC around (obviously since bested, but never the less).
Any new company that is intent on delivering high quality, legit figures to the market is an exciting and welcome addition. UART is from Hong Kong as well, though they are working with GoodSmile on a lot of their stuff, so I suppose there must be a lot of interest in the figure segment of the chara-hobby in HK right now. Doesn’t it seem like a new company should pop up in South Korea as well, one that works exclusively with the Cerberus Project masters?
Anyway, here’s hoping they follow through well, and announce some figures that are of actual interest to me fairly soon. And let’s hope them being from HK makes it to where their prices are a little more reasonable.
Pretty good HK doing it in the legal way! :D
Will this mean an open door to foreigner sculptors? IMO it’s easier to deal with HK people than JP people …
Great dynamism in the pose, which is very fitting of Mugen. The cold cast price tag puts it out of the range of many collectors though, hopefully there will be PVC releases.
Shingo, do you mean we’ll be seeing another line of PVC Queens Blade figures alongside the Megahouse line? They’ll have be really good to equal Megahouse’s production quality.
Hm… any more information about them? I might actually be visiting Hong Kong in the next couple of weeks. I might be able to swing on by their shop and do an interview of sorts. Drop a me a line at my email. :p
Great news,more companies means more competence and probably an increase in quality (they are going to need excellent designs to make a place in the market)
The Mugen figure is superb,but sadly coldcasts are always expensive.
>>the_pseudokings
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a South Korean company arise in the near future that will compete seriously with Japanese makers. Cerberus seems like a natural fit, though they’re already so wedded to other makers that it might be hard to get out of some preexisting contractual obligations; I’m guessing there are other less well known creators operating out of the country whose work also deserves PVC treatment. Here’s hoping.
>>AOJ
I wonder, that was one of my first thoughts as well. I’d guess we’ll be seeing some foreign talent as part of their lineup, but who knows.
>>Al
Yep, it’s looking like another Queen’s Blade PVC lineup. I doubt they’ll equal Megahouse quality right from the beginning, but competition should be good for all parties concerned. If their Risty figure sells well that might inspire some of the Megahouse execs…
>>The-O
I’ll drop you a mail with more info shortly, sorry for the delay.
>>Baldulf
I think they’re starting in the right place (with a recognized Japanese creator) to make a favorable impression on the market; if their production quality holds up I think they’ll be well received. I can’t wait to see how their first PVC looks.