Medicom Kaneda and bike

[Otomofan]

Other than Kaneda and Tetsuo, I don't think any of the other characters are strong enough design-wise to really stand out to anyone but hardcore fans. And I'm not sure there are enough hardcore fans to make it worthwhile to toy companies.

"Casual" fans are familiar with Kaneda and Tetsuo and the bike....they're all iconic enough to be in demand. But other than that, you've got the creepy wrinkly kids, which even as a huge fan I don't necessarily want those looking at me on a shelf.

Joker has a great design and is probably the best of the McFarlane figures, but again, I wouldn't want him in 1/6 scale really. The Colonel is an integral character but really just a guy in a military outfit. Kei had some cool looks in the manga and anime, but you'd have to be a big fan to want her.

I'd always dreamed of having Kaneda's gang on motorcycles facing off against the Clowns on their cycles, but logistically I know it'll never happen.

I'm still holding out hope that some of these manufacturers realize the potential of a 1/12 Kaneda and bike and Tetsuo, at the very least. MAFEX, Figma, Figuarts...any of them. I'd happily fork over cash for that, even if it is only Kaneda and Tetsuo again. It's been almost ten years since the 1/6 releases....time for some new product!

(Oh and those two Neo-Tokyo soldiers were Wonderfest exclusives and limited to 150 each, so not sure that really "counts" as much more than a promotional or even a garage kit release.)

 

[Plastic Bateman]

Given how good they've suddenly gotten and the fact that Medicom still presumably have the license, I think a good selection of characters from MAFEX might be the way forward.

 

[potato]

Other than Kaneda and Tetsuo, I don't think any of the other characters are strong enough design-wise to really stand out to anyone but hardcore fans. And I'm not sure there are enough hardcore fans to make it worthwhile to toy companies.

"Casual" fans are familiar with Kaneda and Tetsuo and the bike....they're all iconic enough to be in demand. But other than that, you've got the creepy wrinkly kids, which even as a huge fan I don't necessarily want those looking at me on a shelf.

Joker has a great design and is probably the best of the McFarlane figures, but again, I wouldn't want him in 1/6 scale really. The Colonel is an integral character but really just a guy in a military outfit. Kei had some cool looks in the manga and anime, but you'd have to be a big fan to want her.

I'd always dreamed of having Kaneda's gang on motorcycles facing off against the Clowns on their cycles, but logistically I know it'll never happen.

I'm still holding out hope that some of these manufacturers realize the potential of a 1/12 Kaneda and bike and Tetsuo, at the very least. MAFEX, Figma, Figuarts...any of them. I'd happily fork over cash for that, even if it is only Kaneda and Tetsuo again. It's been almost ten years since the 1/6 releases....time for some new product!

(Oh and those two Neo-Tokyo soldiers were Wonderfest exclusives and limited to 150 each, so not sure that really "counts" as much more than a promotional or even a garage kit release.)

limited still counts and 150 each is still a number.

i agree with your logic about wrinkle kids looking at you, that is why i never understood why folks collect predators, aliens and freddy & other horror characters.

 

[Otomofan]

I was re-reading AKIRA Club today and remembered this pic of designs for choro-q style toys that never got produced.



I first got that book over 20 years ago and I thought it was a shame then, and it's still a shame now! These would be awesome...and the designs are right there, by Otomo, just waiting for someone to make them! I can't believe nobody ever made a bootleg even.

 

[drakEP3]

I’ve got a question for everyone who has the kaneda and bike on display. How has it held up over the years? I bought kaneda and the exclusive bike”with extra front end and tons of stickers” when it first came out but the pleather jacket always worried me. My medicom Vader suit started fall apart around the same time and the medicom rah bodies are basically impossible to fix when they break and kaneda being so small I figured I’d never find a proper replacement. So I sold the lot within a month of getting it. I wish I would have kept it but also feel like I dodged a bullet and sold it before everything fell apart. I just wanted to know how everything has held up over time

 

[potato]

nobody bought the Otomo Poster set reprints? though only around 5 are from Akira and the iconic poster is missing i think.

 

[Otomofan]

Mine have been on display since I got them, and I see no cracks at all on Kaneda's suit.

The tires on the bike look "grayer" than when it was new, but that's probably due to all the humidity in the air in Japan.

My only problem on the bike is one of the rubber handlebars has a tear in it.

And yes, I did buy the Otomo Poster Reprint set. It's pretty nice for the price. There are about five images I really like, and I keep those in a frame and rotate them whenever the mood strikes me. I think the Posters book is better of course, cause it's got a lot more images in it. But if you already have the book, the set is a nice companion piece.

 

[home theater geek]

I have accidentally snapped Tetsuos metal arm whilst cleaning out my room, well gutted


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[Marine Boy]

I've had my bike and Kaneda on open display for a few years now. No issues with either, other than a little dust. Given the price for the bike now, i would never sell either, even if it developed faults.

 

[potato]

Mine have been on display since I got them, and I see no cracks at all on Kaneda's suit.

The tires on the bike look "grayer" than when it was new, but that's probably due to all the humidity in the air in Japan.

My only problem on the bike is one of the rubber handlebars has a tear in it.

And yes, I did buy the Otomo Poster Reprint set. It's pretty nice for the price. There are about five images I really like, and I keep those in a frame and rotate them whenever the mood strikes me. I think the Posters book is better of course, cause it's got a lot more images in it. But if you already have the book, the set is a nice companion piece.

are the posters single piece single sided and how thick are the papers used? don't know about the book but i'm guessing they are compilations and smaller?

 

[home theater geek]

My Kaneda figure and bike are still spotless, no problems here [emoji16]


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[home theater geek]

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[Otomofan]

are the posters single piece single sided and how thick are the papers used? don't know about the book but i'm guessing they are compilations and smaller?

The 20 posters are all single sided. The sizes vary slightly. There are two full size reproductions, the Tokyo Ska Orchestra one (guy with big goggles) and the cover art for the first Akira paperback. Theses are full size posters. They are folded though to fit in the package.

The other 18 posters are approximately the same size, B4 size or so if you use Metric. Some are a little smaller, depending on the image. The paper stock also varies. Some are printed on thicker matte paper, and some on thinner gloss paper, depending on what reproduces the image best.

I got it at retail for around $40, meaning about $2 a poster. Seemed like a great deal to me. I don't know if it's still available for retail. On amazon japan the price has gone up. If you're a fan and can get it for $40 or so, I definitely recommend it. You don't even have to hang them all at once...just rotate them depending on mood like I do. Right now I have the Fireball "Escher" style print in the frame on display in my room. Before that I had the original Epic Comics AKIRA promo.

Grab it...it's a fun set!

The book is excellent. Of course the images are smaller cause it's book sized, but it IS an oversized paperback.

Here's some excellent reviews of both items:

https://cdn.halcyonrealms.com/animation/posters-otomo-katsuhiro-x-graphic-design-book-review/

https://cdn.halcyonrealms.com/books/20-posters-otomo-katsuhiro-posters-collection-review/

 

[potato]

The 20 posters are all single sided. The sizes vary slightly. There are two full size reproductions, the Tokyo Ska Orchestra one (guy with big goggles) and the cover art for the first Akira paperback. Theses are full size posters. They are folded though to fit in the package.

The other 18 posters are approximately the same size, B4 size or so if you use Metric. Some are a little smaller, depending on the image. The paper stock also varies. Some are printed on thicker matte paper, and some on thinner gloss paper, depending on what reproduces the image best.

I got it at retail for around $40, meaning about $2 a poster. Seemed like a great deal to me. I don't know if it's still available for retail. On amazon japan the price has gone up. If you're a fan and can get it for $40 or so, I definitely recommend it. You don't even have to hang them all at once...just rotate them depending on mood like I do. Right now I have the Fireball "Escher" style print in the frame on display in my room. Before that I had the original Epic Comics AKIRA promo.

Grab it...it's a fun set!

The book is excellent. Of course the images are smaller cause it's book sized, but it IS an oversized paperback.

Here's some excellent reviews of both items:

https://cdn.halcyonrealms.com/animation/posters-otomo-katsuhiro-x-graphic-design-book-review/

https://cdn.halcyonrealms.com/books/20-posters-otomo-katsuhiro-posters-collection-review/

how was it folded? did they leave a fold mark or was it just rounded up?

i saw it in Kinokuniya but unlike most new books it didn't come with 20% off with another purchase so i did not purchase it. with the 20% off the price is around the same in Japan, so there's a 20% mark up on most books. there's also a Kamen Rider art book (the artist that did Medicom RAH Box art) collection also not on discount.

 

[Otomofan]

18 of the posters lay flat. The two oversized folders are folded twice, lengthwise and heighthwise so it's folded into four, roughly the size of the rest of the set. I'm not a huge fan of those two so i leave them folded in the carbdoard case.

 

[potato]

bummer for folded twice posters. reminds me of posters that came with japanese magazines, they are cool but prone to damage due to the way they were folded especially after 20 years. lots of rare prints.

 

[minivader]

Anyone have the dimensions of the box? (For the bike) Much appreciated for the help

 

[Otomofan]

Here's another awesome custom from some talented Japanese fan:



Man. We really need some new AKIRA figures. It's been a while.

 

[WickedlNl]

I remember 3 years ago when i ALMOST bought the Kaneda + bike set. The price was I think around $2000. Just went on eBay, and still the same exact seller with the same item, unsold to this day. I first bought the Tetsuo figure because it didnt come with the set so this way I have the most iconic characters. As soon as I pulled him out of the plastic shell, his right knee broke off. Sure I could just glue it and who knows, maybe it was like that always but the seller never mentioned. Either way it was a wake up call and I just decided, no way am I gonna risk with the $2000 set.

Saw it in person and for any collector, its a damn fine site to behold.

 

[Otomofan]

The Medicom bodies are notoriously cheap and fragile. But I guess the good news is that you just replace a body, it's the heads and outfits that are important. Unfortunately, Tetsuo's arm is part of the body and not easy to "transplant."

Last week I was in a store in Akihabara and I got to see one of my old grails in hand for the first time.

Remember the 12 inch Kaneda that was sold at Wonderfest 2001 and there were only 300 produced in the world? Insanely, horrifically rare. I think at least one board member here has one.

Over the years I'd seen it in display cases behind glass, but only the box. Usually had a price tag of $1000 too.

Last week I saw one that was opened, and "only" $250. I asked the clerk if I could take a look at it.

The reason it was so "cheap" is cause the neck was broken and the head was just floating around unattached. But again, a simple body swap would solve that. I was seriously debating getting it but there was a black smudge/stain right across his face, and with no guarantee of removing it, I didn't want to spend the cash.

But what a thrill it was to actually TOUCH it. The outfit is a totally different material than the 2009 version. Much better quality. I think the newer headsculpt is superior though. Didn't get to see the laser rifle well cause it was in a baggie.

I don't think I've ever seen the 2001 figure posed on the bike. I'd love to see it. If it were so damned expensive, the outfit from the original and the newer head would make an awesome Kaneda.

Here's the old pics from waaaay back in the thread comparing the two...not my pics: