Kotobukiya Collection ONLINE 2022 [Winter]
On the 7th of January, it was announced that another Kotobukiya Collection Online event was coming in February and will run from the 11th-13th. This is not the first event of this type that Kotobukiya has hosted online, as you can see from last years blog from the 2021 [Winter] coverage.
Again, this event is primarily aimed towards models, but had a figure segment on Sunday, 13th of February.
The difference this year is that all the announcements were released in a short video over on Kotobukiya's YouTube Channel, rather than being revealed through a long running livestream the previous year.
Event special site: https://www.kotobukiya-collection.com
Kotobukiya official YouTube channel "KOTOBUKIYA TV" : https://www.youtube.com/user/kotobukiyatv
https://www.kotobukiya.co.jp/event/kotocolle2022w/
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the content in this blog, I'm only putting it here for reference purposes.
Announcements
Transformers is joining the BISHOUJO line up! Whilst I know many asked for this, my husband included... It looks like they are here!
First up is Optimus Prime and then Megatron, both dates are to be confirmed at present.
We did however get a sneak peak at the printed prototype for Optimus Prime. Check them out in the slideshow below!
Along with the announcement of the new line, there was a promotional video added to YouTube.
Interview with the Product Planner
Q1 [Optimus Prime] Which part would you highlight the most?
The illustrator, Shunya Yamashita, the Transformers development team, and Kotobukiya's Transformers fans all put their heads together to create this wonderful design! I would love for you all to compare this statue side by side with the original Optimus Prime, and see the distinctive shapes and colors being skillfully adapted. His trailer has been reimagined into a briefcase that perfectly fits Optimus's protective nature. Doesn't it make you feel safe and sound?
Q2 [OPTIMUS PRIME] Why did you decide on this pose?
You can't talk about Optimus Prime without bringing up his signature line, "I've got an idea." We designed Optimus in a reliable and heroic pose, standing tall while raising his finger in the air. Since the pose is rather simple, we made subtle adjustments to details such as the angle of her feet and how she arches her back, to make sure she looks flawless from every possible angle.
Q3 [OPTIMUS PRIME] Which part of the sculpting process did you pay attention to most?
Notice the shorts and knee-high socks paired with the heavy jacket? Something we worked hard on during the sculpting process is to make the contrast between thick and thin materials and textures. I'd also like to highlight the messy buns we made from the original head design. They show an unexpectedly approachable side of Optimus, and also were made to recreate the antennas on his head.
Q4 [MEGATRON] What do you think are the best features of this character?
Even though he's the supreme leader of the Decepticons, Megatron is surprisingly cooler and a lot more lenient to his subordinates than you'd initially expect.
Q5 [MEGATRON]What has been the hardest part of the process so far?
I definitely wanted to have her hold the Fusion Cannon in her right hand, so we explored various poses while keeping in mind how she would look like alongside Optimus Prime.
Q6 [MEGATRON] A comment from the product planner.
I want to thank Hasbro and TAKARA TOMY for letting us make this happen. As a fan of the Transformer series, I'm honored to have had the chance to be a part of it. Nothing would make me happier than to see people gain interest in the Transformer series through these BISHOUJO statues. Thank you all for your continuous support!
DC Comics
A silhouette was then unveiled of the new version of Batgirl - Barbara Gordon! She is due to release in Spring of 2023.
This is one many have been asked for an updated sculpt on! So I can imagine the excitement to see a painted prototype. This version will see Batgirl in her modern costume, also known as the Burnside Costume from the 2014 series.
Interview with the Product Planner
Q1 - What do you think is the charm of this character? What do you think are the best features of this character?
This Batgirl outfit is known as the Burnside Costume, created in 2014 by Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr. Very modern and cute, we have set up a new bat girl statue. What is a female character? It is wonderful that the challenging place that broke the stereotype of and became the foundation after that.
It would be the Burnside costume, which was designed in 2014 by Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr. This version of Batgirl is very modern and cute—a new image for her. It's great to see characters break gender stereotypes and become a foundation for others to come.
Q2 - What points do you want us to pay particular attention to? Why did you make this pose? Why did you decide on this pose?
This pose was created in collaboration with BISHOUJO producer Shogun. By fusing the perspectives that I, as a male planner, and the female planners think are cute, I think that the pose is universal and heroic without being biased toward either perspective. The cuteness of picking a cape (cloak) is arranged by Shunya Yamashita.
I created this pose in tandem with Sho-gun, the producer for BISHOUJO. By combining my perspective as a male planner, with Sho-gun's, a female planner, I think we were able to create a pose that is universal and heroic without being biased toward either gender's perspective. It was illustrator Shunya Yamashita's idea to have her show off her cape in such a cute way.
Q3 - What points do you want us to pay particular attention to? Which part would you highlight the most?
Off-time (real face) parts of heroes are attached to the masked character. This time, we are in the process of devising something that captures Barbara's rich facial expressions. I think that the taste should be removed from the so-called royal road American comics and gradually incorporate gestures and facial expressions based on Japanese animation to bring out new charm.
Masked characters often come with face parts for when they are off duty. For this figure, I'm planning on making a face that captures Barbara's rich expressions. By gradually introducing gestures and expressions from Japanese animation, I want to show a new, charming side of her that is different from what you see in American comics.
Marvel
The next to release in the Marvel line up is Hawkeye - Kate Bishop! Fresh off the recent Disney+ show, our new Hawkeye is finally joining us! Along with Lucky the Pizza dog!
She is due to release in the Autumn/Fall of 2022.
Interview with the Product Planner
Q1 - What do you think is the charm of this character? What do you think are the best features of this character?
"Kate Bishop, who appeared as a double star in the Disney + drama "Hawkeye" that was released at the end of the year, and became a hot topic with a fresh appearance and rapidly gained recognition. He has been active as one of the next generation Avengers from early on, and the costume with a mysterious side hole has been a hot topic for a long time.
This is Kate Bishop, who co-stars in the Disney + drama, Hawkeye, which was released at the end of last year. She rapidly gained recognition with her fresh appearance. She has been a young Avenger since the beginning, and her interesting costume with holes in the sides has long been a topic of conversation."
Q2 - Please tell us if you have any secret stories about development. Can you give us any backstory on this product?
"I love the Hawkeye drawn by Matt Fraction / David Aja, so from the beginning I had the idea of involving Lucky, the pizza dog. So, when I thought about how to combine the two people reasonably, I thought it would be interesting to make it a pursuit act, and this is the pose of the figure.
I love Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye, so I had the idea to include Lucky the pizza dog right from the beginning. I thought a little chase would be a fun way to combine the two, and settled on this pose."
Q3 - Why did you make this pose? Why did you decide on this pose?
"Once the setting for a pursuit was decided, he wanted to see a lively lucky man, and Kate, who had a panicked look on his face, came up with a drastic comedy scene. Until now, the MARVEL Bishoujo series has had many poses that look like heroes, but I would like to continue the challenge of creating something that no one has ever seen.
Once I decided on the setting of a chase, I wanted to see a lively Lucky with a flustered Kate being pulled along, which then steered me into creating this bold, comedy scene. Up until now, the MARVEL BISHOUJO series has had a lot of heroic poses, but we always challenge ourselves to create something that no one has ever seen before."
Darkstalkers
One we've been waiting to see see in printed form was Lilith.
The printed protoype for Lilith was unveiled, check it out in the slideshow below. She is due to release in autumn of 2022!
Interview with the Product Planner
Q1 What do you think are the best features of this character?
I think one of Lilith's charms is that, aside from her cute and immature image, she carries a personality that is simultaneously innocent, alluring, and also ruthless. A lot of her facial expressions and lines in the games and other official media are alluring and pretty savage. Those personality traits aren't made up, but rather come from her being a young, immature succubus that was once part of the original soul of Morrigan. I find that development to be incredibly fascinating, and it also perfectly captures the distinct essence of a Darkstalker.
Q2 Which part of the sculpting process did you pay attention to most?
We carefully planned out how to best showcase her physical features, which are quite different from those of Morrigan and Felicia who we've made before. Her slender body that contrasts with her well-defined wings creates a nice gap. TSUBAME, our sculptor who has done much of the BISHOUJO series, has worked his magic again to make beautiful, yet cute, body lines with elegant posing.
Q3 Which part would you highlight the most?
Her lean yet soft curves are definitely worth a close look, especially around her collarbone, shoulder blades, ribs, knees, hips--all the way down to her wrists! This is a part we spent a lot of time on, while keeping Lilith's character and background in mind. We gave a great deal of thought around the sculpt of the hip area and think we were able to find a good balance. Other parts like the back of her knees, the wrinkles in her outfit, and the bit of skin peeking through the diamond-shaped cutout on her outfit are also some enjoyable features.
SNK King of Fighters 98
The next fighter to be revealed in the King of Fighters 98 line up is Athena Asamiya!
She is expected to drop in Summer of 2023.
Interview with the Product Planner
Q1 What do you think is the charm of this character? What do you think are the best features of this character?
This time, we have selected the psychic idol warrior "Athena Asamiya", a character that is indispensable in the history of KOF and is the only perfect attendance award in the series, which is comparable to the first "Mai Shiranui". From "THE KING OF FIGHTERS '98", it is a popular costume that is based on "Chinese fist + supernatural power" called spats on the top and bottom of the Chinese clothes style.
This time, we have selected the Psychic-Powered Idol Athena Asamiya, an essential character from KOF, comparable in popularity to fan-favorite Mai Shiranui, and the only character to have appeared in every game in the series. We selected her popular costume from THE KING OF FIGHTERS '98. Her outfit is inspired by Chinese clothing and completed with spandex shorts, recreating the Chinese kung fu + psychic powers style that Athena is known for.
Q2 Please tell us if you have any secret stories about development. Can you give us any backstory on this product?
Kotobukiya has released Athena in the "KOF'97" version costume as an action figure more than 20 years ago as one of the active styling figure (ASF) series. did you know? Surprisingly, Athena's three-dimensionalization from KOF'98 can only be counted with both hands, and I am very proud to be able to play a part in that.
Did you know that Kotobukiya released an action figure of Athena in her KOF '97 costume as part of the Active Styling Figure (ASF) series over 20 years ago? Surprisingly, there aren't many figures of Athena from KOF '98 so I' m very proud to be a part of this project.
Q3 Please tell us as far as you can understand the future development. Is there anything you can tell us about what's coming in the future?
We were able to announce the development of up to the first three products planned. I feel that we are approaching the goal of a core series that has a strong presence in BISHOUJO, which was our initial goal. In the future, we would like to commercialize it from the popular SNK Heroines line and new KOF products.
We were able to announce the development of the first three products we planned, and I feel like we're getting closer to our original goal of making it a core line in the BISHOUJO series. In the future, we hope to create more figures of popular SNK Heroines, as well as other characters from new KOF games.
G.I. Joe
And finally, we were shown the 2022 Summer Limited Edition to be Dawn Moreno (Snake Eyes II). This one comes with a swap out unmasked portrait, and she looks gorgeous.
Check out the slideshow below for the art and also a look at the painted prototype!
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