Godzilla Bandai USA/Creations Discussion

[Tim85]

I plan on picking up those two when I get refund check.

[Zilla103192]

Went to my TRU yesterday only to find out that they are moving and have stopped getting shipments in.

FUCK!

Won't be getting these until at least the 22nd next month...

[Leunames]

Here's what I picked up last Tuesday

[Leunames]

There's just something off about these. I love the cute, "chibi" look as much as the next guy, and I'm a huge fan of stylized toys. But this particular style doesn't work for me. What the hell happened to that figures head and neck?

It works for me as the figure has no aspirations to be accurate in any fashion aside from color and basic traits. Particularly the huge grin over exagerates that artificial "evil smile" look that MG has when the steel teeth are exposed. Except this figure has flipped it around and made it look cute, giving it tons of character. By contrast the godzilla just has an angry grimace.

[Leunames]

How much do these ones run?

I'm with Legion on not being totally sold by this style, but I do love Showa MG...

Mine was $21. Probably cheaper than that elsewhere since my tru is in times square

[Zilla103192]

I have seen them online for $14.99-$19.99

leunames, can you take a few pics of the Godzilla next time you are out that way?

I would love to see the whole figure on top of that same exact angle every other pic of him has been taken in.

[Kaiju no Mura]

I can't say I aprove of the brand name lined being called "Tokyo Vinyl." I am well aware that Toumart designed these figures and are a Tokyo based company. But these vinyls are being produce in China, are they not? If the name was "Tokyo Style" I would not have problem. But the other name is misleading.

[Kaiju no Mura]

Arent all the Bandai vinyls made in China?

All of the Bandai USA BC line was produce in China. So that's why I am asking if this "Tokyo Vinyl" line is produced in China. Can someone be so kind that has these look and confirm that these are being manufacture in China. Thanks.

[RedZillaKing]

Leunames that MG is a-freakin-dorable! I'll be grabbing all of them. They'll look great with my MH MosuGoji on my stylized shelf.

^please allow me to unofficially confirm it. Most American toys are made in China.

[Leunames]

Arent the Japanese Bandais made in China as well?

These are being mass produced. I doubt theyre being made in America or Japan.

everything is made in China. I don't mean that facetiously...as far as Godzilla items go even Bandai Japan started transitioning to Chinese factories in the mid-90s.

Designer vinyl companies (for the most part) like M1, Gigabrain, etc. are made in Japan.

[Kaiju no Mura]

Just because it is mass produced does not mean it cannot be made in Japan and that only China can mass produce items. Godzilla vinyl toys from Bandai Japan starting in 1997 was being manufacture fully in China. 1996 Godzilla Forever line was the last to be made in Japan.

M1GO and Gigabrain are NOT designer vinyl toy companies. They are stylized vinyl toys to appeal to a specific generation era. Those companies are simply "kaiju toy companies." Kidrobot, Uglytoys, Medicom's Be@rbrick line, to name a few are designer toys. With the exception of Medicom the others are "designer toy companies." People throw the name "designer toy" term around alot in this forum tying to link neo-kaiju and stylized-kaiju toys lines like M1GO's Bullmark Type Series as "designer toys." That's not correct.

Now back to my original question and I guess I should have given you guys some additional information when I asked it. Toumart is known for designer toys. And they do produce some of their toys in Japan and in China depending who they are contracted by. They are Tokyo base company. And I am asking if this new Bandai USA "Tokyo Vinyl" line is actually produced in China. Though I appreciate everyones input, I don't want assumptions. I want someone who actually has this line to confirm where it is made. Thanks.

[Kaiju no Mura]

These are to be sold in America. Do you think any Japanese plant can supply the numbers needed for the price required?

$10 says these are made in China.

I was stating in general Japanese companies can also mass produce toys made in Japan. I do not doubt that these are probably made in China. I prefer someone to confirm it by actually looking at the manufacturing information than just assume it. That is why I was poking fun in my first post at the Bandai USA "Tokyo Vinyl" naming. If it's made in China it wouldn't actually be Tokyo vinyl.

[Leunames]

Just because it is mass produced does not mean it cannot be made in Japan and that only China can mass produce items. Godzilla vinyl toys from Bandai Japan starting in 1997 was being manufacture fully in China. 1996 Godzilla Forever line was the last to be made in Japan.

M1GO and Gigabrain are NOT designer vinyl toy companies. They are stylized vinyl toys to appeal to a specific generation era. Those companies are simply "kaiju toy companies." Kidrobot, Uglytoys, Medicom's Be@rbrick line, to name a few are designer toys. With the exception of Medicom the others are "designer toy companies." People throw the name "designer toy" term around alot in this forum tying to link neo-kaiju and stylized-kaiju toys lines like M1GO's Bullmark Type Series as "designer toys." That's not correct.

Now back to my original question and I guess I should have given you guys some additional information when I asked it. Toumart is known for designer toys. And they do produce some of their toys in Japan and in China depending who they are contracted by. They are Tokyo base company. And I am asking if this new Bandai USA "Tokyo Vinyl" line is actually produced in China. Though I appreciate everyones input, I don't want assumptions. I want someone who actually has this line to confirm where it is made. Thanks.

I already confirmed this in my post stating that everything is made in China. And that isn't an assumption as I own the product. Did you not see the pic I posted of the item above?

I was stating in general Japanese companies can also mass produce toys made in Japan. I do not doubt that these are probably made in China. I prefer someone to confirm it by actually looking at the manufacturing information than just assume it. That is why I was poking fun in my first post at the Bandai USA "Tokyo Vinyl" naming. If it's made in China it wouldn't actually be Tokyo vinyl.

You're getting hung up on marketing semantics here. High-end, ready-to-wear clothing is mostly sourced from Chinese textile firms and sewn and assembled in Chinese factories. However, they are designed by Parisien or New York fashion houses and as such are marketed to originate from there, despite the fact that they sourced the fabrics from China and that the retail price for that piece of clothing can run into 4 digit pricing schemes.

Lastly, mass production by toy companies is almost exclusively performed in China. Toy companies have reduced economies of scale producing anywhere else outisde China. For example, Transformers can be designed by Hasbro in the United States, and engineered and developed by Takara in Japan, but are assigned manufacture in China, despite the countries of origination.

[Kaiju no Mura]

I already confirmed this in my post. Did you not see the pic I posted of the item above?

I asked where this Bandai USA "Tokyo Vinyl" was being manufacture. Your picture of the front packaging only did not state where. And your prior statement later was general that all was made in China. I wasn't asking anyone a difficult question. A simple answer this "Tokyo Vinyl" line was made in China would have done it. Everyone else started talking about in generalization.

As I already stated I was poking fun at the line name. I understand it's a marketing ploy. But as I stated "Tokyo Style" would have been a better fitted name.

Yes, thank you for the reference of the Transformer manufacturing. I already have a good understanding about toy manufacturing as I use to work for a major toy company being Hasbro. I assure you not every part is being manufacture in China or assemble their.

[SmogMonster]

Is it really that hard for someone who has the figures to just flip it over and see if its made in China or not? That's all Kaiju no Mura is asking.

[Leunames]

I asked where this Bandai USA "Tokyo Vinyl" was being manufacture. Your picture of the front packaging only did not state where. And your prior statement later was general that all was made in China. I wasn't asking anyone a difficult question. A simple answer this "Tokyo Vinyl" line was made in China would have done it. Everyone else started talking about in generalization.

As I already stated I was poking fun at the line name. I understand it's a marketing ploy. But as I stated "Tokyo Style" would have been a better fitted name.

Yes, thank you for the reference of the Transformer manufacturing. I already have a good understanding about toy manufacturing as I use to work for a major toy company being Hasbro. I assure you not every part is being manufacture in China or assemble their.

The statement being general encompasses that the Tokyo Vinyl line is made in China, which is itself indicative of an overall trend. That was the gist of my statement and was more in response to the other poster. And honestly if I made the statement, and I already proved that I have the product, why would I make a statement that would be easily contradicted by a product I already own? I don't think it's necessary to spell that out.

And since you worked at Hasbro, you know that the final assembly of the product occurs in China. Parts coming from vendors along the vertical supply chain does not negate the fact that ultimate production of the toy proper is finished in China. My original statement stands.

Is it really that hard for someone who has the figures to just flip it over and see if its made in China or not? That's all Kaiju no Mura is asking.

This is getting ridiculous. I literally used the word CONFIRMED in my prior post.

[Kaiju no Mura]

Then my apologies for misunderstanding. I'm not here to fight people. You win.

[Leunames]

Then my apologies for misunderstanding. I'm not here to fight people. You win.

I was going to respond to your post by I see you edited it.

I have a Transformers collection as large as my Godzilla collection, so I am quite versed-from a collector's perspective-on the history and the general process.

As for production etc. I used to do work that analyzed supply chains and their impact on financial performance on a given industry. Products made in Japan for a young target age range are not sustainable in the long run. However, everyone on this board knows this fact, whether they realize it or not. So the point is moot.

[Kaiju no Mura]

Kaiju no Mura, not to derail further, but could you explain to me the significant difference between sytlized kaiju figures such as Marmit and M1GO and "designer vinyl?" Perhaps I'm simply ignorant of what "designer vinyl" truly is, but to me the exclusion of stylized kaiju vinyl seems arbitrary.

Just to be clear I never said that all stylized kaiju vinyl toys were not designer toys. The recent Bandai USA Tokyo Vinyl toys are designer toys designed by Toumart who is well known for his designer toys in Japan and even in the USA. I only stated certain companies like M1GO and Marmit are not designer toy companies nor do they even produce designer toys. M1GO is trying to capture a certian time period specifically the Marusan and Bullmark toys from the 60s & 70s with there figures to bring a nostalgic feeling to them. If M1GO are designer toys that's like saying the old Marusan and Bullmarks are designer toys also.

Designer toys for the most part are more artistic and simplistic and very basic in the shape.

These are designer toys:


These are not designer toys but simply neo-kaiju toys.

[menschenjaeger]

Finally saw the Tokyo Vinyls at my local TRU.

I still liked MG, but I was underwhelmed by the size. Somehow I was expecting something a lil more "husky." Also disappointed he's lacking the "MG" bicep tat. A slightly larger wave would have been nice, too - Anguirus or Gigan in that style would be sweet.