Kaiju Toys
Kaiju toys are they more than just a toy? It seems to
depend on how much exposure you've had to them.
In Japanese Kaiju literally means "strange beast" . Translated in English it
loosely means "monster".
In reality, kaiju are mythical creatures featured in popular Japanese TV
shows known as Tokusatsu. Tokusatsu had a huge influence on both ugly doll
creators Sun-Min and David since they were small children , and now wish to
create genuine Kaiju figures to honour those cherished memories.
Tokusatsu, is a Japanese word that literally means "special effects." In
particular, Tokusatsu means the use of special effects in live action film
or television dramas.
Tokusatsu TV depicts the three main elements of fantasy, horror and science
fiction, but confusingly movies and TV shows in other genres can sometimes
be classified as Tokusatsu as well.
The Godzilla and Gamera film series are great examples of this type of Kaiju
monster movies, including TV series like Superhero, Kamen Rider and Metal
Heroes.
This genre is proving to be immensely popular within the Japanese
entertainment industry and in recent years has also begun to develop a small
but loyal and growing fan-base outside of Japan.
Kaiju toys are typically fashioned after conventional animals, insects or
mythological creatures however, there are more exotic examples.
Even traffic lights, faucets and vegetables like tomatoes are all grist to
the artists imagination when creating these super creatures.
Then there's Kamen Rider Super-1 includes a whole army of monsters based on
everyday objects such as ladders and umbrellas.
The term Kaiju is used in the West to describe monsters from Tokusatsu and
Japanese folklore. From the Japanese point of view though vampires,
werewolves, zombies and mummies from Wetern mythology belong to this genre
too and are often credited to be the source of inspiration of the Kaiju
designs.
Typically, Kaiju toys serve as cannon fodder for evil warlords. Some Kaiju
can also be cast as elite warriors serving as the right-hand men to the
greater villain but are ultimately destroyed by the heroic forces.
The kaiju figures started becoming much sought after, when Tokusatsu
television productions began using them as sidekicks to the hero of the
narrative. These figures were seen saving civilians from the evil warlords
and were also shown demonstrating complex personalities.
Due to the phenomenal success of these TV shows, Kaiju toys are fast
becoming a collector's dream.
Investing in Kaiju toys now will no doubt stand the collector in good stead
in the future as their popularity spreads ever wider.
About the Author
William Smith writes regularly about family related topics. I hope you enjoy this article
Japanese Culture and Society Links
Japanese Sports 競技 (スポーツ)
Japanese Food 食品 (しょくひん)
Japanese Pop Culture 文化（ぶんか）
- Hello Kitty Phenomena
- Japanese Anime, Japanese Manga
- Japanese Hair Straightening: All You Ever Wanted to Know
- Kawaii
Miscellaneous
- Creating a Japanese Garden Theme
- Keeping and Handling Japanese Inro
- Misconception about Ninja
- Japanese Bonsai
- Japanese Geisha
- Japanese Wedding
- Why Do Japanese Have Long Lifespan?
- Decorate with Japanese Art
Japanese Literature Links
- Haiku Poetry
- Japanese Alphabet
- Japanese Language
- Japanese Pronunciation
- Learning Japanese Kanji
- Tanka Poems
Japanese Art Links
Advertisement