With its Mega Sofubi Advance line, Kaiyodo released two life-size busts of about 70 cm in 2016 and 2017, devoted to Kenshiro and his renegade brother Jagi. Two soft vinyl pieces with a bronze-style paint job, halfway between a collectible figure and a decorative object.
Details
Two life-size busts
The Kenshiro bust (MSA-012) takes the upper body of Kaiyodo’s life-size Kenshiro, the 185 cm statue the company shows at its events. It was made to promote the film Raoh Den Jun’ai no Shō in March 2006, then offered to order at 609,000 yen, with Tetsuo Hara’s approval. The Jagi bust (MSA-013) followed a year later at the same scale, reworked for impact rather than copied from the manga, with the face visible beneath the helmet.
Soft vinyl makes this outsized format possible. Lighter and less fragile than a statue, it also keeps the price reasonable for the size, and the moulds stay faithful to the master.
A bronze finish by the head of Kaiyodo
Instead of the manga’s colours, Kaiyodo chose a bronze-style finish, designed to sit in a living room or an entrance hall. The master paint for both busts is the work of Shuichi Miyawaki, nicknamed ‘Senmu’, the president of Kaiyodo himself.
Sculpted by Esora Keikaku
Kaiyodo credits the sculpting to Esora Keikaku (繪宙計畫), a Nara company specialising in large-scale work, statues and life-size figures. It handled the whole Mega Sofubi Advance Hokuto no Ken range, starting with the 50 cm Kenshiro and Jagi figures, released the same year as the first bust.
Details
| Reference | MSA-012 |
|---|---|
| Release | December 2016 |
| Price | 39,800 ¥ excl. tax |
| Height | about 700 mm |
| Scale | 1/1 |
| Material | painted soft vinyl |
| Finish | bronze-style |
| Model | upper body of Kaiyodo’s life-size Kenshiro |
| Sculptor | Esora Keikaku |
| Paint | Shuichi Miyawaki (master) |
| Licence | GB-606 |
Details
| Reference | MSA-013 |
|---|---|
| Release | June 2017 |
| Price | 49,800 ¥ excl. tax |
| Height | about 700 mm |
| Scale | 1/1 |
| Material | painted soft vinyl |
| Finish | bronze-style |
| Sculptor | Esora Keikaku |
| Paint | Shuichi Miyawaki (master) |
| Licence | GB-606 |
Sources
- Official Kaiyodo product pages, MSA-012 and MSA-013: prices, dates, dimensions, sculpting, paint.
- Nlab (ITmedia), 14 June 2017: the 1/1 scale Jagi bust.
- Akiba Keizai Shinbun, 7 June 2006: Kaiyodo’s life-size Kenshiro.