In 1998, Aoshima’s Skynet brand made a notable foray into Hokuto no Ken with a 1/6 scale, 30 cm doll of Kenshiro dressed in real fabric clothing. Sold for 12,800 yen before tax and stamped “Limited First Edition”, it remains the brand’s only Hokuto release, and one of the very few dolls of the hero ever produced.
Details
A Real Japanese Hero
The window box says a lot about the product’s ambitions. The slogan “A REAL JAPANESE HERO / FIST OF THE NORTH STAR” is printed in English, the warning on the carton restricts the toy to ages 15 and up, and the whole package clearly targets the export market as much as the Japanese collector, at the height of the worldwide 12-inch doll boom. The blurb promises a “fully poseable” Kenshiro with interchangeable fists included, and an “elaborate leather jamper”, typo and all, in reality a zipped, studded faux-leather vest faithful to the hero’s outfit, worn over real fabric trousers in the spirit of the Real Action Heroes of the time.
The prototype is the work of sculptor Uragashira Kazuo, duly credited on the product sheet. The body, however, is not a Skynet creation: the specialist press of the day identifies it as a G.I. Joe body, sports version, with two types of hands, clenched fist and open palm. The piece carries the “Toei Animation” copyright, the corporate name the studio adopted in 1998 in place of “Toei Dōga”, which is consistent with the release year.
Details
| Catalogue name | Full Action Figure Kenshiro |
|---|---|
| Scale | 1/6, approx. 30 cm |
| Body | G.I. Joe, sports version |
| Clothing | studded faux-leather vest, fabric trousers |
| Accessories | interchangeable fists, open hand |
| Sculptor | Uragashira Kazuo |
| Price | 12,800 yen before tax |
| Release | 1998 |
Finding it today
Out of print by the summer of 2000, when the press was already advising collectors to look for it at toy shows or auctions, the doll turns up occasionally on Yahoo! Auctions and at second-hand dealers, with a complete window box and clothing in good condition accounting for most of the value. The “First Edition” label hints at planned reissues or variants of which no trace has been found, Kenshiro having evidently remained the sole member of his line at Skynet.
Sources
- Figure Oh No.34, World Photo Press, July 2000, page 19.