In 1985, as the Hokuto no Ken anime was triumphing on Fuji TV, Bandai released a large sofubi of Kenshiro standing approximately 32 cm tall. Forty years later, this piece dating back to the original broadcast remains one of the very first figures ever produced under the license, and one of the most sought-after among vintage collectors.
Details
A toy of its era
This item must be placed in the context of its time. In 1985, the adult collectible figure did not yet exist, and this Kenshiro is a toy in the truest sense of the word: a hollow, soft vinyl piece weighing approximately 250 grams, manufactured in Japan, in the grand tradition of TV hero sofubi that Bandai was mass-producing at the time. The sculpt, naive by today’s standards, has the raw charm of early merchandise. Bandai was simultaneously selling an articulated figure, the Zenshin Kado Kenshiro, which we cover in a dedicated entry.
The origins of the license’s merchandising
The vinyl bears the molded license marking “B・H / S・F・T”, standing for Buronson and Hara, Shueisha, Fuji TV and Toei, the period marking of the anime that was then in full broadcast. Complete pieces with their original box are considered rare by Japanese vintage toy specialists. The piece trickles out through Japanese toy antique dealers and on Yahoo Auctions Japan, most often without a box and showing signs of age, including yellowing and scuff marks. For anyone who wants to own a piece of the origins of Hokuto no Ken merchandising, it all starts with this figure.
