With his Nendo Hyakuretsu Ken (粘土百裂拳, literally the “fist of a hundred modeling clay bursts”) series, Japanese artist Dehara Yukinori applies his raw, wonky and endearing style to the manly universe of Hokuto no Ken. The result is as bewildering as it is delightful.
Details
The offbeat universe of Dehara Yukinori
Dehara Yukinori is not your typical sculptor. His signature style is the handcrafted modeling clay figurine, deliberately rough, naive, slightly lopsided, miles away from the clinical smoothness of premium figures. Here, Kaiyodo has reproduced the raw texture of his originals in soft vinyl, bumps, fingerprints and approximations included. It is the polar opposite of a hyperrealistic statue, and that is entirely intentional.
An unlikely trio
The set brings together three characters, each delivered with accessories that gleefully go off the rails. Kenshiro (approximately 225 mm) comes with an alternate “Satoshi-kun” head, interchangeable arms and a pet snake, because why not. Heart (approximately 225 mm), the iconic adversary from the early part of the series, poses with a separate head and a cat. And a henchman (zako) from the Zeed army (approximately 255 mm, the tallest of the three) rounds out the set with two weapons and a dog.
Each piece blends the character’s recognizable silhouette with Dehara’s childlike touch, creating an unlikely contrast between the brutality of Hokuto no Ken and a playground aesthetic. Purists will howl, art toy enthusiasts will love it.
A variant that glows in the dark
Because a modeling clay trio at 81,000 yen clearly was not enough, there is also a glow-in-the-dark version (蓄光). Strictly identical in terms of content, dimensions and accessories, it swaps the painted colors for a material that charges in the light and glows in the dark. Enough to find Kenshiro, Heart and the zako softly glowing on the shelf once the lights are off… Priced at 90,000 yen, or 9,000 more than the standard version, it is distributed by Nangokudo, the artist’s own shop.
A Kaiyodo NANKOKU production
The set is produced by Kaiyodo, through its Space Factory workshop in Nankoku (Kochi), in painted soft vinyl. Sold at a price of 81,000 yen for the three pieces, the product clearly targets art toy collectors and Dehara fans more than the general public, with a price tag steep enough to make even the most fervent admirer of Hokuto Shinken cough. Still, it remains a one-of-a-kind offering that proves once again that Hokuto no Ken can get away with anything, including a healthy dose of self-deprecation.
