A famous Japanese creative duo known for the Kore ja nai Robo, the deliberately botched wooden toy that became a cult phenomenon, ZariganiWorks (ザリガニワークス) applies its formula to Hokuto no Ken with two figures priced at 3,850 yen each, sold under the names “Kore ja nai Kenshiro” and “Kore ja nai Toki.” But looks can be deceiving, because these figures don’t actually depict Kenshiro and Toki…
Details
“That’s not it!”
The Kore ja nai (“that’s not it!”) concept reenacts the disappointment of a child receiving a clumsy knockoff of their dream toy. Applied to Hokuto, the concept is pushed to the point of genius: the “Kore ja nai Kenshiro” bears the features of Jagi, the usurper who terrorizes everyone by screaming “Say my name!!”, and the “Kore ja nai Toki” those of Amiba, the self-proclaimed genius who impersonates the gentlest of the Hokuto brothers.
Both figures were notably sold during the Nanto Rokusei-ten exhibition at the Hakaba no Garou gallery in September 2021, alongside productions by Big One Craft, One up, and Unbox Industries.
Finding them today
Sold out at Hakaba no Garou, the two pieces can be hunted down on Yahoo Auctions Japan and Mercari, where the cult following surrounding everything ZariganiWorks produces ensures them a loyal audience well beyond Hokuto fans. Along with the Amiba by artisantoy, the fake Toki definitely holds a special place in independent sofubi, one that the real Toki has never achieved.
