Art of Figure Making: The Young and Rising Producer and His FGO Figures

FEATURED
Jul. 17, 2018 15:54 PDT

―You told us that the Miyamoto Musashi figure is your magnum opus, but what would be your best Ichiban Kuji project?

Hironori: In terms of a project, the most interesting one would be Kyun Character Order which was released it in August 2017. It had a rare assortment of prizes with only Kyun Chara and rubber straps only, and I met with the copyright holders and put in a lot of thought to recreate the first chapter of the story.

The most notable point of the "Kyun Chara Order” is that fans can choose which rubber strap they want. It must be hard for users to pick their favorites when there are 36 types of straps… This selectable style became popular on Twitter, so we may do it again for FGO Ichiban Kuji in the future.

Characters of the 2016 swimsuit event scheduled to release in August.

In addition to this, the Ichiban Kuji scheduled to release in August and September will feature FGO characters in swimsuits for two months in a row. The August release features characters from the 2016 swimsuit event and the September release will feature characters from the 2017 swimsuit event, enabling fans to collect characters in swimsuits from past events during the two months. A mysterious ? prize that has never been seen before will also be included. We really hope fans will be excited for its release.

―What are elements that you put in a lot of thought when making figures, including Kyun Chara?

Hironori: I am very conscious of making them as close as possible to their original illustrations.

―So you thoroughly recreate even the smallest details.

Hironori: Of course I do, especially for realistic figures. I also try not to leave out details and put in as many elements to make figures with deformed designs (such as Kyun Chara) as close as possible to their original illustrations. I also make sure they’re cute, too.

Fine adjustments are made despite being deformed characters.

[I want to create figures that will make fans think “Ichiban Kuji figures are the way to go!”]

―When are the moments you feel rewarded in your work? Do you feel motivated when you receive such great reactions such as the experience in the photo we talked about earlier, with the fans forming lines and exchanging their Ichiban Kuji prizes?

Hironori: Exactly. Since I created them with my best efforts, I feel rewarded for all the hardships that I went through in the development process when our users purchase them and are excited and say that they’re cute or awesome.

―On the contrary, are there moments when you feel that your job is hard or difficult?

Hironori: Since I never had any creative experience before, planning wasn’t my first choice, and I thought that I would never be able to create plans. Although it is fun for me to imagine exciting plans, it takes time to actually come up with a good idea, making the process hard.

Also, I believe that our users seek the figures (the highest prize) the most, but the total cost of the project increases greatly. Each project is created under a limited budget, making adjustments quite difficult.

―So a good Ichiban Kuji needs to be interesting and one that you can't get enough of.

Hironori: That's right. It’s something I have to worry about every single day (laughs).

―From a public perspective, it is often said that you become tired of your hobbies when you turn them into your job, but is this true for you?

Hironori: I’ve been a fan of anime, but when I entered the company, I could only view them in ways to use them for development, so I had a period where I became tired. However, there were more instances where I was able to work with content I originally liked, and there were instances where I felt happy becoming a part of certain series. There were more moments like this.

―It seems like your personal challenge is to create figures that will make fans think “Ichiban Kuji figures are the way to go!”

Hironori: I do want to make figures like that, although it is a great challenge. In terms of figure making and project directing, there are still many things that I do not know yet, since it is only my fourth year on my first job, and there is still a long way to go. Although it is a long way, all I can do is to try my best and aim to make our users think “Ichiban Kuji figures are the way to go.”

Newcomers struggle with the numerous restrictions.

Don’t you think that figures created by other companies, especially the figures featuring the Fate series are all very high quality? Therefore I believe that users compare our Ichiban Kuji figures with the super high-quality figures which are sold regularly. It would be frustrating to hear that Ichiban Kuji figures can only reach a certain level of quality when compared with other ones.
Due to the nature of the Ichiban Kuji being a lottery, it is difficult for us since there is a limit to the costs we can spend, but we do have strong feelings to pursue quality and cuteness that are comparable to figures that are sold regularly.

―Are there any people or companies in the same industry that you respect?

Hironori: Yes, there are. I often use them as a reference during the creation process for figures. For example, I examine their textures and the feel of the skin and muscles and how their outfits flow.
I wonder to myself, “How do they make such great figures?” I’ve bought various figures as a part of my hobby and I always keep track of figure information.

―You wrote that you want to further expand the Ichiban Kuji fanbase as something you want to work on. Do you have a detailed vision?

Hironori: Since we are a character goods manufacturer, we simply want more people to buy and try our products. It would be great if we can gain more fans of our products as a result of more people buying them.

―Are there any figures you want to make next?

Hironori: There are other items currently under development, so please look forward to them!

―Finally, can we receive a message for our overseas fans?

Hironori: We go through the results of the Ichiban Kuji Club questionnaires and check Twitter, so if you have any requests such as "please make this figure," please let us know. Please leave a comment for us, since it may become used as a reference for ideas!

―Thank you very much.