Shopping Guide
The products that figure model makers produce are nothing short of fascinating. However, these amazing products are not easily completed. In figure production, the first thing you need is an idea. The idea must be concrete before the prototype of the figure can be made. In other words, every figure gets its start in the product design department.
Kotobukiya’s product design and sales department oversees the creation of every figure from beginning to completion. By hearing the stories of the people that work there, I discovered a point of view different from the actual sculptors and gained a deeper understanding of what goes into creating each figure.
Figure Design: Giving Form to Users’ Unspoken Needs
What exactly is a figure design department? To answer this, I spoke with Ms. Hamada from the design department.
"For the most part, Kotobukiya doesn’t create works that can be considered original content. We mostly work with the anime and manga companies and manage the copyright of the characters, and once we get permission to use that character’s image, we put it into form. When we create a figure of a popular anime character, we have to think not only about what the users want, but what the copyright managers are looking for as well. So we work to find a balance between those two aspects as we design and create our products."
In terms of the favorite part of his work, Hamada says, “Whenever a customer tells us that they liked one of our products, that makes me really happy. It’s difficult to comprehend exactly what customers want. So after we’ve done our best to think about their unspoken needs, create a product, and it turns out to be something that people like, that makes me really glad."
Giving shape to users’ unspoken needs. Figure development is a constant challenge of taking something that cannot be observed and making it concrete.
The Quest for the Ideal Figure
“I’m the project manager of plastic model design. I work a lot with Metal Gear Solid, Evangelion, GaoGaiGar, and other mecha-type projects,” says Mr. Nouchi from the design department. He’s soft-spoken, but has a friendly smile on his face.
“I really like robots themselves, so I’m blessed to have the job that I do. Although, it is difficult at times to manage the mecha-designers. The designers’ interests do not always match, so it can be hard to work things out at times.“
Kotobukiya’s figure design department is about to go global. Mr. Miyazaki. has had a personal interest in dealing with foreign titles, saying that since he joined the company he’s wanted to make a Star Wars product. “In the beginning I worked mostly in package design. Now, I’ve gotten the chance to work to create a product myself and share it with the world. I was very happy to be able to work on a Star Wars project from design to development. Now products that I came up with are on sale and people are buying them. That’s what’s really rewarding and makes this job worthwhile.”
However, Mr. Miyazaki from the design department has a history as a figure collector himself. He says that his personal love of figures has led him to think deeply, and even worry about the needs of customers. “Designing a product that’s going to appeal equally to the Star Wars figure lovers and the cosplay enthusiasts is no easy task. But I think that approaching development from the perspective of a collector can help overcome such predicaments. That is the most fun, and also the most challenging part of my job.”
And there’s one more Star Wars loving man in this bunch: An American and self-declared Star Wars fanatic Robert joined Kotobukiya three years ago. “One thing that makes my job worthwhile is being able to work on Star Wars products before they are released to the public,” he says, indicating the joy he gets from dealing with titles that are personally dear to him.
Most figures are made by first getting permission from the anime, game, and movie makers, going through the design process, and then releasing them for sale. However, if there’s nobody to do the designing, nothing can be created to be sold. It’s the job of Kotobukiya’s design department to create something new out of nothing. If that something is from a beloved work, the enthusiasm is sure to be that much higher. Many members of the design team display some of their favorite figures on their desks, in a show of good will and respect for each other’s interests.
When people do something their passionate about, the energy to work comes naturally. Mr. Hamada and Mr. Miyazaki from the design department joined Kotobukiya with an intent to work on products from their favorite anime and subculture works. Everyone in the Kotobukiya design department has a shared love for otaku content that naturally facilitates their high-quality work and promotes a welcoming atmosphere for all.
The members of Kotobukiya’s design department have a shared passion for quality products that has brought them together. They’ve set sail on the quest for the ideal figure, with favorable winds at their backs.
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
