Ask Kotobukiya

[Tushar]

Originally Posted by NorthernLadMSP

I don't like it for many reasons:

1. It's lazy on the part of the company. Like I've said multiple times, if you want to release a previously released character, design a new statue.

2. Reprints destroy the value of the original.

3. I find them to be a slap in the face for anyone who legit purchased the original whether they purchased it at retail or whether they paid after market prices for it.

4. It goes against the entire point of an item being considered a collectible. Why would an item be considered a collectible if said company just releases a new wave of them every few years?

Look, I understand your points, and they're fair. It is reflective of the way this hobby works today.

However, that doesn't mean it's perfect or can't be changed. Look at books (or comic-books, for that matter). They keep publishing new ones if there's still demand. There are still people who collect books, and many first-editions still go for high prices, even if a better, later edition is available. I realize it's an imperfect analogy and maybe the statue world would never work that way, I'm just saying it could.

At the end of the day, it's a product. And unless the company specifically marketed it as a limited edition, I don't see why it's wrong for them to re-release it. Even if I have the first edition, if the next one is superior, or if my first one has been rendered a little less pretty over time (sunlight/leaning/wear-and-tear/accidents), I'll be happy to have a chance to get that statue again, because my primary goal is to own and display the best-looking statues I can afford. If a statue has a great design, but poor execution, or if the technology becomes better over the years to give it a superior build/paint quality, doesn't that design deserve the best treatment possible? If reprints do that for it, I'm okay with it. And even reprints do none of that in some case, I won't consider them a personal affront, just like I don't mind them reprinting books I already have.

Anyway, these are my thoughts on the matter, and I repeat that I understand and respect your points as well. I don't wish to drag this discussion out any longer.

Peace.

[maoa96]

Originally Posted by Kotobukiya_EN

I have a few question for you guys:

1. What products would you like to see come back revamped as a 2nd edition? (Thanks to those who have responded already!)

2. What is your favorite line of products from Kotobukiya? ARTFX+? Fine Arts? Bishoujo? Ikemen? Etc. Why is it your favorite? (price, quality, poses, etc)

To add to the list of questions I was curious about, I also received some questions from other people in our company! Feel free to leave more questions, and give us more feedback I can continue sharing with our team.

1. What country are you from? We want to know where our products are going to, so we know where else we should start expanding our market in the future!

2. [This question is directly from one of our product developers] What characters would you like to see in an IKEMEN line? What do you think would make this line better? (Variety in artist? Different types of character? Etc. )

1. I´d like to see ARTFX+ Star Wars, especially Cloud City Darth Vader since I can´t seem to find it where I live.

2. I like ARTFX, ARTFX+, ARTFXJ and Fine Art, although I´m currently only collecting ARTFX+ because for they´re more affordable and I like the smaller scale.

3. I´m from Peru, from what I know there isn´t an official Kotobukiya store here, so we have to orede internationally or buy it from importers.

4. Not really interested on the IKEMEN line, but I think characters from Titans or Teen Titans could fit well.

[SDguy]

Originally Posted by Kotobukiya_EN

I have a few question for you guys:

1. What products would you like to see come back revamped as a 2nd edition? (Thanks to those who have responded already!)

2. What is your favorite line of products from Kotobukiya? ARTFX+? Fine Arts? Bishoujo? Ikemen? Etc. Why is it your favorite? (price, quality, poses, etc)

To add to the list of questions I was curious about, I also received some questions from other people in our company! Feel free to leave more questions, and give us more feedback I can continue sharing with our team.

3. What country are you from? We want to know where our products are going to, so we know where else we should start expanding our market in the future!

4. [This question is directly from one of our product developers] What characters would you like to see in an IKEMEN line? What do you think would make this line better? (Variety in artist? Different types of character? Etc. )

1. If a character gets a revisit, it should at least have a partial new sculpt. I don't personally have an interest in any simple repaints as re-releases.

2. ArtFX+, Ikemen, Bishoujo.... in that order.

3. USA

4. Green lantern, Flash, Aquaman.... if you get into Marvel.... Black bolt, Cyclops, Colossus, Starlord.

[Mur_f]

1. I’d like to see a second edition of the Fine Arts Archangel in his 90’s X-men colors.

2. Favorite line for me is Fine Arts/Danger Room Sessions. With a lot of companies focusing on 1/4 scale, it’s becoming more difficult to find 1/6 scale pieces with the quality the Fine Arts/Danger Room lines produce.

3. USA

4. Not really into Ikemen style so I can’t answer, but the quality looks great as always.

[Rasp Lame]

1. Can't say I have any interest in revisits.

2. Love the artfx+ line because it allows me to collect a wider range of characters that don't take up the space of a 1/6 or 1/4 scale statue. I'll pretty much buy any Marvel comic accurate artfx+ figure that comes out. Would love to see more X-Men figures. Even more X-Men '92 characters would be welcome.

3. Australia.

4. Not a fan.

[AC_808]

Originally Posted by Kotobukiya_EN

I have a few question for you guys:

1. What products would you like to see come back revamped as a 2nd edition? (Thanks to those who have responded already!)

2. What is your favorite line of products from Kotobukiya? ARTFX+? Fine Arts? Bishoujo? Ikemen? Etc. Why is it your favorite? (price, quality, poses, etc)

I want to use the answers I get from the above questions to relay to our planning department in the future, so any insight is appreciated!

-Gyoza

1. I love the 1/6 scale statues from Kotobukiya ...so I love the ArtFX and Fine Arts line. I would love to see 2nd edition classic Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Ant-Man and Wasp. I would also love to see 2nd edition classic Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Ice-Man, Angel and Beast. Avengers and X-Men based on Byrnes art. Then I'd love 2nd edition classic Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat.

2. Again my favorite line from Kotobukiya is the ArtFX and Fine Arts line (1/6 scale). I also love the Bishoujo line.

Originally Posted by Kotobukiya_EN

To add to the list of questions I was curious about, I also received some questions from other people in our company! Feel free to leave more questions, and give us more feedback I can continue sharing with our team.

1. What country are you from? We want to know where our products are going to, so we know where else we should start expanding our market in the future!
2. [This question is directly from one of our product developers] What characters would you like to see in an IKEMEN line? What do you think would make this line better? (Variety in artist? Different types of character? Etc. )

Once again, thank you guys for all of the comments and support! Even if I don't respond outside of this thread, we are reading the other threads, so we appreciate all of the activity on these forums!

- Gyoza

1. USA
2. I'll let others do the speaking for me on this one.

[AlexLothos]

Originally Posted by Kotobukiya_EN

I have a few question for you guys:

1. What products would you like to see come back revamped as a 2nd edition? (Thanks to those who have responded already!)

2. What is your favorite line of products from Kotobukiya? ARTFX+? Fine Arts? Bishoujo? Ikemen? Etc. Why is it your favorite? (price, quality, poses, etc)

Hey Gyoza, thanks for asking these questions, conversing with us, and considering our opinions/perspectives.

1. Bishoujo She-Hulk, Bishoujo Dark Phoenix, Bishoujo Storm, Bishoujo Poison, Fine Art Rogue, Fine Art Psylocke, ARTFX+ Justice League Wonder Woman, ARTFX movie Wonder Woman, ARTFX+ New 52 Nightwing (blue)

2. Bishoujo... because it has most of the characters I like with some of the best designs, sculpts, and paints for them across many companies' depictions. The sizes are usually great (around 9" tall) for smaller figures, but feel free to go an inch or two taller. For the most part they are decently affordable, but the rising costs are concerning. Also the Fine Art is very amazing.

Originally Posted by Kotobukiya_EN

1. What country are you from? We want to know where our products are going to, so we know where else we should start expanding our market in the future!
2. [This question is directly from one of our product developers] What characters would you like to see in an IKEMEN line? What do you think would make this line better? (Variety in artist? Different types of character? Etc. )

1. USA

2. I didn't think I'd like this line, but I like the Ikemen Red Hood better than the ARTFX+ one... they have similar poses, but the Ikemen one is bigger (1/7 vs 1/10) and has switch-out heads for variety.

2a. Other possible characters (focusing on the Batman side of things for now): Young Justice Robin, Deathstroke, Joker, Signal/Duke Thomas, Azrael, Batman Beyond/Terry McGinnis, Two-Face

2b. Suggestions to improve the Ikemen line would be to try and straddle the line better between the core concept, yet still appealing to a wider range of collectors. The Red Hood fits this concept the best so far IMHO. I like Nightwing (especially in the blue logo), but the pose is a little too far "Ikemen" for me. Tim Drake is my favorite Robin and although the Ikemen museum pose is fine (it could be considered "boring" by some), I'm not a fan of his Red Robin incarnation (please try the Young Justice version). I like Damian as a character, but the Ikemen's kneeling pose automatically takes it out of consideration for me (I passed on Bishoujo X23, ARTFX+ Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Gwen, and Spider-Man 2099 for the same reason). Also, I'd prefer it if you could stay away from magnet feet/bases (for this line and Bishoujo).

[AlexLothos]

Originally Posted by UnicornPegasus

Jensen Ackles/Dean Winchester (from Supernatural) Ikemen. I'd be all over that one like you wouldn't believe. LOL.

I wondered why there wasn't any Sam and Dean Winchester statues... they could probably fit the Ikemen line pretty well.

[Mepaphoros]

Definitely more Danger Room/Fine Art X-Men statues, less hentai statues.

[Kotobukiya_EN]

Hi guys! Less than 5 days away from Christmas already... Phew, where has the time gone?

I hope you all are having an awesome holiday season!

In the Kotobukiya office, we are currently busy planning for New York Toy Fair, San Diego Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, AND Anime Expo, so you can imagine how much we all have been running around in the marketing and sales department! We are all ready for our winter vacation... That having been said, I am sure that what we have in store for each event will be much more exciting and special than the past year!

As for questions I have been leaving behind for you guys, I appreciate all of your responses! Like some of you guys said, I think I will start creating a survey link to leave behind so this Ask Kotobukiya thread doesn't get too spammed. Thanks for your suggestions! I also talked to our marketing manager, and we might start doing a giveaway for a select few people who fill out our survey forms, so the more you guys fill those out, the more we will be able to leave behind samples for a future giveaway!

Now, onto your questions and recommendations!

Originally Posted by NorthernLadMSP

EDIT: Another thing that really bothers me about reprints, is why are the reprints almost always better than the originals? It leaves a really bad taste in my mouth that I spend money on a piece, and then see it re-released years later with a better base or a better paint job (see second versions of Jason and Freddy and Raven).

Boy, that was a long discussion on reproduction items. Great stuff to hear though, as there is no way for anybody to provide products that caters towards everybody, but it is always great to hear from both sides!

As for the reprint being "better than the originals" (which I feel is also subjective, since some people love the old styles), I think it is more because over the years, we might have changed the brand of paint we use, we change factories, sculptors come and go, etc. Like anybody keeps getting better the more they practice, we as a company just have better resources now than in the past, which helps us to give a better quality even if the mold may still be the same as years ago.

Also, purely speaking from a financial standpoint, reprints/reproduction items already have a strong fanbase (we generally choose products that sold well during the first run), and sometimes it is a suggestion from one of our licensors or distributors. There are some licensors, for example, who give us almost zero liberty in choosing what characters we make products of. Other licensors may be more open for us to be creative, but may be a lot more strict in approving our designs.

There are a looot of factors that go into statue development which I wish I could go more into detail, but that would become a dissertation. I hope this kind of gives you a little bit of insight from an industry perspective.

Originally Posted by Augen

Side note, is there any chance Juliet Starling could still happen



She just seems perfect for Kotobukiya.

Ugh, I love Lollipop Chainsaw, and I would love to see that as a Bishoujo. However, we currently have no plans to make Juliet into a statue... Sorry! Fingers crossed it happens someday...

Originally Posted by dechirico7

Anyone here interested in joining a Kotobukiya bishoujo collectors chat? We do it every 2-3 months, cover all things bishoujo. You don't have to do video, you can just chat over your mic. Come check us out at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Koto...ujoCollectors/

I have watched Episodes 1 and 2 recorded. Love hearing you guys just chat about what you all love, and it feels like I am listening to my friends talk. lol. I would certainly love to see you guys continue this! Best of luck gathering more people!!

===

Seems like that is all in terms of questions, that I have seen, but thank you all for more suggestions!! Supernatural Ikemen... I didn't even think about that one. Haha. I wonder if I can talk to our Global Contents team to see if they might be able to expand into that market.

But that is all from me for now!

If you guys have more questions, feel free to leave them behind here and I will get back to them when I can!

I probably won't be able to respond again until next year, so I hope you guys have a great holiday season and a happy new year!

- Gyoza