Thanks to "jojo the dog faced boy", I have this incredibly beautiful Marusan Guiron (199. I don't think they make them like the used to. Check out both the details in the sculpt and the colors: Comment added: Orangey color on side of head caused by reflection of low evening sun and sunset clouds.
Standard size of about 8 inches. The "fangs" sticking up from the lower jaw are exactly like my daughter's bulldog.
That's actually a reissue of the original Guiron sculpt. I think Princess Street is the name of the store that had the clear vinyl exclusive.
It could be a reissue, but if so, I don't think it is recent reissue. The full-length hard cardoboard backer inside the bag and the "newspaper" insert say "copyright 1998" on them. Plus, the cardboard and insert certainly don't look new. I suspect that this is a 1998 figure. Whatever, I like it.
I was referring to the Princess Street version that Xoco mentioned. He said it was more recent. I was just pointing out that it is actually a reissue of the original Nitto Guiron from the '60s.
Very nice pics but is this a different colorway ... ... or have the colors been "tweaked"? I have the same 1998 Marusan figure only with more green, less blue and less color intensity.
Not sure. I did adjust lightness and contrast. Could be the same figure, and your pics don't show the beauty? I do like to present "impressionistic" images of my toys, but I feel they are still representative of what the figure looks like. In any event, it is a beautiful figure I feel lucky to have acquired. (edited to correct spelling)
I appreciate the correction turtle. Without knowing as much as I'd like to about vintage vinyls, I do sometimes mistake reissues for being "new." The learning curve never ends!
The way I read your comment, it came across as "My pictures of it are beautiful, and despite tinkering around with it, yours is not."
I don't deny his pic looks great, but I've seen several of these figures and his pic isn't representative of the actual colors. Either he modified the colors on his pic a lot or his figure may have been repainted.
Arrgghhh. That is not at all what I meant to say, although going back and re-reading it, the way I phrased it was probably awkward. I guess if someone was looking to take a stab, what I was trying to say could be misconstrued. What I DID intend was merely to comment on the differing circumstances in which the pictures of the figure were taken, perhaps only making it LOOK like they might be different colorways (one bagged indoors - the other outside in natural evening light - I think most people would expect that the "beauty" i.e., colors, shape, etc., of a figure are more likely to show themselves to full advantage in the latter situation.) BTW - I did not think or imply that John had done any "tinkering around" with his pic. You would really have to strain to read that into what I wrote. Again, what I was thinking, but apparently didn't clearly express, was that a figure in the bag (like in John's pic) is sometimes not going to appear the same as the same figure out of the bag, even in normal light. I have often experienced this when receiving a new figure - the colors sometimes almost appear to bloom when you take the figure out of the bag. The pics I showed were taken outside on a beautiful October evening as the sun was going down and the air seemed super-charged with Autumn colors. I also removed most of the color from, and lightened, the background to make the colors on the figure "pop". I also adjusted the light, contrast, and shadows on the figure, to accentuate its interesting shapes and edges - again to make the figure "pop". That is why I sometimes think of my pics as being somewhat impressionistic - I like to use the light and angles to accentuate what I personally find attractive about a particular figure, to bring out its character, to accentuate the figure's impression on me. I understand from some people's comments that they don't like my style. But I take these pictures primarily for my own enjoyment. Some folks have said they like them. John, this morning, going back and comparing the figure in my hand to the picture you posted, I believe that the figures DO in fact have slightly different paint jobs. The one I have does appear to have more blue on it, including on the upper side of the head, down the sides of the tummy area, down the sides of the arms, and on the legs and feet. For example, in your picture, the legs and feet definitely appear green; on the one I have, there is a sort of blue spray over the green, making them a darker slightly metallic blue-green color. That is the best I can do to answer your question, John. My apologies for any real confusion. Onward, and hopefully upward...
Here is a pic of the Princess Street Nitto reissue several people referred to above. About Guiron, from Wikipedia: "Guiron was from the 1969 movie commonly referred to as Gamera vs. Guiron, the fifth entry in the Gamera series. Guiron (or "Guillon" - named for "guillotine"), was a giant quadrupedal dinosaur-like monster with a head shaped like a long knife. Along the knife is a hole that shoots small magnetic shurikens. "Plot summary: Two boys, Akio and Tom, spy in their telescope a spaceship that descends into a nearby field. With Akio's little sister in tow, they bicycle out the next day to investigate. The boys accidentally take off to a Counter-Earth, while Tomoko is left behind, unable to convince any adults (except kindly but eccentric police officer Kondo) of the boys' misadventure. On the icebound planet Terra, the boys encounter two beautiful but sinister alien women and the monster Guillon, who effortlessly dices a Space-Gyaos with its knife-blade head. Gamera eventually tracks the boys to the ice planet and battles Guillon while the boys try to avoid being served up for dinner by their hungry hosts."
There was a much lighter spray and a dark one like the one you have for the clears. I had both once but not anymore.
No problem, glad it is cleared up. With your lovely pics resulting in some members expressing interest in obtaining the figure, I just wanted to make sure "impressions" matched up with the reality of the production figure. Not your average housewives, they are Flobella and Barbella ... ... and did I mention that they eat brains ??!! With such characterizations and the very creative monster Guiron, everyone needs to check out this campy and goofy Gamera movie, it is a lot of fun!! Gamera vs. Guiron (USA) 1969 http://youtube.com/watch?v=-_LbdVi37J8
