Found the probable origin/derivation of the word Zyurai: "The primary influx of tokusatsu adaptations came in the 1990s, starting in 1993 with Saban Entertainment's purchase of footage from Toei's sixteenth installment of their long-running Super Sentai series, Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger to become Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." http://dictionary.sensagent.com/TOKUSATSU/en-en/ (This site has a double click function. Double click on the word and it opens a reference window. Good overview of the topic, too.) Tracking backwards, Kyouryuu = dinosaur, sentai = squadron, but neither power nor transform comes close to any of the Japanese ("Morphing" is not available in any online E-J dictionary, so far). So exactly what Zyu or Zy means, if anything, in Zyuranger remains to be discovered. I can find no Japanese words online starting with the pattern Zy. Zyuranger may be a composite borrowed word. Anyone know what the Zyu in Zyuranger means? Anyone have any other ideas about the origin of the word Zyurai? Anyone but me interested in such things?
You might be the only one who cares these days. A year ago this would have been interesting but since new Zyurais are now $400 apiece (and then only if you're on a list) this is kind of a non issue. Unless, of course, this thread prompts people to buy some production Zyurais at the huge discounts they're offered at.
Zyu is actually "Jyuu" (or "Juu"). According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyōryū_Sentai_Zyuranger I don't think the meaning of 'Zyuraiasu' is that simple, however. Cronic typically hides meanings within the names of his characters. Andy might know the answer.
Well, I had known, via Andy, that the "Asu" part of his figures (Zyurai Asu, Maverasu, Bakurasu...) comes from the first part of Naoki's wife's name: Asuka. But Andy didn't know about the "Zyurai" part either. When I stumbled on the Power Ranger reference, I thought maybe I had found something. +1
LOL Krudler, you're starting to sound like a broken record I doubt there's anyone still paying $400 for anything Cronic puts out, even Andy isn't that crazy.
See what Darky has to say about the $400 customs. Naoki froze out a lot of his fans, as a result he lost them. The ones he didn't freeze out he price gouged. +1. I'll give you broken record posts if you like Alex. Its interesting that a pro Cronic thread got started here. When was the last time that happened?
although i am also of opinion that cronic developed in a rather strange way over the last year or so, i still care very much for cronic stuff, especially zyurais still firmly one my favourite. i think cronic paint & technique is still one of the best in this game and the lost in interest is not out of line with the other makers. rxh, blobpus etc have dropped off big time along with the general decline in interest for j-vinyls these days.
You're right about the paint and technique, the work's still great so are the sculpts; Naoki is an extremely talented artisan imho. The "broken record" stuff I've already posted is what turned me off.
Has J-vinyl interest dropped, or has it just moved on to new exciting makers and pieces. With so much stuff coming out eventually interest is going to move. Anyway, I like some Cronic, but I feel the problem is that it wasn't well archived, it just seems chaotic to me, so many releases so many customs none of it easy to access like RxH or SB.
Some paper collectibles, such as stamps, are based on catalogs worldwide. Stamp collections comprise any number of topical themes, places, and events, etc., but with rare exception, usually at the top end, philatelists can determine exactly what's out there and generally how much they can expect to pay for it. Other paper collectibles, such as old postcards, which number in the billions, and whose individual images are in the tens of millions, have no catalogs for the most part . Some folks have put together checklists even books on some artist, place or theme, just as have we, and there are always additions being discovered. Even though vinyl hasn't gone through an equivalent society-changing mega-craze, I think that vinyl more approximates postcards than stamps. Stamp art is produced via government commission, and stamps have relatively little playfulness about them, the notable exception being artist-drawn first day covers. Postcards, on the other hand, were designed by a worldwide community of artists and photographers. Apart from the photo postcards, which available millions are one of a kind, art postcards were produced in tiny runs from ten to a couple of dozen or so. The more popular artists did contract with large companies for runs of hundreds to thousands. How many vinyl pieces are out there, do you think. Here's my best guesstimate, based on number of folks in the forum, the realization of Japan and watching the boards, etc. for only half a year. Please add a more accurate figure if you have one. I'd say vinyl pieces to be still at the stage of probably hundreds of thousands, maybe reaching low millions, if you include all the KR-type stuff and similar toys. And there are probably no more than ten thousand sculpts, with hundreds of thousands of individual sculpt/colorways. If so, vinyl is just at the stage where it will start to become untraceable, with the exception of whatever references can be found via SB's forum. The toys may be exploding faster than we can keep up with them. Which, IMHO, is a good thing. And, the more advanced you become, the more sources you uncover, but the harder it is to find stuff to improve your collection. Add to it, yes. Improve it? Different story. (Unless you are a completist, and we value you completists, by the way, even while we regard your expensive, probably frustrating and perhaps impossible quest. Strive! Strive! )
Just saw this thread. Like I mentioned to Michael via PM, it's hard to track down the derivation of "Zyurai" because it's faux Romaji. Gotta get to the original Japanese kanji for a shot at the meaning. Naoki explained it to me a while ago, but I've plumb forgot what it was. He does a lot of plays on words and sounds. In terms of archiving Cronic, sheesh I've made a bit of an effort (though I haven't kept up so well this year - mea culpa). Check out Kaiju Korner. Several dozen posts about Cronic, checklists, show reports, special reports... In terms of after market value, etc, like others have said the entire sofubi market is deep in the crapper, so no surprise there. Having said that, there are several Cronic pieces I'd pay $300-$400 for, and a good number I'd pay $100-$200 for, so there ya go. Anyone want cash for their Cronic Deathra? A lot of us feel that the shift to "customs only" has affected the general level of interest in Cronic. It's hard to talk about an upcoming release when only one person will ever have it. Plus, we rarely see customs until the day of the show, which is where most customs are sold. (People are wrong if they think most are going out via private sale.) Anway yeah like people have said there's no denying the quality of Naoki's paint work or creativity of his weapons and accessories. (Can't say I'd shed a tear if he stopped draping his figures in scarves and bandages, though...) But the custom trend does mean collecting his stuff is a lot different from collecting other lines. Just makes it even more awesome to see the photos people post. What disappoints me is the way so few people take the effort to shoot their collections and share pics with others. I know we'd all love to see more pics of what's out there. (And believe you me, there is a TON more out there than most folks realize!)
