Ahh now I really want it knowing it's larger than the Popy version (and clear)! Here's a pic of the solid version of the same bootleg:

That's awesome. It has the standard Popy Arashi colors (light blue body version, anyway) but all kinds of stylized flair which harkens back to Ishinomori's original manga. At the same time, the boot has its own thing going with an even more birdlike quality than what you see in the manga, TV show, or line of Popy toys.



PS: I love my S120!

I think this might be the solid version of that clear beauty on the left - POPY (center) and POPY COPY BOOT (right) shown for scale ...

I think that's right. I took a close look at the photo of that solid - let's call it the 6" Arashi boot - and compared it to my clear, and it looks to be the same figure.

BTW I saw that center one on your flickr and thought it was a boot. What's with the green? Is it an oxidized white body/heavy gold spray Popy?

Oh wow I always thought the second and third Ninja Arashi^^^ were two different color variations of the same Popy sculpt. Crap I just have the boot, now I need to get the Popy (I like the greenish highlights anyhow).

The green is in the exact spots where the gold spray is on the white body Popy. I think I might have seen one like this before some time ago, but am not sure if this is a standard variant or a case of gold->green color change.

Reminds me (and this goes way back in the memory banks) of...I want to say the green Chewbacca and the debate over whether it was a variant. Man I'm a nerd.

That clear is fantastic Andy, but I also really love the solid version of that 6" guy. As you were saying, the subtle sculpt variation on the head and limbs give him such a unique character that seems to have much more expression than the typical figures. I love this about him, as these heroes should really be intense and emotional to me, based on their original manga artwork, which I prefer to the traditional stoic versions of real life adaptations and other toys. He is definitely more bird like with the narrower beak, and I also attribute a lot of it to the eyes.

Superb figures all around. Damn I need to up my game to find one of these.

5" Mazinger

Variant 5" Thundermask boot:

Cool Thundermask figure Andy! I like his two different hand positions. How is the vinyl on him, i.e. is he more of a hard plastic construction, or softer?

I have that Thundermask boot. Mine has a different colored belt though and more silver on the legs (andy's might have once had silver legs it looks like). You can see it on page 1 of the thread. Vinyl is weird- the head, arms, and bottom leg pieces are hard but the chest is kind of squishy. Scott posted a really cool pic of vintage Thundermask minis on his flickr awhile ago. Shows the Popy, disco patchi, and three other variants. I'll let him post it though.

Speaking of bootlegs, I was trying for this Ultra Ace boot but Mandarake got involved so I wasn't down for the bid war. I had been looking for awhile and never saw one come up. I love the child like face:

Well that is certainly an odd one. It looks like a kid's drawing of Ace made directly into toy form - which is pretty cool. The kooky smile, weird eyes, even down to the misshapen arms and their odd lengths. Getting this as a kid I am sure would have been a massive disappointment (awww, mom!), but now I can appreciate his funkiness.

It's the same figure as Lixx mentioned, but a different color variant. Overall, this is much harder vinyl than a standard sofubi figure.

I don't think the legs were originally completely painted in silver like the page 1 variant, but there has been some pelvic wear on this one, maybe from too much Thunder Thrusting over the years.

These are 2 of my favoritist pachis..

Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! (but oh so much yes) Don, you are killing me. Is that a full size boot of him on the right? Those are both stunning. Your mini guy seems like someone gave him a bit more attention during the production, even if his paint coverage is less. He is like the older, more handsome brother of the guy above. Always getting all the ladies. But man, that larger guy, wowsa. I without question need one of those in my collection some day. I still love the stylised interpretation of Ace, like something right out of a manga or box art, but he has such clean lines, and those gold eyes are really nice. Thanks for torturing me with his brilliance; it is all worth it to get to see such cool toys.

^^ Great posts ! love that ace ... Here are those Thundermasks Chris mentioned




and Casshern and Friender

Really nice TM collection there!

Awesome group shot - Need that one with the grey legs

Wow sweet gang of Thundermask you got there. Which ones are bootlegs? I love the one in the middle, kinda like he's doin a lil dance. And that one on the far left with the alien lips. Looks like they could suck a nickel through a keyhole

Thought I should throw in my contribution; it's a Jumborg Ace bootleg I ordered on E-bay not too long ago.

I am pretty sure that Jumborg ace is made by Takemi

It's either in poor condition, or, a bootleg. You could be right.

Ive dug one of mine out - He will have takemi written on the foot and the copyright info on his back. released in 1973.

I'm sure then this is a bootleg, as it lacks any lettering on the figure.