Name of Toy Line: McDonald's Black & White Pokémon Promotion
Manufacturing and Distribution: Nintendo & McDonald's
Years of Production: 2011
Countries/Regions Available: North America, Europe, and Oz
Size/Scale: 2-5"
Figure Trade Markings:
Approximate # of Figures: 8
Details: In 2011 two powerhouses, Nintendo and McDonald's, teamed up to produce a Happy Meal promotion for Pokémon Black and White, the first titles in the 5th generation of Pokémon video games made for the Nintendo DS.
In the US promotion, there were 8 figures and 12 cards offered. However, elsewhere, three of the figures were not released. I'm not sure why. See below.
US Release
Non-US Release
While I've never been a Pokémon fan - I've never played the games nor collected the toys and cards - I am a fan of Nintendo design aesthetics and McDonald's Happy Meal toys. Also, while I've never been into Pokémon, I've never hated it either. I love collecting cards and toys, so I can't begrudge anyone who collects Pokémon cards and toys. I can see the appeal. Furthermore, had there ever been a mono/blank line of Pokémon mini-figures, perhaps I would be a fan after-all!
Toy Line: Gormiti Battle Egg
Sculpt Name: Florus the Poisoner (Thanks to Aikola!)
Collector's Note: This line is based on the dissolving container gimmick that has been around for years, but which I've most recently encountered a few years ago with a BEN 10 mini-figure line. In this case, a single Gormiti is encased in a "Battle Egg." Once placed in water, the egg slowly dissolves revealing a tiny figure.
Apologies for the lack of comparison pics. The egg was roughly the size of a baseball, and the figure is about an inch tall. Which in my opinion means the dissolvable egg was much larger then necessary considering how small the figure is.
Real Drive is set in 2061 AD, fifty years after the development of the Network society. This new infrastructure was designed to create a utopia where people could directly connect with one another at the level of consciousness. As a result, an array of problems begin to occur such as personal data leaks and the spread of social disinformation. However, society has come to rely heavily on the Network and are unable to abandon it. [Sound familiar?]Master storyteller Masamune Shirow has been revealing his elegant yet scary vision of the Kurzweilian Singularity for years, most notably in his manga masterpiece Ghost in the Shell. A vision in which humans interface seamlessly with their technology. The world of Real Drive is no less fascinating (nor confusing). There's plenty of high-tech wizardry going on with zero explanation. However, just as one doesn't need to understand the chemical process of photosynthesis to enjoy a blooming flower, one doesn't need to see fictional code being compiled to enjoy the fantastical technology on display in Real Drive. And it's not all gadgets and virtual reality; the characters have real depth and personality, and the entire series is wrapped in a pleasant, sea- and diving-based motif.
In due course, a new Network realm with more effective security measures was developed. The security was designed to protect an individual's cyber-brain (a biological brain augmented with technology) from being hacked and having personal information stolen or tampered with. This new, more secure Network was called the Meta Real Network, nicknamed "The Metal." Yet problems persist with some individuals even becoming overwhelmed and allowing their consciousness to bleed into the Metal. Specialists called Cyber Divers investigate, decipher, and attempt to contain these aberrations in the Metal.
Toy Line: Gegege No Kitaro
Sculpt Name: Daruma
Collector's Note: As with the DBZ entry a few days back, I've come up empty-handed after doing a web search for this character's name. If you know it, please let us know in the comments. Perhaps then we can discover what he's so grumpy about!
He's a Daruma, an egg-shaped doll for good luck and perseverance and also a symbol of physical or mental resilience because, if knocked over, he springs back up.Thanks nano! :D
Rise of the Beasts is a new collectible offering in the spirit of classic 80's toylines like M.U.S.C.L.E., Battle Beasts, He-Man and Thundercats! Savage Beasts that radiate power combine with ancient technology long lost to modern man. Whether you are a fan of mini-monos or small, painted, articulated figures, you will LOVE these figures!
Series 1 consists of 4 figures - A Lion, a Gorilla, a Horned Toad and a Komodo Dragon. The first 3 beasts' heroic body styles were partially inspired by classic toy lines like Thundercats, Sectaurs and Masters of the Universe. The 4th is suggestive of the fantastic Battle Beasts line with its squat, muscular proportions. Series 1 will be made of PVC (like M.U.S.C.L.E.s, Battle Beasts, etc.), approximately 60mm tall, available in both painted and non-painted formats, with a weapon and joints at the shoulders.
Nama Niku means "Raw Meat" in Japanese, and is a nod to the "niku" (肉) in Kinnikuman combined with the idea of raw/fresh Kinnikuman news.
Most of the figures I come up with are either an homage to something in the Kinnikuman universe, or a shout-out to the term Nama Niku (生肉) itself. For instance, the Meat Grinder is all about the Raw Meat!
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