In Japan, much more than in the West, video games and manga have a symbiotic relationship. Manga companies buy the rights to re-create popular games in manga form while, in turn, game companies buy the rights to produce games based on popular manga. This melding results in a dynamic process known as… merchandising! So each year at Jump Festa, big-name companies like Nintendo, Sony, Sega, and Capcom come together to create a show that’s one part games, one part manga, and one part merchandise. These are the best Japan-only items this year’s Jump Festa had to offer.
5. Giant Stuffed Felyne
Monster Hunter, along with Pokémon, Dragon Quest and Super Mario Bros., is one of the most popular franchises in Japanese gaming history. It single-handedly sold millions of PSP’s in Japan and started a portable revolution in the hardcore market unlike anything seen in the West. But how do you market a game clearly made for male teens to a female demographic? Easy. You make the mascot a kitty. This cat is the sole reason Monster Hunter has female fans. They may not like the game. They may not even play the game. Bu,t as Hello Kitty proves, a giant talking cat is far too cute to resist; especially in stuffed form.
4. Rurouni Kenshin Statue
Rurouni Kenshin is a historical fiction samurai manga that ran from 1994-1999. While immensely popular a decade ago, all merchandise has long since dried up. But, with the 15th anniversary comes a merchandising revival. Headed by the announcement of a new Kenshin PSP game, Bandai-Namco also showed off a beautifully drawn trading card set and the new prototype statue of the titular character. While only the trading cards were available on the floor, pre-orders for this amazing statue will soon be available on the web.
3. Cospa Costumes
While “cosplay” has gained a dedicated following outside of Japan, few western cosplayers can compare in quality to Japanese ones. A mixture of sewing, cosmetics, acting, and modeling, Cosplay is considered a serious hobby for many in Japan and low-quality attempts are rarely seen in public. However, for the casual cosplay fan (or those who failed “Home Ec”), the company Cospa sells good looking and relatively cheap costumes from all the top manga in Japan. And although no “serious” Japanese cosplayer would ever wear one of these mass-produced costumes, they are undoubtedly better than 90% of cosplay seen at any western anime convention.
2. Dragon Ball “World Collectible Figures”
It has been 25 years since Dragon Ball started its run in Jump comics. The series may have ended in 1995, but the merchandising has never even slowed. While Dragon Ball Z is the most popular arc of the story in the west the Japanese love the original Dragon Ball far more. As shown in this set developed in 2009, every major character from the beginning of the story to the defeat of Freeza has been expertly crafted – a true treat for any fan.
1. Dissidia Trading Arts Figures
While this entire article could easily be nothing but items from the Square Enix shop, the figures from Dissidia: Final Fantasy stand above everything else. The best thing about playing Dissidia is the chance to revisit characters from the 8 and 16-bit eras in modern graphics. Now thanks to the Trading Arts line of products, high quality plastic figures are available for all the heroes featured in Dissidia. The first set is available in the West through the Square Enix online store, but for the moment, the second is still exclusive to Japan.
Honorable Mention – Final Fantasy XIV Moogle (Kusoru Kobo)
In recent times, Square Enix has released a new Moogle stuffed animal every year. But this year’s isn’t the “Rat Moogle” from Final Fantasy XI or even Lulu’s stuffed Moogle from Final Fantasy X. And no, despite what the tag says, this is not just the Moogle from Final Fantasy XIV either. This is Mog, straight off the SNES box art for the Western release of Final Fantasy III (VI). While it can’t be included in the Top 5 because it is for sale outside of Japan, it’s definitely a must-buy for anyone who has ever played Final Fantasy VI.
…though if it was sold with a dagger to lean on, it would’ve have gotten the number one spot – rules or no.
