Crafting a Robust, Oversized Hamster Figure That Resists Crushing | MEDICOM TOY

MEDICOM TOY | Medicom Toy

An Interview with Artist Non (Part 1)

Non, who wears many hats as an actress, model, musician, and artist, is holding solo exhibitions titled “Non Hitori-ten - Onna no Ko wa Kiba wo Umu -” (Non Solo Exhibition - Girls Bear Their Fangs) in Shibuya, Tokyo, and Umeda, Osaka this spring. Among the various art forms selected to match the concept—including newly created paintings, sculptures, and self-made costumes—a giant hamster that suddenly appeared in the venue particularly caught the eye. The “Hamster☆,” with its overwhelming presence, covered entirely in fur, will now be released by Medicom Toy as a 60mm tall soft vinyl figure, “VAG Hamster☆.” To coincide with the “Non Hitori-ten - Onna no Ko wa Kiba wo Umu -” exhibition opening in Hiroshima on October 5 (Friday), it will be sequentially released at handling stores nationwide. In this article, we asked Non about the “VAG Hamster☆.”

Photographs by Kaku OhtakiText by Kunihiko Shinno

“Since he resembles John Lydon, how about Non Lydon?”

—Your first collaboration with Medicom Toy was the BE@RBRICK “Warui-chan” from BE@RBRICK SERIES 35, released last December. Were you aware of BE@RBRICK before that?

NonYes. I saw them lined up in stores and thought they looked so stylish. So, I never imagined that Warui-chan would become a BE@RBRICK.

—Warui-chan is also very popular as a LINE sticker.

NonI’ve always liked mischievous characters, so when it came time to create LINE stickers, I thought it would be fun to have a girl who only does bad things.

—What kind of bad things are we talking about?

NonFor the LINE stickers, like swinging a bra around (laughs). An image of her having fun with such trivial things. The kind of mischief you’d only think of as a child.

—You mentioned you’ve always enjoyed drawing. Warui-chan has many sticker variations; is it fun to think up the world for them?

NonIt is fun. Drawing lots of characters and thinking about their relationships was a new sensation for me, and ideas just kept coming.

—The Warui-chan BE@RBRICK is also very cute.

NonEven in the design sketch the Medicom Toy designers showed me, which depicted how it would look as a BE@RBRICK, it was already cute. Then they suggested, “It would be nice if Non were among these BE@RBRICKs.” So, they even made a BE@RBRICK of me dressed as Warui-chan!

—It was released as a secret in BE@RBRICK SERIES 35 without any prior announcement, so those who got it were very lucky.

NonIt was the first time a character of my own was released as a three-dimensional object, so I was thrilled. I was happy they made the eyes slightly slanted. Because it’s Warui-chan, I wanted her to look a bit less gentle (laughs). I really love it.

—You also had a long conversation with Medicom Toy President Akashi, didn't you?

NonIt was around the time I was planning to start my music activities, so we talked about music. He told me, “You resemble John Lydon.” Someone had said that to me once before, but to have President Akashi think so too made me incredibly happy. That led to the conversation, “How about Non Lydon?” “That’s good, it sounds playful,” we said (laughs). Last year, when I made the cassette tape “Ohirome Pack,” I included a photo of myself dressed as Non Lydon as one of the bonus items.

Also,TEHON(a compact picture book that Medicom Toy releases irregularly, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand) was also discussed.

I thought it would be nice to do a story in TEHON just about Warui-chan causing mischief. I’d like to do that someday.

Page02.I've Finally Overcome My Hamster Trauma

MEDICOM TOY | Medicom Toy

An Interview with Artist Non (Part 2)

I've Finally Overcome My Hamster Trauma

—And now, the new “VAG Hamster☆” is being released. This is a palm-sized soft vinyl figure of the work exhibited at the ongoing “Non Hitori-ten - Onna no Ko wa Kiba wo Umu -” exhibition.

NonWhen preparing for the solo exhibition, the idea came up that it would be interesting to enlarge something small. I thought about what I wanted to make big. At first, it was going to be a diorama with several hamsters in a cage, eating seeds and drinking water, but that didn’t feel quite like a piece of art. So, I thought it would be fun to create a road in the venue and have a ridiculously large hamster blocking the way.

—Did you like hamsters originally?

NonI did. When I was in elementary school, I had a grey Winter White dwarf hamster. At the time, “Hamtaro” was popular, and I had always longed for one after seeing my friends’ hamsters. However, I had a trauma related to hamsters until recently...

My friends and I used to bring our hamsters to a sandbox in the park and make hills, letting the hamsters dig tunnels. Back then, we thought that crushing the hill with our feet was part of the tunnel-digging process. After I jumped and crushed the small hill, I realized I hadn’t taken out my hamster.

—What?—!

NonI took it out right away, and it was fine, but it had gotten a little flattened. I was incredibly shocked by that.

I felt so sorry, and I thought I could never own a living creature again. It was a trauma I carried for a long time.

—How did you overcome it?

NonWhen I started Instagram, I saw videos of various animals. There were hamster videos among them, so I started watching them, and I began to find them cute again. I saw a video of a white hamster being gently petted, becoming completely flat.

—I think I’ve seen that one!

NonThat one is amazing, isn’t it! Like, “Where did its organs go?” (laughs). Seeing that video, I realized that hamsters naturally become this flat, and it was the first step in overcoming my trauma. I’ve always loved hamsters, so I wanted to make a big hamster for the exhibition.

And if I were going to make it, I wanted to make something sturdy that wouldn’t easily get flattened, so I made the big hamster.

—At that size, it wouldn’t get flattened easily (laughs). And it’s so colorful. You must have put a lot of effort into the design.

NonI did. The form was initially square, so I asked them to add some curves, and I had them make the eyes bigger to make the face cuter. I also repeatedly adjusted the colors to make the fur pattern stand out. And after coming up with the exhibition title “Onna no Ko wa Kiba wo Umu,” I added fangs.

—That title is wonderful too.

NonI wanted it to convey the image of releasing the energy within me all at once. Not societal fangs, but the fangs that smolder within myself, brought out into the open.

Page03.I Want to Make a TEHON Book of VAG Hamsters

MEDICOM TOY | Medicom Toy

An Interview with Artist Non (Part 3)

I Want to Make a TEHON Book of VAG Hamsters

—Now, the palm-sized “VAG Hamster☆” is being released in five color variations. What do you think?

NonThey’re cute, aren’t they! I really like the VAG Hamsters. They have an impact when lined up. The black and green ones are incredibly cool.

—Only this one has a black nose. It looks like a mustache.

NonIt really does! Stylish! Also, the brown one was a surprise. The pink and yellow ones feel like they belong together, but the brown one makes you think, “What happened!?” (laughs). It’s like autumn foliage, which is interesting. I realized how much the impression changes just by altering the color.

—Does it spark ideas for characters or stories?

NonI could imagine a story about these five going on an adventure. When I was little,Little Black Nerino(Author: Helga Garlà, Translator: Sumiko Yagawa, Published by Kaiseisha) was my favorite picture book. It’s a story about owl siblings; the older brothers are colorful and beautiful, but Nerino is all black and ostracized. Then, one night, the older brothers are abducted by humans. Nerino, blending into the darkness, rescues them!

...In that vein, I could imagine a story where the VAG Hamsters blend into nature. Perhaps a picture book or a short animation. Maybe stop-motion, with a little “tek-tek-tek” sound.

—The “Non Hitori-ten - Onna no Ko wa Kiba wo Umu -” exhibition, after Tokyo and Osaka, will also be held in Hiroshima from October 5 (Friday) to 16 (Tuesday). It’s a place with deep connections for you, isn’t it?

NonIn This Corner of the WorldI was involved with the film “In This Corner of the World” and visited many times. I also shot a photo book in Kure City, where the story is set. Talking with the people I met, eating meals, I thought what a wonderful city it is. I have such strong feelings for it, so I’m truly happy to be invited for an exhibition here. These works are like my children, so I hope they will be cherished like Suzu-san.

—Suzu-san was also a girl who, in addition to being gentle and kind-hearted, could certainly bear her fangs.

NonPerhaps there’s a connection (laughs). Hiroshima is a place with beautiful seas, so I’d like to try collaging photos of a giant hamster floating in the Seto Inland Sea.

—In December, “In This Corner of the World (and More)”In This Corner of the World (and More)will be released, which we are also looking forward to.

LINE NEWS Original DramaMirai-sanis also very interesting. Set in the future, it depicts the numerous major disturbances caused by Mirai-san’s unauthorized use of various tools developed by her inventor brother. This connects to our earlier discussion about wanting to make small things big.

NonI was able to take on a role I had never played before. The character I play, Mirai, is a NEET who believes she is a revolutionary, which is a wild premise. However, rather than the whole family being thrown around by Mirai, it felt strangely convincing that Mirai became who she is because she grew up among such a unique father, mother, and brother.

—The casting for the Konno family was also superb.

NonThe mother, Imako Konno, played by Keiko Horiuchi, is kind and like a goddess. The father, Frukichi Konno, played by Makita Sports, is stubborn but charming. Makita-san and I share a resemblance in our eyes and eyebrows, so when we’re both losing our temper, we look like we’re alike. The way Kanata Hongo’s character, the brother Tomorou Konno, dotes on his sister also feels very real. It’s a fun family drama, so please enjoy its heartwarming nature.

—We’d love to see more of Mirai-san’s adventures, so we’re hoping for a second season. By the way, do you have any childhood memories related to toys?

NonWhen I was little, a friend had an educational doll that took care of itself, and I enjoyed playing with it. I wanted one too and asked Santa for it for Christmas, but for some reason, I received a robot dog instead. I asked again the next year, but I got something else again, and I never got the doll. Later, my mother told me, “It was too realistic and looked like it could move on its own, so I was scared and chose something else” (laughs).

—That’s a lovely story (laughs). You’re known for being a fan of heroes, and you’ve even titled your column in Eiga Hiho (“I Want to Be a Hero!”) and your albumSuper Heroes“Super Heroes”.

Non
Actress and artist. Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1993. In 2016, she voiced the protagonist Suzu in the animated film “In This Corner of the World,” receiving critical acclaim and the Jury Special Award at the 38th Yokohama Film Festival. The film won the Best Picture award at the same festival and the Award of the Academy for Animation of the Year at the 40th Japan Academy Film Prize. In 2017, she launched her own new label, KAIWA(RE)CORD. She has released the singles “Super Hero ni Naritai” and “RUN!!!,” and the album “Super Heroes.” She also works as an artist, holding her first exhibition, “Non Hitori-ten - Onna no Ko wa Kiba wo Umu -,” in 2018. Following Hiroshima, the exhibition is also scheduled to be held in Sendai from October 26 (Friday) to November 18 (Sunday) at Sendai PARCO 2.

Medicom Toy also releases many superhero figures.

NonI really want to play a superhero role, so please let me know when that happens! Collaborations with Eiga Hiho also sound fun.

—Has your awareness of creation changed through your activities so far?

NonIt has. Taking on many new challenges has made me more curious, and I’ve come to enjoy three-dimensional art and installations. I’ve developed a desire to deepen my expression further, so I want to continue with second and third solo exhibitions and pursue creating many cute things.

Next, I’d love to make a TEHON book of Warui-chan or the Hamsters. Also, this collaboration was with Non the artist, but I’d like to do something interesting with Medicom Toy that also involves my music activities.

Information

VAG (VINYL ARTIST GACHA) SERIES 16.5 Hamster☆

Scheduled for release in early October 2018
Price: 500 yen (tax included) *Sold at vending machines at exhibition venues and retail stores
Approx. 60mm in height
Planning & Production: Medicom Toy
Distributor: Prestige
Distributor & Inquiries /Prestige
© non Inc.

“Non Hitori-ten - Onna no Ko wa Kiba wo Umu -” in Hiroshima

Venue: Hiroshima PARCO Main Building 6F, PARCO FACTORY
Dates: October 5 (Friday) - October 16 (Tuesday), 2018
Hours: 10:00 - 20:30 *Until 18:00 on the final day
Admission: 500 yen (includes a fortune slip)

LINE Original Drama Series Starring Non, “Mirai-san”

1) During broadcast hours (Saturdays at 8 PM, 5 episodes total. Final episode airs October 6)
Broadcast via the News tab within the LINE app

2) Outside broadcast hours
Archived episodes available on the official website

Non’s 1st Album “Super Heroes”

Includes 12 tracks, featuring singles “Super Hero ni Naritai” and “RUN!!!,” created in collaboration with a stellar lineup of producers—Takahashi Yukihiro, Mashima Masatoshi, Yano Akiko, and others—the “Super Heroes.” Price: 3,780 yen. The version with a DVD documenting her music activities from the start to the completion of “Super Heroes” is 5,940 yen. Also available for download on major music stores like LINE MUSIC, Apple Music, and iTunes.