— The head of this "VCD Amplifier \"Hisashi Imai\"" is based on the 90s image, recreating the look with black paint across the eyes.

ImaiSince the figure comes with the current over-mask (a mask to be worn over the figure), I thought it would be fun to make the inside represent his past look. I believe this makeup was from around the time we released the album "darker than darkness -style 93-" in '93. While beautiful makeup is nice, I found the symbolic feel of "just painting around the eyes black," inspired by the replicants in the movie "Blade Runner," to be interesting.

— The necklace around your neck is also something you often wear.

ImaiIt was made of silver as BUCK-TICK merchandise and I wear it during lives. We've produced a lot of merchandise over the years, including individual member productions, but I really like merchandise that can be worn as part of an outfit on stage like this.

— The over-mask is reportedly entering its final adjustments. Did you have any specific requests for it?

ImaiI asked them to correct the eyebrows, which were a bit too defined in the first sample, and also discussed whether the eyes could be a little more droopy.

— We look forward to seeing the more realistic recreation. However, looking at them now, your hairstyles have also varied over the years.

ImaiI've had many hairstyles. In my 20s, I changed the color frequently, but lately, I only change it for each tour.

— On the other hand, some members have maintained the same look.

ImaiAnii says he'll keep that hairstyle forever (laughs).

— The photographs used for the Amplifier "Hisashi Imai" TEE design alone allow us to enjoy the variations in your appearance.

ImaiI myself often forget "When did I even have this hairstyle?" (laughs). For design C, the pattern on the head was something the makeup artist enjoyed doing, so I often asked them to draw it. For design E, the unicorn mask was inspired by wanting to use a headdress like a buffalo skull that used to be displayed in bars in the 90s, and when I vaguely conveyed the image, they created this amazing mask out of leather (used in "BUCK-TICK TOUR 1996 CHAOS," "Tour memento mori," etc.).

— Have you received any feedback from fans about the T-shirts?

ImaiI've received a lot via email. There are quite a few requests for the series to continue.

— We hope you'll be pleased with design F as well. Let's also talk about music. This spring, all of BUCK-TICK's original albums and singles were released on streaming services. If you were to choose three albums as an introduction for younger listeners, which would you recommend?

ImaiHmm... that's difficult (laughs). It depends on preference, but "Kurutta Taiyo" (1991), which was a musical turning point. Then the latest work, "No.0" (2018). And perhaps "memento mori" (2009)? Some people might like the band sound, while others might prefer something with a bit of electronica. The worldview and musical style change drastically with each album, so I hope listeners can enjoy each one.

— Speaking of worldviews, the song "RONDO" (lyrics: Atsushi Sakurai / music: Hisashi Imai, included in the single "Kemono-tachi no Yoru / RONDO"), which you wrote for the ending theme of the currently airing Fuji TV anime "GeGeGe no Kitaro," seemed like an unexpected collaboration, but the music masterfully fuses both of your worlds.

ImaiThat's right. When I received the offer, I thought it would be difficult, but after about a minute of thought, I realized, "No, this is something only we can do, isn't it?" From there, ideas for what kind of musical style would work started flowing rapidly. I truly felt it was something worthwhile to have done.

— As for future plans, on November 20th, the Blu-ray & DVD "Locus Solus no Kemono-tachi," recorded from the Makuhari Messe performance in May, will be released. In December, the tour "THE DAY IN QUESTION 2019" will be held, visiting venues in your hometown of Gunma Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, Osaka, and Tokyo. After enjoying the live shows, we hope you'll get your hands on the "VCD Amplifier \"Hisashi Imai\"" in the new year. Lastly, do you have any ideas for future collaborations with Amplifier?

ImaiI'd like to do more T-shirts. I want to discuss with Hirakawa-kun and create various interesting ideas. The other day, I visited the Medicom Toy exhibition (MEDICOM TOY EXHIBITION '19 held in July), and while looking around, I thought, "This is nice, and Evangelion is great too." At the venue, I got a BE@RBRICK (MOON BE@RBRICK) printed with lunar photos, and I'm currently thinking about where to display it in my workroom.

Hisashi Imai, the "prodigy Lefty," is immortalized as the first figure in the VCD Amplifier Artist Series. While maintaining a retro aesthetic, it captures his features and faithfully reproduces the details. The head is recreated in the image of the 90s, and the costume worn is from last year's TOUR No.0-Guernican Moon-. An over-mask of the current Hisashi Imai is included.

Produce | Rentaro Hirakawa
Supervisor | Hisashi Imai (BUCK-TICK)
Sculpted by | SIO
Size | Approx. 240mm total height
Release Date | Scheduled for release January 2020
Price | ¥10,000 (excluding tax)
Retailers | Medicom Toy direct stores and online stores, other select retailers
*Photos are of a sample under supervision and may differ slightly from the final product.

Following the highly acclaimed first series last year, Series 2 is released in conjunction with the VCD "Hisashi Imai" figure. The photos used are from TOUR No.0-Guernican Moon-, and the costume worn is the same as the figure's.

Produce | Rentaro Hirakawa
Supervisor | Hisashi Imai (BUCK-TICK)
Colors | Available in White and Black
Sizes | Available in S to XL
Size S: Length 65cm / Width 48cm / Shoulder Width 40cm / Sleeve Length 20cm
Size M: Length 68cm / Width 50cm / Shoulder Width 42cm / Sleeve Length 20cm
Size L: Length 71cm / Width 53cm / Shoulder Width 44cm / Sleeve Length 21cm
Size XL: Length 75cm / Width 58cm / Shoulder Width 46cm / Sleeve Length 22cm
Release Date | Now Available
Price | ¥6,296 (excluding tax)
Retailers | Medicom Toy direct stores, Medicom Toy online stores (ZOZOTOWN, Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping, C.J.MART), and others
Producer & Distributor | Medicom Toy

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