Welcoming a New Era: From Heisei to Reiwa. MEDICOM TOY EXHIBITION '19 | MEDICOM TOY
DESIGN / FEATURES
August 13, 2019

Welcoming a New Era: From Heisei to Reiwa. MEDICOM TOY EXHIBITION '19 | MEDICOM TOY

MEDICOM TOY

Toys, Figures, Art: No Genre, No Borders, Worldwide. Excitement, Anticipation, Resonance, Elation—and Into the Future! (1)

Now in its 23rd year, driven by an insatiable quest to “create what we want to see,” MEDICOM TOY’s annual flagship event, held this year from Saturday, July 20th to Thursday, July 25th at Omotesando Hills' Space O, showcased products unveiled for the first time in the world. Here, we present a curated selection of items recommended for OPENERS readers.

Photographs by Kaku Ohtaki Text by Kunihiko Shinno

This year’s key visual, “Space Colony,” boldly features MEDICOM TOY’s logo in red, yellow, and blue. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, it evokes a sense of a future vision, once dreamed of by humanity gazing at the stars, now significantly updated.

Passing through a venue gate resembling a spaceship’s airlock, visitors are greeted by a dazzling array of familiar items: the iconic bear-shaped block figure BE@RBRICK, the latest 160mm-tall action figure MAFEX, the precisely rendered 300mm-tall action figure RAH, and VCD and UDF figures that bring popular characters to life in meticulous detail.

Unpainted prototypes of new MAFEX figures, revealed for the first time globally, drew keen interest from attendees. BE@RBRICK models utilizing materials like Kutani ware and inspired by art signaled new directions, promising exciting developments. As President and CEO Tatsuhiko Akashi mentioned in his interview just before the event, “It will be a very multifaceted presentation.” This exhibition, more than ever, underscored MEDICOM TOY’s crucial role as a platform for borderless creative expression.

During the exhibition, in addition to exclusive commemorative items available only at the venue, T-shirts designed by various brands—fragmentdesign, UNDERCOVER, A BATHING APE®, NEIGHBORHOOD, Anti Social Social Club, GOD SELECTION XXX, and Noodle.—featuring BE@RBRICK motifs were sold. This summer, expect to encounter BE@RBRICK more frequently on the streets.
MEDICOM TOY has released numerous Evangelion items over the years. Here, the unpainted prototype of MAFEX Evangelion Unit-13 from Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. was unveiled for the first time. © Color
Amidst the success of new film releases, Chucky, the GOOD GUYS from the 1990 film Child's Play 2, is set to be released as a MAFEX figure. His fabric overalls look remarkably authentic. © Universal City Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The ever-popular MY FIRST BE@RBRICK B@BY welcomes a new clown-themed design. Designed by CHIAKI (CIROL & Co.). Pictured left is the MY FIRST BE@RBRICK B@BY SPACE Ver. 100% & 400% (released July 2019, sold out). Pictured right is the MY FIRST BE@RBRICK B@BY innersect Ver. 100% & 400% (released January 2019, sold out).
The beloved BE@RBRICK Maneki-neko 400% from MEDICOM TOY's Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi store will be released in a highly anticipated mascot costume version (release date undecided).
From the enduringly popular Android Kikaider, the RAH DX Kikaider & Side Machine is set to be released in an ultimate edition! © Ishimori Productions Toei
Following the BE@RBRICK Yellow Heart 100% & 400% (far left, released November 2018) featuring hide’s signature guitar pattern from "Amplifier," new colors are joining the lineup. Additionally, Buck-Tick guitarist Imai Hisashi is immortalized as a VCD Amplifier Artist Series figure (reservations accepted until 11:59 PM on August 31, 2019, at MEDICOM TOY’s directly managed stores and online shops; scheduled for release and shipping in January 2020). © HEADWAX ORGANIZATION CO., LTD. © BANKER L.T.D

New additions from Malaysia's long-established pewter brand, ROYAL SELANGOR, are also on display, including a 400%
BE@RBRICK.
Arita ware BE@RBRICK has arrived!
Center: BE@RBRICK "Van Gogh Museum" Sunflowers (release date undecided). © /TM 2019 Frost Projects, LLC and used under license. All Rights Reserved. ® Van Gogh Museum, © VGME B.V. © Pollock-Krasner House/Stony Brook Foundation
Left: BE@RBRICK Saturdays NYC 100% & 400% (scheduled for release in August 2019 at Saturdays NYC directly managed stores and online store saturdaysnyc.co.jp). Center: Lewis Leathers BE@RBRICK 100% & 400% (release date undecided), from the renowned British motorcycle apparel brand. © Lewis Leather. Right: sacai × Dr. Woo BE@RBRICK 100% & 400% (released July 2019).
Left: BE@RBRICK ANREALAGE (CLEAR RED Ver.) 100% & 400% (released April 2019), inspired by ANREALAGE's popular staple "Resin" series. Center: BE@RBRICK with the X-girl logo embedded in a clear body (release date undecided). © ANREALAGE. Right: BE@RBRICK SHAREEF 2 100% & 400% (released February 2019) featuring an apple motif inside the body.
2G's BE@RBRICK. What is 2G? Stay tuned for upcoming announcements!
BE@RBRICK TM & © 2001-2019 MEDICOM TOY CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

MEDICOM TOY

Toys, Figures, Art: No Genre, No Borders, Worldwide. Excitement, Anticipation, Resonance, Elation—and Into the Future! (2)

From the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales and Peter B. Parker arrive as MAFEX figures. With accessible heights of approximately 130mm and 160mm respectively, these are the "ultimate action figures" that achieve both perfect form and exceptional articulation. A key innovation this time is the use of fabric clothing in the same scale, enabling more realistic movement. MEDICOM TOY plans to release more MAFEX figures with fabric clothing in the future. © 2019 MARVEL © 2019 SPA & CPII
From DC, unpainted prototypes of Mera and Black Manta from the film Aquaman were unveiled for the first time (release date undecided). AQUAMAN and all related characters and elements © & TM DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s19)
Everyone's favorite Minions appear in UDF form. Which Minion is your favorite? © Universal City Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved.
KNIT GANG COUNCIL, a knitwear brand by Ami Horiuchi, expresses icons of the era through knitwear. This season's lineup features the legendary INU's "Meshi Kū na!" and the film A Clockwork Orange (release date undecided). A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and all related characters and elements © & TM Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s19) © Yasushi Machida / TOKUMA JAPAN COMMUNICATIONS. LTD.
Furthermore, KNIT GANG COUNCIL presents collaborations with the film The Shining, including knitwear and bags inspired by the hexagonal carpet pattern of the Overlook Hotel (release date undecided). THE SHINING and all related characters and elements © & TM Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s19)
Noodle., an experimental fashion project by art director Hideyuki Tanaka and stylist Kumiko Iijima, returns after last year's acclaimed <PREMIUM ERROR COLLECTION>. This year's offerings are equally daring, featuring a shirt inspired by the twins from The Shining and a long-sleeve tee that's half Da Vinci, half Van Gogh (release date undecided).

Plush toys & BE@RBRICK from Anne Valérie Hash, known for her fabric taxidermy-style objects and collaborations with Undercover, have a strong following in Japan (release date undecided). Her unique aesthetic, with its bold, handmade feel, is captivatingly addictive. © MAMES

Also on display is a new 1000% BE@RBRICK crafted from AMIREX's ultra-lightweight, high-strength (five times stronger than steel), and highly durable dry carbon material. Formed using an autoclave and finished by hand, each piece is a ultimate creation.
A 1000% BE@RBRICK fully clad in the fabric of PORTER's long-selling TANKER series. Following last year's release, the 2019新作 is the BLACK VERSION. © YOSHIDA
The Lewis Leathers BE@RBRICK 1000%, which garnered attention as a reference exhibit last year, is also scheduled for release soon. © Lewis Leather
A BE@RBRICK featuring Andy Warhol's bold reinterpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" (release date undecided).
This fragmentdesign BE@RBRICK of Mickey Mouse boasts an exquisitely balanced metallic finish (release date undecided). © Disney
Details of the top image: ® Van Gogh Museum, © VGME B.V.
BE@RBRICK TM & © 2001-2019 MEDICOM TOY CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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