There was definitely a subdued nature at the Kotobukiya Toy Fair booth this year. But as you dug into what was on display, it appears that perhaps quality over quantity is the new key phrase.
Kotobukiya has always had amazing quality, but it seems to be even more amped up this year. Nowhere was that more evident than in the Art FX Premiere line that is debuting with four figures from Marvel this year.
The concept here is that the artists get to focus on one very key point to the statue and then go all in on it. For these, it was Thor’s scaled armor, for Iron Man to look more like iron, Captain America’s clothes, and with the Hulk… the saliva in his mouth.
No… we aren’t joking.
Domino, also pictured here, will be a Bishoujo release and is not part of the higher end series.
The DC portion of the Kotobukiya booth was a bit quieter this year with more suggestions as to what was coming in the future rather than immediately. Poison Ivy at this point is just a silhouette still.
For Fantastic Beasts, we were shown Newt and Dumbledore, Grindelwald is coming, but was not on display.
Personally, I’m not into My Little Pony. I know, sacrilege. But I have to say, just as figures, these human ponies that Kotobukiya are doing are just simply gorgeous in person. The colors are amazing and they really grab the eye.
On the G.I. Joe front, after a year, we have finally seen Scarlett in person and she looks amazing. The company also announced Lady Jaye would be the third in the series. They did confirm there are plans for more in the future. Our money is on Zarana being the fourth just to balance the Joes and Cobras.
And wrapping things up, it just wouldn’t be Kotobukiya without some anime. We finally saw what Karin will look like from Street Fighter. The final two from My Hero Academia were revealed, and we also saw some Persona 5 and Banana Fish.
Compared to past years at Toy Fair, Kotobukiya may have displayed less, but what we saw was still very much worth a booth visit.
