Microman - the hugely influential line of micro-scale, interchangeable Japanese action figures - is set to make a return. But not in the way you might expect...
Fans expecting the chrome headed, interchangeable, sci-fi themed characters of yesteryear will be in for a disappointment, as, rather than bring back Microman in this form, Takara-Tomy has instead opted to release a line of school girl/Anime-style characters, each representing the ''living embodiment'' of World War II battleships.
Although it's saddening to see Takara-Tomy opting not to resurrect the line we're familiar with, it's not such a leftfield move as it may first appear. The Microman Micro Action line featured licensed characters (such as Batman and Godzilla) and although not as popular in the West, there's a large market for collectible female figures in Japan, so from a business point of view it certainly makes sense. It's also interesting to note that these new figures - released under the horribly inappropriate T-ARTS banner - sport a new leg design that sees the articulation hidden beneath sheathed limbs, which sounds similar to the technique used by the Airfix Eagles/Super Bill/Action Stars line.
Could this be a step toward seeing the return of the ''real'' Microman toys? Only time will tell. But for now, you can see more of these figures over at the line's Official Website.
With thanks to MicroBry and AcroRay of the MicroMan/Micronauts Fans Facebook Group.
Well it's better than nothing at lest.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping maybe it's a ''test the waters'' kind of thing ahead of a full, proper release, although I'm not holding out much hope. With Taraka-Tomy releasing this and Hasbro sitting on the Micronauts, I don't think we're going to see our chrome-domed chums again for some time...
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