Check out those pearly whites
I present to you the Kankichi Ryotsu Action
Dolls by Bandai Japan. I really don't know much about the
background of Ryotsu. Thankfully I have found a Ryotsu fan
that was willing to help this newbie out with the background
info. The fan's name is Ed. I haven't put his email here as I haven't been given permission yet.
Kankichi Ryotsu (last name first) is the
protagonist of one of Japan's longest running serial comics
(if not the longest running). I believe it debuted around 1975
in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and it's been running ever
since. The title is actually "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari
Kouen Mae Hashutsujo (litral translation. "This is the
Katsushika Ward Kameari Park Police Box")," but it's most
commonly referred to as "Kochikame" for short. The Japanese
name sounds better than the literal English translation.
The manga has been running a long time and the
most recent Jump comic I have lists 117 compilation volumes
and counting. The comic has spawned all kinds of toys and
merchandise too numerous to even ponder as well as a few
animation series.
The story centers around Ryotsu, who is a police
officer operating out of the aforementioned police box.
Basically, it's all about Ryotsu's goofy schemes and how he
gets in and out of scrapes he usually creates with the aid of
his supporting cast.
A common misconception among those unfamiliar
with the series is that Ryotsu is a "good cop".(Don't worry I also made this mistake.
-MicroJoe) He's actually a lecherous slacker who's
always got a scheme involving money, gambling, smut, or some
such going on. He does have some police instinct, though, and
does pride himself in dealing with criminals.
That's a real REAL quick overview.... with 20
some odd years and over 100 books out, there's a hell of a lot
of ground to cover.(Thanks to Ed
for the assist. You know who you are!) I also want to add a tiny bit of
info I know about Rytosu. See I'm not completely in the dark
about Ryotsu's background. In the Japanese comic Ryotsu dreamt
about having an action figure of himself that was better than
the original 12" GI Joe (Combat Joe in Japan). Well Bandai
answered his dreams. Now to begin my part of this show.
I currently have two of the Ryotsu dolls in my
collection. I own the Summer Uniform Ryotsu and the Swat
Ryotsu. Bandai also released a Police Uniform Ryotsu, Action
Pilot Ryotsu, Security Ryotsu and a Festival Ryotsu. I do not
know of any other available versions. But don't count out the
possibility, as Bandai is well known for releasing super low
limited editions of anything and everything.
I bought the two Ryotsu dolls a little while
after they were released. Back then the doll was not that
known and I was able to get them for a decent price. However
by the time I attempted to get thos other Ryotsu dolls, they
had gained in popularity and the prices shot through the roof.
It didn't help that Bandai didn't produce these toys in large
production numbers.
Currently it is very difficult to find any
Ryotsu doll except for the Summer Uniform, which seems to be
the most common one. Every once in awhile one of the less
common Ryotsu dolls appears on eBay and the price quickly
rises out of my range. I am
currently looking to find the Security Ryotsu and the Action
Pilot Ryotsu. If you have them please email me at [email protected], as I am interested
in buying it or working out a trade. Even
though the Ryotsu Action Dolls have gotten hard to find for a
low price I never stop looking, as you never know. Like I tell
other collectors, " Don't ever give up on that holy grail
toy".
Not knowing anything about the origin of Ryotsu
didn't stop me from buying the Ryotsu Action Dolls. I was
floored when I first saw them. I love toys with alot of
character and funky looks. Take a look at the pics and you'll
see that Ryotsu fits the bill. I was amazed at the amount of
articulation found on these toys. These Action dolls have over
40+ points of articulation. They even have articulated fingers
and toes. Take a look below. At their time there was nothing
that came close to the level of articulation found on these
toys. The 12" GI Joes couldn't hold a candle to the Ryotsu
dolls. As of late alot of new very well articulated 12 inchers
have popped up. I don't collect 12" figures so I can't say if
the Ryotsu Action Dolls is still tops in terms of articulation
points. Just for your info. The Ryotsu dolls measure about 9
to 10 inches in height.
As is expected from Bandai the Ryotsu dolls come
packed with accessories. Each Ryotsu figure generally comes
with its own accessories, which fit the outfit. The wriedest
accessory honor goes to the Policeman Uniform and Summer
Uniform Ryotsu. These two figures are basically the same
except for the shirt These Ryotsu dolls include three cell
phones, incase two break down you still have a back
up.
Sandals, since you have to look fashionable chasing
down criminals.
A wooden baton cause that would strike fear
in the hearts of evil doers.
And the weirdest of all, a
Tamagotchi. Remember that here one minute, gone the next
sensation? What a policeman in Tokyo would want with a
Tamagotchi beats the heck out of me. But the Tamagotchi was
made by Bandai, which explains the accessory.
All the
Ryostu figures also feature boxers cause everyone knows
tightie whities are no good. The boxer designs of some of the
Ryotsu dolls can get flashy. |
