Action Figures!
Back in high school, I had a part-time job at Toys 'R Us. This was a great job for me. The pay sucked, I got yelled at a lot, it was both tedious and strenuous. I loved it because I had first dibs on whatever action figures and video games were in the store, and I had occasion to fill peoples' ears with my passion for said goods. It was a place I would hang around in my free time anyway.
Coming to Japan is a continuation of my romance with video games and action figures. This is my Mecca. And so, as I drift from toy store to game shop, I am keenly aware of interesting, rare, or just plain strange collectibles on the table.
That's where these gems come in. I came across them in a toy store in Den Den Town - the electronics district - which is full of game, toy, computer, and electronics shops. It was a bit more like a museum than a retail outlet, as all the figures were posed in secure glass cases. That is, of course, with good reason; the toys here are well into the hundreds of dollars. An astute eye may notice that the girls are naked and in erotic poses. Look a little closer and note that their crotches are discretely covered with little strips of tape. This is a classic example of Japan's bizarre censorship policies. Breasts, tentacle penises, rape, bodily fluids - A-OK! But no genitals; they have to be poorly blurred or slightly obscured in some way.
People gave me lots of flak for my amassing of action figures. It certainly wasn't the chick magnet I'd hoped it would be. I can only imagine how awkward it would be to try explaining this stuff to friends/family/dates: "I like Street Fighter 2, so I thought it would be cool to own a spread-eagle Chun-Li. It was only $150!" And nothing says "not misogynistic" like a statue of the Grim Reaper raping some girl. Of course, these guys are probably pretty date-less, much like me in my collecting heyday. So maybe no social harm done.
This last one is a little different. It's not from a toy store, or even Den Den Town. I saw this in the Village Vanguard, a hipster bookstore in Amerika Mura (America Village). They were selling some kind of G.I. Joe knock-off and this was their display case. Very creative way of marketing otherwise dull historical action figures: "Kids! Get your own bondage/mutual masturbation at gunpoint playset! While supplies last!"
Back in high school, I had a part-time job at Toys 'R Us. This was a great job for me. The pay sucked, I got yelled at a lot, it was both tedious and strenuous. I loved it because I had first dibs on whatever action figures and video games were in the store, and I had occasion to fill peoples' ears with my passion for said goods. It was a place I would hang around in my free time anyway.
Coming to Japan is a continuation of my romance with video games and action figures. This is my Mecca. And so, as I drift from toy store to game shop, I am keenly aware of interesting, rare, or just plain strange collectibles on the table.
That's where these gems come in. I came across them in a toy store in Den Den Town - the electronics district - which is full of game, toy, computer, and electronics shops. It was a bit more like a museum than a retail outlet, as all the figures were posed in secure glass cases. That is, of course, with good reason; the toys here are well into the hundreds of dollars. An astute eye may notice that the girls are naked and in erotic poses. Look a little closer and note that their crotches are discretely covered with little strips of tape. This is a classic example of Japan's bizarre censorship policies. Breasts, tentacle penises, rape, bodily fluids - A-OK! But no genitals; they have to be poorly blurred or slightly obscured in some way.
People gave me lots of flak for my amassing of action figures. It certainly wasn't the chick magnet I'd hoped it would be. I can only imagine how awkward it would be to try explaining this stuff to friends/family/dates: "I like Street Fighter 2, so I thought it would be cool to own a spread-eagle Chun-Li. It was only $150!" And nothing says "not misogynistic" like a statue of the Grim Reaper raping some girl. Of course, these guys are probably pretty date-less, much like me in my collecting heyday. So maybe no social harm done.
This last one is a little different. It's not from a toy store, or even Den Den Town. I saw this in the Village Vanguard, a hipster bookstore in Amerika Mura (America Village). They were selling some kind of G.I. Joe knock-off and this was their display case. Very creative way of marketing otherwise dull historical action figures: "Kids! Get your own bondage/mutual masturbation at gunpoint playset! While supplies last!"
posted by Nick at 6:28 AM
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