That's a Yaegaki-hime (Princess Yaegaki) doll, based on the five-act drama "Honcho Nijushiko" first performed in Bunraku (puppet), then Kabuki theatre in the 18th century. Princess Yaegaki was the daughter of samurai warlord Uesugi Kenshin who was in love with the son of lord Takeda Shingen, her father's rival. The helmet the princess is holding is a magical battle helmet, a Takeda clan heirloom that had been given to the Uesugi clan, she intends to give to her lover Katsuyori, to protect him from two men sent by her father to kill him. To cross a frozen lake to reach Katsuyori, she prayed to the god of the Suwa Shrine, who sent her a white fox to help her cross the lake. Red was the color worn by Kabuki actors playing princesses as it represented the purity and elegance of a princess and when the actor would dance during the crossing the lake scene, he would dance as if the princess was possessed by the white fox spirit sent to help her, while in Buraku, Yaegaki's kimono would change from red to white, hence the two different color furisode robes the doll is wearing. I'm not that familiar with anime figure collecting, but was shocked to find out from your video how expensive some of these figures are compared to a more elaborate doll from Yoshitoku of the same size. Nice analysis.
Holy cow. This is the coolest comment ever! Thank you so much for sharing. I definitely want to read up on Honcho Nijushiko. This only raises my appreciation for this doll even more. I can't believe Yoshitoku didn't include any pamphlet or anything with her. Though presumably, many families with Japanese culture can recognize her so easily, just like you did.
@@KohaisCollectionThank you for the reply. The placard has her name, but I'm very surprised there wasn't a pamphlet with a description included. Art collectors and Kabuki fans would be familiar with her, but I'm not sure today's average Japanese even from my parent's generation (boomer) would know her. I recognize her through my (limited) background in ukiyo-e. She's been depicted by many woodblock print masters, such as my favorites Kuniyoshi and Yoshitoshi. Her father is a very famous historical figure everyone knows, but she's entirely fictional.
Furyu has a long history of overpricing their stuff. While I have no experience with Yoshitoku figures, their 40,000yen Hestia figure comes with a plain white disc base!
Oh and these with a fugly, cheap brown one with a cheap plastic display sign. A travesty given the price and the simple fact that Yoshitoku’s own bases are so much nicer….
@@touko_black Their figures in the past 6 months or so are indeed cheaper. Maybe part of it is licensing costs, but i do suspect the amount of pressure Chinese figure brands are placing on the Japanese is not something you'd want to ignore. Apex, Myethos, Ribose, Lovely, Mimeyoi, Animester, DCTer, BearPanda, the list goes on. Not one of them make bad figures.
This video honestly made me want to go out and get an oyama doll. The one in this video is STUNNING! I love all the little details too. As a history I love that the pattern on her clothes and her hairstyle also informs you of what era she is from and what class she is from (I mean the helmet is a dead giveaway but her hairstyle and the pattern, especially on the black part of the kimono all identify her as part of the warrior elite). And I can’t imagine how much dexterity it takes to craft the tiny moving parts on her headdress. For only about 400$ that’s a steal.
Oh wow, really? That's soooo cool! Thank you so much for sharing. Yeah, as PVC collectors we see textiles as a luxury. I'm still shocked what 40,000 yen gets you in the doll world. I would have never guessed!
Knowing the price of the real, made to order Oyama doll really sheds light on the ridiculousness pricing of PVC figures. 70k "perceived value" is actually VERY generous at that point. As you've pointed out the Oyama doll comes with everything a 1/4 B-style comes with already, but better. So finding the value of the handmade cloth kimono should probably be closer to 40k minus 30k. I collect a few dolls myself and know the price of clothing can easily be 20-30k for an outfit and go way beyond that easily. So even though some of us have gotten used to a 30-40k B-style, it should probably be half that. I miss the days of 6-9k scales.
Oh I completely agree! I specifically chose to be "generous" in my appraisal because 1. Getting into production costs is too speculative since I have no source and 2. Simply to make it easier to sway opinions on those that would potentially be on the fence. It's easier to convince people if I use metrics that are easy to wrap our mind around. Though, yes, I bet this thing (if using typical profit margins) would be 50-60K. It's crazy how much 40K gets you in the Doll world. We PVC collectors see textiles as a luxury item. Crazy how "cheap" they actually are. I would have never guessed.
not going to lie, As someone who once looked at the Pekora figure, this was an amazing video to come over. Thanks for you for saving my wallet for more figures I care for. Im also a collector thats shifting around to Less but more premium figures, so this gave me a lot of insight into the pricing of these beautiful figures
That means a lot to hear from you and thank you for taking the time to leave a thoughtful comment. I've committed to Pekora for numerous reasons, but moving beyond her, I'm committed to getting these at a discount. The collector and content creator in me are at odds, but I'm going to go with the rational and will do my best to not support these absurd MSRPs
I was enraptured for the whole 50 minutes and I don't even collect dolls or figurines. I think the hallmark of a great content creator is the ability to make a niche hobby or topic seem interesting to even someone who is normally outside of said niche. You deserve a much larger audience for this quality of video! I hope your channel grows a lot more in the future! ❤
I remember when the line first came out and I was looking into the fabric of the kimono to see if maybe the reason for the price was there. But I found quickly that the fabric was polyester. Now that I know that the the other Yoshitoku dolls sit at 40k yen the fabric choice makes sense. But it doesn't justify the FuRyu price. For the price of 150k to 200K I would of expected the kimono to be actual real silk.
Agreed. Polyester and rayan would be fine ...if it was reflected appropriately in the price. For what they are asking, at minimum, fabric-wise, we'd need to see at least one more exotic fabric as the primary. So then at least it would be around the 70K+ Oyama Dolls. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
@KohaisCollection I just appreciate you doing such a good thorough comparison and analysis. I like most other people don't actually own the FuRyu 1/4s, let alone and Oshitaku doll. I just figure I would share why I thought they weren't worth it, because fabric content/material wasn't mentioned. I am still very tempted by the pekora still though, and hopefully I can pick her up damaged second hand for a more accurate price of what she should be worth.
Holy shit this is a great video. When you pulled out a real oyama doll I was mind blown, what a stunning figure. I was even more mind blown when finding out theyre made TO ORDER. Love the research and careful detail you put into this comparison, amazing stuff!
@@KohaisCollection That's a great point, we rarely see figures with different textures and textiles used, I wonder if they would eventually show up as normal additions some day to figures. I don't know of many! Also from the vid, just wanted to say, love the admission that you still want these figures as a collector... that Pekora really is pretty. I really relate, sometimes I know I shouldn't, it isn't worth the price, but I just like them enough to do it.
@@SerreNameless if nothing else, we try to be real 🙏 I appreciate the kind words of support. It just reinforces our direction and how we should continue forward
Dam, Thank so much, as a Miku collector that has an eye on Miku x Yoshitoku for quite a while, now I knew my decision. I always thought like other on reddit, this line must be expensive because of the kimono price, but after seeing details of Oyami and her price, it is clearly shows that Furyu is overcharge a LOT. I knew that Furyu figure price usually absurd (I still buy some of em tho) but this line is other level. I guess I might buy her in future but surely not over 70-90k yen
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and that it hard worth to you. We too knew they "felt" expensive, but now that we are able to SHOW it, it hits differently. I would have never guessed an actual Oyama doll would be so "cheap". As PVC collectors, fabric feels like such a luxury and is marketed as a luxury to us. It's clear we, as a community, really struggle to know the value of textiles. I've cancelled my preorder of Miku. She still hasn't sold out. So I'm hoping to wait till she at least goes on sale. After Pekora, I can't do MSRP anymore. 200,000 is absurd.
For the price of those figures, you could buy a volks Dollfie full set + a volks official kimono outfit 😭 either vinyl or a more expensive resin doll. Also, it does really seems like pre-ordering figures isn't /as/ necessary anymore? Companies really want figures to go up in price... but every time theres a figure i think i won't find after after release, there are plenty sitting readily available at a discounted price for months. Though i haven't been collecting for that long. So maybe it was always like this - but the pandemic warped the hobby for a few yrs.
I know, right? I used to covet Dollfie's Melty Doll. So incredibly beautiful and cheaper than Kurumi! At the moment, I tend to agree. Prices have been pushed so high, that people are refusing to preorder anymore, especially when they quickly go on sale. We've lost money in this exact way for probably the last 10 figure we've pre-ordered. I've cancelled all the preorders I feel comfortable doing at this point. A big driving point for preorders is FOMO, especially when having to import. 2nd hand market access can be difficult and sometimes when they sell out, they are gone for good or you have to pay significantly higher. Thankfully, this trend has been dying lately. Welcome to the figure collecting scene and thanks for commenting!
Dam, this is some next level deep diving and relevation. You are doing great work for the community! Leaving aside how much I want that Pekora, I feel like this video is going to get plenty of foot traffic, or at least I hope it gets people talking to the point that FuRyu can think about their next pricing. Btw that Doll is stunning! I am hoping to get one of theirs now.
Absolutely loved this video! This is the exact type of informational deep dive on figure pricing that I've been craving. When I first saw the F:NEX x Yoshitoku collabs coming out I didn't think twice because it just seemed like making a kimono for figures would be an expensive and unique prospect to bring to the market, but seeing the actual Yoshitoku doll and the way F:NEX cheaped out on the base really brings things into perspective. Thank you for all the research you did to bring this information to us.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the kind words. I'm in complete agreement. As PVC collectors, we really treat textiles as premium products. I would have never guessed that an entire doll would be so "cheap". I would have bet they were around 80,000 yen and would have lost.
Have you seen the price for Albedo on Amiami? Who’s their target market, Elon Musk? I was incredibly disappointed with their Swimsuit Kurumi that I decided not to buy a figure of such scale from them again. Nevertheless the level of research and effort you and Kouhai done on this film it’s quite impressive. Just like you I’ve been collecting waaay back as well when Alter’s prices were less than $100 and Freeing were below $200. You guys collection is one of the most impressive I’ve seen and deserve way more subscribers (Not trying to bash other channels of course) Thank you for this level of filmmaking because it’s borderline journalism.
YES and her face still looks AWFUL. The wings and kimono are epic, but I even if I could afford it, there's no way that face is worth 270,000. Exact same reason I passed on Tohru. It doesn't look like her. As always, thank you for the kind words and thoughtful commentary. We always look forward to hearing from you and appreciate the support you've shown for us. It's very motivating and greatly appreciated
Wow, a deep and informative historical analysis! I had assumed the extravagent price tag was tied to the figures having a lot of expensive handmade elements, like embroidery and such, but never gave it another thought since it is far over my price range. I didn't imagine the oyama dolls they were based on are vastly lower in price.
Huge thanks for putting in all that work. Big thanks to your sister too for supporting the purchase. It's definitely opened my eyes now, I had also read about the quality of the actual clothing used on these dolls (being partially printed on etc), and I did also spot those F:Nex 1/4 figures on huge AmiAmi discounts. But I had no idea the price difference between the real doll were this high. That's insane. Not to mention the much higher level quality stand and board on your real Oyama doll. Definitely also considering just waiting on the Pekora figure to get a sale now. Just really sucks I've been waiting and saving up for a full year. Went as far as having a custom made case to put her in, and due to very limited space, pretty much considered it my final figure purchase. But it just feels wrong supporting this kind of mark-up that FuRyu is doing with these figures. That FREEing 1/4 Pekora figure is just 40k yen in comparison. I didn't even know there is little detail beneath the cloth. I agree with you that the very least FuRyu should do is kick up the quality on the figures and their stand/board. They look no better on the small parts of figure that are actually visible on these, compared to any random figure I can pull up. Anyway something to think about for me I guess. Thanks again for the video, had a good time watching it. I felt I was able to tell the quality difference between the 2 dolls just from looking at how much more complex the dress was. As for Pekora, the images on the 1:1 scale looked amazing. But I'm still worried the 1:4 is going to be of lesser quality. We're almost due for her release date I think, exciting times. But I'm not expecting much.
Thank you for the kind words and thoughtful discussion! I'm glad you enjoyed it. We too had no idea just how off-base the pricing is. I would have never guessed that the equivalent Oyama doll was as cheap as it is. Cloth just feels so premium to us as PVC collectors. I would have bet the Oyama doll would have been in the 80,000 yen range, most certainly not half that. Agreed. I'm only buying Pekora at MSRP for content reviewer reasons since we want to be one of the first to review her. But that's it. I'm putting a stop to it after. No way I'll let FuRyu get me to pay full MSRP more than twice. I'll go used, sale price, or bust. Even if it means we don't get the opportunity to review them. Hell, just waiting for sales price means they'll be about 4-6 months after release and may not feel relevant anymore. I've seen Pekora. She looks great. I just know she isn't 200,000 yen great. I imagine the kimono quality is on par with the rest of the series. It's the PVC element I'm worried about. I'm sure they are using the same terrible stand again.
@@KohaisCollection Good point, I definitely think that is a very viable way to go about the future purchases. I've been checking the F:Nex figures many times over the last 5 months and they were almost always there on AmiAmi, on a huge discount. Looking forward to your review of her as well as future content. I don't think I'm down for any more 1/4s unless they do another character I truly love... maybe. 👍
As both a doll and anime figure collector, I had no idea about either of these brands, so thanks for introducing them to me! Definitely looking forward to when I go to Japan now that I have a new destination to check out!
Ah! I'm so excited for you! It's well worth the trip, even if you don't leave with anything. It's really cool just to be around stuff that's very culturally significant. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Thank you for making this video! I got the link from Myfigurecollection on the new Madoka Magica figures. I've never been excited about any 1/4th scale because I am not very interested in bunny girls, but I love figures with traditional clothing. I was so excited to see a line of figures on a larger scale with beautiful kimonos, but when I saw how much the preorder price for these figures was, my heart sank. I am just not willing to pay the price of my PC for a PVC figure, even if she has a real kimono. I'm hopeful the prices will come down to more reasonable levels, and if nothing else, with the sales prices being a lot more reasonable, they are much more attainable.
You are very welcome and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'm glad people are spreading it around. The most important thing is knowing where your money is going. For some, the opportunity to own it will still be worth it. For others, it can help rectify uncertain feelings towards these to begin with. I do hope the prices on the Madoka line and Shinobu are cheaper. I too aspire to own them, but I have to be able to get them on sale or used to be able to justify it. It's a shame because the line is stunning and they are doing it a disservice by demanding so much.
As a doll and figure maker this workload sounds good to me, combining not having to make a wig for a regular doll and not having to 3d model clothes like i gotta get on this fr
I hope this video gets seen by the people with deep pockets, that drive the market for these extremely expensive figures. There should also be some sneaky business behind 1/4 scale figures, like FREEing for example, and with those under $50 1/4 figures that have been coming out recently, with equal, or even better quality than their 1/4 counterparts. Really hard to justify prices nowadays, and it's almost always better to buy pre-owned and greatly discounted figures. Great video as usual!
Yeah, it's a real shame that I feel like I now have to compete with my own virtues vs collectors with deep enough pockets to buy it anyways. FOMO is real right now. Yeah, definitely similar. We know material costs or nothing. We just have to assume the price is more reflective of R&D, licensing, and marketing. I would be really curious to learn what actual profit margins for figures tend to be and what licensing costs actually look like. Thank you for the kind words and for your continued support and commentary! It means a lot to us!
great video! the oyama doll you bought is stunning! honestly the most insulting part for me is that furyu is charging THAT much and kurumi doesnt even have metal foot pegs, like are you serious
I'm going to be soooooo upset if she starts leaning over time 😤 ridiculous! Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so impressed with her and happy to have her in our collection!
amazing deep dive and review. the oyama doll is stunning and totally worth her price imo. such intricate details and the made to order aspect makes it very special as well. it was also interesting to hear about the history and the short introduction to oyama dolls and what yoshitoku even is. I had no comparison before, so also always assumed, that it would probably be the kimono that determined the ridiculously high price. so seeing that it is not yoshitokus fault at all, but (once again) just furyu being greedy makes me even more disappointed in them, than i already am.
"...makes me even more disappointed in them than I already am." Truer words have never been spoken! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for leaving a thoughtful comment!
so my takeaway from this is that the collab is taking advantage of an uninformed and cornered market. when i first saw the price of the albedo piece i didn't even bat an eye. i own BJDs and know how expensive real cloth on dolls can be. learning that they do not cost that much more than an average 1/4 figure was a genuine shocker. to my knowledge, a cross over between traditional japanese dolls and anime figures hasn't existed before this one, so if i want something like it, i haven't much of a choice. to be honest even after learning they cost over double what they should i can still picture myself tempted had i been a fan of these characters. (un?)fortunately, i refuse to own either of the twins unless both are in the same line, and am not big enough fans of the rest to fork over just under two grand.
That's exactly what I think. Uninformed and, as you said, the first time a collab like this has existed. So they wanted to create a new segment for it and piggy back off the prestige of Yoshitoku.
A few of the background figures (especially native Aoba) being on "full" display made me chuckle! :p But seriously thank you for making this video! I think figure prices in general should be something we talk more about
Haha 😂 Kohai is very pleased that her Bois are putting on a show. The true advantage of 4K, right lol? You are very welcome and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I too wish we had more opportunities for videos like this, but it requires so much insider info. All I can hope for now is that the Chinese companies put more pressure on the Japanese so the Japanese companies either increase quality, lower MSRPs, or both!
Thanks for this and the Kurumi vid... decided instead to pick up a Yoshitoku Oyama doll in Tokyp last year instead of the Furyu offerings... since I'm primarily in it for the kimono and have PVC alternatives for the characters I liked, it just made more sense... absolutely adore my Yoshitoku doll...
No way?! What a coincidence! Is your doll available on their store? Or is she not in the online catalog like Oyami? Do you have a link to any pictures of her? Thanks for commenting!
Really cool video! Thank you for doing so much research to shed some light on why these figures are so insanely expensive. I knew traditional Japanese dolls are expensive. When I was working at the kindergartens the teachers were pretty strict around Hinamatsuri when kids wanted to touch the dolls. If they were being gentle maybe they were allowed to touch the kimono and hair, haha. I remember when the Sakura Yoshitoku photos were put up. She's so far been the only one that I was tempted by, but I knew I couldn't afford it. I mostly collect male figures and I don't have much that has a similar vibe to her so I wouldn't even know where to put her.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing your experience with Japanese children! That's so cool! Are you still in Japan now? The Sakura is very cute. We got to see it in person on our last trip. Kohai was mildly tempted by it, but basically no longer given our price evaluations of these.
Not at the moment but I'm hoping to go back to teaching sometime in the future. With how weak the yen is it's hard to justify going back when I have a lot of student debt in USD.
@@heroizumi that's very true. I have/had a few friends teach English in Japan and I know it's not a particularly profitable venture for them (albeit a slightly different context), especially with the weak yen. Here's to hoping you'll be able to go back again soon enough 🙂
This is a fantastic video. Can't say I'm surprised that these are a scam given FuRyu's absurd prices (I've stopped pre-ordering FuRyu figures for that reason), but it's great that you compiled all this information needed to prove it. That Oyama doll is beautiful, I can't believe the huge price difference!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Agreed. It seemed like it had to be overpriced, but showing how overpriced it is, was quite crazy. We PVC collectors see textiles as premium additions. I would have never guessed an Oyama doll was as "cheap" as it is! I'm more and more pleased with Oyami. Soooo many people have inquired about her directly and are interested in Yoshitoku Dolls because of her.
i was completely drawn away from this collab due to the price but seeing how much more affordable the yoshitoku dolls are makes me a bit more interested. still not gonna get the anime figures but their original stuff looks amazing
This issue is not only affecting the high value figures but also the low price figures. I love Furyu's lower priced merchandise like the noodlestoppers and 20-30 dollar range figures. I started to see a decline in quality and the upcharge even before C*VID. I'm not talking the PVC or resin quality like mold lines but googly eye stickers, figures that look good in production photos but customer photos reveal the character looks different and damage before shipment to me, from Furyi. How are we as collectors supposed to support these manufacturers when they jipp people on thefigure itself? Plastic bases are for gaming figures, not a 1000 dollar figure! I'm just as surprised as you are. Thank you for making this video, it was really good!
All we can do is try to inform the community and hopefully reduce the number that supports them, causing them to make internal changes to their Product stack. In some sense we are hopeless, but on the flip side, could rally together to cost them millions haha. I appreciate the kind words! I definitely agree with you and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Here in Japan my friend got the Pekora at full price, but he is a diehard fan of hers so it didn’t really surprise me. Overall amazing video. As someone who bought a lot of prize figures and is now pruning down and replacing them with more premium ones, it was a very informative video. Thanks!
@@tactilecacti oh, we ended up getting her too at full MSRP 😅 But that's the last at MSRP! No more! It's an awesome Doll though. Happy for your friend! I'm basically the same way now too. Looking into the "premium" or simply larger scale figures (like 1/4 bunnies) to collect. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate you commenting 🙂♥️
Amazing video! This is the most in-depth discussion about anime figures (and oyama dolls!) I've ever seen! I also appreciate how calm and objective your way of talking about the subject is. Would you be interested in taking a look at BearPanda's 1/4 scale figures? They're very, very affordable in comparison with pretty much any other 1/4 figures on the market (around ¥9,000), and seem to be about the same quality as any FREEing figure, at least to my untrained eyes. I'd love to see your attention to detail applied to these relatively unknown figures, and it would also be nice to have an English-speaking channel spread the word about them.
Thank you so much for the kind words. It means a lot to us! And YES! We missed the 1/4th but have ordered all the other Bear Pandas! We are super excited to do an in-depth review on their Kedama figure! We really want to be an authoritative voice for Bear Panda if possible (and if they of course produce a good product). We definitely want to bring insight into them to the community! Yeah prototype photos look great! But we all know how that can turn out 😂 But we are 100% rooting for them. These Japanese companies need competition.
@@KohaisCollection That's great to hear! I can't wait to see the videos on those when they release. Pre-orders for their second 1/4 figure, Yuna, are still available on most of the major sites if you're interested. There is also another company with an upcoming affordable 1/4 scale, Mengxiang Toys, with their Abyss Bar Youyou figure. Pre-orders for her are also available. I'd include links to both of these, but I'm not sure if UA-cam would nuke my comment, haha.
Does anyone recall when Supreme were selling a single brick for $160? These anime Yoshitoku dolls seem to have a similar effect. By adding a brand and a markup to an item, brands can make an item seems more exclusive or premium even when it's not, or at least it's definitely not worth the price being paid.
No, but I immediately looked it up. Probably the dumbest thing I've seen 😂 I at least pictured a black brick with the Supreme logo in red and white. Shocked to see it's even worse than that 💀 Thanks for sharing!
Love the video! I have a Oyama doll that I inherited from my mother. I didn't even knew what they were until I saw this video. They are really beautiful dolls with a lot of details. I think you picked the perfect Oyama doll for this review since compared to mine, it's a very simple piece.
Hey thanks for the kind words! It's awesome you inherited one. I'd love to see pictures if you have a link to any post of her. I can only imagine how elaborate they can get.
I loved this video and I am so glad you did this. I have been debating about getting one of these anime dolls ever since FuRyu started putting them out, but just couldn't justify spending that kind of money for one. Honestly I still would love to own one for my collection but now having more insight into what the possible cost of the figure actually is I am definitely going to wait and hope the one I want has a good sale. Thanks again keep of the great content.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and that this was valuable to you! If you ever get one for the right price, I know you'll be impressed. I love the dolls I have, but the price is atrocious. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Thank you for this video. They came out with another figure in this series for Holo from Spice and Wolf recently, and stumbled upon your video when doing more research because of the price. Initially I wanted to buy her despite the large price tag because I absolutely love her and the kimono looks beautiful. After watching your video I've decided not to purchase her right now. Your analysis of every aspect was very informative, and definitely changed my perspective on these figures and their perceived value. Will probably stay on the lookout for a sale in the future, but even then I would have to re-evaluate. Thank you!
I'm so happy the video was of use to you in formulating your own conclusions on the value of these dolls. At the end of the day, as long as you know where your money is going, we just want people to be comfortable and informed with their decisions (for, or against, purchasing). It's such a shame these are so overpriced. That Holo figure is gorgeous. Given the public interest in these, I could only imagine the volume they could sell if the price was slashed in half. As stated in the video, we did buy Pekora and are filming her tomorrow, so you have that to look forward to as well! But moving forward, once again as stated in the video, I can no longer do it. $1,400 USD was painful knowing what we do now. Hopefully we can obtain more of these in the future for at least the sales price, or hopefully they lose value on the used market.
Tell me about it....it's a literal battle between my own values vs. the rich collectors that may be it all up at full MSRP 😭 It's rough out here. FOMO hits hard.
Considering how strict the market is for figures at this price, I think there's a real chance that this video does affect sales on these. Especially considering how thorough and well presented this analysis was.
True. Within the past 6 months, it's like the mass majority of us put the brakes on paying these prices. The amount of sales I'm seeing lately on recently released items is bonkers. And I too have lost quite a bit of money on preorders almost immediately going on sale. I've never seen such in my years of collecting! Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to comment
MegaHouse is also doing a collab with a traditional doll producer called Kyugetsu to make a figure of Kozuki Hiyori from One Piece, and it seems like much of the same story here. Oyama dolls at around 40k yen while the anime figure is 168k and a whopping 198k with a glass case. They were ahead of the game though since it has a shiny beveled base and a wooden sign ;) The kimono actually looks worse since it's based on her canon look rather than an original design. Interestingly, Kyugetsu has three oyama dolls (but there are other types too) listed on their site at 152k, 275k, and 550k yen because they're crafted by a specific artist that warrants these prices(?)
Hey! Thank you for sharing! I was wondering if they'd ever get some competition. And I agree with your sentiments on the kimono. Not particularly impressed. A particular artist/designer would be a twist for these prices. In the doujin world that can mean a lot. But currently, we know FuRyu isn't doing that, since they'd be plastering it in marketing materials. Instead, they outsource the design to Design CoCo.
Very interesting video, especially as a collector! I learned a lot and the next time I’ll have the opportunity to go to Tokyo I’ll definitely visit Yoshitoku’s store.
It's well worth the trip, even if you don't intend to buy anything! It's awesome to just take in and absorb something culturally significant. It's also right next to a station exit, so it's easy to get to on foot. Thank you for taking the time to comment
I've been watching some of your videos today and wow, the effort you put in is insane. The shots of the figures, the delivery, the editing, everything is fantastic, I hope this channel will get more attention from the algorithm, it's really great stuff. It's one hell of a hobby, I mean all the stuff I collected before was as easy as going into an antique and checking if the thing is genuine or going to a local stamps shop but this is on a whole other level. In my country it's not just an expensive figures but also regular tax + customs tax + customs fee so it gets pretty heavy on the wallet. I am glad a channel like yours exist because there is often no way for people anywhere outside of Japan to check how good the actual product is until we get it delivered. Reviewing these high end figures is pretty niche but I bet every one of these reviews will help a couple people to make a more informed choice with their purchase potentially saving a lot of money.
What a wonderful comment to read! Thank you so much for the kind and thoughtful words. The UA-cam community has treated us really well and we're happy to be here and are enjoying creating content for this space! I'm glad the channel has been helpful and informative to you
I'm glad I didn't get that Pekora one. I had no idea the price difference of the Yoshitoku and FuRyu's is that high. It's insane how they're able to get away with this. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Such a great video.
Oh I'm still going for her....but moving forward, it's used, on sale, or bust. Which is a shame because I genuinely like the series. But this price is absurd. On the flip side, I didn't realize these Oyama dolls are so "cheap" . I would have never guessed. I appreciate your kind words and support as always!
Woah this is crazy. Thank you so much for bringing this up. I wasn't interested in them in the first place, but it's still very interesting to see this.
First time seeing your channel. You have opened up A LOT of eyes. OMG, Furyu's upper management must be living high on the hog! Beautiful, but not going to be purchased at that price.
Welcome! We're lucky to have you here! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! FuRyu is definitely living large 😂 or maybe their CEO is taking all the money and now they have to raise all their prices
You are so very welcome! It was a lot of fun. I'm glad you enjoyed it! If there's other journalistic opportunities like this in the future, we'll be sure to pursue it.
as someone who has been thinking of getting into collecting figures, this was a wonderfully researched video! your research and dedication is so redpectable, i am so glad i found this video! absolutely subscribing for more quality content ❤
Great review! Ive been thinking of getting the miku version but im gambling that barely anyone will preorder the figure and it will end up being on sale when its in stock and if thats the case I might buy
Thank you for the kind words! We are 100% doing the same. She hasn't sold out at all. IMO I'm not worried about her selling out, so I expect her to get the 20% off sale on AmiAmi. It took Pekora 3 months to do so. So let's see! Best of luck to both of us! I hope I have the means of grabbing her when she goes on sale!
Completely agree. But at that time, I couldn't even remotely comprehend how "cheap" these kimonos actually are. It's still a shock to me a real Oyami doll is only 40,000. But that just shows you how little myself (and potentially others) know about dolls and fabrics.
Ya I remember reading the reason for the upcharge is for the _brand_ of the Kimono. Its funny to think about but really is just showing off a _luxuary_ figure that doesnt align with the manufactured price, so thats what your paying. Japan loves their Kimonos Bunny suits and Swim suits waifus
You made a good call on pekora not being sold out. I wanted miku and mikasa mikoto. I also believe miku will be around after release. I am worried about mikasa mikoto. Shes sold out on many sites and TokyoOtaku is the only site that I know of that is still selling her. Idk if I should cave or not. Fomo hitting hard.
Thanks! I agree with Miku. No signs of a lot of interest at all. Yeah, I see her being sold out in multiple places too 😞 curious if she and Sonico will become available again closer to release like Pekora. If they are "sold out" maybe FuRyu will open up more preorders or request more
@@KohaisCollection Yeah I saw sonico sold out as well. If it did manage to sell out and they end up make more I doubt the price will end up being lowered anytime soon lol
Hi, I just found your channel and the quality of your videos is amazing(content, information, quality of the video itself, etc), looking forward to watch more of your videos. Greetings from Mexico. Already subscribed!
Yo! That's so cool. Hola Amigo. One day I'll visit Mexico. Visiting Hacienda Patron is on my bucket list 🙏 I'm so glad you are enjoying the channel! Thank you for the kind words. We're lucky to have you on board!
I've always thought F:NEX was overpriced. I own the 1/2 scale Shinobu, I think I paid about $1,300 for her. I wanted the 1/2 scale Nezuko too, but the price jumped up to around $3,000, over double the cost, all for a plastic version of her wooden box. I also have the 1/2.5 scale Kurumi from Kadokawa which cost me around $1,200, but she's HUGE and has real cloth so she is worth it. With the Yoshitoku collab 1/4th scale Homura Akemi coming out, and not knowing that her price tag is going to be comparable to my 1/2 scales, I am deeply disappointed. Will I preorder her? Possibly, but it will be begrudgingly. Though maybe I'll play the aftermarket game seeing how many of the other figures in this line are still available and discounted. Great video, you helped me slow down and realize my initial thoughts on F:NEX are indeed right. If only there was some way to fight back against their price gouging without having to give up getting the figures we love.
I'm so jealous! I saw Shinobu in Japan for around $1,200 USD but simply didn't have the funds to pull the trigger. And of course when I went back, she was no longer there! Thank you so much for sharing your input. It's a great perspective to have. The people that lose from this are those of us who see the appeal in the series and have the desire and means to own them. We're punished by knowing that we are overpaying for them, yet delaying may mean losing out on ever owning it (especially if it sells out and prices increase on the aftermarket). If we, as a collective can just wait to pull the trigger till they go on sale, it would benefit all of us immensely. Sadly though, even with this mindset, we'll lose out to our fellow collectors that either 1. Just have deeper pockets or 2. Don't have the new perspective on value we have and blindly commit. Kohai finds the Yoshitoku Madoka cute. I find the Homura cute and, of course, Shinobu (though I think they could have made her much cuter - her kimono is eh, especially in the chosen colors). If I had to guess, because these girls are smaller, we'll see them lower in price such as Kanna. BUT, if 198,000 yen is our new ceiling, they can easily be in the 160,000-170,000 range -_-
It's sad that now I see a $400 figure and think, "eh, that's reasonable" when that same figure even only 5 years ago would have cost like $150-$200. The industry has really skewed even seasoned collectors into thinking the higher prices are justified, or at least they have us on a tight enough leash that we still open our wallets when they tug, even if we know it's abuse haha.@@KohaisCollection
Yep. The conditioning has begun. Yet another commodity that's probably arbitrarily blaming COVID as the reason they have to hike prices, when in reality they are just discovering how much we are willing to pay before saying no. @@MasterSpaztik
We have a review on both, actually! Even with the over inflated value, I still think the Yoshitoku is the better figure. But at the end of the day, what matters is where you feel your money is going. The 1/2.5 Kurumi is appropriately, linearly priced for her size. Aka, you proportionally are spending money on the difference in plastic between a traditional scale figure and the 1/2.5 scale. The same cannot be said of the Yoshitoku.
@@KohaisCollectionawesome review I just checked it out! Exactly what I noticed! It was originally stated to be smaller (probably the actual 1/2.5 scale size) but released to be pleasantly even bigger! Thus why I even said 1/2 scale because I too did the math funny enough when I got her 😆 And agree she is sadly super plain sadly. Saying a blown up 1/7 scale is accurate. But I did get to dress her up for Christmas at least.
@@roco9504 thanks for the kind words and input! It's bonkers they chose to not capitalize off the 1/2 scale. That's such a missed opportunity! Ooo, I never even thought to dress her up! If they release a Kurumi Christmas figure, we may just have to do this for our yearly Christmas themed review 🤩
This was such an informative video, and executed so well with the comparison to a real Oyama doll. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this. You can tell how much research went into making this. It really puts things into perspective... I have to admit I'm salty about the prices F:NEX want to make us believe are justified. I still want the Rem and Ram Yoshitoku figures so much despite the crazy price T_T Kurumi is gorgeous too wow... Another favourite is the Cardcaptor Sakura Yoshitoku doll which might be my favourite. These figures are just so so pretty. I have to admit the prices are absolutely insane though haha ^^" I wish they had toned it down just a little bit, especially learning how much cheaper a real Oyama doll is in comparison. If F:NEX's Yoshitoku dolls had been half the price I wouldn't have had a problem with it, but right now I am unsure when or if I'll be able to afford them, sadly. If the strategy of not preordering and picking them up during Amiami sales will put the prices down over time, that would be great though!! T_T
Thank you so much for the kind words and for leaving a thoughtful comment! I know right? I truly hate that I like this series so much 😭 The final product is truly astounding (minus the base -_-). I agree! If these were 1/2 the price, these would be in soooo many people's collections. Hell, just get it below 100,000. They would be sooo much more enticing then. I was able to get Rem damaged (broken arm and pair of unnoticeable scratches) for $730 a few months ago. There will hopefully be many other opportunities to get them in the future! Especially when Rem is consistently in the $950-1050 range in good used condition. If the majority of these continue to decrease in value in the aftermarket, it will help the prices for all of them!
Hello guys, greetings from Mexico, I really appreciate your sincerity with your reviews of all the figures you have made, really when I saw those figures by Yoshitoku I told myself my goal at some point will be to have one of those, and for Things of fate maybe luck or whatever but I was able to get a tohru from Amiami when I think its price was the cheapest for ¥100,000. I didn't have to think much to make the decision to make the purchase because I have regretted it on previous occasions by not buying a figure that I would like, but here it was different and when Alfin had it with me I said (this is on another level!) but As you mention, both its base and the sign are a mockery for the price, but I am a masochist and I am simply eager for Miku to come out, but I am simply not willing to pay the 200k for it, I will wait for it to simply drop in price so I can get it with mine 😅. and to be able to have all the ¼ mikus with a license hehehe. Your video was super great, taking the time to explain even with a doll directly from Tokyo, that is appreciated and demonstrates your interest and passion for generating 10 content!!!
Yo!!! Hola, Amigo 👊 I'll make it to Mexico one day. Touring Hacienda Patron is on my bucketlist! Thank you so much for the kind words and thoughtful comment. Made my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Congrats on the purchase! When both her and Kanna were on sale, I was soooo tempted to pull the trigger, but my wallet wasn't ready. I got to see Tohru in person over December. I wasn't a fan in pictures, but seeing her in person was something else! (She's also oddly huge??? Like her head feels like its 1/3 scale haha). I was soooo tempted, but once again my wallet was not ready. You're telling me....the worst part is that I saw Miku at WonderFest and literally told everyone she was my number 1 figure there, 2nd being Pekora. She looks absolutely unreal and I want her so badly. I'm going to be watching her like a hawk to go on sale. As long as she still remains available during her preorder period, I bet we'll be fine. At this point I'm more worried about what the dollar to yen ratio will be. I may try to convert early and keep it in yen. Because if it takes 4 months or so to go on sale, we're looking at getting her around February 2025. Definitely scary that she's supposed to drop before Christmas. I'll have to watch for a last minute Christmas sale 👀 Again, thank you so much for the kind words and support. We are lucky to have you here!
Wow, the video looks very interesting! Hope this blown up in views. I have my own biased opinion on furyu that made me ignore almost everything they release, and the price of this kimono figures line is one of the cause.
Oh? I'd love to hear it. I doubt you are the only one with a similar opinion. My current opinion is extremely low. F:NEX was relatively on my radar, but FuRyu's current pricing strategies are appalling and they bring too much of the "prize figure mentality" to their expensive lines and it shows in quality.
@@KohaisCollection my opinion are of the same you, actually lol. But i usually collect action figures like SH Figuarts and figma which have a lower price point than scale figures so my opinion are a bit more of 'I'd dont want to waste hundreds of dollar on subpar figure when i can by 3 action figures instead'.
@@serdgames7420 gotcha! And that makes perfect sense. I'm sure similar collectors, like of Nendoroids, also feel the same way. Especially when Nendoroid and SH Figuarts quality is extremely consistent.
Yes, I sawwww!!! And I'm disgusted at the price again 😭 I thought she might have been in the 160-170K range. Nope ... Yeah, I love Shinobu, but I will be waiting right there with you. I'm actually hoping my roommate buys it. If they do, hopefully we can review it! I admit, I'm not super impressed with her color palette on her kimono :/ I appreciate the kind words! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Wow what an interesting video! The Oyama doll is so pretty, I’ve never seen one before, and the price is way lower than I anticipated, especially for the size and detail. I usually browse Dollfies, so I compare the collab figures to those. “Ah, it’s like a dollfie for anime figure fans :)”. But I never sat down to think about the pricing, and seeing it in comparison to the Oyama is eye opening. I still do think they’re pretty, but for the price it’s too much to be worth it for me 😭. Maybe one day, in the future, while I’m a granny, someone will bestow one on my doorstep
She's so pretty! As PVC collectors, we see textiles as a luxury. It's still crazy to me to see how far 40K goes in the doll scene! And the fact that Kurumi is more expensive then most Dollfie collabs is sad. Even more than the Dollfie Melty I wanted for so long! Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to comment
This was such an interesting video to watch as someone involved in both the bjd and anime figure collecting communities! Personally, it always appeared a bit of mystery to me how prices for these types of items were decided. How my 1/4 scale full set bjd with all his accessories, wig, detailed clothing and well..size could still cost less than some of the new bunny figs coming out was odd to say the least (looking at that New Jersey fig in particular lol). I always figured it was just FREEing getting a bit greedy, since their quality definitely wasn't improving and also in combination with how licensed characters would be more easily marketable than bjd's original character concepts. But even then with that opinion, I found myself falling into the same assumption as everyone else after seeing these figures. That their price came from the fact it was a collab with a prestigious company and that 'luxery item' reputation was enough explanation for such a price tag. But after seeing the amazing quality of the oyama doll from the very same company and for such a great price in comparison, it reignites my skepticism for these high prices. Cause if you're not paying for the brand name or any additional quality it just goes back to appearing like greed like the increased bunny figure prices. Which is a shame because they really do look like such beautiful figures and I'd love to see other figure companies explore adding textile elements to their figures too but not if they're going to come with such an unnecessarily hefty price each time :(
Thank you so much for such a detailed comment and for adding to the discussion! Coming from a PVC collector, textiles feel so luxurious to us. I'm shocked how far 40K goes in the doll world! I think too much of the figure world is just arbitrary market segments, such as the FREEing bunnies you mentioned. Obviously plastic is really cheap and even after R&D, marketing, etc., I imagine the margins are still insane. I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
@@KohaisCollection No worries! The figure community can still feel very small at times so to find channels such as yours having these in depth discussion and research, it's really refreshing and I agree wholeheartedly. It still surprises me even after being in the scene for years! But anyway beside that can definitely say I'll be looking forward to watching your other uploads now too, keep up the great work :))
@@paradichlorobenzene13 aww. Thank you so much for the kind words! It really means a lot to us! We're excited for next figure review! Ironically, it shall be a FuRyu PVC figure 😉
PVC and ABS are cheap materials that I just cannot see as being associated with a luxury item. The body should be made of cold cast porcelain, polystone or a candy resin material that would be more sturdy, less likely to lean and would not outgas plasticizers that might damage the kimono material. I have not been impress with Furyu outside of the Tentiol line.
I had picked up the Kurumi Doll on sale, and was still incredibly disappointed with it. It basically felt like a typical fairly generic FREEing 1/4 with the cloth kimono on it. In fact, I still have yet to complete and upload that video on my channel, as I just found it surprisingly underwhelming.
Hey! Good to hear from a fellow creator. We're still impressed with it. She's still Senpai's favorite. But definitely not for the price. I think there would be no issue saying they are amazing....if the price was closer to 70K lol.
@@KohaisCollection Thanks and yes, I agree re lower price point. I think part of it for me is that I expected to see finer detail in the pvc portion that I didn't (and as y'all know, that base is just sad).
Ha! Agreed! You'll definitely have to let us know what you think of that figure! Statues get too crazy for me. I do my best to stick with only stuff available on AmiAmi. My wallet thanks me, I'm sure.
Amazing and through info , thanks a lot ! I will still try to get Pekora and Emilia though 😅 Will analyse the market to see if the current ones bin , if not I will buy MSRP . Because it is the same thing as Iphone , their perceived value is so high yet their manufacturing value is not but still , tons of people buy it because no one care , and they are competitive enough that it is ok to get rip off at that price 😢
I agree. We're literally competing against those who simply "don't know better" or are "too rich to care" haha. FOMO is hitting hard out here. This lineup needs a competitor. Maybe Volks can collab with someone.
an iPhone has a much better value, most people dont need that extra value if they don't take photos often or play games though, the pro and pro max are where the value start to decrease for the dollar more worth it than the dolls imo
Great video. I’ve always found Oyama dolls extremely beautiful and have always toyed with possibly collecting them one day but I also fell in love with anime figures for the sheer variety available. I’m curious. what do you think of the Hisatsuki x MEGAHOUSE One Piece Komurasaki Oyama doll compared to these Furyu Yoshitoku figures? From my understanding, it’s made to order by Kyugetsu. it’s 184,800 yen (incl. tax) and you have the option of ordering a glass case with her.
Thank you for the kind words! ♥️ I've never seen the collab in person nor been around a Kyugetsu doll. I love the case option and think it looks stunning as an entire display. As for the kimono, I find it visually underwhelming compared to the Yoshitoku counterparts. Though the Kyugetsu feels like they are using fabric you'd see in a kimono, but not scaled down for a doll size. The PVC elements feels like the strongest part of the collab to me. Oh! I'll add, Yoshitoku themselves sell cases for their dolls too and look similar albeit with a black frame and gold inserts. They are between 12-15K yen.
Wow i was going to preorder miku but now i think id rather just spend 150 to get the stronger hanairogoromo version that looks basically the same. I was also going to preorder the miku new years version with the tree but i cancelled because i just couldnt afford it. I think ill just wait for it to drop in price and if it doesnt then oh well i guess
I dropped my preorder, but still covet her greatly! Just got to hope she goes on sale :) Ah! The Miku Hanaorogiromo figure is one of my all time favorites!!! It's so underrated! And a far better base than these collabs 😅 The acrylic base is epic! Thank you so much for commenting
@KohaisCollection yea I do love that the miku has actual clothes but I need her to be at least half off. And hope the yen is still weak when she is also lol
@@orion.6 I am legit really concerned about the yen evaluation 😅 I should have exchanged prematurely around the 160 yen per dollar mark. And sadly, we have a whole year to wait around...
I wish manufacturers would just see videos like this and then decide to make the next ones cheaper…The madoka ones are so beautiful, but theres absolutely no way. I have gotten figures I never thought I would but there is NO WAY😞😞‼️
Well, if the community as a whole responds with their wallets, then it will make a difference! And agreed. I never thought textiles would be this "cheap" since we see the as a luxury in the PVC world. Thanks for your comment
I think FuRyu is also trying to take advantage of the fact that, by using popular anime characters, they can also advertise/sell traditional Japanese culture as a more high-end luxury. Which would be completely asinine and gatekeeping, if true.
Since they couldn't control the market, I don't think I could consider it gatekeeping, but they most certainly are pushing iconic Japanese culture as a high end luxury. It's a shame they are riding on Yoshitoku's name to do so...
As someone who sews for dolls( both 1/4 and 1/3 scale), I'm curious about how the fabric for the kimonos is produced. If the fabric is custom-made for this collaboration, then that could increase the price significantly. I'm also curious if they need to make a custom sewing pattern for each character doll. I'd actually love to see someone recreate these figure/doll hybrids to get a better idea of how much goes into it.
Thank you for sharing your expertise! It's an interesting question to tackle, and your input would go a long way. Here are some observations: 1. Yes, these fabrics are custom, but would be purchased in bulk to fulfill the contractual order size for the collabs dolls. 2. Yoshitoku seems to (based on our three dolls) reuse at least 4 different types of base fabrics - they are just dyed a different color. 3. Other than dye color, the more custom aspect is the print and embroidery work. Both of which are handled by modern machinery, so I'm curious how much it scales in cost. Keep in mind, I do not see any repeated print patterns for the Oyama dolls either (but maybe they are reused elsewhere, like for their Hina Dolls?) 4. Yes, each new doll pose would require new cut patterns - this would be true for both the collabs and Oyama dolls Those are my observations. It's specific, but my non-expert opinion is that these fabrics wouldn't add too much to production costs given each Oyama doll has at least a different main pattern and we have to keep in mind the 40K price includes the entire doll, base, stand, and accessories. Whereas for the collabs, that 40K MSRP only has to cover the kimono. I appreciate your comment and if you have any insight for what I've stated above, please share!
@KohaisCollection making different patterns for each character would add to the price, but I'm also curious about yoshitoku's price points. The doll you have is so detailed and is around 40k yen, but the 94k & 126k dolls they have for sale don't have as much detail and have a significantly higher price. I wish they released more information about what causes the differences in price.
@@Toxickitty10 Agreed. The photos are high res enough to show that those that are 70K+ aren't using this rayan/polyster blend stuff. There's actually a nap to it, it's thicker, falls differently, etc. 3 of the 4 above 70K have no printing at all. the 4th (at 90K) looks like printing, but it's under the nap so could be a jacquard weave. I think it's easy to determine those fabrics are different. Now, as to what makes them special and expensive, who knows. Crazy that Yoshitoku wants to charge 126K for something and not tell you what makes it special! All I can definitely say is that our 40K is equivalent or higher quality than the collabs. And this is all with synthetics and print work.
Hi! This was such an amazing video, very informative! I was wondering what is the name of the i believe it's either a 1/3 or 1/2 scale fugure you have in the back? She is sooo big and looks so good 😭 would love to know the name.
I just heard about the upcoming FNEX x Yoshitoku Oshino Shinobu figure, but knowing the possible cost leads me to not want it unless it's only around ¥35,000.
Yeah, I'm interested in them, but fear the price. Because they are physically smaller, I wonder if they'll pull a "Kanna" and adjust the price lower. But if tall 1/4 girls are 200,000 yen, I bet these are still going to be around 160,000 yen. Bonkers.
Thank you so much for the kind words! This was a ton of fun to produce and we don't see a lot of content like this in our community. If there are other opportunities that arise to do nice exposes like this, we definitely well! At the least, we'd like to do videos covering each major brand. Though these may be geared more so to beginners :)
I dont exactly remembered which expo was, but all the FuRyu figures are crazily expensive like hell, not these Kimino ones, but even just ordinary 1/7 figures were priced at 30000, 40000+ jpy with just a base and a figure. Which makes me feel FuRyu somehow is abusing the price for unkown reasons. At least I would consider Goodsmile is making figure expensive but with better dynamic and quality, e.g, Zero2 with wedding version was priced at 30000 jpy, which I consider it is a reasonable price and I have no hesitation to buy it
It's anything FuRyu at this point. Even quickly searching for figures by them shows us multiple 1/7ths at 40,000 yen. That's insane. Especially when, in a lot of aspects, FuRyu still puts out prize figure quality elements into their scales.
Of course! Being informed is always powerful, no matter which direction you choose :) Is there a specific collab doll that has your attention right now?
@@LiveLikeanAnimeLife You and our buddy are doing the same. He's interested in it as well. There's a possibility he may purchase it and, if he does, we'll be able to review it. If you look at our community posts, you'll actually see a picture of her prototype that we saw in person. It's definitely cute.
@@KohaisCollection Thanks I saw the post, but I also went to Japan a month ago and it was at AmiAmi that I saw her for the first time. However, it will be released in May next year, right? There is still time but I think after this video I will wait for a price drop. Then I would really like the figure 1/2... I couldn't find it, what about him? Watching the video it seems to me he didn't find her too
I do believe that F:Nex x Yoshitoku doll being expensive has to do with branding, purchasing the license of anime series, let's say Kadokawa, and the character from a series.
Right, but obtaining an IP is already figured into the 30,000 yen of a licensed bunny (aka Kurumi's license - think Kurumi FREEing bunny that released for 23,000 yen). So the real question is how much is the branding deal worth between Yoshitoku and F:NEX. Again though, I don't believe Yoshitoku would push for a deal that put the collaboration in jeopardy due to it being a beneficial relationship.
@@KohaisCollection Let's say that the 1/4 scale costs around 30000 ~ 40000 yen, Yoshitoku doll+Kimono+everything else cost around 40000 yen, and that the licensing is already included in the figure itself, but the whole licensing thing is complicated because there are many different types of licensing fees such as: how popular is the franchise, is the license exclusive, what rights are being granted, and so on...I was wondering if Kadokawa, one of the largest organizations that owns Date Alive, would have a hand in the overall cost of the collab doll because F: Nex could be paying royalty licensing fees to Kadokawa. I have seen a lot of Kurumi figures from Kadokawa because they love remaking her in different poses and outfit. Kadokawa knows that they can profit from the collab because of Kurumi.
@@NationChosenByGod it's only hard to say because we have to interview a company in the field. But why would a royalty between FREEing and Kadokawa be wildly less expensive than between FuRyu and Kadokawa? Both are of the same series for all the reasons you stated. Both could be percentage based, so a 10% royalty for a 170K figure would be more than 4K. But a percentage cut is not going to get us that extra 100K. Keep in mind, FuRyu does prize figure of Kurumi too. I think the brand deal or an exclusivity agreement is the most probably avenue to explore additional costs.
@@NationChosenByGod I think we are just having a miscommunication on who the licensor is. That's Kadokawa. For ALL Kurumi figures. So when I say "licensing fee is included in the 30K bunny", that's literally FuRyu or FREEing already contacting Kadokawa to obtain the license. The way you are stating it makes it sound like you are treating Kadokawa's license as an additional, separate license. It's the ONLY license for Kurumi herself. So the additional license in this collaboration is for the brand Yoshitoku. That's where they may be encountering additional costs. So the break down is something like: (30K = PVC + License for Kurumi's IP from Kadokawa) + (Yoshitoku Kimono + X) = 170,000 yen. Where X is an unknown brand deal for Yoshitoku.
I've always had a problem with the fact that accessories in these specialty figures are PVC. Especially hair accessories. Way to make it look cheap. The oyama dolls also have the hair hand woven and styled. As a figure, they're way more complex.
That's an interesting observation! As PVC collectors, we are used to it and I didn't even notice. BUT as you stated, Kurumi's headband and choker could have been produced with fabric!
Would it be best to wait for the figure to be released? I want to buy the new figure of this Holo line from spice and wolf and I want to save everything I can
Unfortunately, that's one of the hardest questions to answer. If you MUST have it and will be distraught without it, preordering is the only way to guarantee you get it and that you at least won't pay a higher price on the aftermarket. If your goal is to save as much money as possible, in most cases, that involves waiting to see if it goes on sale (though on the flip side, sometimes preordering is the cheapest, if it immediately spikes in value). The best you can do is try and judge the market. Here's some holo figures from AmiAmi. www.amiami.com/eng/search/list/?s_keywords=holo%20spice You can analyze their prices, both for used (aftermarket) and currently selling figures. If you see a downward trend in that most preorders are not selling, then they go on sale, then maybe you can risk the figure you want selling out and hoping to buy on sale.
Oh. I just realized you might mean the Holo in the Yoshitoku line up. For that, just watch the latest Yoshitoku releases. See if they sell out or don't and go on sale. If the current trends continue, I'd wait for a sale.
Yep! At least go for sale price and just have knowledge of how your money is being spent. That's going to be my game plan. Let's hope for unsuccessful launches!
Yep. We had viewers successfully obtain Pekora on sale! It only took her 3 months (vs Kurumi 's 6 months) to go 20% off which equates to 38K yen. My next one is hopefully going to be Miku, though also waiting for said sale.
OMG. Yeah they are on sale for like $1,100 USD. I wonder what shipping is... We ought to slip one into our next Yoshitoku video 🤣 Why buy this Doll, when you can sleep with THIS Doll?! 💀😭 @@Marceldropdead
That's a Yaegaki-hime (Princess Yaegaki) doll, based on the five-act drama "Honcho Nijushiko" first performed in Bunraku (puppet), then Kabuki theatre in the 18th century. Princess Yaegaki was the daughter of samurai warlord Uesugi Kenshin who was in love with the son of lord Takeda Shingen, her father's rival. The helmet the princess is holding is a magical battle helmet, a Takeda clan heirloom that had been given to the Uesugi clan, she intends to give to her lover Katsuyori, to protect him from two men sent by her father to kill him. To cross a frozen lake to reach Katsuyori, she prayed to the god of the Suwa Shrine, who sent her a white fox to help her cross the lake. Red was the color worn by Kabuki actors playing princesses as it represented the purity and elegance of a princess and when the actor would dance during the crossing the lake scene, he would dance as if the princess was possessed by the white fox spirit sent to help her, while in Buraku, Yaegaki's kimono would change from red to white, hence the two different color furisode robes the doll is wearing. I'm not that familiar with anime figure collecting, but was shocked to find out from your video how expensive some of these figures are compared to a more elaborate doll from Yoshitoku of the same size. Nice analysis.
Holy cow. This is the coolest comment ever! Thank you so much for sharing. I definitely want to read up on Honcho Nijushiko. This only raises my appreciation for this doll even more. I can't believe Yoshitoku didn't include any pamphlet or anything with her. Though presumably, many families with Japanese culture can recognize her so easily, just like you did.
@@KohaisCollectionThank you for the reply. The placard has her name, but I'm very surprised there wasn't a pamphlet with a description included. Art collectors and Kabuki fans would be familiar with her, but I'm not sure today's average Japanese even from my parent's generation (boomer) would know her. I recognize her through my (limited) background in ukiyo-e. She's been depicted by many woodblock print masters, such as my favorites Kuniyoshi and Yoshitoshi. Her father is a very famous historical figure everyone knows, but she's entirely fictional.
Furyu has a long history of overpricing their stuff. While I have no experience with Yoshitoku figures, their 40,000yen Hestia figure comes with a plain white disc base!
Oh and these with a fugly, cheap brown one with a cheap plastic display sign. A travesty given the price and the simple fact that Yoshitoku’s own bases are so much nicer….
For what I know they have been decreasing their prices : kinomoto sakura and hoshino Ai scales are two of them !
@@touko_black Their figures in the past 6 months or so are indeed cheaper. Maybe part of it is licensing costs, but i do suspect the amount of pressure Chinese figure brands are placing on the Japanese is not something you'd want to ignore. Apex, Myethos, Ribose, Lovely, Mimeyoi, Animester, DCTer, BearPanda, the list goes on. Not one of them make bad figures.
@@EXkurogane probably yes. Overall I'm glad they are decreasing their prices. They do have beautiful figures
Forget their price Furyu imo open are hit or miss on their sculpt faces and quality. Huge no.
This video honestly made me want to go out and get an oyama doll. The one in this video is STUNNING! I love all the little details too. As a history I love that the pattern on her clothes and her hairstyle also informs you of what era she is from and what class she is from (I mean the helmet is a dead giveaway but her hairstyle and the pattern, especially on the black part of the kimono all identify her as part of the warrior elite). And I can’t imagine how much dexterity it takes to craft the tiny moving parts on her headdress. For only about 400$ that’s a steal.
Oh wow, really? That's soooo cool! Thank you so much for sharing. Yeah, as PVC collectors we see textiles as a luxury. I'm still shocked what 40,000 yen gets you in the doll world. I would have never guessed!
Im a doll collector (mainly barbie & monster high g3) and its really interesting to cool to hear different perspectives on this kind of things
Thanks for sharing! I've seen some really cool Monster High collections 😎 I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Knowing the price of the real, made to order Oyama doll really sheds light on the ridiculousness pricing of PVC figures. 70k "perceived value" is actually VERY generous at that point. As you've pointed out the Oyama doll comes with everything a 1/4 B-style comes with already, but better. So finding the value of the handmade cloth kimono should probably be closer to 40k minus 30k. I collect a few dolls myself and know the price of clothing can easily be 20-30k for an outfit and go way beyond that easily. So even though some of us have gotten used to a 30-40k B-style, it should probably be half that. I miss the days of 6-9k scales.
Oh I completely agree! I specifically chose to be "generous" in my appraisal because 1. Getting into production costs is too speculative since I have no source and 2. Simply to make it easier to sway opinions on those that would potentially be on the fence. It's easier to convince people if I use metrics that are easy to wrap our mind around. Though, yes, I bet this thing (if using typical profit margins) would be 50-60K. It's crazy how much 40K gets you in the Doll world. We PVC collectors see textiles as a luxury item. Crazy how "cheap" they actually are. I would have never guessed.
not going to lie, As someone who once looked at the Pekora figure, this was an amazing video to come over. Thanks for you for saving my wallet for more figures I care for. Im also a collector thats shifting around to Less but more premium figures, so this gave me a lot of insight into the pricing of these beautiful figures
That means a lot to hear from you and thank you for taking the time to leave a thoughtful comment. I've committed to Pekora for numerous reasons, but moving beyond her, I'm committed to getting these at a discount. The collector and content creator in me are at odds, but I'm going to go with the rational and will do my best to not support these absurd MSRPs
I was enraptured for the whole 50 minutes and I don't even collect dolls or figurines.
I think the hallmark of a great content creator is the ability to make a niche hobby or topic seem interesting to even someone who is normally outside of said niche.
You deserve a much larger audience for this quality of video! I hope your channel grows a lot more in the future! ❤
Thank you so much for the kind words and for leaving such a motivating comment! It really means a lot to us
I remember when the line first came out and I was looking into the fabric of the kimono to see if maybe the reason for the price was there. But I found quickly that the fabric was polyester. Now that I know that the the other Yoshitoku dolls sit at 40k yen the fabric choice makes sense. But it doesn't justify the FuRyu price. For the price of 150k to 200K I would of expected the kimono to be actual real silk.
Agreed. Polyester and rayan would be fine ...if it was reflected appropriately in the price. For what they are asking, at minimum, fabric-wise, we'd need to see at least one more exotic fabric as the primary. So then at least it would be around the 70K+ Oyama Dolls.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
@KohaisCollection I just appreciate you doing such a good thorough comparison and analysis. I like most other people don't actually own the FuRyu 1/4s, let alone and Oshitaku doll.
I just figure I would share why I thought they weren't worth it, because fabric content/material wasn't mentioned. I am still very tempted by the pekora still though, and hopefully I can pick her up damaged second hand for a more accurate price of what she should be worth.
Holy shit this is a great video. When you pulled out a real oyama doll I was mind blown, what a stunning figure. I was even more mind blown when finding out theyre made TO ORDER. Love the research and careful detail you put into this comparison, amazing stuff!
Thank you so much for the kind words! It means the world to us
@@KohaisCollection That's a great point, we rarely see figures with different textures and textiles used, I wonder if they would eventually show up as normal additions some day to figures. I don't know of many!
Also from the vid, just wanted to say, love the admission that you still want these figures as a collector... that Pekora really is pretty. I really relate, sometimes I know I shouldn't, it isn't worth the price, but I just like them enough to do it.
@@SerreNameless if nothing else, we try to be real 🙏 I appreciate the kind words of support. It just reinforces our direction and how we should continue forward
Dam, Thank so much, as a Miku collector that has an eye on Miku x Yoshitoku for quite a while, now I knew my decision. I always thought like other on reddit, this line must be expensive because of the kimono price, but after seeing details of Oyami and her price, it is clearly shows that Furyu is overcharge a LOT. I knew that Furyu figure price usually absurd (I still buy some of em tho) but this line is other level.
I guess I might buy her in future but surely not over 70-90k yen
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and that it hard worth to you. We too knew they "felt" expensive, but now that we are able to SHOW it, it hits differently. I would have never guessed an actual Oyama doll would be so "cheap". As PVC collectors, fabric feels like such a luxury and is marketed as a luxury to us. It's clear we, as a community, really struggle to know the value of textiles.
I've cancelled my preorder of Miku. She still hasn't sold out. So I'm hoping to wait till she at least goes on sale. After Pekora, I can't do MSRP anymore. 200,000 is absurd.
For the price of those figures, you could buy a volks Dollfie full set + a volks official kimono outfit 😭 either vinyl or a more expensive resin doll.
Also, it does really seems like pre-ordering figures isn't /as/ necessary anymore? Companies really want figures to go up in price... but every time theres a figure i think i won't find after after release, there are plenty sitting readily available at a discounted price for months.
Though i haven't been collecting for that long. So maybe it was always like this - but the pandemic warped the hobby for a few yrs.
I know, right? I used to covet Dollfie's Melty Doll. So incredibly beautiful and cheaper than Kurumi!
At the moment, I tend to agree. Prices have been pushed so high, that people are refusing to preorder anymore, especially when they quickly go on sale. We've lost money in this exact way for probably the last 10 figure we've pre-ordered. I've cancelled all the preorders I feel comfortable doing at this point. A big driving point for preorders is FOMO, especially when having to import. 2nd hand market access can be difficult and sometimes when they sell out, they are gone for good or you have to pay significantly higher. Thankfully, this trend has been dying lately.
Welcome to the figure collecting scene and thanks for commenting!
Dam, this is some next level deep diving and relevation. You are doing great work for the community!
Leaving aside how much I want that Pekora, I feel like this video is going to get plenty of foot traffic, or at least I hope it gets people talking to the point that FuRyu can think about their next pricing.
Btw that Doll is stunning! I am hoping to get one of theirs now.
Thank you as always for the kind words and support! We always look forward to hearing from you!
Absolutely loved this video! This is the exact type of informational deep dive on figure pricing that I've been craving. When I first saw the F:NEX x Yoshitoku collabs coming out I didn't think twice because it just seemed like making a kimono for figures would be an expensive and unique prospect to bring to the market, but seeing the actual Yoshitoku doll and the way F:NEX cheaped out on the base really brings things into perspective. Thank you for all the research you did to bring this information to us.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the kind words. I'm in complete agreement. As PVC collectors, we really treat textiles as premium products. I would have never guessed that an entire doll would be so "cheap". I would have bet they were around 80,000 yen and would have lost.
Have you seen the price for Albedo on Amiami? Who’s their target market, Elon Musk? I was incredibly disappointed with their Swimsuit Kurumi that I decided not to buy a figure of such scale from them again. Nevertheless the level of research and effort you and Kouhai done on this film it’s quite impressive. Just like you I’ve been collecting waaay back as well when Alter’s prices were less than $100 and Freeing were below $200. You guys collection is one of the most impressive I’ve seen and deserve way more subscribers (Not trying to bash other channels of course) Thank you for this level of filmmaking because it’s borderline journalism.
YES and her face still looks AWFUL. The wings and kimono are epic, but I even if I could afford it, there's no way that face is worth 270,000. Exact same reason I passed on Tohru. It doesn't look like her.
As always, thank you for the kind words and thoughtful commentary. We always look forward to hearing from you and appreciate the support you've shown for us. It's very motivating and greatly appreciated
Albedo should have silicone squeezable boobs at that price
Dude. Wow. The detective work that went into this. Not to mention the money. Thank you so much for doing this!
You are so very welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to comment
Wow, a deep and informative historical analysis! I had assumed the extravagent price tag was tied to the figures having a lot of expensive handmade elements, like embroidery and such, but never gave it another thought since it is far over my price range. I didn't imagine the oyama dolls they were based on are vastly lower in price.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment
Huge thanks for putting in all that work. Big thanks to your sister too for supporting the purchase. It's definitely opened my eyes now, I had also read about the quality of the actual clothing used on these dolls (being partially printed on etc), and I did also spot those F:Nex 1/4 figures on huge AmiAmi discounts. But I had no idea the price difference between the real doll were this high. That's insane. Not to mention the much higher level quality stand and board on your real Oyama doll.
Definitely also considering just waiting on the Pekora figure to get a sale now. Just really sucks I've been waiting and saving up for a full year. Went as far as having a custom made case to put her in, and due to very limited space, pretty much considered it my final figure purchase. But it just feels wrong supporting this kind of mark-up that FuRyu is doing with these figures. That FREEing 1/4 Pekora figure is just 40k yen in comparison. I didn't even know there is little detail beneath the cloth.
I agree with you that the very least FuRyu should do is kick up the quality on the figures and their stand/board. They look no better on the small parts of figure that are actually visible on these, compared to any random figure I can pull up. Anyway something to think about for me I guess. Thanks again for the video, had a good time watching it. I felt I was able to tell the quality difference between the 2 dolls just from looking at how much more complex the dress was. As for Pekora, the images on the 1:1 scale looked amazing. But I'm still worried the 1:4 is going to be of lesser quality. We're almost due for her release date I think, exciting times. But I'm not expecting much.
Thank you for the kind words and thoughtful discussion! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
We too had no idea just how off-base the pricing is. I would have never guessed that the equivalent Oyama doll was as cheap as it is. Cloth just feels so premium to us as PVC collectors. I would have bet the Oyama doll would have been in the 80,000 yen range, most certainly not half that.
Agreed. I'm only buying Pekora at MSRP for content reviewer reasons since we want to be one of the first to review her. But that's it. I'm putting a stop to it after. No way I'll let FuRyu get me to pay full MSRP more than twice. I'll go used, sale price, or bust. Even if it means we don't get the opportunity to review them. Hell, just waiting for sales price means they'll be about 4-6 months after release and may not feel relevant anymore.
I've seen Pekora. She looks great. I just know she isn't 200,000 yen great. I imagine the kimono quality is on par with the rest of the series. It's the PVC element I'm worried about. I'm sure they are using the same terrible stand again.
@@KohaisCollection Good point, I definitely think that is a very viable way to go about the future purchases. I've been checking the F:Nex figures many times over the last 5 months and they were almost always there on AmiAmi, on a huge discount.
Looking forward to your review of her as well as future content. I don't think I'm down for any more 1/4s unless they do another character I truly love... maybe. 👍
As both a doll and anime figure collector, I had no idea about either of these brands, so thanks for introducing them to me! Definitely looking forward to when I go to Japan now that I have a new destination to check out!
Ah! I'm so excited for you! It's well worth the trip, even if you don't leave with anything. It's really cool just to be around stuff that's very culturally significant. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Thank you for making this video! I got the link from Myfigurecollection on the new Madoka Magica figures. I've never been excited about any 1/4th scale because I am not very interested in bunny girls, but I love figures with traditional clothing. I was so excited to see a line of figures on a larger scale with beautiful kimonos, but when I saw how much the preorder price for these figures was, my heart sank. I am just not willing to pay the price of my PC for a PVC figure, even if she has a real kimono. I'm hopeful the prices will come down to more reasonable levels, and if nothing else, with the sales prices being a lot more reasonable, they are much more attainable.
You are very welcome and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'm glad people are spreading it around. The most important thing is knowing where your money is going. For some, the opportunity to own it will still be worth it. For others, it can help rectify uncertain feelings towards these to begin with.
I do hope the prices on the Madoka line and Shinobu are cheaper. I too aspire to own them, but I have to be able to get them on sale or used to be able to justify it. It's a shame because the line is stunning and they are doing it a disservice by demanding so much.
As a doll and figure maker this workload sounds good to me, combining not having to make a wig for a regular doll and not having to 3d model clothes like i gotta get on this fr
Yo! That's so cool. Find a bunny you can force cast off, then go for it! Share the results when you finish 🤟
I hope this video gets seen by the people with deep pockets, that drive the market for these extremely expensive figures. There should also be some sneaky business behind 1/4 scale figures, like FREEing for example, and with those under $50 1/4 figures that have been coming out recently, with equal, or even better quality than their 1/4 counterparts. Really hard to justify prices nowadays, and it's almost always better to buy pre-owned and greatly discounted figures. Great video as usual!
Yeah, it's a real shame that I feel like I now have to compete with my own virtues vs collectors with deep enough pockets to buy it anyways. FOMO is real right now.
Yeah, definitely similar. We know material costs or nothing. We just have to assume the price is more reflective of R&D, licensing, and marketing. I would be really curious to learn what actual profit margins for figures tend to be and what licensing costs actually look like.
Thank you for the kind words and for your continued support and commentary! It means a lot to us!
great video! the oyama doll you bought is stunning! honestly the most insulting part for me is that furyu is charging THAT much and kurumi doesnt even have metal foot pegs, like are you serious
I'm going to be soooooo upset if she starts leaning over time 😤 ridiculous!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so impressed with her and happy to have her in our collection!
amazing deep dive and review. the oyama doll is stunning and totally worth her price imo. such intricate details and the made to order aspect makes it very special as well. it was also interesting to hear about the history and the short introduction to oyama dolls and what yoshitoku even is. I had no comparison before, so also always assumed, that it would probably be the kimono that determined the ridiculously high price. so seeing that it is not yoshitokus fault at all, but (once again) just furyu being greedy makes me even more disappointed in them, than i already am.
"...makes me even more disappointed in them than I already am." Truer words have never been spoken!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for leaving a thoughtful comment!
so my takeaway from this is that the collab is taking advantage of an uninformed and cornered market.
when i first saw the price of the albedo piece i didn't even bat an eye. i own BJDs and know how expensive real cloth on dolls can be. learning that they do not cost that much more than an average 1/4 figure was a genuine shocker.
to my knowledge, a cross over between traditional japanese dolls and anime figures hasn't existed before this one, so if i want something like it, i haven't much of a choice. to be honest even after learning they cost over double what they should i can still picture myself tempted had i been a fan of these characters. (un?)fortunately, i refuse to own either of the twins unless both are in the same line, and am not big enough fans of the rest to fork over just under two grand.
That's exactly what I think. Uninformed and, as you said, the first time a collab like this has existed. So they wanted to create a new segment for it and piggy back off the prestige of Yoshitoku.
A few of the background figures (especially native Aoba) being on "full" display made me chuckle! :p But seriously thank you for making this video! I think figure prices in general should be something we talk more about
Haha 😂 Kohai is very pleased that her Bois are putting on a show. The true advantage of 4K, right lol?
You are very welcome and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I too wish we had more opportunities for videos like this, but it requires so much insider info. All I can hope for now is that the Chinese companies put more pressure on the Japanese so the Japanese companies either increase quality, lower MSRPs, or both!
Thanks for this and the Kurumi vid... decided instead to pick up a Yoshitoku Oyama doll in Tokyp last year instead of the Furyu offerings... since I'm primarily in it for the kimono and have PVC alternatives for the characters I liked, it just made more sense... absolutely adore my Yoshitoku doll...
No way?! What a coincidence! Is your doll available on their store? Or is she not in the online catalog like Oyami? Do you have a link to any pictures of her?
Thanks for commenting!
Amazing journalism and dedication! Thank you for sharing
Thank you so much for the compliment and kind words
Really cool video! Thank you for doing so much research to shed some light on why these figures are so insanely expensive.
I knew traditional Japanese dolls are expensive. When I was working at the kindergartens the teachers were pretty strict around Hinamatsuri when kids wanted to touch the dolls.
If they were being gentle maybe they were allowed to touch the kimono and hair, haha.
I remember when the Sakura Yoshitoku photos were put up. She's so far been the only one that I was tempted by, but I knew I couldn't afford it.
I mostly collect male figures and I don't have much that has a similar vibe to her so I wouldn't even know where to put her.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing your experience with Japanese children! That's so cool! Are you still in Japan now?
The Sakura is very cute. We got to see it in person on our last trip. Kohai was mildly tempted by it, but basically no longer given our price evaluations of these.
Not at the moment but I'm hoping to go back to teaching sometime in the future. With how weak the yen is it's hard to justify going back when I have a lot of student debt in USD.
@@heroizumi that's very true. I have/had a few friends teach English in Japan and I know it's not a particularly profitable venture for them (albeit a slightly different context), especially with the weak yen. Here's to hoping you'll be able to go back again soon enough 🙂
As soon as you introduced the Oyama doll I opened a new tab and started trying to find one for sale. Just got to the made to order part.. 😔
Hey! Only 7-10 days or so! We orignally wanted "Fan" girl and assumed that's the one I would buy. Then I saw Oyami and couldn't resist!
This is a fantastic video. Can't say I'm surprised that these are a scam given FuRyu's absurd prices (I've stopped pre-ordering FuRyu figures for that reason), but it's great that you compiled all this information needed to prove it. That Oyama doll is beautiful, I can't believe the huge price difference!
Thank you so much for the kind words!
Agreed. It seemed like it had to be overpriced, but showing how overpriced it is, was quite crazy. We PVC collectors see textiles as premium additions. I would have never guessed an Oyama doll was as "cheap" as it is! I'm more and more pleased with Oyami. Soooo many people have inquired about her directly and are interested in Yoshitoku Dolls because of her.
i was completely drawn away from this collab due to the price but seeing how much more affordable the yoshitoku dolls are makes me a bit more interested. still not gonna get the anime figures but their original stuff looks amazing
After all of this, I honestly just left with a greater impression of Yoshitoku. Their own pieces are excellent!
This issue is not only affecting the high value figures but also the low price figures. I love Furyu's lower priced merchandise like the noodlestoppers and 20-30 dollar range figures. I started to see a decline in quality and the upcharge even before C*VID. I'm not talking the PVC or resin quality like mold lines but googly eye stickers, figures that look good in production photos but customer photos reveal the character looks different and damage before shipment to me, from Furyi. How are we as collectors supposed to support these manufacturers when they jipp people on thefigure itself? Plastic bases are for gaming figures, not a 1000 dollar figure! I'm just as surprised as you are. Thank you for making this video, it was really good!
All we can do is try to inform the community and hopefully reduce the number that supports them, causing them to make internal changes to their Product stack. In some sense we are hopeless, but on the flip side, could rally together to cost them millions haha.
I appreciate the kind words! I definitely agree with you and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Here in Japan my friend got the Pekora at full price, but he is a diehard fan of hers so it didn’t really surprise me.
Overall amazing video. As someone who bought a lot of prize figures and is now pruning down and replacing them with more premium ones, it was a very informative video. Thanks!
@@tactilecacti oh, we ended up getting her too at full MSRP 😅 But that's the last at MSRP! No more! It's an awesome Doll though. Happy for your friend!
I'm basically the same way now too. Looking into the "premium" or simply larger scale figures (like 1/4 bunnies) to collect. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate you commenting 🙂♥️
Amazing video! This is the most in-depth discussion about anime figures (and oyama dolls!) I've ever seen! I also appreciate how calm and objective your way of talking about the subject is.
Would you be interested in taking a look at BearPanda's 1/4 scale figures? They're very, very affordable in comparison with pretty much any other 1/4 figures on the market (around ¥9,000), and seem to be about the same quality as any FREEing figure, at least to my untrained eyes.
I'd love to see your attention to detail applied to these relatively unknown figures, and it would also be nice to have an English-speaking channel spread the word about them.
Thank you so much for the kind words. It means a lot to us!
And YES! We missed the 1/4th but have ordered all the other Bear Pandas! We are super excited to do an in-depth review on their Kedama figure! We really want to be an authoritative voice for Bear Panda if possible (and if they of course produce a good product). We definitely want to bring insight into them to the community!
Yeah prototype photos look great! But we all know how that can turn out 😂 But we are 100% rooting for them. These Japanese companies need competition.
@@KohaisCollection That's great to hear! I can't wait to see the videos on those when they release.
Pre-orders for their second 1/4 figure, Yuna, are still available on most of the major sites if you're interested.
There is also another company with an upcoming affordable 1/4 scale, Mengxiang Toys, with their Abyss Bar Youyou figure. Pre-orders for her are also available.
I'd include links to both of these, but I'm not sure if UA-cam would nuke my comment, haha.
Does anyone recall when Supreme were selling a single brick for $160? These anime Yoshitoku dolls seem to have a similar effect. By adding a brand and a markup to an item, brands can make an item seems more exclusive or premium even when it's not, or at least it's definitely not worth the price being paid.
No, but I immediately looked it up. Probably the dumbest thing I've seen 😂 I at least pictured a black brick with the Supreme logo in red and white. Shocked to see it's even worse than that 💀
Thanks for sharing!
Love the video! I have a Oyama doll that I inherited from my mother. I didn't even knew what they were until I saw this video. They are really beautiful dolls with a lot of details. I think you picked the perfect Oyama doll for this review since compared to mine, it's a very simple piece.
Hey thanks for the kind words! It's awesome you inherited one. I'd love to see pictures if you have a link to any post of her. I can only imagine how elaborate they can get.
I loved this video and I am so glad you did this. I have been debating about getting one of these anime dolls ever since FuRyu started putting them out, but just couldn't justify spending that kind of money for one. Honestly I still would love to own one for my collection but now having more insight into what the possible cost of the figure actually is I am definitely going to wait and hope the one I want has a good sale. Thanks again keep of the great content.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and that this was valuable to you! If you ever get one for the right price, I know you'll be impressed. I love the dolls I have, but the price is atrocious.
Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Thank you for this video. They came out with another figure in this series for Holo from Spice and Wolf recently, and stumbled upon your video when doing more research because of the price.
Initially I wanted to buy her despite the large price tag because I absolutely love her and the kimono looks beautiful.
After watching your video I've decided not to purchase her right now.
Your analysis of every aspect was very informative, and definitely changed my perspective on these figures and their perceived value.
Will probably stay on the lookout for a sale in the future, but even then I would have to re-evaluate.
Thank you!
I'm so happy the video was of use to you in formulating your own conclusions on the value of these dolls. At the end of the day, as long as you know where your money is going, we just want people to be comfortable and informed with their decisions (for, or against, purchasing).
It's such a shame these are so overpriced. That Holo figure is gorgeous. Given the public interest in these, I could only imagine the volume they could sell if the price was slashed in half.
As stated in the video, we did buy Pekora and are filming her tomorrow, so you have that to look forward to as well! But moving forward, once again as stated in the video, I can no longer do it. $1,400 USD was painful knowing what we do now. Hopefully we can obtain more of these in the future for at least the sales price, or hopefully they lose value on the used market.
This was a comparison I wanted to see! So 70k - 80k yen is the approx perceived value to me for them now. That Fear Of Missing Out is rough though
Tell me about it....it's a literal battle between my own values vs. the rich collectors that may be it all up at full MSRP 😭 It's rough out here. FOMO hits hard.
This was a fantastic video! Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us!
You are so very welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the kind words!
Considering how strict the market is for figures at this price, I think there's a real chance that this video does affect sales on these. Especially considering how thorough and well presented this analysis was.
True. Within the past 6 months, it's like the mass majority of us put the brakes on paying these prices. The amount of sales I'm seeing lately on recently released items is bonkers. And I too have lost quite a bit of money on preorders almost immediately going on sale. I've never seen such in my years of collecting!
Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to comment
@@KohaisCollection Yeah, np. I think you guys are really gonna go places.
MegaHouse is also doing a collab with a traditional doll producer called Kyugetsu to make a figure of Kozuki Hiyori from One Piece, and it seems like much of the same story here. Oyama dolls at around 40k yen while the anime figure is 168k and a whopping 198k with a glass case. They were ahead of the game though since it has a shiny beveled base and a wooden sign ;) The kimono actually looks worse since it's based on her canon look rather than an original design. Interestingly, Kyugetsu has three oyama dolls (but there are other types too) listed on their site at 152k, 275k, and 550k yen because they're crafted by a specific artist that warrants these prices(?)
Hey! Thank you for sharing! I was wondering if they'd ever get some competition. And I agree with your sentiments on the kimono. Not particularly impressed.
A particular artist/designer would be a twist for these prices. In the doujin world that can mean a lot. But currently, we know FuRyu isn't doing that, since they'd be plastering it in marketing materials. Instead, they outsource the design to Design CoCo.
Very interesting video, especially as a collector! I learned a lot and the next time I’ll have the opportunity to go to Tokyo I’ll definitely visit Yoshitoku’s store.
It's well worth the trip, even if you don't intend to buy anything! It's awesome to just take in and absorb something culturally significant. It's also right next to a station exit, so it's easy to get to on foot.
Thank you for taking the time to comment
Yoooo the frame around the beauty shots is super clean I love it.😂
Thanks my dude! I appreciate that. Something something "if you paused, each frame should look like a photo" haha.
I've been watching some of your videos today and wow, the effort you put in is insane. The shots of the figures, the delivery, the editing, everything is fantastic, I hope this channel will get more attention from the algorithm, it's really great stuff.
It's one hell of a hobby, I mean all the stuff I collected before was as easy as going into an antique and checking if the thing is genuine or going to a local stamps shop but this is on a whole other level. In my country it's not just an expensive figures but also regular tax + customs tax + customs fee so it gets pretty heavy on the wallet.
I am glad a channel like yours exist because there is often no way for people anywhere outside of Japan to check how good the actual product is until we get it delivered. Reviewing these high end figures is pretty niche but I bet every one of these reviews will help a couple people to make a more informed choice with their purchase potentially saving a lot of money.
What a wonderful comment to read! Thank you so much for the kind and thoughtful words. The UA-cam community has treated us really well and we're happy to be here and are enjoying creating content for this space! I'm glad the channel has been helpful and informative to you
I'm glad I didn't get that Pekora one. I had no idea the price difference of the Yoshitoku and FuRyu's is that high. It's insane how they're able to get away with this. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Such a great video.
Oh I'm still going for her....but moving forward, it's used, on sale, or bust. Which is a shame because I genuinely like the series. But this price is absurd.
On the flip side, I didn't realize these Oyama dolls are so "cheap" . I would have never guessed.
I appreciate your kind words and support as always!
Woah this is crazy. Thank you so much for bringing this up. I wasn't interested in them in the first place, but it's still very interesting to see this.
You are so very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for commenting
First time seeing your channel. You have opened up A LOT of eyes. OMG, Furyu's upper management must be living high on the hog! Beautiful, but not going to be purchased at that price.
Welcome! We're lucky to have you here! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
FuRyu is definitely living large 😂 or maybe their CEO is taking all the money and now they have to raise all their prices
Very happy to have been recommended this video by the algorithm, keep up the goodwork!
Thank you so much for the kind words and for leaving a comment! We appreciate you
Very interesting video! Thank you for covering this topic and shining more light onto it.
You are so very welcome! It was a lot of fun. I'm glad you enjoyed it! If there's other journalistic opportunities like this in the future, we'll be sure to pursue it.
as someone who has been thinking of getting into collecting figures, this was a wonderfully researched video! your research and dedication is so redpectable, i am so glad i found this video!
absolutely subscribing for more quality content ❤
Such a wonderful comment
Great video and amazing work on this indepth detective work you did for us! I enjoyed the video a lot! ❤
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it! We appreciate your continued support :) Your comments mean a lot!
Great review! Ive been thinking of getting the miku version but im gambling that barely anyone will preorder the figure and it will end up being on sale when its in stock and if thats the case I might buy
Thank you for the kind words!
We are 100% doing the same. She hasn't sold out at all. IMO I'm not worried about her selling out, so I expect her to get the 20% off sale on AmiAmi. It took Pekora 3 months to do so. So let's see! Best of luck to both of us! I hope I have the means of grabbing her when she goes on sale!
great video! i dont really collect figures/ dolls like these but this video was really interesting to watch!
Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
@@KohaisCollection heck yeah! oh and congrats on the 2k! woo!
@@roynobody Thank you so much! It's a great feeling. We're very thankful for the community support and for comments like yours!
I saw Pekora's kimono version 1 year ago and thought to myself, "Hell no this is definitely too fucking expensive at 200000 yen"
Completely agree. But at that time, I couldn't even remotely comprehend how "cheap" these kimonos actually are. It's still a shock to me a real Oyami doll is only 40,000. But that just shows you how little myself (and potentially others) know about dolls and fabrics.
I am so glad this video exists
We're so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for commenting
Ya I remember reading the reason for the upcharge is for the _brand_ of the Kimono. Its funny to think about but really is just showing off a _luxuary_ figure that doesnt align with the manufactured price, so thats what your paying. Japan loves their Kimonos Bunny suits and Swim suits waifus
Right. That's what they want you to think. Which the video breaks down.
The algorithm brought me here. I know zero percent about this hobby but that Oyama doll took my breath away!
The algorithm works in mysterious ways 🤣
Glad you made it this way and enjoyed her! She is quite lovely. I'm very proud to have her in the collection!
You made a good call on pekora not being sold out. I wanted miku and mikasa mikoto. I also believe miku will be around after release. I am worried about mikasa mikoto. Shes sold out on many sites and TokyoOtaku is the only site that I know of that is still selling her. Idk if I should cave or not. Fomo hitting hard.
Thanks! I agree with Miku. No signs of a lot of interest at all.
Yeah, I see her being sold out in multiple places too 😞 curious if she and Sonico will become available again closer to release like Pekora.
If they are "sold out" maybe FuRyu will open up more preorders or request more
@@KohaisCollection Yeah I saw sonico sold out as well. If it did manage to sell out and they end up make more I doubt the price will end up being lowered anytime soon lol
Hi, I just found your channel and the quality of your videos is amazing(content, information, quality of the video itself, etc), looking forward to watch more of your videos. Greetings from Mexico. Already subscribed!
Yo! That's so cool. Hola Amigo. One day I'll visit Mexico. Visiting Hacienda Patron is on my bucket list 🙏
I'm so glad you are enjoying the channel! Thank you for the kind words. We're lucky to have you on board!
I've always thought F:NEX was overpriced. I own the 1/2 scale Shinobu, I think I paid about $1,300 for her. I wanted the 1/2 scale Nezuko too, but the price jumped up to around $3,000, over double the cost, all for a plastic version of her wooden box. I also have the 1/2.5 scale Kurumi from Kadokawa which cost me around $1,200, but she's HUGE and has real cloth so she is worth it.
With the Yoshitoku collab 1/4th scale Homura Akemi coming out, and not knowing that her price tag is going to be comparable to my 1/2 scales, I am deeply disappointed. Will I preorder her? Possibly, but it will be begrudgingly. Though maybe I'll play the aftermarket game seeing how many of the other figures in this line are still available and discounted.
Great video, you helped me slow down and realize my initial thoughts on F:NEX are indeed right. If only there was some way to fight back against their price gouging without having to give up getting the figures we love.
I'm so jealous! I saw Shinobu in Japan for around $1,200 USD but simply didn't have the funds to pull the trigger. And of course when I went back, she was no longer there!
Thank you so much for sharing your input. It's a great perspective to have.
The people that lose from this are those of us who see the appeal in the series and have the desire and means to own them. We're punished by knowing that we are overpaying for them, yet delaying may mean losing out on ever owning it (especially if it sells out and prices increase on the aftermarket). If we, as a collective can just wait to pull the trigger till they go on sale, it would benefit all of us immensely. Sadly though, even with this mindset, we'll lose out to our fellow collectors that either 1. Just have deeper pockets or 2. Don't have the new perspective on value we have and blindly commit.
Kohai finds the Yoshitoku Madoka cute. I find the Homura cute and, of course, Shinobu (though I think they could have made her much cuter - her kimono is eh, especially in the chosen colors).
If I had to guess, because these girls are smaller, we'll see them lower in price such as Kanna. BUT, if 198,000 yen is our new ceiling, they can easily be in the 160,000-170,000 range -_-
It's sad that now I see a $400 figure and think, "eh, that's reasonable" when that same figure even only 5 years ago would have cost like $150-$200. The industry has really skewed even seasoned collectors into thinking the higher prices are justified, or at least they have us on a tight enough leash that we still open our wallets when they tug, even if we know it's abuse haha.@@KohaisCollection
Yep. The conditioning has begun. Yet another commodity that's probably arbitrarily blaming COVID as the reason they have to hike prices, when in reality they are just discovering how much we are willing to pay before saying no.
@@MasterSpaztik
I was contemplating this 1/4 Kurumi or her 1/2 scale, and I’m super glad I went with the 1/2 scale then
We have a review on both, actually! Even with the over inflated value, I still think the Yoshitoku is the better figure. But at the end of the day, what matters is where you feel your money is going. The 1/2.5 Kurumi is appropriately, linearly priced for her size. Aka, you proportionally are spending money on the difference in plastic between a traditional scale figure and the 1/2.5 scale. The same cannot be said of the Yoshitoku.
@@KohaisCollectionawesome review I just checked it out!
Exactly what I noticed! It was originally stated to be smaller (probably the actual 1/2.5 scale size) but released to be pleasantly even bigger! Thus why I even said 1/2 scale because I too did the math funny enough when I got her 😆
And agree she is sadly super plain sadly. Saying a blown up 1/7 scale is accurate. But I did get to dress her up for Christmas at least.
@@roco9504 thanks for the kind words and input! It's bonkers they chose to not capitalize off the 1/2 scale. That's such a missed opportunity!
Ooo, I never even thought to dress her up! If they release a Kurumi Christmas figure, we may just have to do this for our yearly Christmas themed review 🤩
This was such an informative video, and executed so well with the comparison to a real Oyama doll. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this. You can tell how much research went into making this. It really puts things into perspective... I have to admit I'm salty about the prices F:NEX want to make us believe are justified.
I still want the Rem and Ram Yoshitoku figures so much despite the crazy price T_T Kurumi is gorgeous too wow... Another favourite is the Cardcaptor Sakura Yoshitoku doll which might be my favourite. These figures are just so so pretty. I have to admit the prices are absolutely insane though haha ^^" I wish they had toned it down just a little bit, especially learning how much cheaper a real Oyama doll is in comparison. If F:NEX's Yoshitoku dolls had been half the price I wouldn't have had a problem with it, but right now I am unsure when or if I'll be able to afford them, sadly.
If the strategy of not preordering and picking them up during Amiami sales will put the prices down over time, that would be great though!! T_T
Thank you so much for the kind words and for leaving a thoughtful comment!
I know right? I truly hate that I like this series so much 😭 The final product is truly astounding (minus the base -_-). I agree! If these were 1/2 the price, these would be in soooo many people's collections. Hell, just get it below 100,000. They would be sooo much more enticing then.
I was able to get Rem damaged (broken arm and pair of unnoticeable scratches) for $730 a few months ago. There will hopefully be many other opportunities to get them in the future! Especially when Rem is consistently in the $950-1050 range in good used condition. If the majority of these continue to decrease in value in the aftermarket, it will help the prices for all of them!
Hello guys, greetings from Mexico, I really appreciate your sincerity with your reviews of all the figures you have made, really when I saw those figures by Yoshitoku I told myself my goal at some point will be to have one of those, and for Things of fate maybe luck or whatever but I was able to get a tohru from Amiami when I think its price was the cheapest for ¥100,000. I didn't have to think much to make the decision to make the purchase because I have regretted it on previous occasions by not buying a figure that I would like, but here it was different and when Alfin had it with me I said (this is on another level!) but As you mention, both its base and the sign are a mockery for the price, but I am a masochist and I am simply eager for Miku to come out, but I am simply not willing to pay the 200k for it, I will wait for it to simply drop in price so I can get it with mine 😅. and to be able to have all the ¼ mikus with a license hehehe. Your video was super great, taking the time to explain even with a doll directly from Tokyo, that is appreciated and demonstrates your interest and passion for generating 10 content!!!
Yo!!! Hola, Amigo 👊 I'll make it to Mexico one day. Touring Hacienda Patron is on my bucketlist! Thank you so much for the kind words and thoughtful comment. Made my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Congrats on the purchase! When both her and Kanna were on sale, I was soooo tempted to pull the trigger, but my wallet wasn't ready. I got to see Tohru in person over December. I wasn't a fan in pictures, but seeing her in person was something else! (She's also oddly huge??? Like her head feels like its 1/3 scale haha). I was soooo tempted, but once again my wallet was not ready.
You're telling me....the worst part is that I saw Miku at WonderFest and literally told everyone she was my number 1 figure there, 2nd being Pekora. She looks absolutely unreal and I want her so badly. I'm going to be watching her like a hawk to go on sale. As long as she still remains available during her preorder period, I bet we'll be fine. At this point I'm more worried about what the dollar to yen ratio will be. I may try to convert early and keep it in yen. Because if it takes 4 months or so to go on sale, we're looking at getting her around February 2025. Definitely scary that she's supposed to drop before Christmas. I'll have to watch for a last minute Christmas sale 👀
Again, thank you so much for the kind words and support. We are lucky to have you here!
Wow, the video looks very interesting! Hope this blown up in views. I have my own biased opinion on furyu that made me ignore almost everything they release, and the price of this kimono figures line is one of the cause.
Oh? I'd love to hear it. I doubt you are the only one with a similar opinion. My current opinion is extremely low. F:NEX was relatively on my radar, but FuRyu's current pricing strategies are appalling and they bring too much of the "prize figure mentality" to their expensive lines and it shows in quality.
@@KohaisCollection my opinion are of the same you, actually lol. But i usually collect action figures like SH Figuarts and figma which have a lower price point than scale figures so my opinion are a bit more of 'I'd dont want to waste hundreds of dollar on subpar figure when i can by 3 action figures instead'.
@@serdgames7420 gotcha! And that makes perfect sense. I'm sure similar collectors, like of Nendoroids, also feel the same way. Especially when Nendoroid and SH Figuarts quality is extremely consistent.
Great, now I want to collect dolls. Thanks a lot.
Also, being a Oshino Shinobu enjoyer is extremely based.
Yeah....I do too and I hate it 🥲 I don't need more things to collect ...
I see you are a cultured individual
Awesome video. There is a Shinobu one that just got released. I can wait like what you said.
Yes, I sawwww!!! And I'm disgusted at the price again 😭 I thought she might have been in the 160-170K range. Nope ...
Yeah, I love Shinobu, but I will be waiting right there with you. I'm actually hoping my roommate buys it. If they do, hopefully we can review it! I admit, I'm not super impressed with her color palette on her kimono :/
I appreciate the kind words! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Very interesting video and even tho the video was long it wasn't boring. Thank you for the information!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the kind words 🙏
Great video bro ! 👍
Hey, I appreciate you! 👊 Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow what an interesting video! The Oyama doll is so pretty, I’ve never seen one before, and the price is way lower than I anticipated, especially for the size and detail. I usually browse Dollfies, so I compare the collab figures to those. “Ah, it’s like a dollfie for anime figure fans :)”. But I never sat down to think about the pricing, and seeing it in comparison to the Oyama is eye opening. I still do think they’re pretty, but for the price it’s too much to be worth it for me 😭. Maybe one day, in the future, while I’m a granny, someone will bestow one on my doorstep
She's so pretty! As PVC collectors, we see textiles as a luxury. It's still crazy to me to see how far 40K goes in the doll scene! And the fact that Kurumi is more expensive then most Dollfie collabs is sad. Even more than the Dollfie Melty I wanted for so long!
Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to comment
This was such an interesting video to watch as someone involved in both the bjd and anime figure collecting communities!
Personally, it always appeared a bit of mystery to me how prices for these types of items were decided.
How my 1/4 scale full set bjd with all his accessories, wig, detailed clothing and well..size could still cost less than some of the new bunny figs coming out was odd to say the least (looking at that New Jersey fig in particular lol). I always figured it was just FREEing getting a bit greedy, since their quality definitely wasn't improving and also in combination with how licensed characters would be more easily marketable than bjd's original character concepts.
But even then with that opinion, I found myself falling into the same assumption as everyone else after seeing these figures. That their price came from the fact it was a collab with a prestigious company and that 'luxery item' reputation was enough explanation for such a price tag.
But after seeing the amazing quality of the oyama doll from the very same company and for such a great price in comparison, it reignites my skepticism for these high prices. Cause if you're not paying for the brand name or any additional quality it just goes back to appearing like greed like the increased bunny figure prices.
Which is a shame because they really do look like such beautiful figures and I'd love to see other figure companies explore adding textile elements to their figures too but not if they're going to come with such an unnecessarily hefty price each time :(
Thank you so much for such a detailed comment and for adding to the discussion! Coming from a PVC collector, textiles feel so luxurious to us. I'm shocked how far 40K goes in the doll world!
I think too much of the figure world is just arbitrary market segments, such as the FREEing bunnies you mentioned. Obviously plastic is really cheap and even after R&D, marketing, etc., I imagine the margins are still insane.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
@@KohaisCollection No worries! The figure community can still feel very small at times so to find channels such as yours having these in depth discussion and research, it's really refreshing and I agree wholeheartedly. It still surprises me even after being in the scene for years!
But anyway beside that can definitely say I'll be looking forward to watching your other uploads now too, keep up the great work :))
@@paradichlorobenzene13 aww. Thank you so much for the kind words! It really means a lot to us! We're excited for next figure review! Ironically, it shall be a FuRyu PVC figure 😉
PVC and ABS are cheap materials that I just cannot see as being associated with a luxury item. The body should be made of cold cast porcelain, polystone or a candy resin material that would be more sturdy, less likely to lean and would not outgas plasticizers that might damage the kimono material. I have not been impress with Furyu outside of the Tentiol line.
Leaning is one of the worst. I'm generally okay with PVC, so long as the design prevents leaning.
Tenitol is an impressive lineup from them.
I had picked up the Kurumi Doll on sale, and was still incredibly disappointed with it. It basically felt like a typical fairly generic FREEing 1/4 with the cloth kimono on it. In fact, I still have yet to complete and upload that video on my channel, as I just found it surprisingly underwhelming.
Hey! Good to hear from a fellow creator. We're still impressed with it. She's still Senpai's favorite. But definitely not for the price. I think there would be no issue saying they are amazing....if the price was closer to 70K lol.
@@KohaisCollection Thanks and yes, I agree re lower price point. I think part of it for me is that I expected to see finer detail in the pvc portion that I didn't (and as y'all know, that base is just sad).
So glad that I preordered the prime one miku instead of the yoshitoku one. I am probably getting gauged less. 😂
Ha! Agreed! You'll definitely have to let us know what you think of that figure! Statues get too crazy for me. I do my best to stick with only stuff available on AmiAmi. My wallet thanks me, I'm sure.
Amazing and through info , thanks a lot ! I will still try to get Pekora and Emilia though 😅 Will analyse the market to see if the current ones bin , if not I will buy MSRP . Because it is the same thing as Iphone , their perceived value is so high yet their manufacturing value is not but still , tons of people buy it because no one care , and they are competitive enough that it is ok to get rip off at that price 😢
I agree. We're literally competing against those who simply "don't know better" or are "too rich to care" haha. FOMO is hitting hard out here. This lineup needs a competitor. Maybe Volks can collab with someone.
an iPhone has a much better value, most people dont need that extra value if they don't take photos often or play games though, the pro and pro max are where the value start to decrease for the dollar
more worth it than the dolls imo
Huge video guys :) really interested to dig into this
Can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Great video. I’ve always found Oyama dolls extremely beautiful and have always toyed with possibly collecting them one day but I also fell in love with anime figures for the sheer variety available. I’m curious. what do you think of the Hisatsuki x MEGAHOUSE One Piece Komurasaki Oyama doll compared to these Furyu Yoshitoku figures? From my understanding, it’s made to order by Kyugetsu. it’s 184,800 yen (incl. tax) and you have the option of ordering a glass case with her.
Thank you for the kind words! ♥️
I've never seen the collab in person nor been around a Kyugetsu doll. I love the case option and think it looks stunning as an entire display.
As for the kimono, I find it visually underwhelming compared to the Yoshitoku counterparts. Though the Kyugetsu feels like they are using fabric you'd see in a kimono, but not scaled down for a doll size. The PVC elements feels like the strongest part of the collab to me.
Oh! I'll add, Yoshitoku themselves sell cases for their dolls too and look similar albeit with a black frame and gold inserts. They are between 12-15K yen.
Wow i was going to preorder miku but now i think id rather just spend 150 to get the stronger hanairogoromo version that looks basically the same. I was also going to preorder the miku new years version with the tree but i cancelled because i just couldnt afford it. I think ill just wait for it to drop in price and if it doesnt then oh well i guess
I dropped my preorder, but still covet her greatly! Just got to hope she goes on sale :)
Ah! The Miku Hanaorogiromo figure is one of my all time favorites!!! It's so underrated! And a far better base than these collabs 😅 The acrylic base is epic!
Thank you so much for commenting
@KohaisCollection yea I do love that the miku has actual clothes but I need her to be at least half off. And hope the yen is still weak when she is also lol
@@orion.6 I am legit really concerned about the yen evaluation 😅 I should have exchanged prematurely around the 160 yen per dollar mark. And sadly, we have a whole year to wait around...
@KohaisCollection yea it's getting stronger its at around 140 yen per dollar :((((
as someone who grew up with western doll collectors - this reminds me of the shenanigans that happen with the porcelain doll market out west
(especially when it comes to the doll vs it's clothes cost break down discussion)
Oh yeah? Any chance you have an article or at least a brand or two I can reference? You definitely have me curious 😀
I wish manufacturers would just see videos like this and then decide to make the next ones cheaper…The madoka ones are so beautiful, but theres absolutely no way. I have gotten figures I never thought I would but there is NO WAY😞😞‼️
Well, if the community as a whole responds with their wallets, then it will make a difference! And agreed. I never thought textiles would be this "cheap" since we see the as a luxury in the PVC world.
Thanks for your comment
Very informational video! Keep up the good work!!
Thank you for the kind words! It means a lot to us! I appreciate you taking the time to comment
Came to clown but video was too good, now I'm subscribed and looking forward to seeing your other videos!!!
Haha 😂 clowning is most certainly welcome here. We're glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting
I think FuRyu is also trying to take advantage of the fact that, by using popular anime characters, they can also advertise/sell traditional Japanese culture as a more high-end luxury. Which would be completely asinine and gatekeeping, if true.
Since they couldn't control the market, I don't think I could consider it gatekeeping, but they most certainly are pushing iconic Japanese culture as a high end luxury. It's a shame they are riding on Yoshitoku's name to do so...
This was such an interesting video! Thanks for your dedication researching these figures you probably saved a lot of people a lot of money ^.^
Thank you for the kind words! It was a fun video to produce. Hopefully it will save my wallet too...
As someone who sews for dolls( both 1/4 and 1/3 scale), I'm curious about how the fabric for the kimonos is produced. If the fabric is custom-made for this collaboration, then that could increase the price significantly. I'm also curious if they need to make a custom sewing pattern for each character doll. I'd actually love to see someone recreate these figure/doll hybrids to get a better idea of how much goes into it.
Thank you for sharing your expertise!
It's an interesting question to tackle, and your input would go a long way. Here are some observations:
1. Yes, these fabrics are custom, but would be purchased in bulk to fulfill the contractual order size for the collabs dolls.
2. Yoshitoku seems to (based on our three dolls) reuse at least 4 different types of base fabrics - they are just dyed a different color.
3. Other than dye color, the more custom aspect is the print and embroidery work. Both of which are handled by modern machinery, so I'm curious how much it scales in cost. Keep in mind, I do not see any repeated print patterns for the Oyama dolls either (but maybe they are reused elsewhere, like for their Hina Dolls?)
4. Yes, each new doll pose would require new cut patterns - this would be true for both the collabs and Oyama dolls
Those are my observations. It's specific, but my non-expert opinion is that these fabrics wouldn't add too much to production costs given each Oyama doll has at least a different main pattern and we have to keep in mind the 40K price includes the entire doll, base, stand, and accessories. Whereas for the collabs, that 40K MSRP only has to cover the kimono.
I appreciate your comment and if you have any insight for what I've stated above, please share!
@KohaisCollection making different patterns for each character would add to the price, but I'm also curious about yoshitoku's price points. The doll you have is so detailed and is around 40k yen, but the 94k & 126k dolls they have for sale don't have as much detail and have a significantly higher price. I wish they released more information about what causes the differences in price.
@@Toxickitty10 Agreed. The photos are high res enough to show that those that are 70K+ aren't using this rayan/polyster blend stuff. There's actually a nap to it, it's thicker, falls differently, etc. 3 of the 4 above 70K have no printing at all. the 4th (at 90K) looks like printing, but it's under the nap so could be a jacquard weave. I think it's easy to determine those fabrics are different. Now, as to what makes them special and expensive, who knows. Crazy that Yoshitoku wants to charge 126K for something and not tell you what makes it special!
All I can definitely say is that our 40K is equivalent or higher quality than the collabs. And this is all with synthetics and print work.
Just had this on and then noticed aoba's out in the open like that, and can't stop laughing over him not being covered up.
Shhhhhh. Don't let the overlords notice. We have to assert dominance over FuRyu, even if subliminally 😎
Hi! This was such an amazing video, very informative! I was wondering what is the name of the i believe it's either a 1/3 or 1/2 scale fugure you have in the back? She is sooo big and looks so good 😭 would love to know the name.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for taking the time to comment
I just heard about the upcoming FNEX x Yoshitoku Oshino Shinobu figure, but knowing the possible cost leads me to not want it unless it's only around ¥35,000.
Yeah, I'm interested in them, but fear the price. Because they are physically smaller, I wonder if they'll pull a "Kanna" and adjust the price lower. But if tall 1/4 girls are 200,000 yen, I bet these are still going to be around 160,000 yen. Bonkers.
fantastic video. i would love more like this from your channel
Thank you so much for the kind words! This was a ton of fun to produce and we don't see a lot of content like this in our community. If there are other opportunities that arise to do nice exposes like this, we definitely well! At the least, we'd like to do videos covering each major brand. Though these may be geared more so to beginners :)
I dont exactly remembered which expo was, but all the FuRyu figures are crazily expensive like hell, not these Kimino ones, but even just ordinary 1/7 figures were priced at 30000, 40000+ jpy with just a base and a figure. Which makes me feel FuRyu somehow is abusing the price for unkown reasons. At least I would consider Goodsmile is making figure expensive but with better dynamic and quality, e.g, Zero2 with wedding version was priced at 30000 jpy, which I consider it is a reasonable price and I have no hesitation to buy it
It's anything FuRyu at this point. Even quickly searching for figures by them shows us multiple 1/7ths at 40,000 yen. That's insane. Especially when, in a lot of aspects, FuRyu still puts out prize figure quality elements into their scales.
Great Video!
Thank you so much for the kind words!
Interesting. Thanks for clarifying this, now I can make a choice
Of course! Being informed is always powerful, no matter which direction you choose :)
Is there a specific collab doll that has your attention right now?
@@KohaisCollection Yes, Shinobu's one. I'm collecting all her figures
Or at least I'm trying
@@LiveLikeanAnimeLife You and our buddy are doing the same. He's interested in it as well. There's a possibility he may purchase it and, if he does, we'll be able to review it.
If you look at our community posts, you'll actually see a picture of her prototype that we saw in person. It's definitely cute.
@@KohaisCollection Thanks I saw the post, but I also went to Japan a month ago and it was at AmiAmi that I saw her for the first time. However, it will be released in May next year, right? There is still time but I think after this video I will wait for a price drop. Then I would really like the figure 1/2... I couldn't find it, what about him? Watching the video it seems to me he didn't find her too
I do believe that F:Nex x Yoshitoku doll being expensive has to do with branding, purchasing the license of anime series, let's say Kadokawa, and the character from a series.
Right, but obtaining an IP is already figured into the 30,000 yen of a licensed bunny (aka Kurumi's license - think Kurumi FREEing bunny that released for 23,000 yen). So the real question is how much is the branding deal worth between Yoshitoku and F:NEX. Again though, I don't believe Yoshitoku would push for a deal that put the collaboration in jeopardy due to it being a beneficial relationship.
@@KohaisCollection Let's say that the 1/4 scale costs around 30000 ~ 40000 yen, Yoshitoku doll+Kimono+everything else cost around 40000 yen, and that the licensing is already included in the figure itself, but the whole licensing thing is complicated because there are many different types of licensing fees such as: how popular is the franchise, is the license exclusive, what rights are being granted, and so on...I was wondering if Kadokawa, one of the largest organizations that owns Date Alive, would have a hand in the overall cost of the collab doll because F: Nex could be paying royalty licensing fees to Kadokawa. I have seen a lot of Kurumi figures from Kadokawa because they love remaking her in different poses and outfit. Kadokawa knows that they can profit from the collab because of Kurumi.
@@NationChosenByGod it's only hard to say because we have to interview a company in the field. But why would a royalty between FREEing and Kadokawa be wildly less expensive than between FuRyu and Kadokawa? Both are of the same series for all the reasons you stated. Both could be percentage based, so a 10% royalty for a 170K figure would be more than 4K. But a percentage cut is not going to get us that extra 100K. Keep in mind, FuRyu does prize figure of Kurumi too. I think the brand deal or an exclusivity agreement is the most probably avenue to explore additional costs.
@@NationChosenByGod I think we are just having a miscommunication on who the licensor is. That's Kadokawa. For ALL Kurumi figures. So when I say "licensing fee is included in the 30K bunny", that's literally FuRyu or FREEing already contacting Kadokawa to obtain the license. The way you are stating it makes it sound like you are treating Kadokawa's license as an additional, separate license. It's the ONLY license for Kurumi herself.
So the additional license in this collaboration is for the brand Yoshitoku. That's where they may be encountering additional costs.
So the break down is something like:
(30K = PVC + License for Kurumi's IP from Kadokawa) + (Yoshitoku Kimono + X) = 170,000 yen. Where X is an unknown brand deal for Yoshitoku.
@@KohaisCollection Makes perfect sense.
I've always had a problem with the fact that accessories in these specialty figures are PVC. Especially hair accessories. Way to make it look cheap.
The oyama dolls also have the hair hand woven and styled. As a figure, they're way more complex.
That's an interesting observation! As PVC collectors, we are used to it and I didn't even notice. BUT as you stated, Kurumi's headband and choker could have been produced with fabric!
Would it be best to wait for the figure to be released?
I want to buy the new figure of this Holo line from spice and wolf
and I want to save everything I can
Unfortunately, that's one of the hardest questions to answer.
If you MUST have it and will be distraught without it, preordering is the only way to guarantee you get it and that you at least won't pay a higher price on the aftermarket.
If your goal is to save as much money as possible, in most cases, that involves waiting to see if it goes on sale (though on the flip side, sometimes preordering is the cheapest, if it immediately spikes in value).
The best you can do is try and judge the market. Here's some holo figures from AmiAmi. www.amiami.com/eng/search/list/?s_keywords=holo%20spice
You can analyze their prices, both for used (aftermarket) and currently selling figures. If you see a downward trend in that most preorders are not selling, then they go on sale, then maybe you can risk the figure you want selling out and hoping to buy on sale.
Oh. I just realized you might mean the Holo in the Yoshitoku line up.
For that, just watch the latest Yoshitoku releases. See if they sell out or don't and go on sale. If the current trends continue, I'd wait for a sale.
@@KohaisCollection thanks! I think I'd better wait for the new Yoshitoku holo figure to drop in price
I don't want to support this overprice
So wait for these anime dolls to hit reasonable prices on the second hand market, got it!
Yep! At least go for sale price and just have knowledge of how your money is being spent. That's going to be my game plan. Let's hope for unsuccessful launches!
Legendary review. Awesome work, guys!
Thank you so much for the kinds words and support! We're so glad you enjoyed it
Ty boss that was very useful to me
Awesome! Happy to hear that 😎
I really wanted the Holo version. Hard pass. I'll watch for a sale. Thanks for the video.
Yep. We had viewers successfully obtain Pekora on sale! It only took her 3 months (vs Kurumi 's 6 months) to go 20% off which equates to 38K yen. My next one is hopefully going to be Miku, though also waiting for said sale.
@KohaisCollection Good luck hunting.
you can buy a lifesize full sillicone tifa doll for the price of 2 of these
Lol the $2K USD ones?! Or do you have a plug for them cheaper? 👀
yes they are called gamelady I think 😆 @@KohaisCollection
OMG. Yeah they are on sale for like $1,100 USD. I wonder what shipping is... We ought to slip one into our next Yoshitoku video 🤣 Why buy this Doll, when you can sleep with THIS Doll?! 💀😭
@@Marceldropdead