02:38 "Now that I'm a mature adult, and an intellectual, I collect figures of anime girls" This sentence right here made me pause the video just to appreciate the sentence, 10/10 brilliant
@@tomokokuroki2506 you can leave if you bring enough gems and cut a part of your left hoof. You'll probably have to fight Kuze tho. Wait what was I talking about?!
Hey kids! Get hyped for the latest new funko pop figure: "Absolute Unit," with variant figures of DWK brony, spaghettimancer, and limited edition Crankubus witch rapper. *Get yours today!*
Might take some time to paint but yes.just get a 3d printer and mass produce them and sell them for money and get more 3d printers and get even more money by selling them
So glad I clicked. You dont even need to be cohesive to be entertaining but god damn when you find a topic that you can get fiery about your proceeding ramble is gold.
@@absoluteunit30 I am real mad they did Kite Man dirty though. If you read comics there have been some great Harley Quinn miniseries in their Black Label imprint. Some are fun romps others dark as hell.
To top off the overall “consume product” and cheapness of these things, 90% people I’ve seen who own some, just leave them in the box….why? If I buy a figurine, I’m taking it out and putting it on display so either myself or others can see and enjoy it. To just leave it in the box….to me just defeats the purpose. If it’s so people know who the character is, then as you say maybe funko should make the characters distinctive enough to be able to tell without a big fuck off label. If it’s for “collective” purposes? I guess, but there’s probably thousands upon thousands of that same figure out there so again, what’s the point? Its never gonna be worth more than the $11 dollar price tag. Not to shit on anyone who enjoys them, I just think they are pointless.
I take mine out of the boxes, I don't give a shit if one day they go up 10x the value. Whatever man, I didn't buy them to later flip them for profit, I bought them as little collectibles that make my room look slightly cooler.
I think I don't like Funko because they started their company as "collectibles." In my opinion collectibles are something that become a collectible through time or when they are exclusive. Pokemon cards for example were just playing cards at one point and now they have become collectibles (certain ones of course). But Funko insists on itself being collectible.
I think that's why they feel so soulless. They're designed to be generically appealing and cohesive so people will buy a lot. They're not interesting designs in their own right. It's the merchandise equivalent of a movie that makes pop culture references and expecting you to get excited because you recognize the reference, but they don't do anything interesting or cool with them.
I get like 3 of these every Christmas and I’m too scared to say I don’t like them. It’s like how you always say you like your haircut no matter what your hair looks like after the cut.
I get them as gifts as well. Although I do have a few that I actually like, I'm not big on them as a whole so covertly sell/donate most of what I get at the first opportunity.
4:22 That's actually the reason I only buy the ones of visually distinct characters. One that you can look at, and instantly make that connection in your head that this figure is that character. Like it'd be really hard to not recognize Skeletor even in that form.
I think it's great how you genuinely analyze your analysis with the subtitles, on top of it functioning as a gag of sorts. Been listening since near the beginning of you producing content and appreciate all the many laughs and harsh but true realism.
When these first came out years ago, I thought "Oh, that's a neat little representation of [whatever the first ones were representing]. Maybe I'll buy one if they have a character I like." Then...then they exploded like a cholera outbreak in late 18th Century tightly-hewn European cities. They were (and still are) everywhere. I was just at a pop culture convention, and I swear they made up half the vendor hall. And...you're right. Half the time I can't even tell who it's supposed to be. Admittedly I can't figure out who 99% of anime figures are, but that's because I'm not THAT horrible of a person, and have only watched like...three? Anyway. They're everywhere, and while they're mostly innocuous, they still feel more pander-y than most merch. They feel like a fad that should have died out with fidget spinners.
I always just pictured them as the entry level collector item. Something you buy after seeing something cool and storing a memory in. Then when you show a collector friend he smiles and nods knowingly at your collection and you decide to buy other models from that point. Anyway, Funko Pops exist in Denmark, but never met a guy who had more than 3-5, usally from the same series.
Funny enough, I could actually identify that Seinfeld one by the fact that he was holding a microphone. I remembered him having that getup when he’d do a live skit at the beginning of an episode.
As someone who has only ever purchased the Black Phillip Funko Pop in spite of never having even seen The VVitch in full, I’m glad you used him as the example at 2:55. I’d even go so far as to say that’s the only Funko Pop anyone actually needs to buy thanks to the fact that it’s a unique character who hasn’t gotten a lot of other merch.
Funko Pops sum up why I collect plushies instead. Plushies can be show accurate, can be hugged, posed, played with, carried around as I go about my day and because they're comparatively more expensive it forces you to only buy the ones you actually want and will play with. Funko Pops are cheap, barely resemble their source material, don't do anything, can't be played with and are as capable of standing as a drunk wasted on a bottle of absinthe.
4:50 Until he showed the box I was *sure* that figure was David Tenant as The Doctor. Admittedly I was making noodles at the time so I wasn't looking, closely enough to see that was a microphone and not a sonic screwdriver but replace that one thing and I stand by my initial impression.
This is actually fascinating about our built in facial recognition. I do this all the time and didn't even realize it. Also, I don't recognize these things as having faces, they have no mouth. They don't smile, they don't frown, they are featurelesss, emotionless dolls made of plastic. Except that motherf***IN DEADPOOL T-REX that thing is freaking awesome BECAUSE IT HAS A MOUTH FULL OF TEETH! It does NOT have a typical Funko Pop head! It is is unique and awesome to behold. There is no shame in being both bewildered and admiring of it!
When you brought up the Seinfeld figure I legit thought it was Doctor Who, mistaking the microphone for a sonic screwdriver, which I guess just proves your point.
Producing only disfigured plastic waste and selling it directly to customers gotta be one of the most creative business ideas in entertainment industry
9:21 captures the problem with Funko Pops so perfectly. It's so annoying how heavily marketed, purposefully collectable, yet ultimately useless they are. edit: A lot like pogs. Which admittedly I loved when I was a kid in the 90's.
Wow there are other people out there that knew what pogs were? Christ I feel old. Also with people going nuts over pokemon/sports cards how did those things not resurrect?
I actually still have some of my pogs. The ones I really liked ended up in collector sheets. Have no idea what happened to my good metal slammers though.
I only have five Funko Pop figures. The first two are Pokémon, the next are ponies, and the last one is one of the ring wraiths from Lord Of The Rings. There are two reasons why I got these five pops specifically and don’t plan on getting anymore. One, their characters from franchises I really like. Now, there are a lot of franchises that I would consider myself a fan of, but Pokémon, mlp, and LOTR are easily the biggest three (with Star Wars and Godzilla sliding in there as well). Two, the characters themselves are easy to identify even with Funko’s generic style. Each of the characters either comes from a franchise with already cartoonish proportions and designs or is easily recognized by their unique characteristics. In a sense, the five I have are from things I love and are easily recognizable even though they’re Funko Pops. They have no real value by themselves, but they go nicely along with the other merchandise I have of these franchises. That I feel like is the only reason anybody might actually like these things. They’re not good merchandise on their own, but they help strengthen an already existing collection of merchandise surrounding a specific character or franchise. If a person who doesn’t collect stuff sees a random Funko Pop, then they probably won’t have any reason to by it. However, if a person is a huge Dragon Ball fan and happens to find a Super Sayan God Goku figure sitting on a shelf in a random store, then they’ll probably by it in order to set it up next to their other Dragon Ball statues and figures. There sort of like little collection boosters, or at least that’s how I see them.
I have three. One is an Eevee that I bought for myself, before I knew there was a whole series of THESE THINGS as a product architype/fandom. It was cute, in a saccharine, disproportionate, anime way, and I still like it in isolation from the medium as a whole. And the other two were gifts for me that were obviously last-minute grabs by people who didn't know what to buy for me, but felt obligated to give me something.
For a few weeks, my local ebgames sold gundam model kits. So of course, the second all the gundam stuff gets sold, they don’t stock up on them anymore and just expand the funko pop section. I’ve seen that store slowly go from a game store to a shitty merch store to a funko pop store.
Thats most nerd stores or stores with a nerd section. And now there is an overpriced competitor called Reaction. Every IP they can get but its old 70s Kenner Star Wars figure styled. Oh and they are around 18 bucks. For crappy versions of all your favorites. When they were 10 bux they were kinda fun and amusing. Now the prices keep rising and are about what 6 inch scale figures mass market run. (Though I've heard Marvel Legends and Star Wars Black series are going up in price.)
@@CaptainRufus Yeah, figure collecting isn’t as fun as it used to be. I sometimes get in the mood to collect transformers again, but my local walmart is always under stocked or they’ve hiked up the price of figures by 10$. I liked back in the day when I could treat myself to a figure whenever I happened to pass by. Now it’s this weird thing where funko pops remain at the same price and are always stocked, while whatever figures I’m interested in are all overpriced and all get bought by scalpers the second they arrive on shelves. I’m tired of having to play mind games with ebay neckbeards while the soulless eyes of funko pops taunt me with their availability, I just want to consoom some god damn robots.
@@Ads-yw1wr right there with you. Its not really FUN to collect this stuff now. Its an ever increasing price gouge plus endless pre order hell to own a chunk of plastic that was once supposed to be fun for kids. Not 200+ dollar nonsense that breaks if you look at it funny. A Switch lite is 200 and actually plays games. A Soul of Chogokin uhh.. collects dust? And
Man I hate those damn things too, they stare into your soul like they're judging your entire existence through those beady fuckin eyes. Nice to see ya back man, seriously. I mean you helped me a lot when ya were talking about. Well that show, seriously. I was drinking a lot back then, kinda watched all your videos. Eventually ended up sober, have been for the past year actually. So thank you for that, probably seems odd that because of your videos I turned myself around. But thank you man, wish you all the best. I'll keep watching this stuff whenever it comes out, cause you're a funny guy. The music on your music channel is pretty damn good too
I only started collecting them when they brought out the Muppet pops since Muppet merch just doesn't exist in Australia and then Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock and Dark Crystal stuff followed. It if weren't for that, I never would have glanced sideways at them
I'm similar. I've got a few Adventure Time ones because I wanted Fiona and Cake and of could Funko had them when nobody else did. I also have Bugs and Elmur in their costumes from What's Opera Doc? (It's a classic) and a few of the MLP ones, just because I think they're cute. I think the style works for them.
The reason why I have a few is because there’s a lot of properties that don’t get a lot of love and funko actually have the stuff to represent those properties and I’d only collect one out of the set that I’m getting I don’t buy whole sets.
Despite collecting pops, I love watching videos about people that don't like them. Also funny thing is at 7:54 that is exactly the first pop I ever bought.
I see these guys everywhere and I can't tell how I feel about them. They simply confuse me. On one hand we have a company that will produce anything and everything, having trouble finding a character? It's there. But then there is also how soulless and lifeless every figure seems to be, it's there but is it good? Probably not.
So going by this... if you can't find a good thing you at least got Funko Pop as a last-ditch option. But Funko probably wouldn't ever be the best place to go looking first.
Every time I click your videos, regardless of how quickly I do, you have one downvote. This means you've really made it! You've got someone so bored they just HAVE to dislike every vid as it arrives. Also: I about shit myself when I looked away for one second, only to look back and see funko eyes on the dude.
A Funko Pop makes a great gift when you don’t know what the fuck to get a person. Even if they don’t know the character, they’ll thank you for it because they’re conditioned to do so.
So annoyed I didn't notice the premiere. Honestly I didn't know what Funko Pops were before this video. Buying these and sharing with other people seems like a cycle of advertisement, that fandom is fueling itself
There was a reccurring bit on a podcast by Stuart Ashens and Barry Lewis where Ashens would scour the web for Funko Pops and Barry and the rest of the crew would have to guess who the Pop was meant to be.
@@absoluteunit30 It was called Barshens, I don't think the channel is up any longer. But, you should be able to find it by searching Ashens Funko Pop quiz (It's the first result even)
Mannn, that 'ANYWAYS' just hit all of the old good vibes. On topic: I've never been much of a collector, but something about Funkos just...upsets me at a deep, emotional level. Like, to my core. It's something about the dull, vacant eyes. Even those half melted star wars figures you put up, they had EXPRESSIONS. Jank ones, but they had expressions..These things..it's like modern day china dolls, man...
This video is on the money DWK. I know a 38 year old guy IRL who collects these Funko Pops. I'll never understand why. The look nothing like the characters. I'd much rather get a figure that looks like the character does. These pops look so stupid too. Like they don't even look cute like some people say. What does people like this guy I know see in them. Like...fu%$.
Here's the thing. I like Funko Pops, but I'm not one of those UA-camrs with shelves and walls lined with boxes. I have about 15 I can think of without actually checking my collection, but I'm not a part of the Funko Pop community nor do I actively seek them out. As you say, they're a product that is perfectly made to ensure they're sold in mass numbers: they're cheap, have a distinct visual look, and they cover every IP and brand under the sun. I just like buying things related to things I like and with all the IPs and brands Funko has made Pops of, it's fun for me to waste a few bucks on characters I like that don't otherwise get collectibles. I also collect anime figures and absolutely love my Figmas and Nendos, but for how posable they are and all the extra faces/limbs/accessories they come with, I always just pick my favorites, pose them once, and they never change once they're on the shelf. To answer the question, yes, I would continue buying Pops without the influence of the Funko community because that's exactly what I do now
I think the two sole redeeming factor of Pops is their cheapness and the fact they make figures for really obscure shit. Like honestly I don't really like them all that much either but if they ever did the cog bosses from Toontown or a neopet or some wild shit like that I'd just consoom, because I know that's the only bone toy companies will ever throw at me in that regard, and I think that's the mindset of the people who aren't collecting Pops as a brand.
I completely agree I think the Funko pops are just the extreme commercialization of the old school art toy that was a thing around 2006? Either way I hate them and haven't gotten the ones for some of my favorite characters because I don't like how they look. Also I watch your videos at 1.5 x speed by the way. Glad you're back :)
I only have one pop, because it captures one of my most beloved moments on television. I have the homer Simpson Mr Sparkle! an actual designer figure of mr sparkle would cost 100 dollars, and my little one with pop protector was around 40, so a much better deal for me, and it captures the scene perfectly.
As someone that doesn’t collect anything because I live out of suitcases and backpacks, I can see the appeal. If I’m someone that loves anime, comics, video games, movies, and other pop culture items, I can have an eclectic collection of things that still have a central theme (even if that theme is cheap plastic blob that doesn’t do anything but sit in a box.
4:22 you know to be fair, I actually recognized Jerry the moment he apepared, just couldn't remember the name fast enough. I guess that happens when you have a weird memory for shows and stuff or things you once saw on a regular basis. Crazy though that he got a Funko But I get what you mean, nice video.
I personally only have 4. Sailor Jupiter, in her signature pose, my favorite Sailor Scout, whom I identify with. Wonder Woman, from the first live-action movie, dynamically posed with sword and shield, who I adore for her strong personality and what she stands for. Belle, also dynamically sculpted to highlight the floaty nature of her ballgown, the first Disney Princess I identified with, having also grown up in a small town with a love of books. Minsc and Boo, my favorite D&D character from a game that defined my teen years, Baldur's Gate 2. I have no desire to collect any more than I already have. I bought them because I had a connection with the characters they represent, and in my eyes, this was a cheaper, more accessible way to buy figures of characters I love, rather than spending 20-30$ on something of better quality. I am a degenerate weeb, yes, but I am a broke one at that.
The problem with collecting is the subjective value we place on the item. For this reason I will probably die in a pile of awesomeness, because I can't throw it away, and giving it away takes too much time.
I doubt it, but only because those characters’ stories are more niche and, in the case of the warrior cats, lack visual media to create the sense of immediate recognizability that Funkos rely on as far as I’m aware.
Ahahaha... Don't mind me, it's just that while the monologue about facial recognition went on, I only recognised character on display when small arrow pointed at the mammaries.
I personally collect specific pop figures that are characters from franchises I am a fan of. All of the ones I ha e collected so far don't use the standard pop figure guy but instead are specific sculpts for that character. I personally love the look of the figures I own. Them not being posable is weirdly a plus since there are no movement seams and the distorted look pops have I think makes them look cute and the differences they have from there original counterpart feel intentional instead of a mistake or limitation. As a note I don't engage in the pop fandom at all so I would still buy the ones I have if they were available.
I used to think that Funkos were a neat idea because there were certain characters that you would not normally be able to get figures of for many reasons (the Ren and Stimpy ones were the only set I genuinely considered buying). But you are right, in the grand scheme of things Funkos are the lowest run of the figurine ladder. I'm just glad there are no Rayman funkos because I would be compelled to buy them as a hopeless, starved collector who can only get the very limited selection of Rayman figurines/toys/models from scalpers on eBay.
I have honestly been tempted to buy one of these but that was just for a character I liked. Can't even rember which character it was now so I'm very glad I resisted. I collect notebooks now yet cannot write in any of them 😅
These things are hideous. One time I actually got a Twilight Sparkle one free with some shirts I bought. I didn't know what to make of it. Looked like a baby Twilight with those beady little eyes that newborn foals have in the show, but it had her cutie mark. I was confused. Eventually I came to my senses and threw it away.
I don't collect Funko pops but I have picked up a couple over the years just if they amused me. I have a Jay but still need to find a Silent Bob, I've got a Vinyl Scratch, a big Discord, and a Ric Flair. Got two through Loot Crate too but that's about it and for the most part it's an, "I like that thing/franchise/whatever," thing more than the Pop figure itself.
I'm more of a poster and sticker guy myself, I could probably be convinced to get pins or cards or something of that same ilk but I haven't devolved enough to consider figurines or something as heinous as a body pillow. At least not yet anyway.
The only pop I ever bought was Captain Underpants. I was genuinely surprised he got one and bought it on a whim. Yeah, I’m in the middle about them. The lack of expression for some makes them look plain.
I'm a gunpla addict and I've got far too many of the things and am thinking about cramming even more onto that already overcrowded table. However those things are nifty as hell because you build them; can customize them with swappable parts, paint jobs, or full on custom builds; can pose them in a lot of nifty ways; and a lot of them cost about the same as those cheap ugly uncanny valley statues shat out by the millions.
At first I thought the title was going to be about your journey of self-realization that the things you don't care for anymore, or the things you never liked in the first place are cluttering up your life and you were going to go on this whole journey about removing those things and feeling less weighed down. And then realizing that so much about our lives are that way and you can strip away so much baggage by just beginning to get rid of the stuff you never cared for but others pushed on you to care about. Then I just realized you literally meant, we shouldn't like the things you don't like. DWK back at it with being deep af, then realizing it's all about funko pops
02:38 "Now that I'm a mature adult, and an intellectual, I collect figures of anime girls" This sentence right here made me pause the video just to appreciate the sentence, 10/10 brilliant
We always knew he was a man of culture.
@@jaxerman5965 Pfft he can never get away from little girls shows and colored magical pastel horses...
jk jk
If anyone knows how to discern figurine quality, it's an ex-brony who got a little too into figure collecting.
>ex-brony
you can't leave the herd.
@@tomokokuroki2506 blood in, blood out. We’ll find him eventually. Then he’s going straight into the jizz jar.
@@tomokokuroki2506 you can leave if you bring enough gems and cut a part of your left hoof.
You'll probably have to fight Kuze tho.
Wait what was I talking about?!
@@tomokokuroki2506 He's desperately fighting off the news of G5
I think he's only stepping away from the fandom to focus on his new channel. He's still a brony in the heart
I remember your hatred over the Equestrian Girls figures. Still valid to this day.
He hated the dolls. Loved the Minis. The original Minis. Don't know about the cost cutting versions that came later.
The og minis were great compared to the original eqg (peices of fucking goddamn little pieces of fucking bullshit)
@@MotoroidARFC I want two Minis. Kotobukiyas are fucking incredible
@@Lucios1995 I love Kotobukiya's
The amount of mental breakdowns in this video over small plastic figurines had me in tears. Another great video.
Metal breakdowns
It's when someone listens to metal for such a long time that they breakdown over it. Totally intentional.
Time spent on video (probably):
Recording: 10%
Editing: 20%
Perfectly posing anime figures for photoshoot: 70% xD
Is “stop liking things I don’t like” going to be a regular series? I sure hope so
Hey kids! Get hyped for the latest new funko pop figure: "Absolute Unit," with variant figures of DWK brony, spaghettimancer, and limited edition Crankubus witch rapper. *Get yours today!*
Where has the term "Witch Rapper" been all my life?
6:28 "It both is the burger, and it like the burger!"
-Nathan, Drawfee
Burgoo King reigns supreme
Food that wanted to eat itself or canableize its own kind always gave me the whillies.
Even at eleven bucks they are almost criminally overpriced. A 3D printer will churn those things out for pennies.
Might take some time to paint but yes.just get a 3d printer and mass produce them and sell them for money and get more 3d printers and get even more money by selling them
That's the point. They use the same freaking mold for every figurine so it's even cheaper to produce.
As someone who works at a place where you stop for games, I feel and appreciate this video on a spiritual level
11 bucks a …. piece.
God, you kill me, my dude. you. kill. me.
I fist!
As count dooku once said, "I've been looking forward to this."
So glad I clicked. You dont even need to be cohesive to be entertaining but god damn when you find a topic that you can get fiery about your proceeding ramble is gold.
You really should get back into HQ. The animated Harley Quinn series is FANTASTIC for you!
yeah I liked most of it and I dislike DC
She's definitely become the Deadpool of DC
I actually watched the first two seasons and enjoyed it. It’s the one thing that gives me hope for the character.
@@absoluteunit30 Awesome! It feels a bit like your kinda humor. I love their version of Clayface. lol
@@absoluteunit30 I am real mad they did Kite Man dirty though. If you read comics there have been some great Harley Quinn miniseries in their Black Label imprint. Some are fun romps others dark as hell.
To top off the overall “consume product” and cheapness of these things, 90% people I’ve seen who own some, just leave them in the box….why? If I buy a figurine, I’m taking it out and putting it on display so either myself or others can see and enjoy it. To just leave it in the box….to me just defeats the purpose. If it’s so people know who the character is, then as you say maybe funko should make the characters distinctive enough to be able to tell without a big fuck off label. If it’s for “collective” purposes? I guess, but there’s probably thousands upon thousands of that same figure out there so again, what’s the point? Its never gonna be worth more than the $11 dollar price tag. Not to shit on anyone who enjoys them, I just think they are pointless.
I take mine out of the boxes, I don't give a shit if one day they go up 10x the value. Whatever man, I didn't buy them to later flip them for profit, I bought them as little collectibles that make my room look slightly cooler.
I keep mine in the box LITERALLY only because they’re notorious for falling over despite their design looking like they’d stand on their own
I think I don't like Funko because they started their company as "collectibles." In my opinion collectibles are something that become a collectible through time or when they are exclusive. Pokemon cards for example were just playing cards at one point and now they have become collectibles (certain ones of course). But Funko insists on itself being collectible.
I think that's why they feel so soulless. They're designed to be generically appealing and cohesive so people will buy a lot. They're not interesting designs in their own right. It's the merchandise equivalent of a movie that makes pop culture references and expecting you to get excited because you recognize the reference, but they don't do anything interesting or cool with them.
Oxymoron
I get like 3 of these every Christmas and I’m too scared to say I don’t like them. It’s like how you always say you like your haircut no matter what your hair looks like after the cut.
At least your hair grows back.
I get them as gifts as well. Although I do have a few that I actually like, I'm not big on them as a whole so covertly sell/donate most of what I get at the first opportunity.
4:22 That's actually the reason I only buy the ones of visually distinct characters. One that you can look at, and instantly make that connection in your head that this figure is that character. Like it'd be really hard to not recognize Skeletor even in that form.
The pictures of the posed anime figures had me rolling. Thank you, I needed that laugh.
My figmas like to party.
1:57 I laughed so hard at the REEEEEEE box I had to pause the video. Absolutely fantastic.
I think it's great how you genuinely analyze your analysis with the subtitles, on top of it functioning as a gag of sorts. Been listening since near the beginning of you producing content and appreciate all the many laughs and harsh but true realism.
Immediately after this video ended, I got an ad for Funko Pops. 😂
When these first came out years ago, I thought "Oh, that's a neat little representation of [whatever the first ones were representing]. Maybe I'll buy one if they have a character I like." Then...then they exploded like a cholera outbreak in late 18th Century tightly-hewn European cities. They were (and still are) everywhere. I was just at a pop culture convention, and I swear they made up half the vendor hall. And...you're right. Half the time I can't even tell who it's supposed to be. Admittedly I can't figure out who 99% of anime figures are, but that's because I'm not THAT horrible of a person, and have only watched like...three?
Anyway. They're everywhere, and while they're mostly innocuous, they still feel more pander-y than most merch. They feel like a fad that should have died out with fidget spinners.
Two words, beanie babies, and the cycle repeats itself in ten/twenty years pops will just be a buch of worthless crap.
I always just pictured them as the entry level collector item.
Something you buy after seeing something cool and storing a memory in.
Then when you show a collector friend he smiles and nods knowingly at your collection and you decide to buy other models from that point.
Anyway, Funko Pops exist in Denmark, but never met a guy who had more than 3-5, usally from the same series.
damn so that's why people leave their funko pops in the box. couldn't tell who they are otherwise.
Go to bed, Tomoko.
Funny enough, I could actually identify that Seinfeld one by the fact that he was holding a microphone. I remembered him having that getup when he’d do a live skit at the beginning of an episode.
As someone who has only ever purchased the Black Phillip Funko Pop in spite of never having even seen The VVitch in full, I’m glad you used him as the example at 2:55. I’d even go so far as to say that’s the only Funko Pop anyone actually needs to buy thanks to the fact that it’s a unique character who hasn’t gotten a lot of other merch.
When I see a rant like this about such a product, I can only offer two words in response to this:
Beanie Babies
Funko Pops sum up why I collect plushies instead.
Plushies can be show accurate, can be hugged, posed, played with, carried around as I go about my day and because they're comparatively more expensive it forces you to only buy the ones you actually want and will play with.
Funko Pops are cheap, barely resemble their source material, don't do anything, can't be played with and are as capable of standing as a drunk wasted on a bottle of absinthe.
4:50 Until he showed the box I was *sure* that figure was David Tenant as The Doctor. Admittedly I was making noodles at the time so I wasn't looking, closely enough to see that was a microphone and not a sonic screwdriver but replace that one thing and I stand by my initial impression.
For anyone wondering...Take 11 shots for this video.
Man you articulated my feelings for these perfectly.
This channel is instant, knox level, goldfinger wishes he had a piece of this GOLD!!!
I have been tempted to buy these things in the past. I always talk myself out of having to lug it around forever
This is actually fascinating about our built in facial recognition. I do this all the time and didn't even realize it. Also, I don't recognize these things as having faces, they have no mouth. They don't smile, they don't frown, they are featurelesss, emotionless dolls made of plastic.
Except that motherf***IN DEADPOOL T-REX that thing is freaking awesome BECAUSE IT HAS A MOUTH FULL OF TEETH! It does NOT have a typical Funko Pop head! It is is unique and awesome to behold. There is no shame in being both bewildered and admiring of it!
Seriously loving these. I would have never thought to look at Funko Pops from the psychological prospective you presented.
When you brought up the Seinfeld figure I legit thought it was Doctor Who, mistaking the microphone for a sonic screwdriver, which I guess just proves your point.
Glad to see I wasn't the only one
Looked like a Talk Show Host to me.
I thought it was Jim Halpert
Same.
Big ups to youtube for not notifying me a month ago, glad to see you back!
Producing only disfigured plastic waste and selling it directly to customers gotta be one of the most creative business ideas in entertainment industry
Thank you, I've always felt these things barely look like the characters they're supposed to represent, so I don't own any.
9:21 captures the problem with Funko Pops so perfectly. It's so annoying how heavily marketed, purposefully collectable, yet ultimately useless they are.
edit: A lot like pogs. Which admittedly I loved when I was a kid in the 90's.
Wow there are other people out there that knew what pogs were? Christ I feel old.
Also with people going nuts over pokemon/sports cards how did those things not resurrect?
I actually still have some of my pogs. The ones I really liked ended up in collector sheets.
Have no idea what happened to my good metal slammers though.
@@MuffinHunterX All I had were the Apollo 13 ones Hardee's were promoting along with the plastic spaceship. Sadly I think those got thrown out.
Couldn't you play a marbles-esqu game with them? 🤔
I only have five Funko Pop figures. The first two are Pokémon, the next are ponies, and the last one is one of the ring wraiths from Lord Of The
Rings. There are two reasons why I got these five pops specifically and don’t plan on getting anymore. One, their characters from franchises I really like. Now, there are a lot of franchises that I would consider myself a fan of, but Pokémon, mlp, and LOTR are easily the biggest three (with Star Wars and Godzilla sliding in there as well). Two, the characters themselves are easy to identify even with Funko’s generic style. Each of the characters either comes from a franchise with already cartoonish proportions and designs or is easily recognized by their unique characteristics. In a sense, the five I have are from things I love and are easily recognizable even though they’re Funko Pops. They have no real value by themselves, but they go nicely along with the other merchandise I have of these franchises. That I feel like is the only reason anybody might actually like these things. They’re not good merchandise on their own, but they help strengthen an already existing collection of merchandise surrounding a specific character or franchise. If a person who doesn’t collect stuff sees a random Funko Pop, then they probably won’t have any reason to by it. However, if a person is a huge Dragon Ball fan and happens to find a Super Sayan God Goku figure sitting on a shelf in a random store, then they’ll probably by it in order to set it up next to their other Dragon Ball statues and figures. There sort of like little collection boosters, or at least that’s how I see them.
I have three. One is an Eevee that I bought for myself, before I knew there was a whole series of THESE THINGS as a product architype/fandom. It was cute, in a saccharine, disproportionate, anime way, and I still like it in isolation from the medium as a whole. And the other two were gifts for me that were obviously last-minute grabs by people who didn't know what to buy for me, but felt obligated to give me something.
For a few weeks, my local ebgames sold gundam model kits. So of course, the second all the gundam stuff gets sold, they don’t stock up on them anymore and just expand the funko pop section. I’ve seen that store slowly go from a game store to a shitty merch store to a funko pop store.
Thats most nerd stores or stores with a nerd section. And now there is an overpriced competitor called Reaction. Every IP they can get but its old 70s Kenner Star Wars figure styled. Oh and they are around 18 bucks. For crappy versions of all your favorites. When they were 10 bux they were kinda fun and amusing. Now the prices keep rising and are about what 6 inch scale figures mass market run. (Though I've heard Marvel Legends and Star Wars Black series are going up in price.)
@@CaptainRufus Yeah, figure collecting isn’t as fun as it used to be. I sometimes get in the mood to collect transformers again, but my local walmart is always under stocked or they’ve hiked up the price of figures by 10$. I liked back in the day when I could treat myself to a figure whenever I happened to pass by. Now it’s this weird thing where funko pops remain at the same price and are always stocked, while whatever figures I’m interested in are all overpriced and all get bought by scalpers the second they arrive on shelves.
I’m tired of having to play mind games with ebay neckbeards while the soulless eyes of funko pops taunt me with their availability, I just want to consoom some god damn robots.
@@Ads-yw1wr right there with you. Its not really FUN to collect this stuff now. Its an ever increasing price gouge plus endless pre order hell to own a chunk of plastic that was once supposed to be fun for kids. Not 200+ dollar nonsense that breaks if you look at it funny. A Switch lite is 200 and actually plays games. A Soul of Chogokin uhh.. collects dust? And
Man I hate those damn things too, they stare into your soul like they're judging your entire existence through those beady fuckin eyes. Nice to see ya back man, seriously. I mean you helped me a lot when ya were talking about. Well that show, seriously. I was drinking a lot back then, kinda watched all your videos. Eventually ended up sober, have been for the past year actually. So thank you for that, probably seems odd that because of your videos I turned myself around. But thank you man, wish you all the best. I'll keep watching this stuff whenever it comes out, cause you're a funny guy. The music on your music channel is pretty damn good too
I only started collecting them when they brought out the Muppet pops since Muppet merch just doesn't exist in Australia and then Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock and Dark Crystal stuff followed. It if weren't for that, I never would have glanced sideways at them
I'm similar. I've got a few Adventure Time ones because I wanted Fiona and Cake and of could Funko had them when nobody else did.
I also have Bugs and Elmur in their costumes from What's Opera Doc? (It's a classic) and a few of the MLP ones, just because I think they're cute. I think the style works for them.
hell yeah
No
hell yeah
hell yeah
The reason why I have a few is because there’s a lot of properties that don’t get a lot of love and funko actually have the stuff to represent those properties and I’d only collect one out of the set that I’m getting I don’t buy whole sets.
10:50 every pothead be like 👁👄👁
Still the greatest outro of any UA-cam channel.
Another reason I hate these things is they'll often spoil important movie plot points.
Despite collecting pops, I love watching videos about people that don't like them. Also funny thing is at 7:54 that is exactly the first pop I ever bought.
I see these guys everywhere and I can't tell how I feel about them. They simply confuse me.
On one hand we have a company that will produce anything and everything, having trouble finding a character? It's there.
But then there is also how soulless and lifeless every figure seems to be, it's there but is it good? Probably not.
I have one rule: if I want to buy a Pop it has to be a monster to account for the soulless eyes.
So going by this... if you can't find a good thing you at least got Funko Pop as a last-ditch option. But Funko probably wouldn't ever be the best place to go looking first.
Did you see the Dory they made for the Finding Dory movie? Thing was straight up a paralysis demon!
I have only one of these: Carmen Sandiego. And it was some sort of "special" version that had her hat and coat sparkly.
Every time I click your videos, regardless of how quickly I do, you have one downvote.
This means you've really made it! You've got someone so bored they just HAVE to dislike every vid as it arrives.
Also: I about shit myself when I looked away for one second, only to look back and see funko eyes on the dude.
Thank you for putting words to the thing I have always thought!
I can tell this series will get wild
Funko pops: *is 11 dollars*
This video: *is 11 minutes long*
Coincidence? I think not.
Another f'ing great episode....you bloody legend.
A Funko Pop makes a great gift when you don’t know what the fuck to get a person. Even if they don’t know the character, they’ll thank you for it because they’re conditioned to do so.
GODDAMMIT Now i'm getting Funko videos in my feed
I’m so sorry.
Video title: Open hatred of Funko.
UA-cam recommendations: I heard you like Funko.
funko pops fill me with immeasurable rage
So annoyed I didn't notice the premiere. Honestly I didn't know what Funko Pops were before this video. Buying these and sharing with other people seems like a cycle of advertisement, that fandom is fueling itself
Please do more videos like these. Tonkatsu is awesome, but these are great as they feel close to home. Take care.
There was a reccurring bit on a podcast by Stuart Ashens and Barry Lewis where Ashens would scour the web for Funko Pops and Barry and the rest of the crew would have to guess who the Pop was meant to be.
What is this podcast called? That sounds awesome.
@@absoluteunit30 It was called Barshens, I don't think the channel is up any longer. But, you should be able to find it by searching Ashens Funko Pop quiz (It's the first result even)
Mannn, that 'ANYWAYS' just hit all of the old good vibes.
On topic: I've never been much of a collector, but something about Funkos just...upsets me at a deep, emotional level. Like, to my core. It's something about the dull, vacant eyes. Even those half melted star wars figures you put up, they had EXPRESSIONS. Jank ones, but they had expressions..These things..it's like modern day china dolls, man...
Thanks for putting it into words.
This video is on the money DWK. I know a 38 year old guy IRL who collects these Funko Pops. I'll never understand why. The look nothing like the characters. I'd much rather get a figure that looks like the character does. These pops look so stupid too. Like they don't even look cute like some people say. What does people like this guy I know see in them. Like...fu%$.
Here's the thing. I like Funko Pops, but I'm not one of those UA-camrs with shelves and walls lined with boxes. I have about 15 I can think of without actually checking my collection, but I'm not a part of the Funko Pop community nor do I actively seek them out. As you say, they're a product that is perfectly made to ensure they're sold in mass numbers: they're cheap, have a distinct visual look, and they cover every IP and brand under the sun. I just like buying things related to things I like and with all the IPs and brands Funko has made Pops of, it's fun for me to waste a few bucks on characters I like that don't otherwise get collectibles. I also collect anime figures and absolutely love my Figmas and Nendos, but for how posable they are and all the extra faces/limbs/accessories they come with, I always just pick my favorites, pose them once, and they never change once they're on the shelf.
To answer the question, yes, I would continue buying Pops without the influence of the Funko community because that's exactly what I do now
I think the two sole redeeming factor of Pops is their cheapness and the fact they make figures for really obscure shit. Like honestly I don't really like them all that much either but if they ever did the cog bosses from Toontown or a neopet or some wild shit like that I'd just consoom, because I know that's the only bone toy companies will ever throw at me in that regard, and I think that's the mindset of the people who aren't collecting Pops as a brand.
I completely agree I think the Funko pops are just the extreme commercialization of the old school art toy that was a thing around 2006? Either way I hate them and haven't gotten the ones for some of my favorite characters because I don't like how they look.
Also I watch your videos at 1.5 x speed by the way. Glad you're back :)
Absolute Unit Funko when?
I need all variations and facial expressions IMMEDIATELY.
I only have one pop, because it captures one of my most beloved moments on television.
I have the homer Simpson Mr Sparkle!
an actual designer figure of mr sparkle would cost 100 dollars, and my little one with pop protector was around 40, so a much better deal for me, and it captures the scene perfectly.
Funko pops are like modern Beanie Babies. Idiots think they'll be valuable at some vague point and everyone else knows they're shit.
Ten bucks for suit guy
The amount of back stock we have of funko pops at my work is fucking insane but what’s more insane is that they keep selling
As someone that doesn’t collect anything because I live out of suitcases and backpacks, I can see the appeal. If I’m someone that loves anime, comics, video games, movies, and other pop culture items, I can have an eclectic collection of things that still have a central theme (even if that theme is cheap plastic blob that doesn’t do anything but sit in a box.
Yaaaay!!! Another video!
I've been waiting for so long
4:22 you know to be fair, I actually recognized Jerry the moment he apepared, just couldn't remember the name fast enough.
I guess that happens when you have a weird memory for shows and stuff or things you once saw on a regular basis. Crazy though that he got a Funko
But I get what you mean, nice video.
I personally only have 4.
Sailor Jupiter, in her signature pose, my favorite Sailor Scout, whom I identify with.
Wonder Woman, from the first live-action movie, dynamically posed with sword and shield, who I adore for her strong personality and what she stands for.
Belle, also dynamically sculpted to highlight the floaty nature of her ballgown, the first Disney Princess I identified with, having also grown up in a small town with a love of books.
Minsc and Boo, my favorite D&D character from a game that defined my teen years, Baldur's Gate 2.
I have no desire to collect any more than I already have. I bought them because I had a connection with the characters they represent, and in my eyes, this was a cheaper, more accessible way to buy figures of characters I love, rather than spending 20-30$ on something of better quality. I am a degenerate weeb, yes, but I am a broke one at that.
The problem with collecting is the subjective value we place on the item. For this reason I will probably die in a pile of awesomeness, because I can't throw it away, and giving it away takes too much time.
6:18 have they made funko of plauge dogs or warrior cats? i would be supprised either way
I doubt it, but only because those characters’ stories are more niche and, in the case of the warrior cats, lack visual media to create the sense of immediate recognizability that Funkos rely on as far as I’m aware.
@eeyorehaferbock7870 yes, it is cool to knoa of something that lacks a pop
Ahahaha...
Don't mind me, it's just that while the monologue about facial recognition went on, I only recognised character on display when small arrow pointed at the mammaries.
I personally collect specific pop figures that are characters from franchises I am a fan of. All of the ones I ha e collected so far don't use the standard pop figure guy but instead are specific sculpts for that character. I personally love the look of the figures I own. Them not being posable is weirdly a plus since there are no movement seams and the distorted look pops have I think makes them look cute and the differences they have from there original counterpart feel intentional instead of a mistake or limitation. As a note I don't engage in the pop fandom at all so I would still buy the ones I have if they were available.
Pops are to figures what Macdonald is to restaurant.
I want the REEEE Cornflakes!
I used to think that Funkos were a neat idea because there were certain characters that you would not normally be able to get figures of for many reasons (the Ren and Stimpy ones were the only set I genuinely considered buying). But you are right, in the grand scheme of things Funkos are the lowest run of the figurine ladder. I'm just glad there are no Rayman funkos because I would be compelled to buy them as a hopeless, starved collector who can only get the very limited selection of Rayman figurines/toys/models from scalpers on eBay.
Did I just join when the video started
My dad got me the only 2 funko pops I have so I will cherish them forever
I have honestly been tempted to buy one of these but that was just for a character I liked. Can't even rember which character it was now so I'm very glad I resisted.
I collect notebooks now yet cannot write in any of them 😅
These things are hideous. One time I actually got a Twilight Sparkle one free with some shirts I bought. I didn't know what to make of it. Looked like a baby Twilight with those beady little eyes that newborn foals have in the show, but it had her cutie mark. I was confused. Eventually I came to my senses and threw it away.
I don't collect Funko pops but I have picked up a couple over the years just if they amused me. I have a Jay but still need to find a Silent Bob, I've got a Vinyl Scratch, a big Discord, and a Ric Flair. Got two through Loot Crate too but that's about it and for the most part it's an, "I like that thing/franchise/whatever," thing more than the Pop figure itself.
I'm more of a poster and sticker guy myself, I could probably be convinced to get pins or cards or something of that same ilk but I haven't devolved enough to consider figurines or something as heinous as a body pillow. At least not yet anyway.
I like the Rex Deadpool, he looks really well done.
I dunno man, I recognized it was Jerry.
The only pop I ever bought was Captain Underpants. I was genuinely surprised he got one and bought it on a whim. Yeah, I’m in the middle about them. The lack of expression for some makes them look plain.
My first Pop was Hatsune Miku.
Meanwhile I'm still waiting for my $160 Princess Celestia Bishoujo figurine to arrive. WORTH IT.
Makes me glad the 1 Funko I have is Arsene from P5. They *have* to give him a lot of facial detail.
This guy. *This guy.* You are fun.
I'm a gunpla addict and I've got far too many of the things and am thinking about cramming even more onto that already overcrowded table. However those things are nifty as hell because you build them; can customize them with swappable parts, paint jobs, or full on custom builds; can pose them in a lot of nifty ways; and a lot of them cost about the same as those cheap ugly uncanny valley statues shat out by the millions.
At first I thought the title was going to be about your journey of self-realization that the things you don't care for anymore, or the things you never liked in the first place are cluttering up your life and you were going to go on this whole journey about removing those things and feeling less weighed down. And then realizing that so much about our lives are that way and you can strip away so much baggage by just beginning to get rid of the stuff you never cared for but others pushed on you to care about.
Then I just realized you literally meant, we shouldn't like the things you don't like. DWK back at it with being deep af, then realizing it's all about funko pops
Whats the deal with the sienfeld funko pop? its not fun, and the design doesnt pop!
EYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY