One Piece Figurines Help S’pore Otakus Relive The Glory Days Of Anime
Work From Home (WFH) arrangements may allow us to get additional minutes of precious shut-eye in the morning.
But for every minute of sleep that we ‘gain’, some of us correspondingly gain a few millimetres around our bellies due to the proximity of our home pantry’s snacks.
Packing on WFH pounds by yourself isn’t great, but when your favourite anime characters are in the same predicament, it might not feel that bad after all.
Image courtesy of Premium Bandai
This project – in collaboration with Solis – have recently launched the Bustercall figurine collection featuring chonky versions of popular One Piece (OP) characters like Luffy and Chopper.
Pre-orders have already started for these exclusive merch, but first, a preview of what to expect.
Chunky Luffy loves to feast after hard-won battles
We all know that Captain Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates loves having a feast after a hard-won battle. Here, Luffy seems to be in the midst of wolfing down 2 chicken drumlets he’s holding firmly onto.
Luffy’s body – including his stomach – might be made of rubber, but his expression suggests that a food coma has already begun settling in. In fact, he’s clearly forgotten about the sauce stain next to his mouth as he revels in the moment.
Luffy might be close to becoming one of the Yonkos, but he ain’t going to allow some unglammess to stop him from enjoying his food.
Alex Solis, the figurine’s artist, was inspired by the various forms Luffy has taken — like his Fourth Gear Boundman technique to defeat larger opponents.
Despite measuring just 21cm in height, we love that details are clearly not compromised — from the ‘X’ scar on Luffy’s chest to the textured straw hat atop his head.
Chunky Monkey.D.Luffy Figure
Height: 21cm
Price: S$165
Artist: Alex Solis (USA)
Pre-order your Chunky Luffy here.
Don’t be fooled by Chopper’s small frame
Chopper the racoon dog reindeer may look pretty unassuming with his small frame, but when he lets loose at a buffet, his beastly appetite will shock even the giants of Elbaf.
Our doctors would normally warn us against consuming too much ice cream. As a devil fruit user, however, perhaps its anatomy’s a little different.
For his Bustercall figurine, Chopper packs a punch with a bulging stomach and limbs as he chows down on a multi-layered popsicle.
There’s always room to spare for dessert of course, even after an 812,371,231-course meal on the Thousand Sunny.
True to his size in the series, Chopper’s figurine is slightly smaller than Luffy’s, proudly standing at 18cm. We continue to wonder how his iconic blue top hat remains firmly on his head despite his chubby cheeks.
Chunky Tony Tony.Chopper Figure
Height: 18cm
Price: S$165
Artist: Alex Solis (USA)
Pre-order your Chunky Chopper here.
Devilishly sleek Nami with a svelte figure
All of us know at least one person in the clique who never packs on the pounds despite snacking round the clock — aka someone who suffers no consequences for his or her gluttony.
Among the Straw Hat Pirates, that individual is none other than Nami, the diva and navigator of the crew.
Nami’s svelte figurine sports a crimson tail and a pair of horns. Her usual Clima-Tact weapon has also been replaced with an intricate forked trident.
The intricate model is created by Saori Ishizaka, a Japanese artist renowned for her original garage kit figures in an authentic Ishizaka-style design.
Fans who have followed the OP series for decades might even realise that several tattoos have been added to Nami’s left arm, one of which is the symbol of Belly – the currency in OP – aptly representing her obsession for money.
Devilish Nami Figure
Height: 11.5cm
Price: S$103
Artist: Saori Ishizaki (Japan)
Pre-order your cheeky Nami here.
‘Bustercall Project’ reinvents One Piece for a brave new generation
The ‘Bustercall Project’ is collaborating with Japanese & global artists to reinvent the One Piece series that has accompanied many of us from our teenage years to adulthood.
Working with highly-acclaimed artists all around the world, the project hopes to help us fall in love all over again with the beloved anime and manga.
The project will feature 2 artists for its first wave of creations:
- Alex Solis (USA)
- Saori Ishizaki (Japan)
Saori Ishizaki (left), Alex Solis (right)
Image courtesy of Premium Bandai
If you’re a bona fide One Piece fan, do stay tuned for more updates on future releases via Premium Bandai’s website.
One Piece figurines available for pre-order till 4 Jan 2021
The figurines featured in this article are available for pre-order from now till 4 Jan 2021 via Premium Bandai.
Shipping them right to your doorstep in Singapore will come at a flat fee of approximately S$12, so we recommend collating your orders with your nakamas to save some bucks.
Do note that your selected chunky Luffy, Chopper, or svelte Nami figurines will ship out approximately around Aug 2021.
Thankful for ending 2020 in One Piece
During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us have turned to catching up on animes we used to watch during our childhood years.
These chonky & adorable Bustercall Project figurines may be a new take on the characters we’re familiar with, but we think that’s emblematic of how things are in life.
Our heroes from years past may have evolved over the years, but they nonetheless hold a special place in our hearts, thanks to our fond memories & lessons learnt from the inspiring tales they were part of.
2020 has been a difficult year for many of us, but hopefully, with our trusty nakamas, we’ll see through the rest of the year in One Piece and usher in a brand new 2021.
This post is brought to you in collaboration with Premium Bandai Singapore.
Featured image courtesy of Premium Bandai.
