Anime has never been more popular, so it should come as no surprise that plenty of franchises are looking to capitalize on the skyrocketing interest in the medium. On top of releasing plenty of new television and movie properties, more and more franchises are expanding on their merchandise options worldwide. In a wild twist, one of the classic shonen series that helped the medium get its start is going big with one of its wildest pieces of merch that we’ve ever seen. If you’re a real fan of Fist of the North Star and have the funds to prove it, the series is giving you your chance.
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Beginning on June 3rd in Japan, the Matsuzakaya Department Store will house a 6-foot, 4-inch recreation of Fist of the North Star’s Kenshiro. What makes this statue all the more surprising isn’t just its life-sized proportions, but also the fact that it is made entirely of gold as a part of the “Great Gold Exhibition.” The price of the anime recreation will be 44 million Japanese Yen, which translates to over $275,000 dollars in American currency. If you don’t have the funds for this life-sized statue, the retailer is also creating a smaller iteration that stands at 4.3 inches, but still carries a hefty price tag thanks to its golden stature. The smaller Kenshiro will retail for over $31,000 USD. You can check out a look at the wild gold recreation below.
Fist of the North Star’s Anime Reign
Fist of the North Star has been a major part of the anime world since it first debuted as a manga by the creator Buronson in 1983. Quickly receiving an anime adaptation the year after, the hyper-violent series received one hundred and nine episodes in its original show before coming to a close. It would then receive a sequel series quickly after in 1986, before receiving new anime series and films over the decades. The franchise even received a Western live-action adaptation in 1995, though fans unanimously agree that its quality was far below the likes of Netflix’s One Piece. Earlier this year, Toei returned to the series to create a brand new remake of the original series, using CG animation to detail Kenshiro’s brutal story.
The first season of Fist of the North Star’s recent remake is set to end once its twelfth episode lands, though there is plenty more material to cover if it is looking to hit the same length as its forebearer. For those who haven’t had the chance to experience the series at all, it takes place in a dystopian future that is akin to a franchise like Mad Max, with warlords and roaming gangs ruling a barren wasteland. The main star, Kenshiro, has a martial arts technique that allows him to kill opponents with a series of blows, making for a blood-soaked romp of an anime franchise.
What do you think of this wild merch? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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