One of Shonen's Manliest Series Is Getting an $8,000 Collectible

By Evan Valentine

Plenty of anime franchises have received strange merchandise in the past, from Gundam sardines to Attack on Titan toothpaste to Neon Genesis Evangelion shaving kits, but one anime franchise that has long been a part of the medium recently had the opportunity to blow these examples away via a recreation of one of its biggest trophies. Kinnikuman, often referred to as Ultimate Muscle here in the West, has gone a long way toward recreating its legendary trophy that so many fighters clamored for within the series, and it will cost fans of the series a pretty penny if they're looking to buy it.

First beginning in 1979, Kinnikuman follows the story of fighter Suguru Kinniku who discovers that he is actually an alien prince from a planet known for creating the greatest superheroes of the universe. With Suguru himself hardly able to call himself a tactical hero in the same rights as some of the other major crime fighters of this world, Kinnikuman is tasked with proving himself in the ring before he is able to take his rightful place and ascend the throne. While the original run of the series ended in 1987, it did receive countless anime episodes and movies, with a new series beginning in 2011 and continuing to this day.

The merchandise in question is actually the trophy lodged within the top of "Tournament Mountain", which can only be taken from the environment by a tag team that is able to work well with one another and who are able to possess true teamwork. Only five of these life-sized trophies will be made and they will retail for around $8,000 USD and the anime franchise shared a first look at the life-sized trophy:

castem.jpg
(Photo: Castem)

The creator of the series, Takashi Shimada, had this to say about the life-sized recreation of the wild trophy:

"Tag team trophies strike a chord with pro-wrestling fans and boys, so just looking at one can cause excitement. I think I want one too. Please get one!"

The producers of this trophy, Castem, will also be making much smaller versions that will not have a limit in terms of overall numbers, which fans will be able to pick up for around $252 USD each. 

What do you think of this wild giant trophy from the hard-hitting Kinnikuman series? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and life-sized trophies. 

Via Sora News 24

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