Chogokin
Encyclopedia
is Japanese
for "Super Alloy" and is a fictitious material which first appeared in Go Nagai
's Mazinger Z
manga and anime. It was later adopted by Popy
in 1972 as the name of a new line of die-cast metal robot
and character toy
s sold in Japan. The first of these toys was the "GA-01" Mazinger Z, which, in spite of questionable engineering that led Popy to offer a free replacement campaign, ignited a craze that changed the face of the Japanese toy industry in the 1970s. Bandai
, the parent company of Popy, continues the Chogokin line to this day, branded under their own name.
Many of these toys were re-released in the United States
. Mattel
sold a selection of Chogokin toys under the name Shogun Warriors
in the late-1970s. Bandai America sold other Chogokin toys under the Godaikin
line in the early-1980s. In the wake of a 1979 rumor of a boy choking to death on a missile fired from a Battlestar Galactica
toy manufactured by Mattel, many of the later Shogun Warriors toys were modified to launch "child-safe" projectiles that would not injure children. The Godaikin releases were apparently targeted at an older audience and, as such, were largely identical to the original Japanese releases.
and ABS
plastic becoming the only materials used in most cases. Chogokin toys produced today are usually fairly expensive, high-quality items aimed at collectors.
Bandai's Soul of Chogokin
line is probably the most famous example of this trend, featuring updated versions of many toys first made by Popy in the 70s and 80s. The first SOC released was an updated Mazinger Z, and many other classic designs followed. The line is still going and has been recently expanded to include more modern robots, some of which did not have a pre-existing Chogokin toy. It is also a way to create new, more easily available mecha toys for older shows such as Dancouga- Super Beast Machine God and the Leopaldon from Spider-Man
.
Debuting in 2000, the Souchaku Henshin series (also known as Armor Trans) is another contemporary Bandai line under the Chogokin banner. These action figures are made to a 5-inch scale, and feature tokusatsu
characters from Kamen Rider
, Metal Hero Series, and GARO
. Souchaku Henshin figures feature multiple points of articulation, removable armor, and contain die-cast parts. Much like Soul of Chogokin, Souchaku Henshin features both recent characters as well as updates to classic ones.
In 2010, Bandai introduced Super Robot Chogokin
, which is an affordable alternative to Soul of Chogokin. The SRC figures measure at approximately 140mm (14 cm) in height and have less die-cast parts, but boast more articulation and have a wider range of accessory options. The toy line not only features traditional robots such as Mazinger Z and Brave Reideen
, but also robots from The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
, Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
and the Super Sentai
series.
for Japanese toys similar in style or construction to true Chogokin toys. Other companies have also used the "-gokin" suffix, such as Takatoku Toys
' Z-Gokin or Max Factory's Max Gokin line.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
for "Super Alloy" and is a fictitious material which first appeared in Go Nagai
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
's Mazinger Z
Mazinger Z
, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
manga and anime. It was later adopted by Popy
Popy
Popy Popy Popy (ポピー）was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971, and merged back into the parent company in 1983...
in 1972 as the name of a new line of die-cast metal robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
and character toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s sold in Japan. The first of these toys was the "GA-01" Mazinger Z, which, in spite of questionable engineering that led Popy to offer a free replacement campaign, ignited a craze that changed the face of the Japanese toy industry in the 1970s. Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
, the parent company of Popy, continues the Chogokin line to this day, branded under their own name.
Vintage Chogokin
Chogokin toys were generally produced in ST and or DX sizes. ST is short for "standard" and is usually in the range of 5" in height. DX is short for "deluxe" and is usually much larger. In addition to the larger size, the DX versions usually came with more features such as separating parts and more complex weaponry, usually with launching projectiles.Many of these toys were re-released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
sold a selection of Chogokin toys under the name Shogun Warriors
Shogun Warriors
The Shogun Warriors were the central characters of a line of toys licensed by Mattel Inc. during the late 1970s that consisted of a series of imported Japanese robots based on the then popular anime shows featuring giant robots...
in the late-1970s. Bandai America sold other Chogokin toys under the Godaikin
Godaikin
Godaikin or GoDaiKin was a line of Super Robot toys released by Bandai America from 1982 to 1985, composed of figures from Popy series such as Chogokin and Popinika.-History:...
line in the early-1980s. In the wake of a 1979 rumor of a boy choking to death on a missile fired from a Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
toy manufactured by Mattel, many of the later Shogun Warriors toys were modified to launch "child-safe" projectiles that would not injure children. The Godaikin releases were apparently targeted at an older audience and, as such, were largely identical to the original Japanese releases.
Modern Chogokin
The use of die-cast metal in mass-market robot toys declined greatly after the 1980s, with PVCPolyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
and ABS
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a common thermoplastic. Its melting point is approximately 105 °C ....
plastic becoming the only materials used in most cases. Chogokin toys produced today are usually fairly expensive, high-quality items aimed at collectors.
Bandai's Soul of Chogokin
Soul of Chogokin
or "Soul of Super-alloy", is a popular line of adult collector's toys produced by the Japanese company Bandai.The line, which began in 1997, focuses almost exclusively on mecha taken from various 70's/80's anime series, although the line has diverged from this on a number of occasions, most...
line is probably the most famous example of this trend, featuring updated versions of many toys first made by Popy in the 70s and 80s. The first SOC released was an updated Mazinger Z, and many other classic designs followed. The line is still going and has been recently expanded to include more modern robots, some of which did not have a pre-existing Chogokin toy. It is also a way to create new, more easily available mecha toys for older shows such as Dancouga- Super Beast Machine God and the Leopaldon from Spider-Man
Spider-Man (tokusatsu)
is a Japanese live-action television series produced by Toei Company, loosely based on Marvel's Spider-Man character. The series lasted 41 episodes, which aired on the Wednesday 19:30 JST time slot of Tokyo Channel 12 from May 17, 1978, to March 14, 1979. A theatrical episode was also shown in the...
.
Debuting in 2000, the Souchaku Henshin series (also known as Armor Trans) is another contemporary Bandai line under the Chogokin banner. These action figures are made to a 5-inch scale, and feature tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
characters from Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
, Metal Hero Series, and GARO
GARO
, sometimes referred to as , is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 7, 2005 to March 31, 2006, lasting 25 episodes .On December 15 and December 22, 2006, a special entitled Garo Special: Beast of the Midnight Sun aired...
. Souchaku Henshin figures feature multiple points of articulation, removable armor, and contain die-cast parts. Much like Soul of Chogokin, Souchaku Henshin features both recent characters as well as updates to classic ones.
In 2010, Bandai introduced Super Robot Chogokin
Super robot chogokin
, is Bandai's robot toy line-up diverse from the popular Soul of Chogokin franchise, first introduced in August 2010. Despite being under the Soul of Chogokin family, the major difference is the size - only scaling around 140mm...
, which is an affordable alternative to Soul of Chogokin. The SRC figures measure at approximately 140mm (14 cm) in height and have less die-cast parts, but boast more articulation and have a wider range of accessory options. The toy line not only features traditional robots such as Mazinger Z and Brave Reideen
Brave Raideen
is a super robot anime series. Produced by Tohokushinsha, Asahi News Agency and Sunrise, it aired on NET from 4 April 1975 to 26 March 1976, with a total of 50 episodes...
, but also robots from The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
is an anime television series series begun in 1997, created by Sunrise's internal "Studio 7" under the direction of Yoshitomo Yonetani, and was the eighth and final in the Yūsha metaseries funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise.- Plot :...
, Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance, developed and published by Banpresto in Japan, and later localized by Atlus in North America....
and the Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
series.
Pseudo-gokins
Due to success and notoriety in the toy collecting hobby, the term "chogokin" has become somewhat of a generic descriptorGenericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
for Japanese toys similar in style or construction to true Chogokin toys. Other companies have also used the "-gokin" suffix, such as Takatoku Toys
Takatoku Toys
Takatoku toys was a Japanese toy company active during the 1970s and 1980s. While responsible for many robots, action-figures and vehicles, they are today mainly known for making the original Macross toys....
' Z-Gokin or Max Factory's Max Gokin line.
External links
- The ToyboxDX guide to Chogokin and Popinica
- Zinc Panic, a popular website with a Japanese toy database, with pictures of many Chogokin.
- Super #1 Robot, a book covering Chogokin and other Japanese diecast toys.
- CollectionDX, a Japanese toy web site with many Chogokin Reviews
- Super7 Magazine, a print publication dedicated to Japanese Toy culture, including die-cast, vinyl, vintage and new Japanese toys.
- Chogokin.net, a listing of Chogokin toys from 1974 to 2006
- Robot-Japan, a robot picture encyclopedia for Japanese toys.