Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Since the March 11th earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, there have been a number of charity projects targeted specifically at raising much-needed funds and support for disaster survivors. Giant Robot has written about one of the most notable, 2:46: Aftershocks (Quakebook), and one of the newest, Kizuna: Fiction for Japan. And you are strongly encouraged to support these projects and their worthy causes by buying a copy of both Quakebook and Kizuna. Both books are quite different and remarkable. But if you want to donate to Japan disaster relief in a way that appeals to your inner (or outer) child’s love of toys, there’s another way you can help: click on over to Singapore toy company Play Imaginative’s website and buy yourself a Supporto-fu figure. Designed by Japanese toy designers Devilrobots and manufactured by Play Imaginative, Supporto-fu is a happy little four-inch figure whose message is “Little help from everyone can put smile on everyone’s face”. Supporto-fu will cost you U.S. $16 (excluding shipping), and all the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Singapore Red Cross for the 2011 Japan Disaster Relief Fund. The figure is limited to 1,000 pieces, but Play Imaginative spokesman Jacky Teo estimates around 450 of the figures remain in stock. Supporto-fu is a marvelous little toy figure (this writer’s is pictured above) that really will put a smile on your face. And he’s a must for Devilrobots fans. But the really wonderful thing about Supporto-fu is every time you look at him or play with him, you’ll know you did something to help “put smile on everyone’s face”. Play Imaginative’s Supporto-fu page, which includes figure artwork and ordering information, is here.
Continue reading
Toys at Comic Con. Photos by Oscar Rios!
More photos below!
“It wouldn’t be a Japanese toy show without its fair share of Anpanman, Disney, Hello Kitty and all the other character favorites with their own games, toys and digital fluffiness.” Sadly, the International Tokyo Toy Show, which was held last weekend, is over. Happily, we can bring you a couple of links which highlight some of the more interesting and innovative toys and gadgets featured at the show. One of the more nifty categories of toy-slash-gadget product is the iPhone/iPad pet app category. These are apps which are more than apps, because when you buy one and activate it, your virtual pet will complain of cold and discomfort until you wrap your iPhone or iPad in a warm, fuzzy app-specific accessory. And the accessories, of course, are additional purchases, so you can immediately see the clever yet predictable business model for this type of product. Another product we want to try (which is unfairly aimed only at kids, of course) is Takara Tomy’s foaming green bubble bath slime. It’s designed to turn your average Japanese kid’s bath tub into a big, foaming, slimy experiment, which will hopefully stimulate an interest in science as well as get all those human nooks and crannies clean. It will be interesting to see how long it takes some of these products to reach the U.S. and Europe, if they ever do. But we’re really hoping we can get the green bath slime at the local Long’s or Walgreens pretty soon (CNNGo – Best of Tokyo Toys) Japan Trends has a little more coverage and lists a few more product highlights – Japan Trends Toy Report.
Continue reading
What’s the point of this?! Ninjas, slanty eyes, useless kanji, and “From The Forbidden City.” In the words of Ed Lin, C’mon Vending Machine people!
Continue reading
When times are tough, Giant Robot works harder to bring the best in asian pop culture and awesome merchandise! Working hard at Giant Robot throughout the week, I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend of doing ….NOTHING. And the best way to do nothing is to plop down on my bed and doze off in a huge pile of pillows and plushes! I’ve collected so many plushes, and I’ve learned that they make the best pillows. Recently, Giant Robot has received so many new plush dolls with each one more cuddly and soft than the previous. Click the photo above or the link below in order to check out all of our plush dolls: Giant Robot – Plushes Don’t forget to check out the recent introduction of the plush Pecanpals to our online store! These plush dolls are the newest release from Noferin, the creators of Jibibuts! The Pecanpals are characters that live on Carrara Island, an island that rises majestically from the Pacific Ocean with sharp mountain peaks on one side and thickly forested plains on the other. These characters have so many stories waiting for them! But in the meantime, these super soft plushes are available for everyone to enjoy!
Continue reading