Japanese telecom giant NTT docomo previously collaborated with the massively popular manga "Attack on Titan" from February 15 to March 21, 2021. The partnership included a lottery event offering various prizes, such as character voice clips and signed autographs from voice actors. Crucially, winners also earned the right to purchase exclusive figures of fan-favorite characters Mikasa and Levi. However, upon the figures' shipment, docomo was met with an overwhelming wave of consumer complaints and quality control issues, ultimately forcing the company to issue a public apology and announce full refunds.
During the event, 1,000 docomo subscribers were selected to purchase the character figures. Winning participants could acquire either the Mikasa or Levi figure for 13,000 JPY. While the official prototypes released at the time weren't exceptionally intricate, they successfully captured the characters' essence and looked impressively dynamic with their Thunder Spears and Omni-directional Mobility Gear (ODM Gear).
However, as consumers began receiving their figures in early October, the stark reality of the product quality became apparent. Many reported that the figures fell far short of the 13,000 yen price point, with some even deeming them worse than typical low-cost prize figures. Issues ranged from broken parts upon arrival and large air bubbles trapped within transparent components to inexplicable paint stains. Perhaps most egregious were the facial sculpts, described by some as "swollen like after wisdom tooth extraction." The 500 customers who purchased the Levi figure were particularly dismayed, with his face being widely mocked for resembling Kawai Sora from the surreal comedy anime "Gag Manga Biyori."
進撃の巨人×docomo リヴァイ兵長フィギュアようやく届いた。
はぁ、1万2000円払って散々待たされた結果がこれか…
エフェクト折れてるし、さらに折れてる欠片はないし、
1万以上するフィギュアの出来とは思えない
あーあ、楽しみしてなのにな
残念でしかない pic.twitter.com/j65ZfpCSX4— PECOの助 (@Peconosuke22) October 7, 2021
Following the widespread outrage, affected consumers quickly organized, petitioning docomo to address the severe quality issues and demand either refunds or a complete re-production of the figures. docomo's response unfolded in stages: on October 7, they initially offered exchanges for damaged products. By October 10, the company issued an apology acknowledging the poor quality criticisms. Finally, on October 12, docomo released a formal statement of apology, committing to full refunds for all affected customers. The company, however, did not mention any plans for re-producing the figures.
via： docomo