Recently, Bandai and TAKARA TOMY, two companies considered the giants of the Japanese toy industry, dropped an industry bombshell, announcing an unprecedented and exciting dream collaboration project. The project has currently released its first promotional PV and is scheduled for official announcement on June 16th.
Bandai and TAKARA TOMY are currently Japan's two largest toy manufacturers. They rarely collaborate, maintaining a healthy competitive relationship, especially fierce in children's toys, where their rivalry often appears on Japan's annual sales charts. BANDAI primarily holds the rights to Toei's 'Big Three' — Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and Pretty Cure — with toy sales of in-show transformation items being incredibly impressive. TAKARA TOMY, in recent years, has achieved remarkable success with Pokémon toys and its original lines such as TOMICA die-cast cars, Licca-chan dolls, and Shinkalion.
However, this time, the collaboration with TAKARA TOMY is not with Bandai's main company, which produces numerous children's toys, but rather with BANDAI SPIRITS, a subsidiary spun off from Bandai in 2018. Its business scope includes Gunpla and other plastic model kits, as well as the development of finished figures under the TAMASHII NATIONS brand, such as Chogokin and S.H.Figuarts. Although the target age groups for their main products differ, TAKARA TOMY also possesses high-age-group robot toys like Transformers and Diaclone, not to mention the recently popular Shinkalion, which is also quite popular among older fans.
Looking back at this dream collaboration, despite the impactful slogan 'Dream Together,' it's truly hard to guess how this project will unfold based on the official information and PV provided so far. Of course, many fans have expressed wishes such as "Chogokin Shinkalion" or "Transformers plastic model kits." Whether these ideas will come true awaits the official announcement on the 16th.
via： タカラトミー Business Journal