Japanese toy brand T-ARTS, under the TAKARA TOMY company, is set to release an absolutely fantastic turtle-themed gashapon in mid-September 2024: the "Continent Turtle" (tentative translation, Tairiku Game)! There are 6 different styles to collect, with a suggested retail price of 300 Japanese Yen per capsule.
The romantic notion that "the continents we inhabit are actually super-giant turtles" has appeared in various forms in many legends and stories. For instance, in the later stages of the "Naruto" storyline, the "Cloud Ninja Village Secret Island," where the Allied Shinobi Forces decided to hide the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, was an enormous turtle comparable in size to an island.
This gashapon series also adopts this concept, combining "Tairiku" (continent) with "Rikugame" (land turtle) to create six distinct "Continent Turtle" designs! What's fascinating is that not only are the turtles painted and their backs sculpted to reflect the characteristics of each continent, but even the heads of the Continent Turtles themselves feature corresponding designs, wearing helmets, crowns, Moai headpieces, and more – it's incredibly fun! The detail work is also excellent, with the land turtles' heads and limbs meticulously sculpted and painted with a lifelike, organic feel.
■ African Continent Turtle (Africa Tairiku Game)
Featuring ancient Egyptian pyramid ruins and a baobab tree with a very thick trunk, the land turtle itself wears a pharaoh's crown on its head.
■ North American Continent Turtle (North America Tairiku Game)
Carrying the free-spirited North American metropolis, it not only has a Statue of Liberty on its back, but the Continent Turtle's head also wears a Statue of Liberty crown, appearing to be a free-spirited turtle that would rather die than be unfree.
■ Antarctic Continent Turtle (Antarctica Tairiku Game)
Next is a land turtle painted entirely in blue, bearing the Antarctic continent on its back. Penguins and a winter hat are charming elements; however, the melting iceberg on its back conveys a sense of crisis regarding global warming.
■ Eurasian Continent Turtle (Eurasia Tairiku Game)
Then comes the Eurasian Continent Turtle, a fusion of European and Asian cultures, boasting exceptional diversity. Its back features the Roman Colosseum, the Great Wall, and a torii gate rich in Japanese cultural characteristics, while the Continent Turtle's head wears a gladiator's helmet – super cool!
■ Australian Continent Turtle (Australia Tairiku Game)
Its back features kangaroos and the "Uluru" (Ayers Rock), the "navel of the world," and that koala headpiece is just too adorable!
■ South American Continent Turtle (South America Tairiku Game)
Finally, there's the South American Continent Turtle, imbued with an air of mystery, featuring ancient ruins and Moai statues on its back, and even wearing a hilarious Moai headpiece.
Tairiku Game - Continent Turtle -
Suggested Retail Price: ¥300 / capsule, Product Size: Approximately 6.5 cm, Total of 6 styles, Estimated Release Date: Mid-September 2024
Source: HOBBY Watch