Toy collectors all around know about the beauty that is Tamashii Nations and their Bandai Namco-focused collectibles and figures. Almost every convention or big event surrounding anime has had a Tamashii Nations vendor of some sort and it makes sense, this brand has been around for 15 years, and with such a milestone, a big celebration was bound to come with it.
Tamashii Nations is having a 15th Anniversary World Tour event—going to places like Paris, Mexico City, Shanghai, and Tokyo—and one of the places we were able to visit here at Honey’s Anime took place in the heart of NYC! Set in one of the biggest and brightest train hubs, Grand Central Station, Tamashii Nations set up a pretty incredible little area filled with previously released figures/statues and upcoming ones as well as exclusives. We went for a little over an hour as press but we got to scour the area and we have much to share with you readers before the event leaves NYC on April 30th! Here are our impressions of Tamashii Nations' 15th Anniversary World Tour and why you should go if you live near any of these areas ASAP!
The Beloved Classics and Modern Hits Come Together!
Upon entering the small section of the Tamashii Nations 15th Anniversary World Tour stall, we were instantly greeted by full-sized statues of Gohan donning his training gear from his mentor Piccolo, Luffy ready for an adventure, and the “family of three” from Spy X Family! The beauty of this event is that it catered to not just new fans of modern series like Jujutsu Kaisen or Chainsaw Man but the legendary franchises like Macross, Evangelion, Dragon Ball Z, and the list goes on. Settled in nice see-through cubes, toys from these various series were adorned in various poses and it was a trip down memory lane as we saw the numerous Gundam/Mobile Suits posing for fans and even seeing the newer figures like Griffith from Berserk and Berserker Armor wearing Guts. We’ve included some of these images just to give you folks an idea of what we viewed and what you can expect to release sooner than you realize!
Small Spot, Large Area
We briefly spoke with two Bandai Namco representatives David Edmundson—Marketing Director—and Justin Cavender—Senior Marketing Manager—about why they felt Grand Central Station was an ideal spot for Tamashii Nations' 15th Anniversary World Tour pop-up event. More or less they described the area as being an ideal area for not only traffic—since this is one of the more busy stations in all of NYC—but because it has an air to it that just makes it feel…well grand!
We couldn’t agree more with their logic as Grand Central Station—especially with all the additions from the LIRR services—has made this hub even busier and more beautiful than ever before. Justin even provided us with some images—which we’ve used for this article—to show just how much traffic was awaiting those who wanted to nab some merchandise and see the exhibit on the first day at 10 am! Needless to say, leave it to New Yorkers and the like to show their love for all things otaku!
The Exclusives Were Worth Every Cent!
Being such a big event the Tamashii Nations 15th Anniversary World Tour was obviously going to have some exclusive merchandise and wow…the exclusives were nothing to joke about. They had some exclusive Ultraman toys, several Gundam, and plenty of mecha from old and new franchises just waiting to be bought! We can’t deny we left Tamashii Nations 15th Anniversary World Tour with some exclusives ourselves and Justin Cavender was even kind enough to offer all press some exclusive goodies that we took some photos of! The fact that the press was even offered a line to buy products around the time the public was coming in was very kind and fair to ensure no one got too far ahead of those waiting for hours!
Toy Fans, Go SOON!!!
Tamashii Nations 15th Anniversary World Tour won’t be around forever sadly as it ends on April 30th and that means you won’t have long to go! Even if you’re a newcomer to the world of anime or really just like the toys and want to place various mechs in fighting positions in your cabinet of choice, Tamashii Nations 15th Anniversary World Tour was a nice place to feel your fandom come to life in a safe environment! The toys/figures/statues were all reasonably priced—some of the bigger ones obviously will set you back more but their quality is worth it—and we think it has just a bit of everything whether you love Naruto over Bleach and/or just want a new version of Super Saiyan Goku to proudly stand above all others. With only a few days left, go to this event, get some merch, and meet others who probably love the same stuff as you do!
Final Thoughts
We weren’t at Tamashii Nations 15th Anniversary World Tour for long but for some reason even now we’re still thinking about the various toys we saw and if our wallets can afford them! We’d once again love to thank all those involved that made this event possible and that opened their doors to us here at Honey’s Anime making the entire experience fun and welcoming! We hope the rest of Tamashii Nations' 15th Anniversary World Tour will go without a hitch and bring more joy to fellow collectors the world over as it did for us today!
Did any of you readers go to Tamashii Nations 15th Anniversary World Tour in NYC and did you nab anything noteworthy?! Let us know via the comments below as we love to hear from our fellow collectors! Keep stuck to our toy-loving hive here at Honey’s Anime for even more event-related articles and all things otaku!
Author: Aaron