One of the most exciting aspects about living in Japan is that there are a wide variety of events available. Whether you’re a fan of cosplay, passionate figure collector, or a gaming connoisseur, Japan has it all for you! Good Smile Company is one of Japan’s largest distributors of popular figurine merchandise and caters their brand across the globe. We had the opportunity on behalf of Good Smile Company to attend the WonHobby Gallery 2019 Spring event, which took place in Akihabara this past weekend. The event lasted for two days and showcased products ranging from the popular Nendoroids to surprise figures that those in attendance were excited to see. For us, collecting figures isn’t just a wonderful hobby but a lifestyle, and we’re going to share our experiences with you!
Basic Information
| Good Smile Company Presents: WonHobby Gallery 2019 Spring: | http://special.goodsmile.info/whg_2019_spring/ |
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| Length of event: | May 25th - May 26th |
| Location: | Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan |
| Admission: | FREE! |
What to Expect
WonHobby Gallery 2019 Spring is especially catered to those who are aficionados of the figurine culture, but even those who are totally foreign to the lifestyle can still be enchanted by all of the beautifully crafted designs. Since the event is free just about anyone can attend it, which is great because it helps to expand the culture, inviting new and old people together under one roof to celebrate all these characters. For many newcomers, making their way into the scene and collecting figurines can be quite expensive and oftentimes a bit intimidating, especially since a lot of care must be placed towards ensuring pristine quality of their items. Good Smile Company does a great job however of marketing goods in a variety of ways, showcasing figurines that not only are inexpensive but still maintain quality of the highest degree. This means that, if you’re new to the scene and want to start collecting, visiting WonHobby Gallery 2019 Spring is a good opportunity to scout for items that tickle your fancy, but also aren’t too heavy on the wallet.
What to Bring in Order to Enjoy the Event
Every item at WonHobby Gallery 2019 Spring is on display behind a relatively thick glass, which helps to protect the goods from being damaged or stolen. This shouldn’t stop you however from taking pictures, which leads us to the next point of our report, which is what to bring. Like any other major event, bringing your camera or smartphone is a great way to fully experience the event since you’re able to snap photos of your favorite anime characters in figurine form. With the exception of a few figurines on display that state you should refrain from taking pictures due to that particular item being unreleased, most of the items on display are fair game. This means that you can create your own little photo collection of your favorite figurines and perhaps save them for when you need a little reminder to go out and buy them.
There’s a booth situated near the entrance which does sell a small handful of goods but certainly not all of them, so if you happen to have some cash on you and would like to grab something then the possibility is certainly there. WonHobby Gallery 2019 Spring is primarily an event which focuses mainly towards the items on display and less towards actually buying them. It’s essentially an art gallery for the otaku fanbase, and you truly get to see master craftsmanship as you examine every little detail of these figurines, which we’ll get into shortly.
What to do While There / What is Available
WonHobby Gallery 2019 Spring is all about the figurines, and so the moment you step foot into the venue, you’re surrounded by walls of incredibly detailed items on display featuring popular anime characters, from Yuru Camp to Fate/Grand Order, My Hero Academia, and much more. Many folks who drop in are completely wooed by the amount of precision and attention to detail that goes into each Nendoroid and figure, which just goes to show you how much passion is involved. Every character is accurately represented and there’s no imperfection present whatsoever. One figure in particular that really blew us away was Batman Ninja, simply because of how much detail was put into every aspect of the character, from Batman’s rope-style grappling hook to his traditional Samurai costume. This figure in particular is quite impressive because not only does it reflect that of Japan’s cultural beauty in such a remarkable way, it does so by using a western character to convey it. In doing so, this is a unique fusion of both eastern and western styles to create a figure that truly stands out in its own powerful way. If there was any figure that truly stood out from the entire event, the Batman Ninja figure definitely took the cake! Other notable figures were of course from Darling in the FranXX, which showcased popular characters from the franchise with life sized models, along with Good Smile Company’s latest POP Parade figures, which are catered to those who are perhaps new to figure collecting.
These POP Parade figures were no less than the typical figures that were on display and to be honest, the only way you knew which item was from the POP Parade collection was to read the item tag next to it. The One Punch Man figure, for example, looked spectacular and you’d never know it was part of the POP Parade brand if you didn’t check! Every item on display looked top-of-the-line and delivered in every possible way.
Final Thoughts
The venue itself was very small and so, once you did your full walk around to grab photos of your favorite anime characters, the adventure pretty much concluded. WonHobby Gallery 2019 Spring was a short but definitely sweet event that illustrated just how the figurine culture is well-received by many, and still continues to grow as its own culture. New design techniques are being implemented everyday to ensure more fans can collect figures without overspending, and we’re happy to see that more and more people are embracing the otaku lifestyle with open arms. We’d like to thank Good Smile Company once again for giving us this opportunity, and we wish all of you out there happy hunting!
Author: Rob "NualphaJPN" B.