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Bandai Renews Transforming Kanji Toys With Battle Line

posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Chōhenkan Taisen Moji-Bake-ru G monster series debuts with card game, manga

The Japanese conglomerate Bandai began selling a new set of Chōhenkan!! Moji-Bake-ru toys on Monday. The Chōhenkan Taisen Moji-Bake-ru G battle line toys transform from Japanese kanji characters into creatures and cost 158 yen (about US$2) each.

Unlike previous lines, every toy in this series transforms into a monster instead of a real-life animal. A collectible card bundles with each toy that buyers can use to play a battle game. The new set also includes five golden parts that collectors can combine into a special sei (sacred) kanji toy.

The five new monster designs (clockwise, starting at the top left) are:

  • Baku (explosive)
  • (bewitched)
  • Zan (slashing)
  • Ja (wicked)
  • Yami (dark)

The Chōhenkan Taisen Moji-Bake-ru G line toys are available in three colors with a piece of gum in each package. Shogakukan's Coro Coro Comics Special magazine is also publishing a tie-in manga inspired by the toy and game series.

The first Chōhenkan!! Moji-Bake-ru toys shipped in May 2010, and Bandai released the second animal line in November 2010. Including the release of the fourth series last November, more than 4 million total transforming toys have shipped. Bandai also plans to unveil the Chōhenkan!! Moji-Bake-ru 5 line in April.

The series' name, which roughly translates as "Super Transformation!! Character-Altering," is a worldplay on mojibake — the Japanese computer term for characters that have been garbled while being sent or stored.

Bandai began streaming a 15-second television commercial and a 5-minute promotional video for the new toys and game last month.

Source: Presepe

Images © Bandai・Shogakukan・MegaHouse・Layup


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