The List

7 of Anime's Most Expensive Bits of Merchandise

You know an anime franchise is profitable when Good Smile Company puts out a Nendoroid. Anime series and merchandise are tied together like that. If a show really takes off, the merchandise gets more creative and way more expensive. Collectors better save their pennies if they want to get one of these items in their hands.

7. Bandai Tamashii Nations Mazinger Z - DX Soul of Chōgokin Figure (Mazinger Z) $400 ANN column Astro Toy has done an extensive report on this pricey nostalgia figure and its $100 accessories. The toy is huge, with intricate cut-outs of the robot's inner workings and strong attention to detail (well, sans the hand joint debacle). The display itself is a replica of the Mazinger's hanger and comes with tiny construction figures, a remote control, and other gadgets. This isn't the most expensive item on the list though, nor the most expensive robot.

6. NERV Edition SH-06D Cellphone (Neon Genesis Evangelion) $658 This limited edition 3D cell phone by Sharp was released last year. Instead of slapping a NERV logo on the back and calling it good, the tech designers instead fitted with a layout replica of the MAGI computer system. It also has some pretty high tech stuff, like an antennae to receive HD television stations. You can watch a neat demo on the device in English here.

5. Hatsune Miku First Pressing Trading Cards $859 per case The ever-popular Vocaloids got a series of art cards under the title "Precious Memories" (no relation to those sickeningly cute greeting card characters) last year. A select "first pressing" include autographed cards by Saki Fujita (Hatsune Miku), Asami Shimoda (Rin & Len Kagamine), Yu Asakawa (Luca Megurine) and special "PR cards." A whole case of first pressing goes for over $800 but it includes about 2,500 cards, if you're interested.

4. Sanrio Sofas $2,500 Mascot company upped the ante with its strange merchandise cross overs last year. This time the company opted to transform Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Purin into loveseat-size sofas. Each is lovingly crafted in Shizuoka to be as cute as possible, although I question the Chōice to give Purin an anus. I guess it'll be facing a wall?

3. Limited Edition Porcelain Dolls (Gosick) $1,034 Don't scoff at the seriousness of the doll collecting community. There's plenty of porcelain dolls on Amazon that go well over $100. Japanese sculpting company Zoukei-Mura, Inc. made a 25 dolls with Volks Doll Design Department modeled after Victorique de Blois of Gosick Two lotteries were held, one in the U.S. and one in Japan, for the opportunity to spend $1,000 on a doll.

2. Life-Size Character Statue (Neon Genesis Evangelion) $4,300 Gainax, in its many Evangelion marketing tie-ins, released life-size sculptures of Rei, Asuka, and Kaworu last year. Each full size figure measured about 5'2" and are made to order. No telling how many were actually bought. The characters' faces are kinda strange looking, too. There have been other 1/1-scale figures made, including Chii from Chobits and Ruri from Nadesico.

1. Life-Size Robot Statue (Gundam) $??? Millions Here's the thing. Bandai has not released official figures for how much the 60-foot tall Gundam replica cost them to build in Odaiba. The Japan Science and Technology Agency estimated that such a task would cost about $725 million in 2008, but that figure was for a Gundam that would walk. The figure also didn't account for labor costs. So, while you can't take him home with you, you can visit for a low-cost entry free, partake in a Gundam-themed cafe, a Gundam museum, and a Gundam hotel to round out the evening.

The new poll: Funimation has already collaborated with BioWare and EA Games to create Dragon Age and Mass Effect films. Which property would you like to see adapted next?

The old poll: The last poll asked which Gō Nagai property is your favorite? Winning by a large margin is 1970s female android Cutey Honey! Here's the full results?

1. Cutey Honey 33.9%
2. Mazinger Z 18.6%
3. Devilman/Amon 11.1%)%
4. Dororon Enma-kun/Demon Prince Enma/Ghastly Prince Enma Burning Up 9.5%
5. Devil Lady 4.5%
6. Getter Robo 4.0%
7. Violence Jack 3.7%
8. Demon Lord Dante 3.2%
9. Kekko Kamen 3.1%
10. Gaiking 2.7%
11. UFO Robo Grandizer 2.1%
12. Black Lion 1.0%
13. Bio Armor Ryger 0.6%
14. Kotetsu Zieg/Jeeg 0.6%
15. Psycho Armor Govarian 0.5%
16. The Abashiri Family 0.3%
17. Dream Dimension Hunter Fandora 0.3%
18. Majokko Tickle 0.2%