Hey there, Shizu Mecha here with Part 2 of our Kotobukiya special feature. This time around we take you to the Kotobukiya Prototype department! Part 1 looked at the cutting edge of figure technology so Part 2 will take you back to the roots of the art form with a look at traditional sculpting.
Oh, and please pardon the heavy blurring of photos--the office was chock full of yet unannounced figures and top secret projects! I was literally looking over everyone's shoulders as they were hard at work so these photos are as real and raw as youre going to get!
Prototype Sculptor Tatsuya Hattaori Interview
Shizu Mecha (SM): Thanks for letting me tag along with you today! To start, could you tell our readers about some of the figures you've worked on?
Hattori (H): Let's see
I did the scale figures for the es Series and just about all of the One Coin Grande Figure Collections to date. I've also worked on the ARTFX J Super Dangan Ronpa 2 figures, Trigun and a lot more.
*The es Series started in 2006 with beautiful yet masculine males as its focus. Along with ARTFX J the series enjoys popularity among female fans to this day.
SM: Your pristine yet manly male designs are no doubt responsible for bringing lots of women into the hobby. I'll never forget the frenzy when we introduced your New Prince of Tennis figures on the AmiAmi Blog.
H: My division is mainly responsible for male figures so that's what I'm usually associated with, but I've been known to sculpt a bishojo or two in the past. I suppose you could say I am a jack of all trades but a master of men.
SM: The popularity of your Shiki Ryougi -Yume no Youna, Hibi no Nagori- proves that you are a master in all regards! Regardless of the character, what do you strive for when you sculpt a new figure?
H: I aim to make the definitive figure for that character every time I start a new project. If it's the first figure for a character, I want it to be the best for a long time to come. If it's a popular character with figures already out there, I want people to think mine is the best of the bunch.
I'm also very careful to make sure I bring out the personalities of the characters in my sculpts.
SM: Are there any figures that you are especially proud of?
H: The Sengoku BASARA One Coin Grande Figure Collection got a lot of love from fans. I think that was a major step toward the current popularity of SD male figures.
SM: Nowadays trading figures are a staple of female fandom, but back in 2009 when you released those nobody was even sure if women would buy figures. I commend your efforts!