NEW
MERCH
11/20/2024
Ichiban Kuji NARUTO Shippuden Legendary Sannin Pre-Release Interview (Part 1)! Read About the Detail and Determination that Went Into This Jiraiya Figure!
The long-awaited Ichiban Kuji NARUTO Shippuden Legendary Sannin prizes will be available starting 11/22 17:00 (JST)!
We interviewed the director of this project, who goes by the handle "Toothbrush"!
Part one of the interview features the Jiraiya figure!
We interviewed the director of this project, who goes by the handle "Toothbrush"!
Part one of the interview features the Jiraiya figure!
Pushing the Legendary Sannin Project Through with the "Guts to Never Give Up"
—First, can you walk us through the process of how these figures came about?
Toothbrush: These figures were meant to be exclusive to Ichiban Kuji Online, but we still wanted them to be something that the wider Naruto fanbase would appreciate.
Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade are each very unique characters who play important roles in the series. On top of that, I myself am a big fan of the legendary Sannin, so I had all the more reason to propose this idea!
Toothbrush: These figures were meant to be exclusive to Ichiban Kuji Online, but we still wanted them to be something that the wider Naruto fanbase would appreciate.
Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade are each very unique characters who play important roles in the series. On top of that, I myself am a big fan of the legendary Sannin, so I had all the more reason to propose this idea!
—What issues or difficulties did you encounter in the production process?
Toothbrush: Well, the first hurdle was that some people thought we might not quite be ready to produce something for characters as popular as the Sannin.
However, I really wanted to do characters that weren't in the MASTERLISE figure series yet, so I leaned on my "guts to never give up" and saw the project through to production.
Toothbrush: Well, the first hurdle was that some people thought we might not quite be ready to produce something for characters as popular as the Sannin.
However, I really wanted to do characters that weren't in the MASTERLISE figure series yet, so I leaned on my "guts to never give up" and saw the project through to production.
Jiraiya's Life Reflected in the Lines on His Face
—Can you tell us a little about the Prize A Jiraiya figure?
Toothbrush: Jiraiya's students Minato and Naruto had already debuted in the MASTERLISE series, so I wanted to make sure Jiraiya's figure had just as high a level of quality and detail.
Toothbrush: Jiraiya's students Minato and Naruto had already debuted in the MASTERLISE series, so I wanted to make sure Jiraiya's figure had just as high a level of quality and detail.
Toothbrush: Jiraiya has a harsh past even by the standards of the series, so one thing I particularly focused on was expressing the tragic heroism of his character. In addition, I wanted to do justice to the warmth he displays despite what he's been through. My goal was to portray his impressive fortitude with this figure.
—The wrinkles on his face are pretty detailed. Did you have a lot of discussions with the sculptor?
Toothbrush: Yes, from the start one of the things I said was "Make sure you include his wrinkles", but there's a delicate balance to strike there because I didn't want him to look too old either. It was difficult to get it right.
In the end, I asked for something that felt like "the wrinkles of someone who's worked hard and struggled", but obviously that's pretty abstract so the sculptor had a hard time as well. We went back and forth a lot until we finally arrived at the completed version.
I think you can really see the life Jiraiya has lived through the lines on his face in this figure, so that's one point I'd like people to look carefully at!
Toothbrush: Yes, from the start one of the things I said was "Make sure you include his wrinkles", but there's a delicate balance to strike there because I didn't want him to look too old either. It was difficult to get it right.
In the end, I asked for something that felt like "the wrinkles of someone who's worked hard and struggled", but obviously that's pretty abstract so the sculptor had a hard time as well. We went back and forth a lot until we finally arrived at the completed version.
I think you can really see the life Jiraiya has lived through the lines on his face in this figure, so that's one point I'd like people to look carefully at!
A Figure Embodying the Final Chapter of "The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant"
—Tell us about the Final Prize figure.
Toothbrush: I think some Naruto fans will recognize this at first glance, but it's a figure based off the cover art of volume 42.
Toothbrush: I think some Naruto fans will recognize this at first glance, but it's a figure based off the cover art of volume 42.
Toothbrush: Of all the scenes and sagas involving the Sannin, Jiraiya's fight to the death against Pain left the biggest impression on me personally, so I wanted to include something related to that in the lineup.
The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant comes to an end with him sinking into the cold depths, but in contrast to that the cover art for the volume is bright and warm, showing sunlight filtering through the leaves of a tree as Jiraiya watches over Naruto fondly. I always thought the juxtaposition of those images was incredible.
The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant comes to an end with him sinking into the cold depths, but in contrast to that the cover art for the volume is bright and warm, showing sunlight filtering through the leaves of a tree as Jiraiya watches over Naruto fondly. I always thought the juxtaposition of those images was incredible.
—It looks like a lot of effort was put into sculpting that figure.
Toothbrush: For the Final Prize, rather than presenting a unique interpretation I was determined to focus on faithfully recreating that scene of Naruto and Jiraiya. It was also featured on a DVD box set illustration, so I was able to reference various images to make sure every detail was perfect!
Toothbrush: For the Final Prize, rather than presenting a unique interpretation I was determined to focus on faithfully recreating that scene of Naruto and Jiraiya. It was also featured on a DVD box set illustration, so I was able to reference various images to make sure every detail was perfect!
That's all for part one of the interview!
Part 2 is set to publish 11/21 12:00 (JST) and will feature Orochimaru's figure and other merch!
Part 2 is set to publish 11/21 12:00 (JST) and will feature Orochimaru's figure and other merch!
