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04/24/2025
[Part 2] "Ichiban Kuji Naruto Chunin Exams Arc" Pre-Sale Interview! The Director Behind the Project Talks About the Miscellaneous Prizes!
The long-awaited Ichiban Kuji Naruto Chunin Exams Arc prizes will be available starting 4/25 (JST)!
We interviewed the director of this project, who goes by the handle "Toothbrush"!
Part two of this interview will focus on the various merchandise obtainable from prizes F to I!
Check out part 1 here!
We interviewed the director of this project, who goes by the handle "Toothbrush"!
Part two of this interview will focus on the various merchandise obtainable from prizes F to I!
Check out part 1 here!
Jam-Packed with Items for Everyday Use!
—How about you talk us through the list of miscellaneous prizes starting from Prize F?
Toothbrush: The F prize this time is "Gaara's Gourd Shaped Seasoning Container"!
Toothbrush: The F prize this time is "Gaara's Gourd Shaped Seasoning Container"!
Toothbrush: In past Ichiban Kuji, we never really took the chance to make 3D versions of accessories or items carried by the ninja in the Naruto series.
And while we have thought about expanding the range of products offered to include more practical items, it's thanks to the Chunin Exams arc lineup that we finally got the chance!
—Indeed, these do seem like items you could find yourself using every day! Do you have any anecdotes to share from the production phase of this project?
Toothbrush: We used ceramics in the manufacturing process to give a sense of familiarity to these products. However, since the production method was different from our usual approach, we ended up failing countless times in our attempts to create a workable prototype...
—Oh, you used actual ceramics, that's a surprise! Definitely the best choice to preserve seasonings and spices that are weak to humidity!
Do you have a spice in particular that you recommend pairing with this product? (laughs)
Toothbrush: If you're trying to replicate the appearance of Gaara's sand, I think white pepper or cinnamon powder would be good! Or you could fill it up with black pepper, perfect for seasoning gizzard, Gaara's favorite food! The opening to the container is a little wide, though, so be careful when pouring it out! (laughs)
—That makes it easier for you to manipulate the sand (seasoning) at will, just like Gaara. (laughs)
And while we have thought about expanding the range of products offered to include more practical items, it's thanks to the Chunin Exams arc lineup that we finally got the chance!
—Indeed, these do seem like items you could find yourself using every day! Do you have any anecdotes to share from the production phase of this project?
Toothbrush: We used ceramics in the manufacturing process to give a sense of familiarity to these products. However, since the production method was different from our usual approach, we ended up failing countless times in our attempts to create a workable prototype...
—Oh, you used actual ceramics, that's a surprise! Definitely the best choice to preserve seasonings and spices that are weak to humidity!
Do you have a spice in particular that you recommend pairing with this product? (laughs)
Toothbrush: If you're trying to replicate the appearance of Gaara's sand, I think white pepper or cinnamon powder would be good! Or you could fill it up with black pepper, perfect for seasoning gizzard, Gaara's favorite food! The opening to the container is a little wide, though, so be careful when pouring it out! (laughs)
—That makes it easier for you to manipulate the sand (seasoning) at will, just like Gaara. (laughs)
—Next up we have Prize G, the "Hokage Rock Magnet"! Tell us a little about this product.
Toothbrush: The theme of this Ichiban Kuji focuses on the Chunin Exams arc, so we thought about the candidates' ultimate objective: to become the strongest person in their village. With that in mind, we realized we had to include the Hokage Rock Monument into the lineup as a symbol of that goal!
—Was there a reason behind turning the monument into a set of magnets?
Toothbrush: Similar to Prize F, we wanted to stick with the idea of making something that could be used every day and seamlessly blend into your home. We came around to the idea of magnets because they could be placed on the fridge or displayed in other high spots! We thought it would be fun to collect all four magnets to complete the monument and recreate the emblematic background of the Village Hidden in the Leaves right in your home!
—Prize H comes with a set of two cards, but can you explain how you decided to pair characters together in the sets?
Toothbrush: Obviously we wanted to have a visual display of each shinobi's stats, but our main goal was to pair up characters who fought against each other. We wanted the prize winners to look at the cards and think, "These two had a really cool battle!" and go back to the manga or anime to relive that moment!
—Was there a reason behind turning the monument into a set of magnets?
Toothbrush: Similar to Prize F, we wanted to stick with the idea of making something that could be used every day and seamlessly blend into your home. We came around to the idea of magnets because they could be placed on the fridge or displayed in other high spots! We thought it would be fun to collect all four magnets to complete the monument and recreate the emblematic background of the Village Hidden in the Leaves right in your home!
—Prize H comes with a set of two cards, but can you explain how you decided to pair characters together in the sets?
Toothbrush: Obviously we wanted to have a visual display of each shinobi's stats, but our main goal was to pair up characters who fought against each other. We wanted the prize winners to look at the cards and think, "These two had a really cool battle!" and go back to the manga or anime to relive that moment!
—There are even some unexpected pairs, like Sasuke with Shino!
Toothbrush: The concept behind their match-up was to evoke the scene during "Operation Destroy Konoha," when Shino arrives to back up Sasuke who was chasing after the Sand siblings! This was also one of the first scenes where we realize that Shino actually cares deeply about his comrades, so personally I think it's a pretty memorable part of the story.
—Moving on, can you give us a few words about the Prize I "ACLLECT" series?
Toothbrush: Yeah, these are fun collector's items that combine components of acrylic stands and collectible cards! The main draw behind this series is that all 15 cards feature original illustrations designed by Studio Pierrot!
—Moving on, can you give us a few words about the Prize I "ACLLECT" series?
Toothbrush: Yeah, these are fun collector's items that combine components of acrylic stands and collectible cards! The main draw behind this series is that all 15 cards feature original illustrations designed by Studio Pierrot!
—It's nice to see the pre-Shippuden series getting some brand-new character art! I see that each character comes with a quote and unique card design, but which one is your favorite?
Toothbrush: Of course Naruto's line is a classic, but personally my favorite is Guy's "All your hard work will prove worthless unless you believe in yourself!"
Toothbrush: Of course Naruto's line is a classic, but personally my favorite is Guy's "All your hard work will prove worthless unless you believe in yourself!"
—I agree completely!
—Can you tell us a little about the "Rubber Coasters" for the J prize, next?
—Can you tell us a little about the "Rubber Coasters" for the J prize, next?
Toothbrush: We wanted to showcase the four members of Team 7 from the pre-Shippuden series for these designs! For the remaining four coasters, we went with motifs representative of the Chunin Exams arc for a total of eight.
—The motif designs are really nice, too. Personally, I'm a fan of the electronic display used during the preliminaries of the third exam!
—The motif designs are really nice, too. Personally, I'm a fan of the electronic display used during the preliminaries of the third exam!
Toothbrush: In truth... We had considered making every design a variation of the electronic display in the early stages of the project. (laughs)
—Every design?! Yeah, maybe that's a little much. (laughs)
Toothbrush: Others members on the team said the same thing, so with tears in my eyes, we trimmed it down to only the Gaara vs. Rock Lee design...
I really wanted a lineup of all 10 matches...! (laughs)
—Finally, do you have a message for the fans out there considering whether they should try to get the "Ichiban Kuji Naruto Chunin Exams Arc" prizes?
Toothbrush: We put our hearts into creating the first lineup in Ichiban Kuji history that focuses on the pre-Shippuden part of the Naruto series, so we hope you're interested in everything we have to offer!
While it will partly depend on how well this lineup is received, we do want to try thinking up more innovative lineups in the future, so please, look forward to them!!
—Every design?! Yeah, maybe that's a little much. (laughs)
Toothbrush: Others members on the team said the same thing, so with tears in my eyes, we trimmed it down to only the Gaara vs. Rock Lee design...
I really wanted a lineup of all 10 matches...! (laughs)
—Finally, do you have a message for the fans out there considering whether they should try to get the "Ichiban Kuji Naruto Chunin Exams Arc" prizes?
Toothbrush: We put our hearts into creating the first lineup in Ichiban Kuji history that focuses on the pre-Shippuden part of the Naruto series, so we hope you're interested in everything we have to offer!
While it will partly depend on how well this lineup is received, we do want to try thinking up more innovative lineups in the future, so please, look forward to them!!
The Theme of the Next Ichiban Kuji Is "The Land of Waves"!
—It looks like the next lineup has already been announced! (https://1kuji.com/products/naruto8)
Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Toothbrush: The pre-Shippuden theme continues into the upcoming "Land of Waves Arc" lineup!
This was our first time attempting to do something like this in Ichiban Kuji history, and creating 3D figures of the immensely popular Zabuza and Haku was a really fun challenge.
We're pretty proud of the other prizes in addition to the figures as well, so stay on the lookout for further updates!
—Thank you so much, Toothbrush!
This was our first time attempting to do something like this in Ichiban Kuji history, and creating 3D figures of the immensely popular Zabuza and Haku was a really fun challenge.
We're pretty proud of the other prizes in addition to the figures as well, so stay on the lookout for further updates!
—Thank you so much, Toothbrush!
[Ichiban Kuji Naruto Chunin Exams Arc] will be released sequentially starting 4/25 (JST)!
▼Don't forget to check out the promo video narrated by Junko Takeuchi!▼
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