ART + LIFE
Manga Phrasebook: Capsule life
I’ve got an unwritten thesis paper staring at me, so straight down to the Phrasebook; this week’s word is gashapon.
[ガシャãƒãƒ³] gashapon n. pr. gah-shah-pohn – plastic capsule toys dispensed from vending type machines
Gashapon have prospered from the otaku subculture boom, going from cheapie toys to ultra collectible commodity. Named for the sound the machine makes when it dispenses, [gasha for the coin going in, pon for the drop] gashapon resemble American vending toys in that they arrive in a capsule- and that’s where the similarities end. Gashapon toys often feature a much higher price point, ranging fro 100-500 yen [or 83 cents to $4.16 US] and enclose a higher quality toy. Made mostly from PVC, these mini figurines and toys are generally small, detailed versions of popular anime and manga characters. As with just about every otaku hobby, these figures generate hard core collectors that play the machines to complete figurine sets. This can lead to frustrating repeats, prompting some collectors to just subvert the whole vending aspect entirely and buy the sets prepackaged.
[ガシャãƒãƒ³] gashapon n. pr. gah-shah-pohn – plastic capsule toys dispensed from vending type machines
Gashapon have prospered from the otaku subculture boom, going from cheapie toys to ultra collectible commodity. Named for the sound the machine makes when it dispenses, [gasha for the coin going in, pon for the drop] gashapon resemble American vending toys in that they arrive in a capsule- and that’s where the similarities end. Gashapon toys often feature a much higher price point, ranging fro 100-500 yen [or 83 cents to $4.16 US] and enclose a higher quality toy. Made mostly from PVC, these mini figurines and toys are generally small, detailed versions of popular anime and manga characters. As with just about every otaku hobby, these figures generate hard core collectors that play the machines to complete figurine sets. This can lead to frustrating repeats, prompting some collectors to just subvert the whole vending aspect entirely and buy the sets prepackaged.
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