ONE PIECE Modeling King | ONE PIECE Modeling King 2024 | CHALLENGER5 | PREMIUM BANDAI

Figuarts ZERO
Planning and development: Masaki Yamaji & Ayumi Aizawa
Sculptor: Shintaro Egashira

Mountains: I am in charge of the development of Figuarts ZERO, and together with Mr. Egashira, a prototype sculptor, I am challenging this One Piece Sculpting King Summit Battle. Unfortunately, I am no longer in charge of this project, so I would like to entrust my thoughts to Mr. Aizawa, who is also in charge of S.H.Figuarts. The three of us will be participating in this interview.

Mountains: "Figuarts ZERO" is one of the representative brands of the Collectors Division, and expresses the charm and worldview of the characters with a focus on modeling, coloring, effects, etc. The "Super Fierce Battle - EXTRA EXTRA BATTLE-" series brings together the modeling techniques of "Figuarts ZERO" to recreate the "overwhelmingly cool moments" of the characters' battle scenes...in other words, it recreates dynamic battles with effects that expand the worldview.

Mountains: I worked with Egashira on "MONKEY.D.LUFFY- Inferno Fist" from the "Super Battle -EXTRA BATTLE SPECTACLE -" series in 2011. The series was impressive not only for the level of reproduction of the characters, but also for the effects, and I thought he was a sculptor with wonderful spatial beauty using effects, so I wanted to work with him again this time.

Egashira: The ONE PIECE Sculptor King Summit Battle is a competition where I voted as a user before I became a sculptor. It's a competition where only the truly selected sculptors can participate, so I've always wanted to participate. I was very happy when I was asked to participate. I also feel a sense of responsibility as I'm participating on behalf of KLAMP STUDIO, the company I work for.

Mountains: I asked Egashira-san, "Which character would you like to make?" and he gave me a few options, and I decided on Enel, considering the effects that are a feature of "Figuarts ZERO". While using the "Thunder Dragon (Jambool)" technique, I changed Enel's pose and effects based on the original work.

Egashira: When I was in elementary and junior high school, I watched the Sky Island arc, and out of all the characters in One Piece, Enel seemed the strongest at the time, and he left a strong impression on me. He's also a very mean character (laughs). Also, at the BUSTERCALL = One Piece Exhibition held in 2020, KLAMP STUDIO exhibited a bronze Buddha-style statue of Enel, and I was in charge of the prototype at that time as well. Since then, I've wanted to make a figurine of Enel someday.

Mountains: I basically left it up to Egashira-san, and the drawings and first CGs he came up with were very good. On top of that, I told him about adjustments for mass production as a product, and the position of the decorations as part of the character settings.

Egashira: Taking the points I received into consideration, I wanted to make Enel look like he was floating in the air, so I struggled with how to make it look like he was floating by opening up space around his legs and using the lightning and dragon effects. There were many things I couldn't know until I actually printed it out, such as durability and appearance, so I went through a lot of trial and error.

Mountains: Egashira's work has a spatial beauty, and he pays attention to even the details of the toes and fingers. The characters feel alive, and have a strong sense of existence.

Egashira: I try to create clouds and fingertips with the same amount of energy as I do faces. When the hands and feet are properly formed in the human body, the whole figure becomes more compact.

Mountains: It's really cool, it's like a god! When I put a prototype on my desk at work, everyone who passes by says, "It's so cool! It makes me want to bow down to it!" (laughs).

Mountains: The strength of "Figuarts ZERO" is its ability to create cool effects. This time around, Enel is no exception, but the effects also make it look cool from any angle.

Egashira: As expected, the great thing about "Figuarts ZERO" is that it can effectively use effects, so you can make the energy float or expand the air that the object itself contains. I was particular about the density of the space, deliberately leaving it wide or condensed. I also spent the most time thinking about the design, such as guiding the viewpoint and color placement, and working on the coolest angle and making the work look good from any 360-degree angle.

Mountains: I consider "S.H.Figuarts" in the same collectors division to be my rival. The "S.H.Figuarts" brand is the overwhelming hero of the division, so it is very frustrating for me as the person in charge of "Figuarts ZERO. However, Aizawa, who has taken over this project from me, is also in charge of "S.H.Figuarts" (laughs).

Aizawa: It would be great if we could monopolize the first and second places in the collectors' division...! We believe that the fact that "Figuarts ZERO" is a product that focuses on effects is what differentiates it from other brands.

Egashira: Many senior modelers are participating in the One Piece Modeling King Summit. When I was a university student, I was invited to a drinking party where modelers gathered, where I met Yamashita-san, Iwakura-san, and Fukuya-san, and received advice on sculptures. That was a great inspiration. So, rather than being rivals, I respect everyone, but if I say I don't want to lose, then I don't want to lose to anyone.

Egashira: Since the participating brands are all different, I think each one will look completely different. So I'm curious to see how customers will judge it.

Mountains: I haven't seen any of the other artists' works yet, so I can't really comment, but if we're just looking at Enel, I think he's the clear winner.