If you are an fan of Japanese animation (anime), then you may have heard of Akira. Originally released in 1988, Akira was an animated movie that has a huge cult following. Many anime fans and critics believe that Akira was ahead of its time when it came to animation technique and story telling. Originally, a graphic novel by Katsuhiro Otomo (who later co-wrote and directed the animated movie), Akira takes place in the future in a post-war city called Neo-Tokyo in the year 2019.
One of the most famous characters from Akira is Kaneda Shotaro, who was the main protagonist in the story. Kaneda was the leader of a biker gang called the Capsules and he rode one of the most beloved sci-fi vehicles of all time which was a futuristic heavily modified custom red motorcycle. Over the years, many toy designer/manufacturers such as McFarlane Toys have attempted to produce cool toys of Kaneda and his bike with very little success. No offense to the earlier released Akira toys, but the scale and designs of these toys did little justice for the brilliant designs by Katsuhiro Otomo. This is all about to change.
Newcomer high end collectible giants, Project BM! (a division of Bandai Japan) will be releasing a two new collectibles that will make you wet your pants. Project BM! will release a 12 inch Kaneda Shotaro figure and a ultra deluxe die-cast bike. The Kaneda figure is your basic 12 inch figure that we usually see from companies such as Medicom Toys and Hot Toys, but the real gem of is Kaneda’s bike. This beautiful vehicle comes equipped with LED lights and sound effects. Holy SHIT!
This die-cast metal vehicle replica is complete with LED light-up features, including front and back wheels, headlights, taillights, blinker, and dashboard, as well as sound effects, including engine start, rev, tires, drift and drive. The headlights can be adjusted to move up and down, and the front can be raised and lowered to simulate park and drive modes. The model has three power levels – off, lights only, and lights with sound, and has full, workable suspension created under cowling. (Requires 4 AAA batteries, not included.) The fully detailed Kaneda’s Bike Die-cast Model is the perfect companion to the Shotaro Kaneda 12-inch Figure, an outstanding pair for any collection.
Akira fans, new and old have been waiting over a decade for a collectible like this. Thanks for Project BM!, our wishes came true. So sick.
Hit the jump to check out close ups of Kaneda and his bitchin’ bike.
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