Collecting anime figures is like a disease.

One look at the bedroom of a proper otaku will show the proof: In a classic Japanese television drama called “Densha Otoko,” the show’s central character has a bedroom crammed floor to ceiling with tiny replicas of Gundams. We already know that the word otaku can sometimes mean a person with passionate interests about manga, anime, and other hobbies. But what is it about collectibles of this type that make a person hungry to collect as many as possible?

In the collectibles world, figures are not considered “toys” as much as they are a further extension of the art they were inspired by. There’s a creative expression to translating a character from an artbook or an anime into a memorable collectible, and companies such as Alter, and Good Smile Company take the challenge to heart by producing top notch figures with great attention to detail and design. One of the most well-known figurine makers  in Japan is Kotobukiya, who have been in the business of making high quality model kits and figurines for more than  60 years. FULL POST