SSS.DYNAZENON" main character "Minami Yumei", the pain and effort of the person in charge until the delicate charm of the character is made into a scale figure is approached!

Pony Canyon's first scale figure product, a 1/6 scale figure of Minami Yumei, the heroine of the anime "SSSS.DYNAZENON," is now available for order until July 14, 2021.

DYNAZENON" broadcasted in April 2021 is a completely new animation by "Tsuburaya Productions" and "TRIGGER", and like "SSSS.GRIDMAN" (Gridman) that aired from October 2018, it is based on the original "Gridman" and directed by Tetsu Amemiya GRIDMAN", directed by Tetsu Amemiya, script by Keiichi Hasegawa, character design by Masaru Sakamoto, and music by Shiro Sagisu.

⇒ DYNAZENON" is a completely new animation by "Tsuburaya Productions" and "TRIGGER"! PV release!

⇒Click here for the list of anime for Spring 2021.

Pony Canyon's first scale figure product, a 1/6 scale figure of Minami Yumei, the heroine of the anime "SSSS.DYNAZENON", is now available for order until July 14, 2021.

This product was created by Junichiro Ota and Kosuke Du of the Consumer Business Department, which develops worldwide e-commerce business. What new charms did they find in the production process, which was the first time for Pony Canyon to commercialize a figure from scratch, and what difficulties they had never experienced before?　What new charms did they find in the production process?

Official Interview
(Honorifics omitted, original in Japanese only)

When I saw the materials, I had a flash of inspiration!
Posing for the show was created with the sole intention of bringing the charm of Yumei Minami to her fans!

─ This is Pony Canyon's first scale figure product.

Ota First of all, one of the major themes of the company was to expand its business domain from the conventional business model, and one of the pillars was to strengthen the merchandising business. The Consumer Business Department is the mail-order division of Pony Canyon that deals directly with customers and is also involved in the planning and production of products exclusively for mail-order sales. Therefore, in cooperation with the Animation Creative Division, which handles our animation business, we started this project as a project to commercialize figures from our related animation works.

─ So you are looking at "co-creation" between multiple divisions within the company.

Ota The figure market is expanding all over the world, and the quality of the products is constantly evolving. In addition, many anime creators are interested in taking their own two-dimensional drawings and turning them into three-dimensional figures.

─ By the way, are you two familiar with figures?

To: I am an anime fan, so I buy things that I like! I also collect information on them frequently. When I was first assigned to the department, I used that knowledge to purchase and sell products from outside manufacturers.
Ota Since this was the first time for us to produce a figure from scratch in-house, we partnered with Good Smile Company, a leading company in the domestic figure market and also heavily involved in this work, and they introduced us to Phat Company, a figure production company. We were able to proceed with the project in the context of a relationship that provided us with various suggestions regarding the current situation and characteristics of the figure market, as well as know-how on sales methods.

─ That is very encouraging. Then, why did you choose the character Yumei Minami from "SSSS.DYNAZENON" this time?

Ota First of all, I decided on the heroine, Yumei Minami, after looking at the storyboards and setting materials for "SSSS. In the story, I was attracted by the character Yumei's subtlety and mysterious atmosphere, and I wanted to express that in the figure and deliver it to the fans.

─ ─ The production of the anime is still in its early stages, isn't it?

Ota That's right. Without a clear understanding of the story and settings, it was difficult to imagine what kind of expressions and poses to use, and we had never had the opportunity to look at storyboards before, so we had a hard time.
Du This is a completely new anime, and there is no original work such as a novel or manga, so we had to proceed based on storyboards and setting materials.

───This time, the figures are based on new illustrations drawn by the anime production studio TRIGGER.

Ota First of all, when we asked TRIGGER to create the new illustrations, our basic premise was that we wanted to deliver to fans the charm of Minami Yumei that only a figure can express, so we asked Fat Company to propose poses from their perspective as a figure maker.

We received a number of posing suggestions based on the character image of Yumei Du, which was very stimulating. However, after hours of discussions in the conference room asking if we could come up with a posing that would have more impact as a figure, we came across a shot of Yumei carelessly placing her backpack and other items in the cockpit of the "Dyna Wing," the aircraft she flies.

Ota "That's it!" I thought, "This is it!" and based on that cut, Mr. Phat again suggested several posing patterns. In the meantime, details of the cockpit and controllers were coming in from the animation production side, so we started working on the details.

Du: Mr. Fatto gave us a rough composition of the posing we wanted, and then TRIGGER drew the final product based on that.

─ So the posing came first?

Ota That's right. Based on the finished illustrations, we went back to work with Fat's production producer and prototype designers to finalize the design. However, we hit a wall here. How could we make it look like Yumeba was floating in the cockpit?

─ ─ For example, it would be disappointing if you could see the whole thing fixed to her buttocks with a stick.

Ota That is exactly the easiest way to deal with it, but I don't want to do that if possible. After many discussions with Mr. Phat, we were able to fix the Yumebuds by taking advantage of the small gap between the Yumebuds and the cockpit. Moreover, we were able to make the support almost invisible from any angle.

─ I was surprised when I saw the image of the figure and wondered where it was supported. How did you proceed after that?

To: The sculptor created the prototype for each part, and TRIGGER supervised the work. We would see if the style was slightly different from the setting materials, or if there were any details in the clothing.

Ota Once we got to this point, we were in the position of acting as a bridge, communicating Tsuburaya Productions' and TRIGGER's intentions to Fatto, and then returning the corrected version to them. We were looking at the project from multiple perspectives to ensure that the theme was not blurred.

─ So an objective point of view is required.

Ota: During this one year, we were constantly checking things. At first, we had all the various parts checked on a gray prototype with no color applied and no sense of facial parts.

─ What is the figure that is now on display on the special site?

Ota That is the decoration master.

Du It is a coloring sample with coloring applied, and the DecoMaster is what is displayed at the exhibition. When they are produced, they are sent to the factory and become coloring samples on the coloring process.

Ota Seeing the beautifully colored DecoMas with the pupils, I was relieved to know that what I had done was not a mistake.

─ ─ It is a deeply moving moment! So, was there anything in particular that was difficult for you? Is there anything in particular you struggled with?

Ota I think it was the coloring. The hair on the top of Yumeba's head is a light pink, but it was pointed out to me that the coloring I had applied was purple, and I wondered what color it was. I was worried about what color it was (laugh). (Laughs) Since there is only one DecoM@S, we had to check the image data in many cases during the production process. However, each of us had a different environment for checking the display settings of our computers, so it was very difficult to put together the coloring.

─ ─ I guess all that hard work paid off in the wonderful result.

Ota It really is. It was all thanks to TRIGGER and Phat Company.

It was worth all the hard work!
I was thrilled by the reactions from fans around the world who saw the work!

─ ─ What are your favorite points when you actually see the finished product?

To: For me, it's the texture of the tights on her legs. The glossy texture is very realistically expressed. I think the overall appeal of the heroine is of a quality that figure fans will appreciate.

Ota Many figure fans are particular about details, so I think they will agree with what Du said. I think the cockpit is an unrealistic world for Minami Yumei, who has joined the battle without knowing why. I am very happy with the way I expressed this strange sense of discomfort, with the floating feeling of her hair and uniform, and with her facial expressions, which are neither smiling nor sad.

───The figure is currently available for pre-order to rave reviews, but what do you think of the reaction from fans?

To: Since most of our figures are based on key visuals, many of the poses are familiar to fans. This time, since the illustrations were newly drawn, we first released the original drawings first, and they were well received, especially on SNS, from Korea, China, Europe, and other countries. After that, we released the DecoMas, and we received many comments like "You know how to pose! It was worth all the hard work.

Ota As the anime story progresses, Yumei's relationship with her friends gradually deepens, and the number of fans who sympathize with her is increasing with each episode. I would be very happy if we could get even more international buzz.

─ You have many fans all over the world, don't you?

Ota We would like to make it our default to develop our figure business worldwide, and our Consumer Business Department is launching an online store, PONYCANYON SHOP, for people living overseas from 2020. We are also selling our products here. We are also working with Good Smile Company's e-commerce site.

───Now then, I would like to ask you about the future. Do you already have a plan for a second or third series?

Ota We have gained experience in the know-how of figure production, and we would like to evolve it and develop it as a business. However, it took about a year from the start of planning to the start of reservations. After the reservations are closed, we produce the product, but it takes about a year until the product reaches the customer due to the difficulty in holding down the overseas factory line. So, it takes about two years to complete one set of projects.

──When demand is increasing worldwide, so is the production situation, isn't it?

Ota Since it costs a lot to make the molds for mass production, there is a risk of a large deficit if the number of orders is small. For this reason, we must have a solid business plan in place, including acquiring popular IP, promotion to sell the product, and securing factory lines in advance. We also have to work on multiple productions at the same time to make it a viable business. You can't just say to the company, "The next sales will be in two years" (laughs).

─ ─ It was a lot of work just to produce one work, but when you have multiple works going on at the same time, it becomes a bit daunting, doesn't it?

Ota But I think the anime and figure markets will continue to grow, and the number of prototype designers is increasing as figure production gains momentum, and talented people are emerging. I would like to continue to take on challenges in the future by creating a solid environment for planning and production.

Du: We have a Creative Division with a variety of IPs within the company, so I would like to "co-create" well and aim for commercialization of the works that will be released in the future. We will do our best to make our fans happy!

Product Information
Yume Minami
Series："SSSS.DYNAZENON
Manufacturer：Phat!
Category: 1/6 Scale Figure
Price: 19,980 yen (tax included)
Release date: Scheduled to go on sale in April 2022
Ordering period: (Japan time)
May 14, 2021 (Fri) 22:30 to July 14, 2021 (Wed) 23:59
Specifications: Painted 1/6th scale ABS & PVC figure with stand included, approximately 160mm in height
Sculptor: Muta (Phat!)
Color: Scarlet
Released by: Pony Canyon
Product release and specifications are subject to change, postponement, or cancellation due to various reasons.

(C) Tsuburaya Productions (C) 2021 TRIGGER, Tetsu Amamiya / "DYNAZENON" Production Committee