Editor's Review] Capsules pop out with a "clunk! I made a paper craft of Bandai's first capsule toy vending machine "BVM100," which was included in the December/January issue of "Shogakusei 8th Grade!

Shogakukan's "Shogakugakusei 8th Grader" is often talked about for its high quality paper craft supplement. This year's supplement is a paper craft of Bandai's first capsule toy vending machine, the BVM100!

This year marks the 45th anniversary of Bandai's capsule toy brand "Gashapon," and various campaigns are being held to commemorate the occasion. As part of these campaigns, the vending machine "BVM100," which was introduced in 1977 when the company entered the capsule toy market, has been made into a paper craft as a supplement to "Shogakukan's 8th Grade" magazine.

There must be many Akiba Research Institute readers who remember the time of its release.

Akiba Research Institute therefore obtained the December/January issue of "Shogakugakusei 8th Grader," which is now on sale! We tried our hand at making the "BVM100" paper craft!

Assembly is easy! The finished product is a realistic one!

Here is the cover of the December/January issue of Shogakusei 8th Grader. The photo of the paper craft is prominently displayed on the cover. This issue also comes with a backgammon game that traces the history of Bandai's "Gashapon. Actually, the paper craft and backgammon can be played in conjunction with each other, but first let's assemble the paper craft "BVM100!

This is the base paper that will be assembled to form the case, and since it is folded in two, it will be easier to work with if you tear it off when making it.

And here are the capsule and the transparent plastic sheet that allows you to peek inside the housing. The capsule is a realistic capsule that you can put things inside.

Let's start assembling the capsule!

So, it's suddenly complete! It takes about 30 minutes for an adult to complete.

Assembly consists mostly of folding and inserting paper parts, with some cellophane tape used for fixing. Very eco-friendly! It is really easy to make!

For children in the lower grades of elementary school, it may be better to make it with their mothers or fathers, but for children in the middle grades of elementary school and above, it is probably easy enough for them to assemble it on their own.

The front side looks like this.

The back looks like this. I was surprised to see that it is more solidly built than I expected.

I cut out the logo sheet from the "Shogakko 8th grade" magazine and inserted it into the transparent part.

You may make your own logo sheet and insert your own original Gashapon mount into it.

When inserting capsules, remove the top lid like this.

The gimmick itself is almost the same as that of a real capsule toy vending machine, although it consists only of paper parts.

The handle. Of course, it rotates properly.

The capsule ejector.

When you rotate the handle clockwise, the capsule will be ejected. ......

Capsules are ejected with a "pop! Pop! and out.

Note that even the "Gasha-pon" sound is reproduced, even though it is a gimmick using only paper parts! It is an amazing reproduction.

Capsules that can hold various items

Let's take a look at the capsules that can be inserted into the vending machine.

The capsules come in three colors: red, blue, and yellow. They are solidly made just like the capsules in real vending machines.

Inside, you can insert a card detached from the "Shogakko 8th grade" magazine.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the December/January issue of Shogakusei 8-Grade comes with Gashapon Sugoroku, in which you can use the number cards as dice, play fortune-telling, or play rock-paper-scissors-paper games, among other things.

Of course, you can also insert your own items into the capsule.

Why not make your own original gashapon by putting your favorite items into the capsules?

Once again, the "BVM100" paper craft is so authentic that it is hard to believe it is a magazine supplement!

As I assembled it, I thought to myself, "Wow! While assembling it, I made some new discoveries, such as "Wow, I didn't know capsule toy vending machines worked like this," which made me more interested in Gashapon than ever before. I think this is a very fun appendix for children and adults alike to make!

So, please get the December/January issue of "Shogakko 8th Grade," which comes with the paper craft "BVM100" as a supplement, and enjoy it for men and women of all ages!

Magazine Information

Shogakusei 8th Grader December/January 2022 issue

Now on sale

Price: 1,300 yen (tax included)

Publisher: Shogakukan