The Real Reason Why Volks Co., Ltd. Developed "Nuru-Pura," a Tasteful Plastic Kit Born for Enjoying Brush Painting [Hobby Industry Inside Vol. 42

Although I had been told that this plastic kit was easy to assemble and that it was designed for people to enjoy painting with a brush to their heart's content, when I saw Volks' "Nurupura Purakitto," I was struck by its small size and sharply sculpted, richly textured figure. It was a surprise to learn that for only 900 yen, one could obtain a plastic kit with such a tasteful modeling.
But then again, why "brush painting"?　Why "Gegege no Kitaro"?　We asked Mr. Hideo Shimazu of the Sales Strategy Division of Volks Corporation about the development intent behind the "Nuri-Pura" series.

Volks' injection molding technology expresses a unique view of the world.

I heard that you painted the "Nurupura" Kitaro and Nezumi Otoko yourself.

Shimazu: Yes, I did. My main job is sales, but I paint miniatures as a hobby. As a user of "Nurupura," I gave my opinion as an advisor and painted the finished samples. I painted the samples in about 2 hours each, using water-based paint "Farejo" with the colors as they were in the bottle, without mixing. More time, color mixing, weathering, and other elaborate techniques would further enhance the degree of perfection. We can provide professional paint samples separately, but our aim is to show that "even beginners can enjoy this much if they try hard enough. I am somewhat embarrassed, but I am very excited to see the product go on sale soon.


─ ─ "Nuri-Pura" looks great when seen as a runner before painting, because the molds are so sharp.

Shimazu: Thank you very much. In the past, under the title of "Orient Hero Series," our company released many resin kits of a wide variety of subjects, including tokusatsu heroes, monsters, manga characters, and even monsters from the past and present. The sculptors who were making prototypes at that time were also involved in "Nuri-Pura".

─ Is this Akihiro Enku?

Shimazu Yes, Enkku's hand is also involved. He is working on the prototype as part of a team, so it is not necessarily Enkku's personal modeling, but he is covering for the lack of experience of the younger prototype designers.

─ ─ The roof part of the yokai post is a separate part, and the texture of the thatched roof comes out well, and Kitaro's bare feet, for example, came out beautifully in a single shot. Nezumi Otoko's mustache is also a separate part. ......

Shimazu The bill in Nezumi Otoko's hand is sharply sculpted to look like he is turning over a pin bill. The mold is more exaggerated than the actual scale so that it will look good when painted. Also, the eyeballs are molded in one part, but even the inside of the eyes are molded, and even the words "Namu Amidabutsu" on the tombstone, which will be invisible after completion, are molded in detail. This molding technique is based on the know-how of the kits Volks has released up to now.

I enjoyed painting Nezumi Otoko, whose back speaks for itself. Kitaro has fallen asleep (laughs). When we started the "Nurupura" series, we wanted to create a world view on the tabletop by cutting out a scene from the work, rather than simply reproducing the character. If Kitaro were sleeping on my desk at work, it would give a relaxed, lived-in feel and make me feel closer to him. The product will be sold in blister packs, as we wanted people to see this modeling and detailing in runner condition.