Japanese summer and the summer of insects are recreated with Shokugan! I tried playing with "Efty's Insect Hunter Beetle x Stag Beetle" [Ichi-Oshi! Shokugan Road Vol.11]

Hello everyone! This is Kariyasu☆, a hobby writer. In this corner, I will review, modify, and play with the Shokugan kits that interest me, under the theme of "Shokugan for adults. In this 11th installment, I will be reviewing the "Insect Hunter Beetle x Stag Beetle," which is currently on sale from EFTIDS!

Well, before we know it, it will already be July. How will you spend this summer? The new coronavirus has caused the cancellation of major events across the board, and many of you must be feeling a little less excited about summer. We therefore recommend the "Insect Hunter," which allows you to enjoy the feeling of a petit summer vacation from the comfort of your own home!

This series is favored by insect fans for its realistic modeling, and the theme this time is "Ganbare, Japan...'s Insects! and the lineup includes a total of five species of Japanese beetles and stag beetles. You can tell what's inside by looking at the package, and there is no need to assemble or paint them. As soon as you buy the product and open the box, you will have a full-size, realistic-looking beetle and stag beetle!

Lineup introduction】

■Beetle (black)

The king of the insect world and a summer tradition. There are apparently nearly 1,200 different species of beetles in the world, but this one species seems to be almost the only one found in the wild in Japan. Also known as the Yamato beetle.

■ Beetle (red)

This is the same shape and different color of the above beetle, and is exactly the same species. When I hear the word "beetle," I think of this reddish-brown body rather than black.

■Red stag beetle

This is the most popular and representative species of stag beetle. It was once called the "black diamond" and sparked the stag beetle boom that occurred in the late 1990s, but due to overhunting and other factors, the population of this species has declined dramatically.

Saxifraga stag beetle

This is a subspecies of the flatback stag beetle and is found mainly in the Yaeyama Archipelago. It is known for its strong reproductive capacity and fast growth, making it easy to keep.

Miyama stag beetle

The Miyama stag beetle has a reddish-brown body and deer-like horns. Miyama means "deep mountain" in Chinese characters, and as the name implies, they are often found in high elevation mountainous areas.

[Let's tinker with it!

The image is matte as it is, so I added luster to make it look more like a beetle! This time, I used a gloss polymer medium (glossy varnish) sold at art supply stores, and just a quick brush application brought out a nice gloss. You can also use a water-based clear for models as an alternative.

Now, let's have the beetle (red) and the saxima flatworm stag beetle, which are a little more powerful now that they have a glossy finish, play bug wrestling! Hackety-yoy .......

Nokkyo nokkyo nokkyo! This is a great match!

Oops! Here's a scoop throw by Saxima!

It's a game! The winner goes to the Saxima flatback stag beetle! As you can see, the back side of the beetle is also realistically made, so you can enjoy it even when it's turned over.

Then, the defeated beetle (red) decided to take revenge. He went back to the forest where he grew up for training. ...... This photo was actually taken at a nearby park, but if you are particular, you can take a photo at a sawtooth oak tree!

So, how was it? You can collect them like specimens together with the past series, put them in a bug basket, attach them to your bag and walk around town, or just go back to the feeling of being a little boy and try various challenges! However, since they are very realistic, if you live with a family member who is not fond of insects, please be careful not to accidentally leave them on the dining table. See you next month!

Product Information

Insect Hunter

Release date: June 15, 2020: Nationwide (excluding Okinawa)

Price: 350 yen (excluding tax)

Type: 5 types in total

Contents: 1 figure + 1 strawberry gum

*Please purchase at supermarkets (candy section), electronics mass merchandisers (toy section), hobby stores, and specialty stores.

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Kariyasu

Otaku and hobby freelance writer. He is currently exploring various genres such as anime, voice actors, idols, and history, and is in charge of modeling examples and interviewing voice actors. As a child, he learned the names of insects by collecting insects in the PS game "Boku no Natsuyasumi.

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