Toy OTD: '90s Bandai (?) Shokupanman Vinyl Squeak Toy

I bought this toy fifteen years ago (easily), when I was still living in southern California. I can't remember where I picked it up down there - I bought it knowing nothing about the Anpanman manga or anime. I just thought it was funny to have a little superhero with a slice of bread for a head!

I still don't know much about the source material - I haven't been able to find any of the manga translated into English. It's mainly about the designs for me, anyway - they're very simple and super-cute!

The execution of this toy isn't spectacular, but it's just fine for what it needs to be: three points of articulation, a nice sculpt, and adequate paint work. I don't remember how much I paid for it - I think it was less than ten dollars, which makes the toy quality even better.

Since this is an older toy, you won't be able to go out and buy this exact item, but since Anpanman is still so popular, you'll probably be able to find a similar toy of this character cheaply and easily! Granted, I can't find anything online right now, but if you add favorite searches for "anpanman" and "shokupanman" to your eBay account, I'm sure something will turn up in short order... good luck!

UPDATE: Here's a set of figures on Amazon.jp that look very similar to the ones I own. You can buy them for ¥ 2,855 ($29.60 USD)+ tax and shipping. Thanks to my Flickr buddy HNishinomaru for the tip!

Toy OTD: Kurimu Panda (aka Cream Panda) Vinyl Figure

Here's another cast member from the Anpanman manga/anime series - I bought this figure when I was still living in southern California. Like many of the characters, he's based on a food or pastry. It's a really appealing, simple design - the sculpt preserves the cute proportions and the punchy color scheme makes it an eye-catcher! The paint work isn't perfect, but it is very good for such a mass-produced item. It's not an expensive toy - I'm sure this cost between ten and fifteen dollars.

I don't imagine you could find this exact figure today, but I know Apanman toys are still very cheap and plentiful. I can't find any for sale online right now, but it shouldn't be too hard to uncover a Kurimu Panda toy if you're persistent! Try checking with Super 7 - they usually have some of the characters in stock. Or drop a line to this Flickr group - I'm sure someone there can help you out. Good luck!