Toy OTD: Billiken B19 Maboroshi Tantei (Phantom Detective) Vinyl Figure

Some time ago, Billiken released a retro-styled line of various manga characters, complete with old-school bags 'n' hang tags! I bought a few Astro Boy figures, and later on, this Maboroshi Tantei toy (aka Phantom Detective, or National Kid). 'He' looks to be the star of a late '50s/early '60s manga, as well as a live-action television series!

If you like this style of vinyl figure, it's a really sweet toy! The sculpt is very simple and streamlined, emphasizing the graphic qualities of the original manga art. The colors are great, too - a perfect match with the comic's palette. I think most of the toy is made from dyed vinyl, which really adds to the overall look!

The pose is asymmetrical, but not so pushed that it would cause stability problems. While a display stand is never completely unnecessary, it's not as critical here. If I remember correctly, the feet rotate at the ankles, which can be very useful to help adjust the figure and improve its balance.

Beyond the ankles, there's the usual amount of articulation for this type of toy - neck, wrists, shoulders, and waist. For the most part, though, none of these rotation points really improve on the original pose very much.

The bag-n-tag packaging is appropriate to the retro-toy concept, but aside from the nifty tag art, there's not much to it.

You can still get this figure online, although I think it's a little pricier these days. I think I paid about sixty dollars or so for it at Kimono My House, but it's selling on eBay right now for $112.99. A little more bargain hunting may be in order... good luck!