Figurepedia

Articles

• Premium Japanese Figure Makers

  A guide to the premium Japanese manufacturers collectors return to most often

• Prize Figure Makers

  The Big Four of arcade prizes and how they turned crane game toys into genuine collectibles

• Chinese Figure Manufacturers

  A vibrant and growing scene where fresh artistic perspectives meet bold creative ambition

• Defunct Figure Makers

  Remembering the companies that shaped this collecting scene and the figures they left behind

• The Independents: Niche Makers and Specialist Studios

  Fifteen manufacturers with distinctive creative visions and dedicated collector followings

• How Figures Are Made

  From concept sketch to your display shelf - how figures get made

• Types of Figure Collectors

  Every collector has their own philosophy, so which one sounds like you?

• Understanding the Figure Market

  Pre-orders, aftermarket, import taxes, and everything in between

• A History of the Figure Industry

  From garage kit hobbyists to a global multi-billion yen market

• Figure Market by the Numbers

  Key statistics, price trends, and production data that define the modern figure industry

• How Figures Get Made: From Digital Sculpt to Your Shelf

  A closer look at the real factories, tools, and skilled workers behind every figure in your collection

• China's Manufacturing Revolution: From OEM to Original Brand

  How decades of factory expertise became the foundation for a creative movement that is reshaping the industry

• State of the Figure Industry (Updated August 2026)

  Where the industry stands today: market numbers, emerging trends, and what collectors should watch

• Reading the Room: A Collector’s Guide to Japanese Design Conventions

  Chibi, bunny suits, moe, and the dere types: what they mean and why they show up everywhere

• What Makes a Figure Worth Looking At

  The art of expression at small scale, and why the strongest figures reward a second look

• Why Japan? How One Country Built the World’s Figure Industry

  Craft tradition, build-and-paint figure kits, Wonder Festival, and the cultural conditions that made it all possible

• Your First Figure: A No-Pressure Buying Guide

  Everything you need to know before spending your first yen, with zero judgment about what you pick

• Understanding Scales: What 1/7, 1/8, and 1/4 Mean for Your Shelf

  A practical guide to figure sizes, what fits where, and how scale affects detail, price, and display

• Bootleg Detection: How to Spot Fakes Before You Buy

  Practical techniques for identifying counterfeit figures, with tips for every buying scenario

• Display and Care: Protecting and Showcasing Your Collection

  Lighting, UV protection, cleaning, and shelf setup for figures that look great and last

• Wonder Festival: The Hobby’s Most Important Weekend

  How a biannual convention in Tokyo became the beating heart of the figure industry, and why it is going global

• Good Smile Company

  A familiar name across character figures, poseable releases, scales, models, and dolls.

• Alter

  Patient scale figure craft with color, movement, and finish doing equal work.

• Kotobukiya

  The hobby’s most versatile East-meets-West bridge builder

• Max Factory

  The engineering wizards who made poseable anime action figures actually fun instead of fragile toys

• Kadokawa

  The media empire that realized it could skip the middleman and make its own figures

• Banpresto

  The company that turned claw-machine rewards into an easy way into figure collecting

• SEGA

  Game-developer energy making prize figures that punch above their price

• Taito

  Arcade-born character figures that bring playful scenes to accessible shelves

• FuRyu

  The blood-pressure-monitor company’s entertainment spinoff that swings big and keeps collectors guessing

• Good Smile Arts Shanghai

  The Chinese subsidiary that quietly builds figure collecting’s most accessible entry ramp

• FREEing

  The company that turned one cosplay trope into a genre-defining product line in figure collecting

• Native

  The uncompromising adult-figure specialist where explicit content meets real artistry

• Alphamax

  The dual-identity manufacturer where serious craft meets unapologetic sensuality, and the sub-brand became bigger than the parent

• eStream

  The Shibuya studio turning figures into cinematic spectacles: bold, dramatic, and visually striking

• Vertex

  The fantasy-art boutique that swings for the fences and regularly connects

• Myethos

  Illustration-led figures that turn a character's world into the whole composition

• APEX

  A Shanghai workshop earning its reputation through mobile game licenses and scene-setting presentation

• Solarain

  The Shenzhen maker whose original character went viral and launched an independent Chinese figure brand

• A·DIMENSION

  Chinese newcomer offering oversized figures at prices that undercut the Japanese specialists

• A+

  The quiet specialist making oversized figures that blend mainstream and mature content, including designs with removable clothing

• Wave

  Model kit veterans who bring precision engineering to finished figures

• Aoshima / Funny Knights

  A century-old model kit giant’s charming foray into anime figures

• Orca Toys

  The unapologetically bold large-format specialist operating across both mainstream and adult figure markets

• Ques Q

  The artisan workshop that turns niche obsessions into beautiful surprises for figure collectors

• Bell Fine

  An independent maker distributed through Good Smile Company whose recent releases show noticeable improvement

• MegaHouse

  The Bandai Namco workhorse that turned One Piece into a figure dynasty

• Phat Company

  The independent risk-taker known for vivid gradients, niche licenses, and release-by-release surprises

• Union Creative

  A design-forward manufacturer with creative picks and more variable results

• Movic

  The Animate Group’s merchandise arm, where character access matters more than display prestige

• Azone

  The doll company that made fabric clothing an art form and brought personality and customization to character dolls

• Chara-Ani / Toy’s Works

  The Kadokawa-linked brands that offered direct-from-publisher figures before Kadokawa’s KDcolle line

• Medicos Entertainment

  The name synonymous with JoJo figures, turning manga poses into an entire corner of figure collecting

• Griffon Enterprises

  An inactive maker remembered for giving Touhou collectors a remarkably broad cast

• Clayz

  An early anime figure maker that quietly moved into custom production

• Aquamarine

  An independent maker remembered for thoughtful license choices and a short, respected run

• Penguin Parade

  The Petanko studio that found an audience for palm-sized, affordable character figures

• Daiki Kougyou

  Seven employees, two unusual businesses, and three decades of illustrator-driven adult figure craft

• Kaiyodo

  Sixty years of sculpting obsession, starting in a 3.5-square-meter model shop

• Bandai Spirits

  The collector division of a toy empire, spanning affordable arcade figures, model kits, and premium metal-part engineering

• Prime 1 Studio

  The statue house that brought gallery-level presence to anime shelves, and then made it accessible

• Sentinel

  Twelve employees building transforming robots and refining a thousand details

• Wonderful Works

  A digital-sculpting specialist that built its name through game characters

• AMAKUNI

  A legendary swordsmith’s name, a hobby publisher’s ambition, and scale figures forged from editorial connections

• Aniplex

  When the anime company commissions figures too: Sony's entertainment powerhouse enters the collector market

• Volks

  The Kyoto hobby shop that became the birthplace of Super Dollfie across five decades of 'Hobby for Everyone'

• Medicom Toy

  The tonkatsu-shop-adjacent startup that became a global toy empire

• Square Enix

  The RPG Giant's Figure Division

• Ribose

  A Ningbo creator named after a sugar in genetic material and known for unusual figure ideas

• Hobby Sakura

  A Chinese studio whose finished prototypes earned it a major place in the NIKKE figure market

• BearPanda

  A Guangdong studio blending unconventional materials, following eyes, and Chinese cultural pride into every figure

• EUSUN

  A sub-20-person studio where every figure starts as an illustrator's original artwork rather than an existing anime or game character

• Otherwhere

  A Shenzhen studio with distinct lines for illustration-based display pieces and poseable streetwear figures

• Flare

  The third generation of Alter founder Takashi Mikami's figure-making lineage

• Stronger

  A sculptor-led workshop founded by the creator of Good Smile Company's small, poseable Nendoroid figure line

• Gecco

  A statue maker inspired by dark video games, from Silent Hill to Elden Ring

• Hobby Max

  The sculptor who trained at Good Smile Company (GSC), then mortgaged his family's house to build a figure company

• Wing

  Six decades of plastic molding expertise behind a Good Smile Company (GSC) distribution partner

• Plum (PMOA)

  An in-house Japanese manufacturer born from industrial plastic molding and the 2008 financial crisis

• B'full / FOTS JAPAN

  Digital sculpting ambition with material and support choices that deserve a careful look

• Broccoli

  A media company that gave the world Di Gi Charat, now with its figure chapter closed

• Claynel

  Aniplex's in-house premium scale studio, born from Revolve's prototyping legacy

• S-FIRE

  SEGA's premium figure brand, built from scratch to surprise collectors

• Spiritale

  Taito's premium figure brand, manufactured by Wing

• Knead

  Digital sculptors known for bridal gowns and flowing fabric

• Design COCO

  The sign shop turned life-size anime landmark builder, with proprietary 3D printing

• DMM Factory

  DMM's direct entry into high-end collector figures, powered by Wing and Alice Glint

• Flame Toys

  Hong Kong robot design with global ambitions, from build-it-yourself Furai Model figures to finished metal collectibles

• Miyuki

  Behind-the-scenes work on 622+ figures, but only 18 releases under its own name

• Snail Shell

  Poseable armored heroines from Henan, made through a fully in-house production process

• MAGI ARTS

  Mythological originals and famous licensed characters from a painting workshop turned brand

• AniMester

  Large figures at budget-friendly prices, with 550+ distributors and a KADOKAWA partnership

• AniGift

  High-end original figures from a sculptor who draws his own designs

• AniGame

  The company group behind a generation of Chinese figure brands

• Qingcang

  Miniature specialists bringing boys' love stories and games to figure shelves

• Luminous Box

  Complete scene displays backed by Good Smile distribution

• Reverse Studio

  Nanjing's detail-first studio with a gift for mechanical surprises

• Q-six

  Tokyo's long-running specialist in mature character figures

• Rocket Boy

  Slow, detail-focused figure craft distributed through Native

• Licorne

  Boutique Idolmaster and Fate figures from a French-named Tokyo studio

• Kaitendoh

  A Tokyo maker known for frequent High School DxD re-releases

• Proof

  Tsutaya's figure division, from mystery-box collectibles to detailed scene displays distributed by Good Smile Company

• Alice Glint

  A Yuzusoft specialist and Broccoli's figure rescuer

• Hobby Stock

  Manufacturer, retailer, and the studio behind Digital Stars Miku

• Souyokusha

  Fabric-detail specialists whose sculptor credits appear across the industry

• Neonmax

  Small-scale maker focusing on less-covered alternate outfits from Azur Lane

• Mimeyoi

  Licensed costume moments shaped by more than one sculpting voice

• HanaBee

  A Suzhou label pairing illustrator originals with licensed 1/6 figures and compact chibis

• KoiKoi

  A young figure label making optional presentation its calling card

• GNFTOYZ

  Seoul's Geek N Freak Toyz turns East Asian games into figures

• Calbone

  Game-character scenes assembled one prop at a time

• Ensoutoys

  Illustrator originals backed by hands-on sculpting and production credits

• Sol International

  The industry's invisible partner, serving 16+ major manufacturers from Tokyo

• Astrum Design

  Illustrator-led originals growing into licensed game and anime collaborations

• PIJI Studio

  Suzhou studio spanning resin statues, plastic figures, and Chinese games

• VKEND

  A young scale-figure label stitching game licenses to a recurring circle of sculptors

• BISHOUCRAFT

  A young 1/12 label whose figures ship with a second box of display extras.

• COWL Production

  The body-first studio turning 1/12 articulation into characters, collaborations, and licensed engineering.

• Eclipse Feather

  An illustrator-original 1/6 specialist steps into Nekopara with a paired display.

• F.W.A.T

  A one-scale specialist built around the jump from adult illustration to 1/6 display.

• Fancam

  Original characters at 1/6 scale, unusually tall for the price.

• FIGMON

  Large scale is not a premium-only privilege.

• Fish Toys

  A fantasy-mount specialist turns toward character collecting with Journey to the West.

• Hakoiri Musume

  A 1/6 specialist that treats the base as part of the performance.

• KAWA DESIGN

  Affordable scales that give the character a little room to live.

• KEEPGOING STUDIO

  Folklore, animation, and historical archetypes, all cut to 1/12.

• QUANKAI Studio

  Robot-girl figures built around one swappable base body

• Siki Anim

  Illustrator originals at a price tier that keeps 1/6 and 1/7 scale within reach.

• 1000toys

  The Synthetic Human maker that carried creator-led engineering into licensed worlds

• Arma Bianca

  A merchandise company turning event artwork into collector figures.

• CCP

  Kinnikuman anatomy and Ultraman scale define a Tokyo sofubi maker.

• DIG

  Compact figures give full character casts room on the shelf.

• elCOCO

  Large prize figures and palm-sized articulated characters

• Emontoys

  Nine years of licensed figures ended with the catalog at its largest.

• Fine Clover

  Scenic scale figures, matched character pairs, and a complete Girls' Last Tour display.

• Gift

  A 2000s figure maker now famous for Touhou FumoFumo plush

• GOLDENHEAD

  A Kinako figure with 51 voice tracks opened a catalog of game heroines

• HASUKI

  Palm-sized characters dressed and equipped for a whole scene.

• Infinity Studio

  A Shanghai studio that keeps finding new sizes for character sculpture

• Lechery

  Fairy tales grew into illustrator characters and effects-heavy game figures

• Mouse Unit

  A garage-kit circle grows into an adult PVC specialist.

• Nocturne

  One company, two labels, and a catalog built around illustrator art

• OMAHA

  One launch pair became a catalog of game heroines and artist originals.

• Orchid Seed

  Expressive scale figures with theatrical silhouettes and a patient release rhythm

• Oriental Forest

  Small catalog, large displays, current production credits

• Our Treasure

  The same character can begin as your project or arrive ready for the shelf.

• Pink Charm

  Original illustrators, recurring characters, and 1/6 figures with many display options.

• Raise Dream

  A scale figure maker that builds choice into the display.

• SpiceSeed

  Large resin scenes for manga heroes and villains

• Sushing

  Poseable characters, kit parts, and creature bases share one 1/12 world.

• System Service

  A long-running prize maker steps into view with three distinct figure lines.

• Takara Tomy

  Pocket-size Pokémon opened a figure story that now reaches premium anime scales.

• X-Plus

  The soft-vinyl specialist that keeps finding characters worth making bigger.