And no I'm no talking about those losers Mephisto, Malebolgia or Neron. All are crap compared to Kasumi Kenshiro.

No, not the Kenshiro from HOKUTO NO KEN (that's FIST OF THE NORTH STAR for the uninitiated). He's Kenshiro's "uncle" from the kick ass prequel SOUTEN NO KEN (known to westerners as FIST OF THE BLUE SKY). While I fully expect to see figures at some point Iin the near future (I'm hoping for Kaiyodo) I think this is the first big money collectible for the series that I can think of. What I'm talking about is this 1/6 scale statue from Nodaya who are no strangers to the Hokuto No Ken universe (having done Kenhiro, Rei, Jyuza and Souther over the years).

It's 31,290 YEN which converts to 305.12 USD. This is a must get for me and I fully expect this beauty to be on the site. No release date as of the moment but I'm pretty sure since this is a Nodaya release we can expect a few repaints to come out if.

Posted by Gatack at 12:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's great to see that even after all of these years Kaiyodo still give HOKUTO NO KEN the excellent treatment that franchise deserves. The 200X line is one of the oldest and best quality action figure lines ever.

This latest addition to the line is no different as we have here the box set of Kokuoh-Go and Kenshiro, one-eight action figures. Just like that Raoh and Kokuoh-Go release from a couple of years back, this one has a the same Kokuoh-Go (the horse, AKA Black King) that came with that one except the head sculpt is different (with rag over the eye) to reflect the time period at the end of the series.

Kenshiro himself is a brand new figure. He can stand on his own as a articulated figure and comes with his cape to also reflect the later time period of the series (post Raoh storyline and time jump.That and it's my personal favorite version of him). Needless to say Henshin Hiobby will have a gallery of it when it comes out.

There is another version of this that comes with the upcoming release of the HD DVD box set of the original anime series. Not sure what exactly that version looks like but we'll let you know when we do.

DETAILS:

Raoh goes for 18,900 yen (172.13 USD)

Street date: Jan 2008

Posted by Gatack at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Kaiyodo has done an incredible job with their Hokuto No Ken busts series. The prior sets were masterfully sculpted by MATSUURA KEN and now a new set sculpted by someone else is coming soon.

Kaiyodo have a Kenshiro and Raoh set ready to be released at the end of the year (FYI - these are stand alone busts that don't connect to each other). They look very good but it's kinda odd to see someone else sculpt Kenshiro and Raoh. I've gotten so use to Matsuura Ken's style that it became my default sculpt look for a lot of the characters. I guess we'll see how these look in person. These are a bigger scale as they are one-sixth in size as opposed to the one-tenth-ish size the prior sets were.

UPDATE:

Raoh goes for 8,800 yen (79 USD)

Kenshiro goes for 6,800 yen (61 USD)

Posted by Gatack at 01:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While we at HH (im)patiently await the release of the RAH Kenshiro, word has just reached us of Medicom's newest way to test our patience: RAH Rei!

One of the most popular characters from Buronson and Tetsuo Hara's classic Fist of the North Star, Rei reminds us that it is better to die for love than live for hate.

This release will inevitably be followed the white-haired 'dying' Rei. Whether it will be a mail-away or regular release is the biggest question.

Rei's scheduled to be released in May of 2008 and retail for 18,900 yen.

Posted by Casval at 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yeah I've been a busy guy this week.

Here is another video galllery from yours truly. It took a while to put together but I think it came off well. It's about the Hokuto No Ken series of busts from Kaiyodo.

I hope you enjoy it!


Online Videos by Veoh.com

Posted by Gatack at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I admit, I feel sorry for these guys. They are stylish, powerful but they're all dead. But I love them all... except Shin. This set is the NANTO ROKU SEIKEN repaint bust set from Organic/Kaiyodo.

There are many great legendary characters in this set;

Rei, the handsome master of the stylish Nanto Suichou Ken style and friend of Kenshiro. Sad death.

Yuria the love of Kenshiro's life (it's the person wearing the mask) and the Nanto Rokusei Ken Saigou no Shou. Sad death.

Shu, the master of the Nanto Hakuro Ken style and also has the saddest and greatest death I've ever seen in the history of EYES. Oh hell yeah, sad death.

Yuda, master of the Nanto Koukaku Ken style and rival of Rei. Easily the most hilarious "gone bad" moment ever and toughest metro sexual ever. Oddly enough, Sad death.

Souther, The Nanto Emperor and master of the Nanto Hoo Ken. Also the biggest asshole and greatest villain in the whole series, killed and poisoned many. The strongest of the Nanto. Great death.

Shin, born a loser, was manipulated by a loser and died a loser - But had great hair.



Enjoy the gallery and to see the previously released Hokuto Shin Ken set click the image below.

Posted by Gatack at 12:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

...and the rest of the gang will be here soon.




Shin is still a loser by the way.

Posted by Gatack at 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here I am, ready to turn in after drooling over things on Yahoo Japan (a boy needs his hobbies) when I get couple of cool IM's. IM's of what you ask? Well look below!

I SAID LOOK!





Pretty damn sweet huh? The first image (a surprise from this past Wonder Fest) is a new bust from Kaiyodo. IT looks to be a Raoh Gaiden version of him and the second image is of Kenshiro with Kokuoh-Go. This Kenshiro seems to be the post Raoh, end of series version (my favorite version btw).

Needless to say that the "I need to buy two" bug has bit me pretty damn hard.

Price: TBD

Street Date: TBD

Posted by Gatack at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Genius! Sheer Genius!!!

This is one of the greatest things to ever grace the internet!!

BEHOLD!!!

Posted by Gatack at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yo!

I know what your thinking... "But isn't Jagi a brother to?" To that I say "Shut up."

We are re-introducing these sets of busts for a couple of reasons:

1) The original gallery was taken with an old camera a couple of years ago

2) The Nanto bust set is going to be in hand anytime now. We plan on taking a gallery of that also, so we wanted the old Hokuto set to be the same quality as the Nanto set.

I hope you enjoy these two Hokuto brothers galleries. The first one is the limited repaint one (limited as it wasn't released in the US via Diamond) and the second one below it is the gallery of the first set. Even though I love both I must say that the repaint set is incredible and worth every penny.

Please take a look at these galleries. We're very proud of them! Thank you and enjoy!

Photos by Tendou

Posted by Gatack at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello All! Got some Hokuto No Ken News for you. Images of the Nanto Bust Repaint have popped-up courtesy of Nodaya. This repainted set is done in the same style as the Hokuto Brothers repaint.

These look great and I can't wait to get my hands on them!



The yen on this set is 31,500 which is about 261USD. Place your order for these at your trusted import store because I get the feeling Diamond won't be getting these (Hey, not saying it's definitely not going to happen but I'm doubtful).

Japanese Release Date: August

Oh and here is an image of the original colored Nanto bust set.

Posted by Gatack at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! WELL WELL WELL! Organic Hobby is trying to do the U.S. a great service by releasing some HNK stuff here. These figures have been released before (which you can see here) but these are repaints of those figures (damn nice repaints to be honest). The release breakdown are as follows:

Wave One-

Posted by Gatack at 03:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well here's a little article I got from the Times in London regarding Raoh's funeral. And for the billionth time, yes it was that big a deal. The link for the article on their site is here. I pasted the entire the article in it's entirety here in case it gets archived on the Times site.

"Fantasy funeral brings out thousands of real mourners

Leo Lewis in Tokyo-

A lone temple bell tolled through the Tokyo night. Seven priests chanted the doom-laden lament for the dead. Thousands of black-suited mourners queued solemnly in the rain to offer incense and prayers to their fallen hero, Raoh.

As the tears rolled down the cheeks of the bereaved, few seemed bothered that nobody had actually died.

For although Raoh exists only in the fantasy world of manga comics and anime cartoons, the grief experienced by ordinary Japanese at his funeral yesterday was real.

"He was like a father figure to me," Makoto Sounodai, a 21-year old Tokyo student, said. "I feel about him the way Westerners feel about Elvis."

Roland Kelts, of Tokyo University, an expert on anime, described the scene at the Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin temple last night as "perhaps the most extreme blurring of reality and fantasy that Japanese pop culture has produced". The full Buddhist shokonshiki, or spiritrising ceremony, represented the first time that a Japanese temple had held a funeral for a fictional character.

As the arch villain of one of Japan's best-loved -and most violent -comics, Raoh has as wide a fan base as any music or film star. "Raoh showed us the inner strength of men and showed that power can rule the world as effectively as love," said a sobbing 38-year old fan who called himself Lina, after one of the characters in the story.

As the seating inside the temple overflowed, 2,500 mourners watched the hour long ceremony on giant screens outside. Those with seats at the front, who included the cartoonists and voiceover actors involved in the series, fingered Buddhist juzu beads as Raoh's soul was "sent back to his native star".

In Fist of the Northstar, a manga series that started in the 1980s, Raoh is a vast, merciless tyrant whose cruelty and thirst for power make him supreme in the futuristic, post-apocalyptic wastelands. Raoh's brother and hero of the series, Kenshiro, has struggled to defeat this despot for nearly three decades and, in the latest movie, succeeds.

Although the action in Fist of the Northstar involves severed limbs and blood-soaked executions, many admire the series for its complex plots and moral dilemmas. Keiko Tsurugai, 35, a mother of three, said that her love for the comics arose from the way they tackled the dichotomy of love and hatred between brothers.

The funeral highlights the central role that comics and animation play in the lives of ordinary Japanese. Despite the distractions of text messages and handheld videogames, manga remains the favourite reading material for the very long journeys endured by many commuters. For many, manga comics perform the entertainment functions of comedians, soap stars and film actors.

Posted by Gatack at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"I Have No Regrets in my Heart!!!" These are the last words spoken by Raoh as he raises his fist to the heavens releasing all his chi to clear the sky of the nuclear storm..

On April 18th Hokuto No Ken's Raoh One of the Greatest Characters in Manga / Anime history will be getting a traditional Buddhist Funeral in his honor. The ceremony will be held at the Shingon sect's Tokyo branch, at the Shingon Koyasan Tokyo Betusin; In the actual series the Hokuto Shinken martial arts technique was first brought to Japan by a pupil of Kobo Daishi, the Shingon founder. A True Homage and honoring of this great character.

This legendary event will be held 10 days before the premiere of the new film The Legend of Raoh II: Fierce Fighting Arc, Raōh Den II Gekitō no Shō the Third installment of the 5 part Hokuto No Ken Shin Kyūseishu Densetsu and the last part of the Raoh saga which will feature the long awaited legendary final confrontation at Hokuto Renkitouza between Raoh and Kenshiro in new theatrical quality animation. The ceremony, which is being hosted by the film's distributor, will be held in a traditional manner, with the family of the deceased represented by creator Buronson, and with participation by HNK's Manga artist Tetsuo Hara. The funeral oration will be read by Takashi Ukaji, Raoh's voice actor; the funeral will also be presided over by singer Shinji Tanimura, a fan and friend of Hara and Buronson. All guests will also recieve a special wristband stamped with the mark of Kenoh for attending.

As a SUPER HUGE Fan of Hokuto no Ken this is certainly a day to remember. As it should be for every Hokuto No Ken Fan out there. Few fictional characters recieve this honor and certainly Raoh is one of the Most Deserving of it. Just typing this brings tears to my eyes, thinking about those last moments of the Raoh storyline. It is simply one of the Greatest moments in all Manga history. I will Raise My fist to the heavens in honor of one of the Greatest characters ever created in fiction. I believe truly that I speak for all of us at here at Henshin Hobby. As well as every TRUE HNK fan out there.. May you rest in peace Raoh. Your Legend will Live on in all of us..

わが生涯に一片の悔いなし!!

Please click for bigger picture~

Posted by Tendou GARlock at 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ryuuken… The Master is here!

Finally, after several waves and repaints of the SEGA catcher figures we finally have Ryuuken. The only man who ever handed Raoh his ass. Yes you read that sentence correctly. In many movies, TV series and comics there has been the “old master” character. It’s a staple of the martial arts genre. But Ryuuken is above them all. Whether you call him Ramon Kasumi or Ryuuken just know that he’s a Hokuto Shin Ken successor and that makes him one bad dude. He’s the only new figure in the latest series.

The figures in this latest wave are:

Ryuuken (New Figure), Raoh (Repaint), Toki (Repaint), Kenshiro (Repaint) and Uighur (Repaint)

The figures are 1000 Yen each and with a release date of April

Posted by Gatack at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You know, the title of this entry could have been a "shining the helmet" type of pun. But nah, since this is a Hokuto No Ken related bit of merchandise it's safe from dirty jokes of all kinds as anything Hokuto No Ken is considered sacred on this site.

This bad boy 1/1 bad boy ain't cheap. If you really want to wear one around the house screaming "Say my name!" to your loved ones it'll cost you. This baby goes for 157,500Y. That's 1,345.21dollars US. it's a pretty limited release (and official btw) by some new company I haven't heard of so it's safe to say that adds to the cost of this piece. Anyway check out the image below and the official site below.


GO HERE!

Posted by Gatack at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Customized credit cards. They are a popular fixture in pop culture. Some have their favorite sports teams while others have other images on them like the Star Trek symbol and what not.

They all SUCK in comparison to these cards over here. Behold the toughest credit card in ever to have a magnetic strip. Now these cards are so powerful that YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN BE DECLINED AT THE REGISTER (well, not really. But if you want to give the 100 cracked fist technique to the snobby cashier then more power to you).




GO HERE!

Posted by Gatack at 12:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I love it when things come in two's. Twix, peanut buttercups... two for one sales.... I'm sure tit doesn't take a long time to think of things that we love that come in two's (I won't go there... although I'd really like to) and here I give you a golden two-fer! The Yuria Gaiden OVA (which comes out next month) and the Raoh Gaiden Sequel (which comes out in April) trailers are HERE! For those who know this site know that if it weren't for Hokuto No Ken there wouldn't be a henshinhobby.com and that's a fact. Anyway please enjoy these trailers and bathe in their awesomeness!


RAOH GAIDEN 2<

YURIA GAIDEN<


EDIT: Here's another video. Ruins my whole "awesome things that come in two's" theme but oh well. It kicks ass regardless.

Posted by Gatack at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

For those of you who in the know it's a well known fact that this site/blog grew from the Hokutonokentoy.com. And well before THAT there was a little prequel called Souten No Ken aka Fist of the Blue Sky. Back in 2001 there was supposed to be an anime but it just didn't pan out. Five years later and here it finally here. I cannot stress how BADLY I - WE'VE been waiting for this TV show. And now finally its here!! Anyway here you go, check out the opening of the show! After all if it weren't for Tetsuo Hara's creation there would be no web site from your truly!

Posted by Gatack at 07:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the Greatest Toys in history has a gallery here. The 200X Raoh and Kokuoh Gou ULTIMATE FINAL BOXSET has to be seen to be believed!! Ever since the introduction of the Hokuto No Ken 200X line we were all waiting for the day Kaiyodo would go all out and make us a Raoh and Kokuoh set in the 200X scale. Well our prayers have been answered!! We did this Gallery awhile back for our ase site www.hokutonokentoy.com (Check it out!) but felt that we have to give Respect to the KENOH and Spread his Legend among all the new visitors of the Newly Launched Henshin Hobby!!

Photos by Kabuto

Posted by Tendou GARlock at 06:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)