I’ve been running a vintage toy shop called cosmoknight α since 2001, mainly dealing with sofvi figures. At the time, I helped develop and release limited-edition collaborations with indie sofvi creators I knew. It was a lot of fun, and eventually, I felt inspired to try making something of my own. In 2006, I created my first original kaiju sofvi under the name Longneck. It went well, and that success encouraged me to keep creating — bringing me to where I am today.

There’s actually a rather obscure kaiju named Longneck who appeared in an old tokusatsu show called Fireman. He’s the kind of character no one really remembers anymore (laughs), but when I wrote the name in Roman letters, it just felt like it fit nicely. Later on, I realized it could also carry a double meaning — like saying to customers, “Please wait patiently with your necks stretched out,” which made the name feel even more fitting.

Back in 2008, our third release was a kaiju named Dempa-gon, which remained popular for quite a long time. Thanks to the wide range of paint variations, it continued selling steadily for about four years. Fans kept asking me to release something new, but because Dempa-gon was still doing so well, I found it difficult to come up with fresh character ideas.
During that creative slump, I happened to acquire a small sofvi figure called Alien, originally made in the 1980s by a vending machine toy company named Cosmo. It brought back memories — I used to own it and had always liked it. I thought, “Let’s make a bigger version of this,” and ideas started flowing — like giving it scissor and whip hands. The more I worked on it, the clearer the image became, and that’s how Yusei Majin came to life.

Absolutely — there was a huge response. At that time, social media barely existed, so overseas inquiries only came from a few collectors in the U.S., but among Japanese sofvi fans, the reaction was incredible. It actually came during a really tough period — the vintage sofvi market was slumping due to things like the Lehman Shock and the earthquake disaster. Thanks to the success of Yusei Majin, I was able to keep the shop running.
Back then, there were days when we made zero sales in a day, and I was honestly feeling pretty discouraged. So in that sense, Yusei Majin really saved me.

Exactly. After Yusei Majin became a hit, things suddenly got super busy. That momentum also brought more attention to the vintage side of the business, and both areas started doing well. Everything began to move in a good direction.

Originally, I had decided not to mass-produce Longneck sofvi. I usually only make about 10 pieces per release, as I know my own production limits. But at the same time, I always wanted more people to have a chance to own them.

That’s when I thought — if ENKA can make them, we could offer them as pre-order and produce many more. I also wanted to try a smaller size, and I thought it would be great if Yusei Majin’s legs could move. ENKA was able to bring all of these ideas to life, so I’m really happy with the result.

I worked closely with the sculptor, and since they were very skilled, we were able to reach exactly the kind of result I had hoped for.

Because Yusei Majin’s legs are now articulated, I wanted it to be able to ride on DEATHMENAGO — something that wouldn’t be possible with the larger versions. That’s why I think people will enjoy carrying them around and taking fun photos. With the ENKA version of Longneck being “a general release,” I hope more people can casually pick one up and enjoy it.

This monster was actually inspired by a childhood memory I have of playing with a Namegon sofvi that had its eye popped out. The original version was made of two parts, but the ENKA version has evolved into a three-part figure. The original face was based on a plastic skull toy, but this time I redesigned it to reflect how I’d ideally want it to look today. As for the change in the neck angle — that was made to make it easier for Yusei Majin to ride on top.

I still remember seeing a folk craft souvenir during my elementary school trip — it was a pair of dolls of an old man and woman sitting formally, but when you turned them over, they had genitalia sculpted underneath. It shocked me at the time. That kind of surprise is exactly what I want people to experience — something that makes you go, “Wait, what is this?”

With Longneck figures, there’s always some hidden detail you’d never notice just from looking at the front. When you pick them up and check the back or bottom, there’s always something unexpected. I really want to keep that spirit alive in the ENKA versions as well.

Gusbauwer was released in 2006. At the time, indie sofvi monsters with a single eye were very popular, so I decided to create a one-eyed monster too. I started by sketching a rough design myself and discussed it with a sculptor. Through those conversations, we decided to use Mt. Fuji as a motif. That led to the concept of a monster blowing smoke from the mountain peak.

That’s right. Dempa-gon was inspired by the silhouette of Smogon No.1, a monster sofvi made by IKB in the 1970s. I combined elements like TV sets, computers, and Tokyo Tower to create a monster that looked like a fusion of communication devices. Personally, I was really excited and creatively driven when making this piece. The approach of creating many color variations by referencing the styles of various characters — a signature of Longneck — actually started with Dempa-gon.

Yes. I had always wanted to turn the moon from the film A Trip to the Moon (1902) into a sofvi figure. So when I created Yusei Majin, I figured — why not just change the head to a moon? That’s how MOON came about. It ended up working really well, but I actually had to redo the sculpt multiple times. The moon in the movie has a very masculine face, so the first sculpt I made looked like a man too. But personally, I felt the moon should have a feminine face, so it took quite a bit of time to adjust the design to reflect that image.

Yes, that’s right. Cosmos actually made two versions of the Alien, so Kaitei Majin was based on the other one — enlarged and reinterpreted in my own way as a sea-themed Majin. I gave it rougher molding, split its crest into two parts, and added webbed features. The idea was to clearly separate them: one being a creature of space (Yusei Majin), and the other from the sea (Kaitei Majin).

Zeppandakun originally appeared as the mascot character for Cosmonite Alpha, featured in a four-panel comic in magazine ads. So when it was finally made into a sofvi figure, some people who had known the character for a long time said, “It’s finally being made into sofvi!” The fans even told me they looked forward to the comic every month. It made me really happy to know that there were people who felt that way — even if it was just two of them (laughs).

Yes, with this one, I was aiming more for something that would appeal to the general public rather than just hardcore collectors. But in the end, it wasn’t the broader audience I had in mind who bought it — it turned out that the core Longneck fans who had been supporting my work all along were the ones who picked it up.

Exactly — I usually only make about 10 pieces, and realistically, that’s all I can produce. In the beginning, I didn’t think they would sell, but thankfully, demand started to grow. That’s why I’ve kept going. However, due to issues with resellers, I’ve had to gradually raise the prices, which makes me feel a bit sorry for the fans.

Exactly. My own production capacity is limited, so I’m really hoping more people will be able to buy the ENKA versions. I’m very happy with the sculpting and paint quality — including Zeppandakun Since it’s pre-order and offered at an affordable price, I hope people who couldn’t previously get Longneck sofvis will now be able to buy them and enjoy playing with them.

This time, ENKA helped bring Yusei Majin and DEATHMENAGO to life, but personally, I’m hoping to see evolved versions of Longneck’s first three figures — Gusbauwer, DEATHMENAGO and Dempa-gon — through ENKA. I see those original three as more of an “old type” now, so I’d love to see them refined with ENKA’s current sensibilities. For example, the heads or legs didn’t move on the originals, so I’m looking forward to seeing them reborn with improved articulation and design.