is a Japanese
media mix
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...
franchise from
Konami Digital Entertainment
, is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casinos ...
, first launched in Japan in 2006 with a line of
action figures
An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually market ...
followed by a companion online game. The franchise encompasses various
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
,
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
, novels, video games, and more.
The online game was shut down in 2011, and the original toy line was discontinued in 2012.
A revival of the series was teased in December 2017 and later revealed to be centered around a smartphone game, but the game was still in
development hell
Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between different crews, scripts, game engi ...
as of February 2020.
[http://apsy.blog.shinobi.jp/diary/%E6%AD%A6%E8%A3%85%E7%A5%9E%E5%A7%AB%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A4%E3%81%84%E3%81%A6]
Action Figures and Model Kits
Original Line and MMS
The action figure line was launched in Japan in September 2006. Many were based on character designs by prolific Japanese artists.
A few of the figures have been released for distribution outside Japan.
Busou Shinki action figures are presented as 1:1 scale, drawing from a fictional world featuring action figure-sized
androids. The various media all take place in this same setting, though in different time periods.
Busou Shinki are feminine androids with stylized body armor and/or mechanical parts (such as the mermaid-themed Ianeira having a mechanical fish tail), but do have considerable variation in aesthetic between models that reflects the
artistic license
Artistic license (alongside more contextually-specific derivative terms such as poetic license, historical license, dramatic license, and narrative license) refers to deviation from fact or form for artistic purposes. It can include the alterat ...
given to the different designers. Due to the setting, joints and screws in the action figures are considered to be part of the designs, and are frequently depicted in art, video games, and other media, though they are sometimes omitted or less significantly depicted such as in the TV anime.
All of the figures use a common 'MMS' (Multi Moveable System) body designed by . MMS figures have multiple highly articulated joints, which give them a wide range of possible poses, including a special swinging leg joint that allows for near-180 degree vertical articulation on legs. Additionally, multiple body parts are interchangeable, allowing a wide variety of customization without tools. There are three iterations of MMS (1st, 2nd, and 3rd), with 3rd coming in two body types (Short and Tall) to allow for different proportions depending on the character. Busou Shinki only uses MMS 1st and MMS 3rd Short/Tall: MMS 2nd was only used for action figures for other IPs such as
Beatmania
(styled as ''beatmania'') is a Rhythm game, rhythm video game developed and distributed by Japan, Japanese game developer Konami and first released in December 1997. It contributed largely to the boom of music games in 1998, and the series e ...
and
Gurren Laggan
''Gurren Lagann'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese mecha anime television series animated by Gainax and co-produced by Aniplex and Konami. It ran for 27 episodes on TV Tokyo between April and September 2007. It was directed by Hiroyuk ...
.
The series uses a 3.3/4mm standard for parts (both body parts and equipment) that allow them to be connected to other parts. This ensures compatibility throughout the line, but deviates from the 3mm standard used by most other Japanese lines, meaning that they are only compatible with each other.
Busou Shinki product packages come in several varieties such as full sets, EX sets, Light Armor sets, and bodies. Full sets come with a unique painted MMS body with head and a full set of equipment. EX sets only include a head and a small assortment of equipment, with no MMS body. Light Armor sets are complete sets of unique MMS with head and equipment but with a significantly smaller amount of equipment and accessories and a smaller stand compared to regular sets. Bodies are sold in blister packages that only contain an MMS body with no equipment. The Arnval Mk 2 and Strarf Mk 2 also had Full Arms Package releases, which had more weapons and equipment in addition to the original full set releases.
There were also multiple exclusive repaint versions only available from
Dengeki Hobby
was a Japanese magazine under the Dengeki Hobby brand published by ASCII Media Works (formerly MediaWorks) centering on information relating to plastic models and toys. It first went on sale on 25 November 1998. There was a Chinese version p ...
, Konami Style, or events.
Konami also released action figures for various other IPs such as
Sky Girls
is a Japanese anime franchise produced by Konami and animated by J.C.Staff. A 30-minute OVA episode was released on August 25, 2006 and a television series adaptation aired on Chiba TV from July 5, 2007, to December 27, 2007.
Plot
In the ...
,
Otomedius
is a side scrolling shooter by Konami which featured personification of space fighters from various Konami games. The name is a pun, being a portmanteau of the terms "Otome" and "Gradius", with a set of equipment resembling space fighters fro ...
,
Beatmania
(styled as ''beatmania'') is a Rhythm game, rhythm video game developed and distributed by Japan, Japanese game developer Konami and first released in December 1997. It contributed largely to the boom of music games in 1998, and the series e ...
,
Gurren Laggan
''Gurren Lagann'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese mecha anime television series animated by Gainax and co-produced by Aniplex and Konami. It ran for 27 episodes on TV Tokyo between April and September 2007. It was directed by Hiroyuk ...
, and using MMS bodies that are compatible with the Busou Shinki line: These were branded under the MMS label, but not the Busou Shinki label. A
Hayate no Gotoku
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' magazine from October 2004 to April 2017. Shogakukan released 52 volumes in Japan from February 2005 to Jun ...
collaboration figure that came with a limited edition version of the Hayate no Gotoku game Nightmare Paradise, however, was under the Busou Shinki label as it included Busou Shinki equipment (repaints of the Valona equipment).
List of Action Figure Releases
;Wave 1
Japanese Release Date: 7 September 2006
US Release Date: 18 April 2007
* Arnval (アーンヴァル, ''Ānvaru''), Angel Type, Full Set
Character Designer:
Fumikane Shimada
, is an anime and video game illustrator and character designer from Okayama Prefecture.
Biography
Well known for sparking the popularity of the mecha musume boom within the 2000s, Fumikane was involved in various dōjin activities as one of the ...
(島田フミカネ)
* Strarf (ストラーフ, ''Sutorāfu''), Devil Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
;Wave 2
Japanese Release Date: 28 September 2006
US Release Date: 22 March 2007
*Howling (ハウリン, ''Haurin''), Dog Type, Full Set
Character Designer: BLADE
*Maochao (マオチャオ, ''Maochao''), Cat Type, Full Set
Character Designer: BLADE
*Waffebunny (ヴァッフェバニー, ''Vaffebanī''), Rabbit Type, EX Set
Character Designer: Tetsurō Kasahara (カサハラテツロー)
;Wave 3
Japanese Release Date: 7 December 2006
US Release Date: 22 March 2007 (Note, this release consisted of Benio only)
*Xiphos (サイフォス, ''Saifosu''), Knight Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Rokurō Shinofusa (篠房六郎)
*Benio (紅緒, ''Benio''), Samurai Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Rokurō Shinofusa (篠房六郎)
*Tsugaru (ツガル, ''Tsugaru''), Santa Claus Type, EX Set
Character Designer: Goli
;Wave 4
Japanese Release Date: 22 February 2007
*Zyrdarya (ジルダリア, ''Jirudaria''), Flower Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Okama
*Juvisy (ジュビジー, ''Jubijī''), Seed Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Okama
*Fort Bragg (フォートブラッグ, ''Fōto Buraggu''), Battery Type, EX Set
Character Designer: Takayuki Yanase (柳瀬敬之)
;Wave 5
Japanese Release Date: 31 May 2007
*Eukrante (エウクランテ, ''Eukurante''), Seiren Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Ryōta Magaki (間垣亮太)
*Ianeira (イーアネイラ, ''ĪANEIRA''), Mermaid Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Ryōta Magaki (間垣亮太)
*Waffedolphin (ヴァッフェドルフィン, ''VAFFEDORUFIN''), Dolphin Type, EX Set
Character Designer: Tetsurō Kasahara (カサハラテッロー)
;Wave 6
Japanese Release Date: 30 August 2007
*Tigris (ティグリース, ''Tigurīsu''), Tiger Type, Full Set
Character Designers: Eiichi Shimizu (清水栄一), Tomohiro Shimoguchi (下口智裕)
*Vitulus (ウィトゥルース, ''Witurūsu''), Calf Type, Full Set
Character Designers: Eiichi Shimizu (清水栄一), Tomohiro Shimoguchi (下口智裕)
*Grapprap (グラップラップ, ''Gurappurappu''), Builder Type, EX Set
Character Designer: Eisaku Kitō (鬼頭栄作)
;Wave 7
Japanese Release Date: 29 November 2007
*ACH (アーク, ''Āku''), High Speed Trike Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Choco
*YDA (イーダ, ''Īda''), High Maneuver Trike Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Choco
*Schmetterling (シュメッターリング, ''Shumettāringu''), Butterfly Type, EX Set
Character Designer: Chibisuke Machine (ちびすけマシーン)
;Wave 8
Japanese Release Date: 5 April 2008
*Murmeltier (ムルメルティア, ''Murumerutia''), Panzer Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
*Asuka (飛鳥, ''Asuka''), Fighter Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
*Zelnogrard (ゼルノグラード, ''Zerunogurādo''), Firearms Type, EX Set+Body
Character Designer: Takayuki Yanase (柳瀬敬之)
;Wave 9
Japanese Release Date: 10 July 2008
*Lançamento (ランサメント, ''Ransamento''), Rhinoceras Beetle Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Tanimeso (たにめそ)
*Espadia (エスパディア, ''Esupadia''), Stag Beetle Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Tanimeso (たにめそ)
;Wave 10
Japanese Release Date: 20 November 2008
*Graffias (グラフィオス, ''Gurafiosu''), Scorpion Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Ryōta Magaki (間垣亮太)
*Vespelio (ウェスペリオー, ''Wesuperiō''), Bat Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Ryōta Magaki (間垣亮太)
;Wave 1 Renewal Version
Japanese Release Date: 4 December 2008
* Arnval Tranche 2 (アーンヴァル トランシェ2, ''Ānvaru Toranshe 2''), Angel Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
* Strarf bis (ストラーフ bis, ''Sutorāfu bis''), Devil Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
;Wave 11
Japanese Release Date: 27 March 2010
*Altlene (アルトレーネ), Valkyrie Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Taraku Uon (羽音たらく),
Armament Redesigner: Takayuki Yanase (柳瀬敬之),
Concept and Original Armament Desighner: Kem by Bokusin-Contest Grand Prix
*Altines (アルトアイネス), Valkyrie Type, Full Set
LE Konamistyle Japanese and Dengeki Exclusive
Character Designer: Taraku Uon (羽音たらく),
Armament Redesigner: Takayuki Yanase (柳瀬敬之),
Concept and Original Armament Desighner: Kem by Bokusin-Contest Grand Prix
;Wave 12
Japanese Release Date: 30 September 2010
*Baby Razz (ベイビーラズ, ''Beibī Razu''), Electric Guitar Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Choco
*Sharatang (紗羅檀, ''Sharatan''), Violin Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Choco
;Wave 13
Japanese Release Date: 28 October 2010
* Gabrine (ガブリーヌ, ''Gaburīnu''), Hellhound Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Yoshitsune Izuna (いずなよしつね)
* Renge (蓮華, ''Renge''), Ninetailed Fox Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Yoshitsune Izuna (いずなよしつね)
;Wave 14
Japanese Release Date: 16 December 2010
*Artille (アーティル, ''Ātiru''), Lynx Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Kazuhiko Kakoi (かこいかずひこ)
*Raptias (ラプティアス, ''Raputiasu''), Eagle Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Kazuhiko Kakoi (かこいかずひこ)
;Wave 15
Japanese Release Date: 27 January 2011
*Maryceles (マリーセレス, ''Marīseresu''), Tentacles Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Niθ
*Proxima (プロキシマ, ''Purokishima''), Centaurus Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Niθ
;Wave 16
Japanese Release Date: 24 February 2011
*Oorbellen (オールベルン, ''Ōruberun''), Fencer-Pearl Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
*Zielbellen (ジールベルン, ''Jīruberun''), Fencer-Obsidian Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
;Wave 17
Japanese Release Date: 17 March 2011
* Arnval Mk.2 Tempesta (アーンヴァルMk.2 テンペスタ), Angel Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
* Strarf Mk.2 Lavina (ストラーフMk.2 ラヴィーナ), Devil Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
;Wave18
Japanese Release Date: 17 December 2011
*Vervietta (ヴェルヴィエッタ), Vicviper Type, Full
*Lirbiete (リルビエート), Vicviper Type, Full
Character Designer: Mika Akitaka (明貴美加)
;Wave19
Japanese Release Date: 23 February 2012
*Fubuki type 2 (フブキ弐型), Ninja Type, Full Set
*Mizuki Type 2 (ミズキ弐型), Ninja Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Humikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
;Wave 20
Japanese Release Date: 15 March 2012
*Arnval Mk.2 Tempesta Full Arms Package (アーンヴァルMk.2 テンペスタ フルアームズパッケージ), Angel Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
*Strarf Mk.2 Lavina Full Arms Package (ストラーフMk.2 ラヴィーナ フルアームズパッケージ), Devil Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
;Light Armor Wave 1
Japanese Release Date: 4 October 2008
*Valona (ヴァローナ, ''Varōna''), Succubus Type, Light Armour Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
*Werkstra (ウェルクストラ, ''Werukusutora''), Commando Angel Type, Light Armour Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
;Light Armor Wave 2
Japanese Release Date: 30 October 2008
* Bright Feather (ブライトフェザー, ''Buraitofezā''), Nurse Type, Light Armour Full Set
Character Designer: Mercy Rabbit (マーシーラビット)
* Harmony Grace (ハーモニーグレイス, ''Hāmonī Gureisu''), Sister (nun) Type, Light Armour Full Set
Character Designer: Mercy Rabbit (マーシーラビット)
;Light Armor Wave 3
Japanese Release Date: 29 February 2009
* Partio (パーティオ, ''Pātio''), Ferret Type, Light Armor Full Set
Character Designer: BLADE
* Pomock (ポモック, ''Pomokku''), Squirrel Type, Light Armor Full Set
Character Designer: BLADE
;Light Armor Wave 4
Japanese Release Date: 25 February 2010
* Kohiru (こひる, ''Kohiru''), Chopsticks Type, Light Armor Full Set
Character Designer: Dogmask
* Merienda (メリエンダ, ''Merienda'' ), Spoon Type, Light Armor Full Set
Character Designer: Dogmask
;Special Releases
Japanese Release Date: 26 December 2008
*Fubuki (フブキ, ''Fubuki''), Ninja Type, Full Set
Character Designer: nuno
LE Konamistyle Japanese Exclusive
*Mizuki (ミズキ, ''Mizuki''), Ninja Type, Full Set
Character Designer: nuno
LE Konamistyle Japanese Exclusive
Japanese Release Date: 26 March 2009
*Nagi (ナギ, ''Nagi''), Ojousama Type, Light Armor Full Set
Character Designer: Kenjiro Hata
Only available from a special release with the
Hayate the Combat Butler
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' magazine from October 2004 to April 2017. Shogakukan released 52 volumes in Japan from February 2005 to June ...
PSP game ''Nightmare Paradise'' Konami Style Japanese exclusive limited edition.
Character Redesigner: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ),
Original Character Designer: Kenjirou Hata (畑健二郎)
Japanese Release Date: 15 July 2010
* Arnval Mk.2 (アーンヴァルMk.2), Angel Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
* Strarf Mk.2 (ストラーフMk.2 ), Devil Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
Only available from a special release with the
Busou Shinki Battle Masters PSP game Konami Style Japanese exclusive limited edition.
Japanese Release Date: 22 September 2011
* Arnval Mk.2 Full Arms Package (アーンヴァルMk.2 フルアームズパッケージ), Angel Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
* Strarf Mk.2 Full Arms Package (ストラーフMk.2 フルアームズパッケージ), Devil Type, Full Set
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada (島田フミカネ)
* Swimsuit Body for Arnval MK.2
* Swimsuit Body for Strarf MK.2
Only available from a special release with the
Busou Shinki Battle Masters Mk.2 PSP game Konami Style Japanese exclusive limited edition
Busou Shinki Variants
Several limited edition versions of the Busou Shinki figures have also been released. These variants sport alternate color schemes and additional parts.
*Dengeki Exclusive Devil Type, Strarf
*Dengeki Exclusive Angel Type, Arnval
*Dengeki Exclusive Cat Type, Maochao
*Dengeki Exclusive Dog Type, Howling
*Wonder Festival 2008 Seiren Type, Eukrante
*Wonder Festival 2008 Mermaid Type, Ianeira
*Konami Style Exclusive Blue Santa Claus Type, Tsugaru
*Konami Style / Chara Hobby 2008 Prototype Squirrel Type, Pomock
*Konami Style / Chara Hobby 2008 Prototype Ferret Type, Partio
*Dengeki Hobby Magazine ed. High Speed Trike Type, ACH Stradale
*Dengeki Hobby Magazine ed. High Maneuver Trike Type, YDA Stradale
*Konami Style Exclusive Angel Type, Arnval Tranche2
*Konami Style Exclusive Devil Type, Strarf Bis
*Konami Style Exclusive Ninja Type, Mizuki
*Konami Style Exclusive Commando Angel Type, Werkstra
*Konami Style Exclusive Succubus Type, Valona
*Konami Style Exclusive Panzer Type, Murmeltier
*Konami Style Exclusive Fighter Type, Asuka
*Konami Style Exclusive Valkyrie Type, Altlene Viola
*Konami Style Exclusive Valkyrie Type, Altines Rosa
*Konami Style Exclusive Fencer-Garnet Type, Oorbellen
*Konami Style Exclusive Fencer-Sapphire Type, Zielbellen
*Konami Style Exclusive Fencer-Moonstone Type, Oorbellen Lunaria
*Konami Style Exclusive Fencer-Amethyst Type, Zielbellen
*Konami Style Exclusive Lynx Type, Artille Full-Barrel
*Konami Style Exclusive Eagle Type, Raptias Air-Dominance
*Konami Style Exclusive Battery Type, Fort Bragg Dusk
*Konami Style Exclusive Firearms Type, Zelnogrard Belik
*Konami Style Exclusive Tentacles Type, Maryceles Lemuria
*Konami Style Exclusive Centaurus Type, Proxima Spinel
MMS Naked Body Releases
Exclusively sold on the Konami Style Japan page, these are unpainted, featureless MMS Figures meant for use with EX sets or for customization. They come in a variety of colors and shades of skintone intended to match other MMS figures.
The MMS Naked bodies are available, like the Busou Shinki figures themselves, in three different body archetypes: MMS 1st, MMS 3rd (small) and MMS 3rd (tall). Although similar in form and construction, not all body parts are compatible among them.
*MMS 1st
**Naked White
**Naked Black
**Naked Flesh ver. 1
**Naked Flesh ver. 1 - Gym Uniform Wine Red
**Naked Flesh ver. 2
**Naked Flesh ver. 2 - Gym Uniform Navy Blue
**Naked Flesh ver. 2 - School Swimsuit Navy Blue Type
**Naked Flesh ver. 2 - School Swimsuit White Type
**Naked Flesh ver. 3
*MMS 3rd (small)
**Naked White (small)
**Naked Black (small)
**Naked Flesh ver. 2 (small)
**Naked Flesh ver. 2 (small) - School Swimsuit White Type
**Naked Flesh ver. 4 (small)
**Naked Flesh ver. 4 (small) - School Swimsuit Navy Blue Type
**Naked Flesh ver. 5 (small)
*MMS 3rd (tall)
**Naked White (tall)
**Naked Black (tall)
**Naked Flesh ver. 2 (tall)
**Naked Flesh ver. 2 (tall) - School Swimsuit White Type
**Naked Flesh ver. 4 (tall)
**Naked Flesh ver. 4 (tall) - School Swimsuit Navy Blue Type
**Naked Flesh ver. 5 (tall)
2016 Reproductions
Though the original line was discontinued in 2012, purchasers of the 2015 anime Blu-Ray box set received a serial code allowing them to purchase limited run reproductions of the MMS bodies of the four main Shinki from the anime (Arnval mk. 2, Strarf mk. 2, Altines, and Altlene).
[https://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/busou/news/news1601.html][https://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/busou/news/news1502.html]
These were reproductions of the MMS bodies only, and did not include the equipment or most of the accessories from the original releases, and came in entirely new packaging. The reproductions were priced at 8000 yen per MMS, or 25,000 yen for a set of all four.
The reproductions were popular enough that additional batches had to be produced, alongside additional Blu-Ray box sets. Though originally announced for an April 2016 release, the reproduction set was delayed to December 2016.
Megami Device Collaboration Model Kits
After the 2017 revival, the series has been getting collaboration model kit releases from 's line, which many former Busou Shinki key staff such as series/MMS creator , former series producer
Toriyama Toriwo, and designers
Fumikane Shimada
, is an anime and video game illustrator and character designer from Okayama Prefecture.
Biography
Well known for sparking the popularity of the mecha musume boom within the 2000s, Fumikane was involved in various dōjin activities as one of the ...
and are involved with.
The first revival shinki, Edelweiss, was released in January 2019 as part of a tie-in with the upcoming smartphone game Busou Shinki R (then unnamed), but the game was further delayed.
The Edelweiss kit thus uses the generic Busou Shinki series logo instead of the Busou Shinki R logo in its branding, while the card from the Battle Conductor arcade game which was released after the Busou Shinki R logo was revealed uses the R logo.
Releases of Arnval and Strarf as Megami Device collaboration model kits were also announced in 2015, predating the revival announcement,
but as of December 2020 no release date has been announced yet.
The kits are not based on the old MMS design, and instead use the new
Machinica standard designed by Asai.
The Megami Device line uses the Japanese model kit industry standard of 3mm joints, meaning that they are by default incompatible with the original Busou Shinki line, but Kotobukiya has released joint adapters that allow one to establish compatibility between 3.0 and 3.3mm standards.
It was initially announced in early 2018 that other new designs from the revival would get Megami Device model kits, but no progress was made on them, and with Asai's distancing himself from the project in 2020 it is unclear if they will be made. Toriyama is still attached to the mobile game project and its kits, however, and a prototype body for a second collaboration kit with character design by BLADE was shown at Wonder Festival Summer 2018.
List of Megami Device Collaboration Model Kit Releases
;Megami Device
Japanese Release Date: January 2019
* Edelweiss (エーデルワイス, ''Ēderuwaisu''), Jaeger Type (猟兵型)
Character Designer:
Fumikane Shimada
, is an anime and video game illustrator and character designer from Okayama Prefecture.
Biography
Well known for sparking the popularity of the mecha musume boom within the 2000s, Fumikane was involved in various dōjin activities as one of the ...
(島田フミカネ)
Japanese Release Date: TBA
* Arnval (アーンヴァル, ''Ānvaru''), Angel Type
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada
* Strarf (ストラーフ, ''Sutorāfu''), Devil Type
Character Designer: Fumikane Shimada
Video games
Busou Shinki Battle Rondo
On April 23, 2007 Konami released ''Battle Rondo''. Battle Rondo was a free
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
online
In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" or ...
raising sim set in the fictional Busou Shinki universe. Players could unlock in-game versions of the figures, including their armor and weapons, and other gear, by inputting codes that came with each Busou Shinki figure, or through
micropayments
A micropayment is a financial transaction involving a very small sum of money and usually one that occurs online. A number of micropayment systems were proposed and developed in the mid-to-late 1990s, all of which were ultimately unsuccessful. A s ...
. The game consisted primarily of automated one-on-one battles with NPC or player-owned Shinki, and the main objective of the game was to have Shinki participate in battles while maintaining high win ratios in order to raise their ranks. The game also had time-limited event quests with their own storylines.
The game used a battle system which had Shinki fight automatically, with the player "training" the AI to fight more effectively through feedback after each match. The game would also output battle logs as text files in which the reasons for actions taken in battle would be detailed, allowing the player to give more accurate feedback to the Shinki. Shinki personalities (influencing actions they take in battle and how they respond to feedback) and stats were affected by the initial setup, in which the player selected three "CSC" core crystals. CSCs could not be changed without resetting a Shinki entirely, which would reset them to level 1 and lore-wise erases their memories.
The game was discontinued on October 31, 2011, and the official web portal was closed down.
Busou Shinki Battle Masters
''Busou Shinki Battle Masters'' was developed by Konami for the
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
released July 15, 2010. A sequel/updated version, also for the PSP, ''Busou Shinki Battle Masters Mk.2'' was released on September 22, 2011. Both releases had limited edition releases which from Konami's online store Konami Style which included exclusive limited release action figures.
Both were conventional action games, with the player taking direct control of shinki (unlike Battle Rondo).
The in-world lore justification for this is that Battle Masters takes place in 2040 as opposed to Battle Rondo's 2036, and that taking control of shinki is made possible by new
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...
technology.
Busou Shinki Battle Communication
''Busou Shinki: Battle Communication'' was a social game developed by Mobage for feature phones that was launched on 31 October 2010. The service was discontinued on 22 May 2012.
Busou Shinki Armored Princess Battle Conductor
''Busou Shinki: Armored Princess Battle Conductor'' is an arcade game with four-player online battle royale gameplay, in which players take control of teams of three shinki and compete to collect the greatest amount of gems in a match, that was developed by Konami and released on December 24, 2020. The game also makes use of a
holographic display A holographic display is a type of 3D display that utilizes light diffraction to display a three-dimensional image to the viewer. Holographic displays are distinguished from other forms of 3D displays in that they do not require the viewer to wear ...
, and players save their progress through use of a Konami
e-Amusement
e-Amusement, stylized as e-amusement, is an online service operated by Konami, used primarily for online functionality on its arcade video games. The system is used primarily to save progress and unlockable content between games, participate in ...
IC pass and by outputting shinki as physical trading cards via a
Card Connect machine.
The appearance of Edelweiss in the game was promoted as being a crossover/collaboration with Busou Shinki R, even though Busou Shinki R has not been released yet.
The game has also had collaborations with other
Konami
, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
IPs such as the
Bemani
, stylized as BEMANI, is Konami's music video game division. Originally named the Games & Music Division (G.M.D.), it changed its name in honor of its first and most successful game, ''Beatmania'', and expanded into other music-based games, mos ...
series,
Quiz Magic Academy series,
Tokimeki Memorial
is a dating simulation series by Konami. It consists of six main games in addition to many spin-offs. The games are notable in the dating sim genre for being highly nonlinear. Their nickname amongst their fans is the contraction ''TokiMemo''.
Th ...
series,
Sky Girls
is a Japanese anime franchise produced by Konami and animated by J.C.Staff. A 30-minute OVA episode was released on August 25, 2006 and a television series adaptation aired on Chiba TV from July 5, 2007, to December 27, 2007.
Plot
In the ...
series, and
LovePlus
is a dating sim developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was released in Japan in 2009. Several updates and sequels have followed, including one for iOS in 2011. It has not been released outside Ja ...
series.
Busou Shinki R (Tentative Title)
''Busou Shinki R'' was initially teased with no title in December 2017 before being officially announced as a smartphone game in February 2020.
No release date has been revealed yet, and the title is tentative.
Bibliography
Busou Shinki 2036
is a manga series by BLADE. The series began its serialization in Dengeki Hobby Magazine in June 2007, with the first
tankobon volume published under the Dengeki Comics label in 2008. The fifth and last volume was published in March 2013.
Busou Shinki Zero
A different manga series by
Yuji Ihara that was also published under the Dengeki Comics label.
Busou Shinki Always Together
A novel by
Hibiki Yu, published by
Konami Novels.
Gagaga Bunko Novel Series
A series of novels based on the franchise by
Kuga Buncho, published by Gagaga Bunko.
Other manga and novels
Busou Shinki: Forget-me-not was a manga by Wasaba that was serialized on Konami's feature phone portal Shukan Konami from 20 April 2007 to 26 December 2008, with 64 chapters. No books were ever released.
Busou Shinki Light! is a manga by BLADE that was serialized in the magazine Figure Maniacs Otome-gumi. It did not get its own releases, but was included in volumes 2-4 of Busou Shinki 2036, which is also by BLADE.
Hibusou Shinki is a webcomic by Karashiichi that ran on the official Busou Shinki website from 2008 to 2010. No books were ever released, but its first appearance, later relabelled "episode 0" when released on the website, was first published in the
mook
Mook or Mooks may refer to:
Places
* Mook, Iran (disambiguation)
* Mook, Kentucky, an unincorporated community, United States
* Mook en Middelaar, a municipality in the Netherlands
Entertainment
* Mook (publishing), a portmanteau of magazine a ...
''Busou Shinki Master's Book''.
Other books
Several other books and
mook
Mook or Mooks may refer to:
Places
* Mook, Iran (disambiguation)
* Mook, Kentucky, an unincorporated community, United States
* Mook en Middelaar, a municipality in the Netherlands
Entertainment
* Mook (publishing), a portmanteau of magazine a ...
s related to the franchise have also been published by Kadokawa and Konami Digital Entertainment.
Radio Shows
Busou Shinki Radio Rondo
An internet radio show hosted by
Kana Asumi
is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and a former member of the girl group Lisp.
Career
She worked for Voice & Heart until 2007 and has worked for 81 Produce since 2008. She won the Best Lead Actress Award in the 7th Seiyu Awards.
Perso ...
and
Eri Kitamura
is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She was previously affiliated with Early Wing, but is now a freelancer. She is known for voicing prominent roles in anime such as and Sayaka Miki in '' Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', Saya Otonashi in ''Bloo ...
to promote and discuss Battle Rondo, broadcast weekly on
i-revo and
Onsen.ag from April 26, 2007 to October 25, 2007 (episodes on Onsen were released one week after i-Revo). Special additional recordings were also included on the Battle Rondo soundtrack and on the Character Song & Special Radio Rondo albums.
Recordings of the radio show were compiled and released on CD in 2008.
Busou Shinki Master no tame no Radio desu
An internet radio show hosted by
Kana Asumi
is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and a former member of the girl group Lisp.
Career
She worked for Voice & Heart until 2007 and has worked for 81 Produce since 2008. She won the Best Lead Actress Award in the 7th Seiyu Awards.
Perso ...
and
Minori Chihara
is a Japanese voice actress and former singer who has had roles in several anime series.Doi, Hitoshi"Chihara Minori" ''Seiyuu Database''. January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011. She is well known for her voice role as Yuki Nagato in '' The ...
to promote and discuss the TV anime series, broadcast on
Onsen.ag from September 24, 2012 to October 1, 2013. Episodes were released weekly up to episode 27, and then once every two weeks after. A special episode was released in 2015 to coincide with the TV series Blu-ray box release, with another in 2017 for the Blu-ray box re-release.
Recordings of the radio show were compiled and released on CD in four volumes from 2012-2014.
Discography
Character song albums, video game soundtracks, and radio show recordings have been released on CD. Many of the individual tracks from the music CDs (but not the radio show CDs) are also available for sale by download in
MP3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...
file format from online stores such as Amazon and iTunes.
Video game soundtracks
Character song albums
Radio talk show recordings
TV anime-related music
Anime
Busou Shinki has had two anime series, a 2011 OVA and a 2012 13-episode TV series.
OVA
is an
original video animation
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
produced by
Kinema Citrus
is a Japanese animation studio, founded on March 3, 2008, by former Production I.G and Bones members and based in Suginami, Tokyo. Its business directors are Muneki Ogasawara, Yuichiro Matsuka and Masaki Tachibana. Notable works include '' Tokyo ...
and
TNK.
The OVA was originally released as DLC for the
PSP video game Battle Masters Mk 2, viewable through an in-game menu. The ten installments were later assembled into a 40-minute OVA that had a limited release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc via Konami's Konami Style online shop in Japan.
TV series
The TV series was broadcast in Japan in 2012. Individual DVD and Blu-Ray volumes were released in 2011-2012, and a Blu-Ray-only box set was released in 2015. Episode 13 of the series was not broadcast on TV and only released on disc.
The TV series was licensed for distribution in North America by
Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
and began streaming on
Anime Network
Anime Network is an American video on demand (VOD) network dedicated to anime owned by AMC Networks.
History
The network was launched in North America in late 2002 and is marketed to multi system operators (MSOs) as both a free and subscript ...
in 2012.
Legacy
After the discontinuing of the action figure line, key staff such as series/MMS creator
Masaki Asai and former series producer
Toriwo Toriyama went on to work on the
Megami Device line of model kits for
Kotobukiya, which has a similar premise and concept and is considered by many as a
spiritual successor
A spiritual successor (sometimes called a spiritual sequel) is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel) does not explicitly continue the product lin ...
. Designers
Fumikane Shimada
, is an anime and video game illustrator and character designer from Okayama Prefecture.
Biography
Well known for sparking the popularity of the mecha musume boom within the 2000s, Fumikane was involved in various dōjin activities as one of the ...
and
Takayuki Yanase, who had previously worked on Busou Shinki, also worked on designs for the line. The official Megami Device webcomic is also drawn by Karashiichi, who previously did the official Busou Shinki website webcomic Hibusou Shinki, and the comic has returning characters from Hibusou Shinki.
As part of a tie-in with the upcoming smartphone game Busou Shinki R,
Megami Device has also seen the release of one of the new shinki from the game, Edelweiss, as a collaboration model kit.
Releases of Arnval and Strarf as Megami Device collaboration model kits were also announced in 2015.
Pyramid Inc., which developed the Battle Masters games, developed the smartphone game
Alice Gear Aegis
is a Japanese mobile game developed by Pyramid and published by Colopl; it was originally released in January 2018. The game received an original video animation adaptation by Nomad in September 2021. A console variant of the mobile game, t ...
which is also a "mecha girl" genre action game. Fumikane Shimada and Takayuki Yanase also worked on designs for the game,
and Alice Gear Aegis has also had collaboration model kit releases from Megami Device.
Pyramid staff such as president Junichi Kashiwagi are frequently present at Megami Device-related events as well, such as
Wonder Festival
The , or , is a semiannual (February and August) event held in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is sponsored by the Kaiyodo manufacturing company. The main focus is to display and sell "garage kits", which are sculptures that usually represe ...
talk shows.
After Konami's Busou Shinki revival was announced in December 2017, Asai announced that he was being officially involved with the project at Konami's request in early 2018, and he worked on the Edelweiss, Arnval and Starf model kits for Megami Device as part of this. It was also announced that more new designs from the revival would be getting releases as model kits in the future.
But though the Edelweiss kit (released January 2019
) was supposed to be released alongside the Busou Shinki R smartphone game, the game ended up in development hell, with the title not announced yet at the time of the Edelweiss' release.
Asai reported in February 2020 that development on Busou Shinki R had recently restarted from scratch. This, combined with how Konami was not keeping him up to date on developments, with him not learning about the Battle Conductor arcade game until seeing announcements on Twitter, resulted in him releasing a statement on his personal blog saying that he no longer considers himself to be part of the project, citing the aforementioned incidents and how he is being kept out of the loop. No work had been done on any collaboration model kits aside from the Edelweiss, Arnval and Strarf, and so it is unclear if any other revival designs will be released.
References
External links
* (archive)
Shinki-NET(archive)
Battle Masters website
Battle Masters Mk 2 website
{{Portal bar, Video games
2012 anime television series debuts
2000s toys
2007 video games
2010 video games
2011 video games
2020 video games
Japan-exclusive video games
Video games developed in Japan
Action figures
Konami
Mecha anime and manga
Raising sims
Windows games
Windows-only games
Inactive multiplayer online games
PlayStation Portable games
PlayStation Portable-only games
Arcade video games
Konami arcade games
Mobile games
Toy robots
Kinema Citrus
TNK (company)
Eight Bit (studio)
Dengeki Comics
Gagaga Bunko
Internet radio