In the "T.M.Revolution × S.H.Figuarts Action Figure Project," Takanori Nishikawa was made into an adult-oriented action figure series "S.H.Figuarts" in the costume of the famous song "HOT LIMIT". For this project, a new HOT LIMIT costume for 2022 has been created for the figure version. Shoji Hayase (mashtrant) is in charge of the costume production. Mr. Hayase has been in charge of creating various costumes for Mr. Nishikawa. How did he create the costumes that match Mr. Nishikawa's current body?　Mr. Hayase himself talked to us about his particular approach.

■ Costume production

――How did you start making costumes?

Hayase:The concept was “wearing the costumes of the time with the body of today”. The mannequin of the current person and the costume material photo at that time are necessary for making it. I already had 3D scanned data, so I had the 1/1 mannequin printed on Styrofoam. The problem is...there is no documentation.

──It was 1998, more than 20 years ago now.

Hayase:I make full use of the power of the Internet, but my search technology is limited, and I don't know what kind of texture or tension the fabric has. So, just now (*) I was at the level where I was able to check the answer by asking the person in question (laughs).
*This interview was conducted after the T.M.Revolution live recording.

──Did you have a hard time making the costumes?

Hayase:Actually, making the shape itself is not so much, but when you look at the current body from the side, the way the chest muscles rise is like the front part of a "light tiger" (as he said). . The body shape is different from the time of "HOT LIMIT" at that time. At that time, the body was flat, but it became more three-dimensional, and it was extremely difficult to compose and cover it with straight lines. Naturally, there were a number of steps, such as getting it to work live. I had no one to consult with, so I was always discussing with about 10 people (laughs).

――Even though it's your own scan data, the size will change depending on the conditions of the day and the pump-up situation.

Hayase:is not it. There are bust, waist, and hip sizes for clothes, right? Like B○W○H○. Even if you know the yen, it depends on whether it is round, bale-shaped, or square when viewed from above. It's not a very serious issue when it comes to loose clothing, but in the case of a shape like this one, even a 1cm shift in position can make a big difference. However, if you can identify the position of the increased muscle mass, you can fix it to some extent with the pattern paper.

──The form and curves change.

Hayase:I agree. I thought about using something like a leotard fabric to make up for that error, but a leotard costume that fits tight on my muscles... it's hard. In the first place, the texture of the figure is about 0.5mm, but if it's 1/1, it's about 7mm. Ultraman 's costume is about 5 mm, but if you make it with that, your muscles will collapse. So, I chose 2mm this time. I put a matte fabric (less than 1mm thick) on it, which is similar to the painting of the figure, and piped a fabric with a different texture on the rim (wrapping the rim with fabric) to give it some thickness. A little over 4mm at a glance. Everyone involved in the production of figures must be concerned about the thickness and pitch, so I did my best, even if it was within the range that I could sew with a sewing machine!

――The material also has details, right?

Hayase:As expected, when it became 1/1, I thought, "Isn't it going to last?" First, I made 3 different textures. In addition to the current type, there was also a honeycomb structure like Spider-Man 's suit and a type like "Amidakuji". Mr. Nishikawa chose from among them!

──Did you communicate with Mr. Nishikawa during production?

Hayase:When I made the first sample, which was close to the production, I thought, "Hmmm. I don't remember the lines being this thick. I was told. As it turned out, I had made a mistake in my calculations...I had made the lines a little over 1 cm thicker. The king of eye power! T.M.Revolution I was the king of eye power!

――The costume itself has also been updated to match Nishikawa-san's body.

Hayase:is not it. The premise was to recreate the costume of the time, but when I was trying to find something similar, such as shoes, when I was trying to find something similar, Mr. Nishikawa said, “Ah! I decided to change the position of the belt to match the shoe design. Since the skin area of the body is different from that time, it was necessary to update within the rules to make it look like the original rather than forcing it to resemble the original. From here on, I shifted from the costume of the time to the same costume as the figure, to the extent that people who know the original will not criticize me.

──Are there any parts that have been updated by the shift change?

Hayase:a! Also, the dress has a gold line. Mr. Nishikawa said, "Is it possible to add a little color to the edges of the parts?" So, I made a color scheme for each of the wrist and upper arm. I made a bitter mistake here. I forgot to tell the figure development team that the belt pitch has changed and that there is a gold color scheme.

──There is a possibility that the costume will be different from the actual figure.

Hayase:In the end, I made it in time, but the sculptor, I'm really sorry! And finally, thanks so much.

――Didn’t you feel a lot of pressure on this project?

Hayase:No, it was really amazing (laughs)! I couldn't sleep properly at night for nearly 3 months until I reached this timing. The photo says it all (laughs)!

――Isn’t there a lot of trial and error in making the costumes?

Hayase:If it doesn't work, recreate it. I remade it several times and this is the 4th one. I wasn't planning on making it like this. At first, I had an image of making one sample, making the actual product, adjusting it in the actual production, and finishing with about 2.5 units. Of course, the materials themselves were just barely there, and if there were any parts that had to be remade, they would actually have been out...

――How did you feel when you saw Nishikawa-san's costume?

Hayase:Until today, that's what I'm going to do if I make a mistake, or what if I need to fix something that interrupts the recording. The costume is actually worn, and it's only after the live ends without incident that it's close to the completed form. First of all, I was relieved (laughs)!

■ S.H.Figuarts T.M.Revolution

――How do you feel about the actual figure?

Hayase:It goes without saying that the quality of the figure is amazing, but no, this pose! The joint gimmicks are amazing!! Nishikawa-san said while touching this figure, "Wow... no matter what pose I take, I feel like I'm looking at myself." The number of joints is unbelievable for a figure I used to own, let alone the size. I'm really surprised!

――Mr. Hayase, did you know about "S.H.Figuarts"?

Hayase:No, not at all... Um, I didn't remember. Excuse me. It's been more than 30 years since I started working, and I haven't been able to update most of my information about anime and toys...

──Actually, what did you think frankly about the request to make a figure and to make costumes for the figure?

Hayase:Regarding costume production, I was a little reluctant to modify the original that everyone knows. About the figure, it was about "How much detail is it?" Looking at the finished product, I was in a state of “Urashima Taro” due to the technological evolution.

――On the other hand, did you collect figurines in the past?

Hayase:At the time, I didn't have many figures that I wanted, so I didn't collect them, but when I was in junior high school, I loved them so much that I used to make "Wingman" by wrapping wire around it with solder wire and using putty. When I was in elementary school, I used to make Gunpla while watching the examples of Mr. Masahiro Oda and others in "HOW TO BUILD GUNDAM".

――"HOW TO BUILD GUNDAM" is the bible of Gunpla production.

Hayase:Isn't it! Before this book came out, I used to build kits normally, but after I saw "HOW TO BUILD GUNDAM", I started making my own power pipes, as well as "hands" using putty and runners. "Ah, if you pack this part and fill this part, it will look like it." I think most people of my age did it. A lot of the toys I had when I was a kid don't look like them. When I look at it now, it tastes good too. There were quite a few times when I wondered, "Why aren't they so similar?" (laughs).

――Don't you feel "uncomfortable" like the ready-made products at that time?

Hayase:(smile). I don't feel it at all! It is a level that impresses rather than discomfort. It's really amazing. The replacement parts are amazing, and everything from the pedestal below to the microphone is really fun to see and touch!

――With the evolution of movement, I think the degree of freedom in posing is constantly evolving.

Hayase:is not it. As a premise, I also convey the feelings of the creator, such as "I want you to see this" and "I want you to use it like this", but if you don't handle this kind of figure delicately, (parts) will fall off or break. wouldn't you? It's not only fun to see and touch, but at the same time, it feels like a little "education" as you adjust the strength of your fingertips in your head. Furthermore, the fact that you can pose and see different worlds depending on the angle you look at them also stimulates your imagination.

――Do you think you would like it, too, Mr. Hayase?

Hayase:(smile). Well... Honestly, if I asked if I wanted a "normal Nishikawa-san doll", I wouldn't really want one...I'm sorry (laughs). But I definitely want this! Maybe I'll buy several and distribute them around (laughs). Just look, touch and enjoy! It makes me want to collect figures and furniture of the same size. I think Mr. Nishikawa would probably say, "play freely", and that should be "okay for Takanori as well" (although I haven't confirmed it)!
──Thank you very much.

Shoji Hayase (Mash Trant)