Yamcha fans rejoice! A fully 3D, fully kickass Yamcha figure is coming to game centers across Japan!!

Mr. Miyoshi from BANDAI SPIRITS
"Dragon Ball" Prize Figure Project Leader
Previously oversaw the "Ichiban Kuji Dragon Ball" Series.
Contributed to "Ichiban Kuji Dragon Ball Select Machines" & "Ichiban Kuji Thank You! Dragon Ball 30th!!".

――What type of series is "G×materia"?

Miyoshi: It's a series that features figures with attack effects recreated with semi-translucent, glittering parts. When we set out to create a figure series like no other, we thought about how we could experiment with different materials, as well as the figures' designs. It was with that kind of thinking that this series started out.

Dragon Ball Z G×materia THE FRIEZA (left)
Dragon Ball Z G×materia THE GOTENKS (right)

――Why did you choose Yamcha for this release?

Miyoshi: Until now, we've only featured Saiyans and villain characters without really considering the characters who've been a part of Dragon Ball since the very beginning. So this time we wanted to challenge ourselves to make a Yamcha figure, and I hope that he's the first of many of this sort of character we recreate moving forward.
Roga Fufu-Ken (Wolf Fang Fist) is certainly one of the most memorable moves from the pre-Z era, and we feel like many long-time Dragon Ball fans have always held Yamcha close to their hearts. That's the case for me at least, which is one reason we chose Yamcha.

――You're a really big Dragon Ball fan, aren't you?

Miyoshi: Absolutely! I started reading the comics back in elementary school when the Planet Namek arc was in full swing in Jump, and I guess you'd say I'm part of the "Trunks generation".
I started with the Planet Namek arc, but my strongest memories of Yamcha are from the Saiyan arc that we're focusing on this time around. He's one of the Earthlings that you can really count on to stand up and fight alongside everyone else.

――Would you say you chose what you deem to be the coolest version of Yamcha to recreate in 3D for this release?

Miyoshi: Yes. In reality, Yamcha never got a chance to let his Roga Fufu-Ken (Wolf Fang Fist) loose in the Saiyan arc, but we took the liberty of combining what we thought to be Yamcha's coolest look with his most awesome technique.

Tale 8 (Left) / Tale 37 (Right)
Yamcha using his Roga Fufu-Ken in the comics
during his desert bandit days and as a competitor in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai

――Can you tell us about what you focused on during the figure's design process?

Miyoshi: It's surprisingly difficult to give a figure's uniform a sense of motion, but we were able to portray the feeling that Yamcha is thrusting himself at his opponent by showing his belt flowing backwards. We didn't have anything so easy as a cape to work with, but our designer was able to achieve the same effect even with just the minor parts of the figure.

Miyoshi: I'd also like to draw people's attention to the hands. I personally really like the way Yamcha clenches his fingers when he's using this technique, and so we did our best to do that aspect justice.

Miyoshi: There was lots of debate regarding the Roga Fufu-Ken, including a suggestion to increase the number of wolves. When you're designing a figure, you can't just think about how it'll look from the optimal angle, it also has to look good from behind. So, after speaking with the designer, we opted to lengthen the attack effect.

Comments from Model Designer VAROQ

VAROQ is the designer not only for this new release, but the entire G×materia series! He spoke to us about what he focuses on when it comes to figure design!

VAROQ: In comparison to other characters, the shape of Yamcha's eyes and his hairstyle have changed a lot over the years, but I was happy to hone in on this era for the design. I tried to avoid making his eyes too drooped or his glare too harsh, and since he's attacking, he's naturally opening his eyes wide, but I still tried to maintain some intensity.

VAROQ: When it came to recreating Roga Fufu-Ken in 3D, I thought a lot about how to make it as cool as possible, all while having to factor in the cost of the effect. It's actually just the head of a wolf, so rather than strictly sticking to the representation in the comics, I went through a lot of trial and error to find how to best convey the ferocity of the move while giving the fur and inner mouth a realistic feel. Even the slobber spraying from its mouth has been recreated! You probably won't spot it unless you look really closely, but it's just one more thing that I took special care with.

Thank you to Miyoshi and VAROQ! It seems like they've got plenty more amazing character figures planned for the series, including some characters that are just begging to be displayed alongside Yamcha! Be sure to get your hands on your own "Dragon Ball G×materia THE YAMCHA" figure at your local game center.

Plus, as a bonus addition to this interview, we also took a look back at some of Yamcha's Dragon Ball appearances over the years! Check it out in the Related Articles section below!