With "S.H.Figuarts Zarbon" putting his elegance on display with a most timely arrival, all of the main Frieza Force members from the Planet Namek arc have now assembled! Ahead of Zarbon's release, we were lucky enough to get a glimpse at how the dreaded Frieza Force is shaping up!!

Leading the Frieza Force into the fray this time is the project's leader, Mr. Okamoto! In the previous article, we spoke with him about what made "S.H.Figuarts Zarbon" so special.

Celebrating the Release of "S.H.Figuarts Zarbon"! Interview with the Project Leader!!

In today's article, we quiz self-proclaimed Dragon Ball geek Mr. Okamoto further on how he views the S.H.Figuarts Frieza Force as both a passionate Dragon Ball fan and as the man in charge of the project.

——We heard that you joined BANDAI SPIRITS with the ambition of working with Dragon Ball-related products, but when did you first fall in love with the series?

Okamoto: When I was in elementary school. I saw some posters I thought were really cool, and that sparked my interest. I was given copies of all the manga volumes, but I'm the type of person who likes to savor a good thing, so I made a rule that I could only read one volume per week. In the end, I had an incredible time reading all 42 volumes over the course of practically a full year!

——So who's your favorite character?

Okamoto: Definitely Goku! When I was a middle school student I was pretty overweight—around 80kg—but I knew I wanted to be like Goku, and so I lost a lot of weight and ended up as I am today. A lot of that was thanks to swimming, but the reason I started swimming in the first place was because I was invited to do so by a friend who also liked Dragon Ball.

Okamoto: Thinking that I wanted to look like Goku, I looked up all about muscle building and training, so even for a figure, I roughly know which muscles should be where!

——So will your muscle knowledge shine through in the figures you'll be developing in the future?

Okamoto: That's definitely the goal.

——Is there an item whose production you were involved in that you feel particularly attached to?

Okamoto: I'd say the "S.H.Figuarts Dodoria" and "S.H.Figuarts Zarbon" figures we spoke about last time. Both characters are making their debuts in the S.H.Figuarts series, and I had the honor of leading both projects simultaneously. On top of that, I have fond memories of all the ideas, prototypes, and just generally all the trial-and-error involved when it came to creating the luminous Namekian Dragon Balls that come with all the figures from "S.H.Figuarts Frieza Fourth Form" onwards.

——How exactly are the new luminous Dragon Balls made to give them the unique shine that separates them from past designs?

Okamoto: Until now, they had been made using transparent resin, but the luminous version uses resin that's been tinted yellow and mixed with glitter. You can get a good shine using just paints, but we decided to go with resin models so as to best capture the Dragon Balls' glossy, shimmering glow.

Okamoto: As a Dragon Ball fan, being able to display the Ginyu Force all together is such a thrill. These five have such laidback energy, like when they suddenly started playing rock-paper-scissors before a fight, but I also love how when the fighting starts, they always look so cool. Being able to recreate all those playful scenes with these movable figures is tons of fun!

Okamoto: There's a campaign on right now where we're asking all fans of the S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball series to send us pictures of their figures, including all the Planet Namek arc figures we spoke about today! Please check it out and send us a pic or two!

——Thank you very much for your time today!

The campaign Mr. Okamoto spoke about last is the "'Get Your Wish on Planet Namek!' Project"!

To make a submission, first, follow either of the following TAMASHII NATIONS official social media accounts!
・ Twitter: @t_features
・ Instagram: instamashii
Then just take a photo of your S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball figures and post it with the hashtag "#dragonball_nations" along with your Dragon-Ball-themed wish!

Check out the link below for more details!
https://tamashii.jp/special/tamashii_nation/db-mosaicart/

"S.H.Figuarts Frieza Fourth Form" expected to go on sale February 2022.
"S.H.Figuarts Dodoria" now available for preorder.
"S.H.Figuarts Frieza First Form & Frieza Pod" on sale at retail stores now.
"S.H.Figuarts Zarbon" now available for preorder.
"S.H.Figuarts Recoome" preorders now closed.
"S.H.Figuarts Burter & Guldo" preorders now closed.
"S.H.Figuarts Jiece" preorders now closed.
"S.H.Figuarts Ginyu" on sale at retail stores now.
*Information is for Japan only.