R2-D2 (Commemorating 60 Years Of Excellence) - ARTFX+

In the occasion of our 60th Anniversary:

We are pleased to announce that 2012 commemorates Kotobukiya's 60th anniversary.

As a direct result of our continuous efforts to offer only the highest quality products, a once local business based in the city of Tachikawa has no grown into a prominent manufacturer with fans not only in Japan but worldwide including the United States, Asia, and Europe. We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation for your support, which has enabled us to come this far.

Now we have more than 170 employees and show no signs of slowing down as we receive numerous inquiries daily from those who wish to become part of our organization. There is no doubt that the selfless and sincere workmanship demonstrated by each employee has been the driving force that propels Kotobukiya to be a respected leader in our industry.

This 60th anniversary is, however, just a stepping-stone from one era to the next. Therefore, we must unite together again as we advance towards the future to ensure our company remains capable of presenting amusement and inspiration to our valued customers. To accomplish this task we would liek to request your continued patronage and support of Kotobukiya.

On Kotobukiya day, October 2012
Kazuyuki Shimizu, President/CEO
Kotobukiya Co,. Ltd.

When you see a Star Wars collectible with a 60th Anniversary label on it, the first thing you probably think is that Star Wars hasn’t been around for 60 years. You’re right it hasn’t. Kotobukiya however has celebrated 60 years in October 2012 and there is cause for celebration. A leader in high-end vinyl collectibles, their commitment to excellence only pales in comparison to the appreciation they have for their customers. For their entire duration, they have led the way to develop excellent Star Wars collectibles that became so popular in Japan that the ripples made their way to the USA where they have a strong following today, as a few other countries and continents as well. 60 years is nothing to snuff at, so Kotobukiya created a special memento to give out to its retail partners and various media outlets to celebrate the long term service of Kotobukia’s impressive business. It is with great pleasure that we share with you what they gave out. R2-D2 (Commemorating 60 Years Of Excellence) is the perfect anniversary piece.

If you think about it, it’s quite an honor that a Star Wars character was chosen to represent their entire 60 year career. Granted, it may just be the most popular license of all time but wouldn’t a revised look at one of their first and most popular products probably be the best representation of their longevity. Whatever the case, Star Wars fans should be delighted in the fact that Kotobukiya has chosen the ARTFX+ Gold R2-D2 figure to celebrate their six decade tenure. Really just a simple repaint, the gold R2-D2 is the same figure that came in 2011’s R2-D2 & C-3PO ARFTX+ set. The same pieces have been carried forward but now the figure has been give “gold” status thanks to a beautiful vac-metalized paint job. As a bonus, a collector coin has been added into the mix to further celebrate Kotobukiya’s 60-year accomplishment. When displayed together the set is gorgeous. It’s almost as if you’re sharing a piece of Olympic gold with them.

As far as a Star Wars collectible is concerned, well, that might create some chagrin. Not available for sale and only given as a gift to select business partners and media outlets, the gold R2-D2 is more like the Holiday collectibles Gentle Giant Ltd. gives out. This is sure to frustrate long term collectors of the line (and even new collectors for that matter) which shows that no good deed goes unpunished. We understand the disappointment some collectors will face, but sometimes companies need to do stuff like this to celebrate an incredible anniversary like this. Hopefully at some point they’ll decide to release a special gold and silver set of the droid duo. That we’re sure would go over very well, but right now it’s a free gift that just cannot be purchased. We wish Kotobukiya another brilliant 60 years of service. They promise to have great things in store for Star Wars collectors in the near future. We believe them wholeheartedly.