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Decoding the MUSCLE Color Code


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#1 Soupie

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Posted 27 February 2014 - 12:23 PM

Decoding the MUSCLE Color Code

 

What is the MUSCLE Color Code (MCC)?

 

The MUSCLE toy line is a remake of a Japanese toy line called Kinnikuman. The Kinnikuman toy line is comprised of hundreds of figures and sets, known as parts. The MUSCLE toy line is comprised of many, but not all, of the sculpts from the first 21 Kinnikuman parts.

 

MUSCLE figures come in nine (9) basic colors (there was a board game which included a tenth (10) exclusive, Light Purple color). However, not all MUSCLE sculpts can be found in all colors. Furthermore, sculpt-color combinations (aka figures) can be found in varying abundance: common, uncommon, and rare.

 

By using knowledge of how Kinnikuman and MUSCLE toys were produced (family molds/trees), which sculpts belonged to each Kinnikuman part, and the MUSCLE Database (MDB), we were able to determine with great (but not complete) certainty which sculpts were made in which colors and approximately how abundantly each sculpt-color combination was produced.    

 

For a detailed explanation visit: The MUSCLE Color Code at The University of MUSCLE

 

The challenge

 

Thanks to the MCC, we can say which trees are available in which colors, and whether a tree-color combination is common, uncommon, or rare.

 

However, we don’t know why trees are available in some colors but not others. We also don’t know why some tree-color combinations (TCC)  are common, uncommon, or rare.

 

We need to decode the MCC!

 

We need collectors to contribute 1) objective facts about the MUSCLE toy line, and 2) more theories that explain the MCC.

 

What we know

 

1) There is no one color that is rare in all tree-color combinations. In other words, all colors can be found in common, uncommon, and rare tree-color combinations.

 

2) There is no sculpt that is rare in all TCCs. In other words, there is no sculpt that is rare in all its color combinations.

 

3) Some TCC are rare.

 

4) Mattel/Bandai appear to have had excellent quality control.

 

5) Bandai made all standard Kinkeshi trees (of which MUSCLE is a remake) in all five basic colors: flesh, yellow, green, orange, blue. They did not make all MUSCLE trees in all nine basic colors.

 

6) Bandai made all standard Kinkeshi trees (of which MUSCLE is a remake) in all five basic colors in the same abundance (common). They did not make all MUSCLE trees in all nine basic colors in the same abundance.

 

7) No tree was made in more than 8 of the 9 colors.

 

8) No tree was made in fewer than 5 of the 9 colors.

 

Theories

 

1) The 28-pack theory

 

The 28-pack theory dictates that certain sculpt-color combinations were assigned to each of the unique 28-packs. Therefore, the MCC is a result of production of the 28-packs.

 

However, detailed analysis of this theory hasn't been conclusive.

 

2) The Factors of Four (4) theory

 

My personal favorite.

 

This theory dictates that MUSCLE figures were produced in sets of four colors. Notable is the fact that Kinnikuman were made in flesh, but then in four colors: orange, yellow, green, and blue.

 

No MUSCLE tree is found in fewer than four colors. MUSCLEs came in 4-packs and 28-packs, both multiples of four. Ten-packs of course break this trend, but also seemed to be random.

 

Could the abundancy of color production per tree be due to production overlap? For example, say a MUSCLE tree was first made in two runs of four colors:

 

1) Red, Dark Blue, Green, Orange, ------------

2) Red, -------------, Green, Orange, Light Blue

 

This theoretical tree would Common in Red, Green, and Orange, and Rare in Dark Blue and Light Blue.

 

More evidence/analysis is needed to confirm/deny this theory.

 

3) Set Quantity Per Tree theory

 

This theory dictates that Mattel wanted to produce a set quantity of pieces per tree. Thus, if a tree was comprised of few sculpts (lets say 4) then it would need to be made a little in lots of colors, or made a lot in a few colors.

 

An analysis of the MUSCLE trees doesn't appear to support this theory.

 

4) Colors w/ a set amount of sculpts and/or trees

 

This theory dictates that Mattel wanted colors to be used a set amount of times: so for example, Green, Orange, and Magenta will each be used with 35 sculpts, and D. Blue, Red, and Purple will also be used 35 sculpts.

 

At this time, no such pattern has been identified with how colors were distributed among the sculpts/trees.


Edited by Soupie, 28 February 2014 - 06:41 AM.

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#2 jkaris

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Posted 27 February 2014 - 01:36 PM

One thing to consider is the 3 waves.
Flesh
50/50 (Flesh, Red, Dark Blue, Purple?)
Full Color

If there were overlaps of the 4 colors per tree theory, and if they were tied to the waves, then we should see some correlation there to support those two ideas.

Example:
Flesh, Red, Blue, Purple
Red, Orange, Green, Purple

Obviously, the first example doesn't really work because then every tree would have been made in red, db and purple.

but maybe it was like this for some trees:
Flesh, Flesh, Blue, Purple
Magenta, Orange, Green, Purple

Anyways, just tossing out an idea.
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#3 Soupie

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Posted 27 February 2014 - 02:29 PM

One thing to consider is the 3 waves.
Flesh
50/50 (Flesh, Red, Dark Blue, Purple?)
Full Color

If there were overlaps of the 4 colors per tree theory, and if they were tied to the waves, then we should see some correlation there to support those two ideas.

Example:
Flesh, Red, Blue, Purple
Red, Orange, Green, Purple

Obviously, the first example doesn't really work because then every tree would have been made in red, db and purple.

but maybe it was like this for some trees:
Flesh, Flesh, Blue, Purple
Magenta, Orange, Green, Purple

Anyways, just tossing out an idea.

 
No, it's an interesting idea!
 
Do we know for sure that there were those three waves? I think there's a lot of evidence supporting them. Even the conservative nature of the colors: purple, dark blue, and red.
 
And it fits the factor of 4 theory: they added exactly three colors because they wanted to continue producing flesh, giving them a total of 4 colors.

The problem is that they then added 5 new colors... But it's not really a problem if you think about it, because it just means they stopped making flesh at that point. Since they took away flesh, they had to add 5 new colors instead of 4, because they needed 8 colors total. Boom.

 

Wave 1 - Flesh (1)

 

Wave 2 - Flesh, Red, D. Blue, Purple (4)

 

Wave 3 - Red, D. Blue, Purple, Salmon, L. Blue, Orange, Green, Magenta (8)

 

Now, what predictions can we make and try to confirm with this theory?


Edited by Soupie, 27 February 2014 - 02:33 PM.

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#4 Reccoom Kaboom

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Posted 27 February 2014 - 09:51 PM

what if it was a time issue, instead of a quantity issue? Say that the first four-color run was 11 months, then they switched to a different combo for 6 months, not shooting for a specific quantity of each color?

 

On a semi-related note, has there ever been a total color count, across all sculpts?

 

No answers, just more questions.. 


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#5 Soupie

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Posted 28 February 2014 - 06:34 AM

what if it was a time issue, instead of a quantity issue? Say that the first four-color run was 11 months, then they switched to a different combo for 6 months, not shooting for a specific quantity of each color?

 
I think it probably was a timing issue. Veers has said that he thinks the rare figures are due to being at the end of production. I agree 100%. More importantly, I think there is a way to test this idea and make predictions!
 
If there were three waves, we can assume that waves 1 and 2 had the longest production runs. Therefore, any trees produced in waves 1 and 2 should be common in waves 1 and 2 colors: Flesh, Red, D. Blue, and Purple.
 
How do we know which trees were produced in wave 2 colors? We might be able to suss that out by looking at Flesh/Color 4-packs. Which sculpts/trees are present in those 4-packs? Those will be the sculpts/trees that were produced in Wave 2.
 
If this theory is correct, all sculpts/trees produced in Wave 2 will be common in Red, Purple, and D. Blue.
 
Moreover, any sculpts/trees that are rare (and possibly uncommon) in Red, Purple, and D. Blue will have been cast in Wave 3.
 
So lets have a look at some of those flesh/color 4-packs!
 
 

On a semi-related note, has there ever been a total color count, across all sculpts?


Yes, and as I recall, no discernible patterns were found. That is, it didn't appear that each color had been used, say, with 5 trees a piece, or 25 sculpts a piece or anything like that.

But it's still worth looking into again! (I added this theory above.)


Edited by Soupie, 28 February 2014 - 06:41 AM.

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