Disclaimer: Translating my own English into Japanese and then back to English is one hot mess - my head hurts right now- sorry if it is sloppy - I need a drink - My Japanese is not the greatest thing since sliced bread
Okay, so in his last post (shown above), he was wondering if anyone in America had recorded the commercial. TheOrgg hooked me up and that is when things started to get interesting.
Kinnikupedia (The Japanese Kinnikuman Wiki) follows me on Twitter. I posted a link to AKIA and mentioned something about the video, and seriously within a minute, I noticed that LRG and AKIA both were no longer responding for me. I hope that it was just a coincidence, but I did get a few messages from some peeps that the site was not responding for them.
I felt like a real jerk for sending that link if it was going to bog down LRG and AKIA, so I quickly uploaded it to YouTube. Sorry Johnny, I hope nothing dodgy happened there. I really apologize if it did.
At any rate, I responded to Yudesensei's last tweet about the Ultimate MUSCLE commercial, and let him know that while the video was posted on an American Kinnikuman fan site, that I did not want the site to crash from lots of people visiting, so I uploaded for him onto YouTube.
Yudesensei @me: That's it! That is the one I was talking about!
Yudesensei @me: I wonder if you could burn it to DVD for me?
(one of his buddies jumps in at this point and says that he can burn it for him - he responds, yes please)
(one of my pals makes an unrelated comment - you can ignore that one - lol)
Me @Yudesensei : The America Bandai Kinkeshi are super cool! Where you involved at all in the decision to release the Mattel Kinkeshi in America? Also of the 417 original Kinnikuman Kinkeshi, do you know why only 235 where released by Mattel in America? Do you own any Mattle Kinkeshi?
Yudesensei @me: I didn't even know that Mattel was going to be releasing the Kinkeshi. When I went to Hawaii, I saw the MUSCLE Kinkeshi in the blister card pack. I was quite surprised and purchased it. Those are the only Kinkeshi from Mattel that I have....
Yudesensei @me: I have no idea why only 235 Kinkeshi were released in America... In America, since there wasn't the original Kinnikuman anime, what did you all (Americans) know, or think about Kinkeshi?
Me @Yudesensei: The Mattel Kinkeshi were incredibly popular, but I don't think most Americans knew about Kinnikuman at the time. The character design was so interesting and strong, that people really remember them.
Me @Yudesensei: With the Internet, people started to make the connection between MUSCLE and Kinnikuman in the late 90's.
Me @Yudesensei: The original Kinnikuman became even more known in America with Nisei/Ultimate MUSCLE. Today, the Mattel Kinkeshi are very collectible and "natsukashii" (nostalgic) right now, so there is a lot of interest in Kinnikuman online - more than in the past.
Me @Yudesensei: When I went to Japan around 1999, I was at a toy store and saw Kinnikuman figures - that was the first time I made the connection between the Mattel Kinkeshi that I loved as a kid and the Japanese cartoon.
Yudesensei @me: That's very interesting 100ton-san (me lol). I have somewhat of a better idea now as to how children in America viewed MUSCLE. I always wondered if they did not know that the Kinkeshi were based on a comic or cartoon - (I had no idea).
Yudesensei @me: It was really a super nostalgic trip through the 80's to go onto YouTube and watch the Mattel commercials. I noticed that the toys were different from the Japanese ones - the championship belt and a different shaped wrestling ring. I got the idea that they were trying to base them on Pro-wrestling figures (because American kids did not really know what the Kinkeshi were based on).
Me @Yudesensei: This site was created by my friend Soupie. It is really an amazing site that shows all of the different colors and figures of the Mattel Kinkeshi. You should check it out.
Yudesensei re-tweets Soupie's site it to his 12,000 plus followers - yikes!
Me @Yudesensei: This is one the more famous MUSCLE and Kinnikuman fan sites in America. It talks all about the Mattel Kinkeshi and the origins and connections with Kinnikuman. It also has the picture of the belt and ring along with information. (Nathan's MUSCLE Blog)
Yudesensei @me: I really want that belt, but I don't think I can get it right!?
Me @Yudesensei: lol - I would try eBay or seikaimon. You can sometimes find them on American auction sites. I will also ask around the Kinnikuman fan community on the message board and see if we can find them for you.
Yudesensei @me: Okay "we" will take a look at all those websites (Soupies, Nate's, Johnny's) and everyone will study up on MUSCLE.
We Will Do a Kinnikuman Event in America for Sure! (See one of my previous threads when he talks about the possibility of this).
Yudesensei @me: Wow, there are so many super, amazing (American) sites that are in my face right now so early in the morning that my head is spinning/information overload - there are more crazy/extreme kinkeshi fanatics in America then there are in Japan!
Yudesensei @me: I am very happy, I would love to meet you.
He then sent me a personal message which talks a little more about doing an American event, but I will share more when I get more details.
Edit: Made quite a few fixes with the help of my wife - lol
Edited by uoozuman, 13 October 2010 - 09:55 PM.