Mojo 2014 Snowy Owl

jarda wrote:

Roger wrote:

jarda wrote:

Another good snowy owl on the market?! I think the current two figures of Snowy owl from Safari Ltd and Schleich are not bad too, Bullyland one is significantly less realistic but both the flying ones from Kaiyodo (Horico Zoorasia and Hokkaido Airport set) are unbeatable in terms of details and realistic look...

Summary: Nice one but why not e.g. Northern Hawk owl???

I agree with you that a different species would be better, maybe not for Mojo but surely for us, collectors!
But now I ask, with so many snowy owls on market why Kaiyodo made two of them and never made an emu, an Iberian lynx? etc... ? It is a pitty that we don't have the chance of asking them directly.
Another interesting point is that in 2011, there was some disappointment around Mojo once the quality seemed leveled to Schleich and CollectA. In 2013 we were already discussing and comparing with the masterpieces of Papo. Now, we are already comparing with Japanese figures that are not even suitable to European and American markets. This is really an interesting subject.
Though, regarding Japanese figures, I must say I was never lucky with Kaiyodo, the few I have are poor figures and fragile puzles. I feel as having a beautiful girl friend but I cannot touch her.
Isn't Mojo clouded leopard superior to Kaiyodo's, do Japanese lions are better than newer from Mojo? I only see some superior quality in birds, mainly in species with delicate parts or in unusual poses. :)
Colorata is a different story, the few I have are really competent sculptings and nice figures to hold in our hands.

Although I am not Kaiyodo speaker, I try to answer some of your points... Kaiyodo figures come in thematic sets. These sets are mostly focused to some region in Japan or Japanese aquapark/ZOO inhabitants. Previous sets of Kaiyodo ChocoQ figures introduced animals living in Japan to the children or collectors in Japan. From this point of view is easy to understand the species selection (no emus, Iberian lynxes etc.).

Mojo is relatively new company. The progress from 2011 is visible but as I have relatively good knowledge of most Kaiyodo figures, there is still no place for comparison. As in soccer, nobody can compare the rookie with the leader. The most visible problems for the end customers are delays in distribution, outdated website and catalogs (on web and in the stores) and -of course- the figures... When I visited (November 2013) the Mojo local distributor, only one new (2013) figure was offered (the vulture) among some odd old ones (leopard with psychedelic paint, extremely unstable dromedary etc.).

Back to Kaiyodo: The puzzles are good for me, when I got the package from Japan, I got small packet with many disassembled carefully packed figures (eggs etc.). The lines between the parts are very fair today. When I got package with one-part rubber animals, I got big package with few figures often with malformed horns, legs etc. Which strategy is better? Not easy to say. Yes, the Kaiyodos are more fragile but we are collectors (not little children) and these models are not designed for daily playing with...

Jarda, unfortunately you haven't understood a single word from my comment.
I was trying to say that there is no reason to be partial to a particular brand whichever it is and your reaction is clearly to lessen Mojo when actually I am showing a individual collector perspective. Of course, contrarily to you, I don't think that all figures from one of the brands are better than other.
You're even agreeing with me, and I can reply to you and Kiki, when Christophe talks about subspecies level of course it is due to the kind of series Kaiyodo developes focusing mainly in Japanese fauna.
Curiously, although Mojo releases generic fauna, it is the only brand that is representing really a giant sable antelope that is actually a subspecies among some others. It doesn't give a special importance to the company. Kaiyodo clouded leopard is ambiguous, shows a lot of painting detail mixing the charateristics of continental species with insular species. Maybe it was made before December 2006 when both species were proposed. On the other hand, we can identify clearly that Mojo clouded leopard is the continental species. Also, it has a much more sumptuous pose that is also always very valued for Kaiyodo collectors.
One of my Kaiyodos is inferior to its CollectA respective and other is not much better than its Bullyland counterpart.
About availability, I don't know why it entered in that conversation, I can find more than 60 different Mojo locally and not a single Kaiyodo and we know why... is it important?
As a last point, I never waste the educative purpose of a toy to interact with young children not even the chance to use them as a tool to increase the interest of new generations to this world of wonderful and endangered creatures. I value more the act of playing with a children than the matterialistic effect of treasuring a collectable.

Rogério, I don't know if your answer is for Jarda or also to me.  

I have to leave for the week-end and it will be my last post until I come back.

As I already said, comparing two brands like Möjo and Kaiyodo is like comparing apples and tomatoes, they are not the same thing. But comparing two models of an animal can be very helpful, especially when one of the makers is listening to us.

I have no doubt about Möjo is making progress at vertiginous speed. I have no doubt, James can be proud of the range and qualities of his models. I have no doubt that "accuracy" is very important for Möjo (and for you Rogério  )

I have also no doubt that Kaiyodo (and other Japanese makers) is a venerable brand which is improving too, which take care of accuracy and have a wide range of models even if it is very different from a Western company range.

I think Kaiyodo doesn't need to be Möjo and Möjo doesn't need to be Kaiyodo.

I think I can be helpful to Möjo and for Kaiyodo it is a different story  

I know Mojo made a sable subspecies, I think it is the most accurate of all the Sable antelopes EVER and I put several times my two cents on this model. I understand some of us prefer the CollectA pair, the Safari Ltd or the Lineol of course and I also think they are beautiful models.

I still don't have the Möjo clouded leopard but I defend this model HERE.

I still don't have the Möjo lion and I will wait because "the truth is in the bottle: In vino veritas". I have a fantastic hope on this one but I know the Kitan club lion is a fantastic model, I am looking at him just right now.

I love a lot of Möjo models and I think it is the most helpful position for me and for Möjo. In my mind it is more helpful to love a lot than to love everything. Worshipping is not useful that's why I don't like that. Of course I don't mean you worship Möjo Rogério, I know it's not true, you like to be fair .

When I am comparing Möjo and Kaiyodo clouded leopard paintings, I was not only talking about accuracy, I was talking of quality. I think Kaiyodo, Yujin or Kitan painting are often more subtle than Western companies paintings. Indeed Kaiyodo clouded leopard was made before 2006 and indeed Möjo can improve his paintings and I'm sure James will take no offence on that.

I'm sorry, I write very slowly and I have to leave you until Sunday evening.  

Roger, I am sorry if You understand my post this way. My intention was not to lessen Mojo in any way. We are off-topic in this thread and therefore this is my last post on this theme. All I like to say is: We can not compare company on the startline (Mojo, 2011) with company with such long history (Kaiyodo, 1964) - the product range, experience and distribution is on another level (moreover, Kaiyodo is strongly focused to Japanese market while Mojo has global ambitions).

Kaiyodo is my favourite brand and I was very surprised when You find Kaiyodos as "poor figures". Do You see in real life for example "Natural Monuments of Japan" figures made by Kaiyodo (Matsumura Shinobu) for Shogakukan more than 10 years ago? Are these poor too?! The set contains not the birds only but terrestrial and marine mammals and insects too. But I never wrote that "all figures from one of the brands are better than other".

If You don´t like Kaiyodo, please replace "Kaiyodo" with "Schleich" (another company with long history, experience and perfect logistic). Although from my point of view some particular new Schleich figures are not better than their ancestors (Arabian mare, brown bear, lioness etc.), the company presentation and logistic can be still very good inspiration (not only for Mojo) - announced figures are available (just) worldwide to the release date, website is up-to-date, printed catalogs are in every store...  When You like some figure from the catalog, You can see/touch the figure before You buy it in just every toyshop :)

jarda wrote:

Roger, I am sorry if You understand my post this way. My intention was not to lessen Mojo in any way. We are off-topic in this thread and therefore this is my last post on this theme. All I like to say is: We can not compare company on the startline (Mojo, 2011) with company with such long history (Kaiyodo, 1964) - the product range, experience and distribution is on another level (moreover, Kaiyodo is strongly focused to Japanese market while Mojo has global ambitions).

Kaiyodo is my favourite brand and I was very surprised when You find Kaiyodos as "poor figures". Do You see in real life for example "Natural Monuments of Japan" figures made by Kaiyodo (Matsumura Shinobu) for Shogakukan more than 10 years ago? Are these poor too?! The set contains not the birds only but terrestrial and marine mammals and insects too. But I never wrote that "all figures from one of the brands are better than other".

If You don´t like Kaiyodo, please replace "Kaiyodo" with "Schleich" (another company with long history, experience and perfect logistic). Although from my point of view some particular new Schleich figures are not better than their ancestors (Arabian mare, brown bear, lioness etc.), the company presentation and logistic can be still very good inspiration (not only for Mojo) - announced figures are available (just) worldwide to the release date, website is up-to-date, printed catalogs are in every store...  When You like some figure from the catalog, You can see/touch the figure before You buy it in just every toyshop :)

Jarda, again your comment is not related with anything I am talking about.
I am just talking about impartiality, something hard to get to someone that is formated to have a favorite brand. I don't need it, I never judge a figure or a company according with its experience, longevity or success on market.
Your comment is a scary compendium of discriminatory principles. You feel the needing of chosing a company based on how stablished it is or judging its status. I really hope this way of thinking is only confined to your collection hobby.
I am surprised that you haven't suggested Playmobil instead of Schleich once Playmobil is even more successful on market.
I am only saying that I was not lucky with the few Kaiyodo figures I have and you are reading that I am saying that all Kaiyodo figures are poor. Traditional interpretation from a "branded" collector.
I don't have any of these Natural Monuments of Japan and it won't be hard for me to say that they are masterpieces even if they belonged to a starting company. To build that opinion I'd never use their brand name but my judgement from watching them.
Maybe this comment will help you to understand a little thing, even Schleich and Kaiyodo were at a certain point, starting and unexperient companies, how could they ever be big companies if everyone thought like you do?

Kikimalou wrote:

Rogério, I don't know if your answer is for Jarda or also to me.

Christophe, you know I generally agree with you and that your opinions are himune to company status.
The only part of my reply that is also for you is when I reiterate my conjectures about why Ii think Mojo clouded is more recognizable as a species and also when I use sable as an example of subspecies in Mojo range.
I remember you defending the clouded leopard, actually when replying to a comment where we cannot find a single objective objection.
The rest of my comment are not tomatoes or apples... just aubergines. Have a nice week end!

A very nice snowy Owl! Usually when Mojo announce in Dec 2013, am I expecting to see it online or on the shelf in 2015?