Review: Creatures of the Waterside (F-toys)

Review of the complete set of Creatures of the Waterside by F-toys. Release date unknown. When I first discovered and started collecting the Japanese gashapon-style figures, this was one of the first sets I obtained, and it remains one of my favorites!

There are 6 figures (I also show one variant, below), all representing freshwater species native to Japan (or at least southeast Asia). Four species are rather commonly made among the Japanese companies, but two species are unique and together are the only members of their family (Nepidae, waterscorpions). Three of the figures are elevated on bases (the bases for all three are the same), the other three are independent figures. All figures are single-piece (or at least came fully assembled). They are typical gashapon-sized, comparable to early Kaiyodo, Furuta, others.

The figures, like many Japanese models, come with a card with a photograph of the species and biological information (in Japanese, of course).

This classic set continues to be one of the best of this kind, and comes highly-recommended, and not just to us entomophilic types :-).

On to the figures, based on their number designations in the set:

1. Japanese giant water bug, Lethocerus deyrollei.
This species has been commonly made; I have other figures by Bandai, Yujin, and three versions by Kaiyodo (Choco Q, Capsule Q, and Shinagawa Aquarium). This figure does not come with a base.

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2. Korean waterscorpion, Laccotrephes japonensis.
This is a unique figure, and with the other nepid below ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]) are the only members of their families made. This figure comes elevated on a base (but like others are removeable from the base).

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3. Giant Japanese diving beetle, Cybister japonicus.
Another popular species, made by Yujin and twice by Kaiyodo (Choco Q and Kyoto Aquarium). This figure comes with a base like the two waterscorpions.

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4. Waterscorpion, Ranatra chinensis.
Like [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] above, another unique figure and another waterscorpion in the family Nepidae. It also comes with a base.

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5. Japanese crayfish, Cambaroides japonicus.
This species is commonly made, and often in both brown and blue forms. I have four original sculpts, including this figure, one by Yujin, and two by Kaiyodo (Capsule Q and Natural Monuments of Japan). All but the Yujin figure come in brown and blue forms (and Yujin may have had another version I am unfamiliar with?).

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5-variant. Japanese crayfish, Cambaroides japonicus.
The blue form of number 5, above.

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6. Freshwater crab, Geothelphusa dehanni.
This is another commonly-made species, and like C. japonicus often comes in multiple color forms per sculpt. I have additional figures by Kitan Club (2 sculpts), Kaiyodo (2 sculpts), and Epoch. I do not have all versions of all the sculpts (in fact the only sculpt I have more than one color form of is the Kaiyodo Choco Q figure), but among these sculpts there are at least 17 versions (maybe more?)! The Kitan Club 'strap' set comes in eight color forms (not even sure if this species naturally comes in eight different colors); the Kaiyodo Choco Q and Birdtales sets come in three and two colors, respectively; and Epoch comes in at least two colors. Only this F-toys figure and the Kitan Club Nature of Japan figures come in just one color (to my knowledge...).

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Here’s the whole family in one of my mini-dioramas.

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Interesting stuff :)