Microcosmos (Kaiyodo - Capsule Q Museum)

Review of the complete set, Microcosmos by Kaiyodo - Capsule Q Museum (2014). This is Kaiyodo's first (and to date, only) set of planktonic organisms, just one year after Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. released 'The Minimum Coexistence: Microbe' set in 2013, both of which follow Epoch's 'Ecology of Plankton' nearly a decade earlier in 2004.

There are five figures, each can be displayed on a base with clear backing that shows other planktonic debris. I cannot remember, they might glow under ultraviolet light or something, but they do not have have a light source like the Aqua Night Aquarium set did. I originally bought this for the arthropods only, but since acquiring other protozoa/plankton sets I went back to complete it (see under the squid, below). They are all typical gashapon-sized and assembly was minimal in only a couple of the figures.

On to the figures, in their numerical order on the corresponding paperwork:

1. Water flea, Daphnia pulex.
This microcrustacean has become a hallmark of plankton sets. I have additional figures by the aforementioned sets by Epoch and T-TARTS, as well as Kaiyodo's own Night Aqua Museum set.

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2. Euglena gracilis.
There are a few other Euglena figures; I have an EISCO Labs model and the Epoch and T-TARTs sets had them also (although the latter two are E. acus, which is now in the genus Leptocinclis).

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3. Fairy shrimp, Branchinella kugenumaensis.
This was the highlight of the set for me as it's the only (known to me) figure of a fairy shrimp, Anostraca.

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4. Japanese blue crab, Portunus trituberculatus.
This is the zoea stage larva of this species of crab; Yujin also made an adult for their Shrimps and Crabs Collection.

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5. Spear squid, Heterololigo bleekeri.
This is the paralarva stage of this species. Because I do not normally collect mollusks, I am not sure if this species has been made before, but given the diversity of squid species by Japanese manufacturers, I am sure it has. Funny story on this figure. Before I became a completist with the planktonic sets, I had traded mine to stargatedalek for a couple figures (the New Ray firefly and cicada, I believe?). So I had to hunt this one down individually on eBay recently. While it was a roundabout way, it was still easier than trying to find the figures I got from Stars... :)

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Again we must be in awe by the craftmaship of these little models

They are magnificent ! And your photos and descriptions do them justice or sure

How fortunate we are to have collectors like you on this forum. You widen our perception of the world of plastic animal models

Very very beautiful!!

A fascinating set, again demonstrating the skillful use of transparent material in Kaiyodo figures. Thanks for the information about each. The fairy shrimp is a deserving highlight, though they are all high quality.

There is a pair of spear squids from the Yujin cephalopod series, and this past year Kaiyodo released one as part of their second squid/cuttlefish set.   

It's amazing that, if I really wanted, I could get babies for my blue crab and squid, to be consistent with getting cubs and fawns for bears and deer.

A.R.Garcia wrote:

A fascinating set, again demonstrating the skillful use of transparent material in Kaiyodo figures. Thanks for the information about each. The fairy shrimp is a deserving highlight, though they are all high quality.

There is a pair of spear squids from the Yujin cephalopod series, and this past year Kaiyodo released one as part of their second squid/cuttlefish set.   

It's amazing that, if I really wanted, I could get babies for my blue crab and squid, to be consistent with getting cubs and fawns for bears and deer.

Thanks, I figured it had been made before, but because I do not collect mollusks, I was not sure. I have thought about expanding to mollusks, but it would open a huge new world of figures, and the arthropods are more than enough LOL

One of these sets that show how superior are these Japanese figures, both in quality and genius!
I think New-RAy arthropods will stay harder to find longer than these Kaiyodo. I believe the former are only available in generic lots of figures.

What a beautiful set! Seems to be very good quality. Fairy shrimp and water flea are my favourites.