$1,000 Exodia Bust Pre-Order Now Live

February 15, 2020 at 6:00 pm | Posted in Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh! | Leave a comment
Tags: taka corp studio

Taka Corp Studio’s first Yu-Gi-Oh! product is up for pre-order today. Standing 60 centimeters (2 feet) tall and weighing 15 kilograms (33 pounds), it is a bust of Exodia the Forbidden One. This sculpture of the most powerful monster in Yu-Gi-Oh! commands a hefty price of €899 (about $980).

Exodia is crafted from resin and polyurethane. Its dimensions are H60 x W70 x D45 centimeters (about H24 x W28 x D18 inches). It has a limited edition size of 400 statues. The estimated delivery date is the second quarter of 2021.

Exodia’s sculptor is Andy Tantowi, a well-known Indonesian Yu-Gi-Oh! fan artist who has created sculptures and digital paintings of all three Egyptian Gods, among many other works. The 2-D concept artist is Clément Caron, a French graphic designer who also handles Taka Corp’s banner art and packaging. The painter is French artist Jean-Philippe Reuchet.

Shipping to France is free. To most other European countries, shipping costs €96 (about $105), and to Asia, it costs €84 (about $92). Everywhere else — you’re out of luck, though you can certainly contact Taka Corp to see if the company will accommodate you.

Taka Corp notes on its company Facebook page that an Exodia Necross version “will arrive a little later” with an edition size of 100. If you wish, it is possible to switch your purchase to that version at that time.

Taka Corp Studio is a newcomer to the business of super high-end collectibles, having been founded in late 2018. Exodia is only its third product to hit the market. After Exodia the Forbidden One and Exodia Necross, the company’s next Yu-Gi-Oh! products will be a 1/1 scale bust of Atem and a 1/1 scale Millennium Puzzle.

Development Comments

Exodia looks nearly identical to the unpainted prototype that was unveiled at Japan Expo in July 2019. The only notable change appears to be the angle of the horns on the back of its head.

From video by MechanicalJapan

This alteration was requested by Konami.

Some Yu-Gi-Oh! fans might notice that Taka Corp’s Exodia — and its face, in particular — doesn’t look exactly like the Exodia seen in the anime series. Whereas the anime Exodia is depicted with very muted shades of brown, Taka Corp’s Exodia is bright and vibrant, accented by gold and silver paint.

This was an intentional artistic decision, explained Taka Corp cofounder Nicolas Guibourg in a comment in Taka Corp Studio’s Facebook group. (Note: Admin approval is necessary to view this group.)

There is room for artistic interpretation in works such as this, said Guibourg. And Exodia, with its ancient Egyptian theme, provided a great opportunity to make use of gold to create flashy embellishments.

Guibourg’s comment is not without basis. Archaeological findings show that gold was widely used in ancient Egypt for ornamentation in daily life and in temple rituals. The godlike, but fictional, Exodia would have certainly been worthy of possessing precious metal adornments in the ancient Yu-Gi-Oh! world.

Guibourg further added that Taka Corp took greater inspiration from the artwork on the trading card rather than from the anime interpretation because the colors seen in the anime would not have made for a very attractive rendering. Both Konami and Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi commended Taka Corp’s paint job, he said.

What do you think of Taka Corp Studio’s Exodia bust? Will you be purchasing it?