One of the strangest—and most beloved—Spider-Man adaptations was the 1978 Toei Company TV series. Only loosely based on the comic book version of the web-slinger, the series aired for 41 episodes between 1978 and 1979.
Affectionately known as the "Japanese Spider-Man," Takuya Yamashiro took the place of Peter Parker and was portrayed on screen by Shinji Tōdō. Since the series aired, this Spidey has made his comic book debut in Multiversal storylines like Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon.
After revealing its 1977 Spider-Man figure, Hot Toys has now unveiled its 1/6th scale Spider-Man Collectable Figure, meticulously crafted to capture the spirit of this unique Japanese Spider-Man.
In the Japanese TV series, Spider-Man, a young motorcyclist named Takuya Yamashiro (Tôdô) stumbles upon a crashed spaceship and meets Garia, the last survivor of the Planet Spider. With Garia’s injected blood and the gifting of the mystical Spider Bracelet, Takuya gains extraordinary spider-like abilities and access to the Spider Protector suit, which instantly wraps around him when activated by the bracelet.
More than just powers, his bracelet can produce webbing, call his flying car (Spider Machine GP-7), or summon the giant robot Leopardon to defend Earth from the sinister Iron Cross Army and their leader, Professor Monster. So, yeah, a little different from the Spider-Man played by Tom Holland in the MCU.
Here's the official description for Hot Toys' Japanese Spider-Man figure:
This exclusive figure is only available in a limited quantity of 1,500 units in selected markets. The figure features a newly developed masked head with nose and mouth details. He dons the classic Spider Protector one-piece suit made from elastic fabric material, completed with his signature Spider Bracelet at the wrist. Eleven interchangeable hands cover a wide range of poses — everything from classic fist battles and wall-climbing poses to web-shooting and dramatic gestures.
The figure comes with various webbing effects, including a short and a bendable long string of spider webs, as well as an opened spider web. A TV series logo graphic card, and a specially designed figure stand complete the set, making this the perfect tribute to a Spider-Man unlike any other. Whether you’re a Tokusatsu fan that appreciates the 70s nostalgic charm or fascinated by alternate Spider-Man lore, this figure is a must-have from a wildly inventive chapter in Spider-Man’s history.
It's great to see the Japanese Spider-Man finally get his due with some new merchandise, and Hot Toys has now put its spin on pretty much every variation of this character. Still, if we've learned anything from the Hong Kong-based company, there's always room for more!
You can take a closer look at this latest Spider-Man figure in the Instagram gallery below.