Last column I mentioned a large number of resources for the Five Star Stories fan to look into, and while these were well and good, I had several emails from readers asking for more info on the best books to obtain for information on the models of the FSS.
Well, any "best" book is subjective, so I will describe one of my favorites, which also happens to be a list of old models produced by several Japanese companies, and many of which can still be found either in production or on the net.
Factorys. Published by Toys Press in 1990. Factorys is a neat mook, that is, a magazine-book, the likes of which are famous among the old collectors of anime. This one is a catalog of the many companies that have the rights to produce models for the Five Star Stories. This in itself is neat, for here in the U.S., it seems common practice to assign only one company per type of product, while in Japan, almost anyone who has a proven track record can get the rights to any aspect of the production curve. But enough of supply side economics.
First and foremost is the section on Kaiyodo. Kaiyodo is a favored manufacturer in the Kansai region of Japan, as is Volks, and the Kaiyodo series of kits focuses on the Mortar Headds more than the figures, at least, initially. They specialize in a large number of 1/100 scale and 1/220 scale kits of the mechs, and while the 1/100 ones at times seem kind of cumbersome, the 1/220 scale kits are the ones for the collectors. These fine models were initially cast in metal, and only recently were re-released in resin. I cannot recommend these kits enough. The second quality part of the Kaiyodo lineup is their figures. A huge selection of 1/15 scale personalities detailing the entire major cast of the first 3 books, and the best part is that most of them were re-released about 5 years ago. Unfortunately, the cadre of knights from the first book were never recast, and so remain rare collectors items.
Volks is second in the list of manufacturers, and they were then, as they are now, masters of their craft. I possess primarily Volks resins in my collection, and aside from some interesting ideas for mold line location, they are phenomenal kits. The selection from Factorys is good, but also available from everyone else save for the following rarity: a set of several 1/100 Mirage Knights with a weapons assortment. But as this selection was released in 1989, the chances of obtaining one is slim to none.
And now for Wave. Wave is one of the more recent entrants to the FSS modeling arena, but the quality of their product is obvious to all who see them. While their section of Factorys is somewhat small, it contains two important models to collectors, the Me-2 type 62c and the 1/100 scale Whits. The type 62c is a hover tank featured early in the series, and the Whits is a Gundamesque Mortar Headd that I believe was designed by Mamoru Nagano himself.
Plabot has the next billing, and has only one entry, the 1/100 Black Guard (later Black Knight). This is the only example of FSS models I have seen from Plabot, and I believe that they no longer exist, making this kit rather rare.
The last section of Factorys is a series of the personalities from the FSS, and each company has an entry, including Kotobukiya with a large scale Amaterasu. All of these kits are fantastic, and the photos in the book do them good homage.
A few sidenotes. The premiere manufacturer of FSS kits is, in my humble opinion, Work Show Cast, a Kyoto based company, which understands the importance of detail in a kit. The second most important manufacturer these days is Wave, which brought us the new injection kits of the LED Mirage. No longer a $250 dollar prospect to build one of these, they are now available for under $50. I cannot recommend them enough.
The Factorys book is primarily a book of memories of the heyday of FSS in Japan, and while Mamorumania is still an ongoing concern, it is no longer as powerful in Japan as it was in the late 80s and early 90s. Nevertheless, Factorys belongs in the hands of any serious collector of Five Star merchandise, and is a good reminder of how far weve come in 10 short years.
