Tsuchinoko (Sofubi Toybox by Kaiyodo)

Review and images by stargatedalek; edited by bmathison1972

Editor’s Comment: We are posting this in appreciation of April Fool’s Day. However, please note that fantasy creatures in general will not be accepted for potential Blog reviews, except for fun occasions such as this or after Admin/Editor approval.

The Tsuchinoko is a small pit viper native to southern Japan. They have a short, stout body with a broad skull similar to their closest relative, the North American water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus). And like it, Tsuchinoko are typically found near or in slow moving water, though Tsuchinoko also prefer these areas are in full tree cover.

In reality, the Tsuchinoko is a cryptid, an animal the existence of which has not been confirmed by science, so any genetic relations or behaviors are purely theoretical. It’s equivalent to creatures like Bigfoot in the United States, something that could plausibly exist (or perhaps more likely, have existed) but for which insubstantial evidence exists, rather than decidedly fictional or mythological animals such as the Loch Ness Monster.

Kaiyodo has however lovingly based this figure on a real animal, that water moccasin I mentioned earlier. The inspiration is clearest in the appearance of the head and in the colour scheme, and was likely chosen based on the stocky nature of the Tsuchinoko.

The figure has four points of articulation. The upper skull lifts upward to open and close the mouth, and the neck just behind the head, as well as two points along the length of the body rotates. For having such a defined pose and so few points of articulation it’s certainly impressive the variety of poses this snake is capable of holding.

Though the scale details across most of the body are relatively smooth and not overly detailed, the figure makes up for this with a lot of detail on the head. The articulated sections along the body also don’t line up perfectly at all angles, which can lead to some visible seams or “ledges” where the sections don’t line up perfectly.

The colour scheme is aesthetically appealing, though not particularly detailed. The figure has bands of dark brown intersecting across the body to form segmented oval shaped spots of the underlying lighter brown. It can sometimes look misaligned when the figure is in certain poses, but generally manages to avoid this. This Tsuchinoko has also been released as an albino variant, though it can be pricey, that would be an effective way to get around this issue.

It could be estimated that this Tsuchinoko is anywhere from 1:1 to 1:3 in scale, as reports describe Tsuchinoko between 12 and 31 inches in length. At about 7 inches across measured in its circular pose or 10 inches along its spine, this Tsuchinoko scales very well with the Sofubi Toy Box appropriately nervous-looking Humboldt Penguin (itself 1:2 – 1:3).

Real or not this figure is aesthetically pleasant and well worth hunting down for anyone interested in large scale reptiles, and could even blend in among recently extinct animals like the Raphus, Meiolania, or a Tasmanian tiger.