Who makes it? Made for the Furuta ChocoEgg series 6, I think by Takara. Number 24 in the set.
When did it come out? It was released in 2002.
Still available? Like many of these sets, these were available as short promotions. So no, not available (new) anymore.
Where can it be found in my displays? I have a whole cabinet full of Japanese figures, and of course this is among them.
How does it fit in the collection? I have mentioned that I am a fan of carnivorans. It turns out that there are not a lot of mongoose figures, so I was happy to get this one (admittedly, of the mongoose figures, most are meerkats).
Any story behind it? I don’t think so. It was most likely one of many figures purchased en masse from Japan. The auction sites there can be dangerous! So much awesomeness!
Notable remarks about this figure (a review that isn’t really a review): It’s a really nice figure. That’s what I need to say. It is posed in a standing, sentry pose, with a nice, alert expression. The paint job is really well applied, with lots of shading and detailing. It’s a very professional job, given that these are put-together blind bag figures that were combined with candy. And it’s not even Kaiyodo, but Takara, another figure making company out of Japan that can be as good (I have previously discussed one figure from them, a very different one). The only downside, and it is minimal, is that some of the seams can be visible. And the material itself is a little brittle, as many of these were.
Would I recommend it? It’s a really nice figure. And if someone is a big fan of meerkats, or Japanese animal figures, it would be essential to a collection. And it is really nice. But honestly, there are a lot of meerkat figures on the market. So many in fact. So given that this one has been discontinued for over ten years, and was originally limited to Japan, and is a breakable figure…I wouldn’t recommend fretting over adding it. The same species has been released by so many companies, so many times. If you can get it, you should. But if you desperately need a meerkat, it doesn’t necessarily have to be this one.
