Horror Icon Sadako Turns into an Anime Girl of Uncanny Beauty in a New Kotobukiya Release

A number of forthcoming figures, figurines, and collectibles for anime enthusiasts were unveiled at Anime Expo 2024. One of these was a reimagining of a horror film and literary icon influenced by anime.

Kotobukiya is well-known for its statues and other products that are based on popular properties that are adapted into anime, as well as genuine anime franchises. These days, one of these is The Ring, a terrifying horror series that is popular in both the East and the West. Collectors will be terrified by an impending Sadako bishojo character statue that looks great on their shelves.

The Ring’s Sadako Is the Latest Horror Icon to Get a Bishoujo Reimagining

The scale of 1/7 The Bishoujou statue series by Kotobukiya includes the Sadako figurine. This line takes characters from anime, comic books, and movies and gives them a flowery, feminine anime style by altering them slightly—or in some cases, drastically. Sadako is still eerily creepy, but she’s not any different. Her face is mostly hidden by her lengthy hair, which covers all but one of her eyes. In her white attire, the monument depicts her as floating, surrounded by videotapes that show how people are cursed by Sadako. Other choices for her face are also available, one of which has her face fully hidden.

Translucent white PVC is used to recreate Sadako’s outfit, mirroring her appearance in the several Ring films. The figurine, sculpted by Salle Cato and designed by Junya Yamashita, was released to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Bishoujo line. Pre-orders for her are currently being accepted for 19,800 yen, or roughly $125 USD.

Bishoujou and The Ring Each Have a Long History

Now in its fifteenth year, Kotobukiya’s Bishoujou series is a collectors’ favourite because of the statues. The line has also allowed viewers to see how many unexpected properties might appear when filtered via a shojo anime style, in addition to usual anime titles. One of the most notable is the female Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street series. Human female versions of the well-known Generation 1 Autobots and Decepticons from the Transformers television series are among the additional figurines. The most recent of these, which was also spotted at Anime Expo 2024, is a Bishoujou statue of Cliffjumper.

The Ring franchise started as a novel by Koji Suzuki in 1991, making it more than twice as ancient as Bishoujou. The author of Suzuki’s Ring wrote five more books to follow it up, in addition to several manga and even more films, including Ringu (1995). The Ring, an American film version that was released in 2002, was a huge hit and helped to establish the brand’s global recognition. Since then, Sadako has made appearances in a variety of endeavours and media. Some of these, such as the recently released Kotobukiya, have demonstrated that sometimes even the most breathtaking vistas can be frightful.