Since May of last year, Michael Chuah has been planning to release Malaysia’s first designer capsule toy. The series is based on his own original design: Yuurei Neko Sama. 

The collection consists of five figures and is the result of a collaboration with LuYao Design, a toy company in Taiwan. This was also the company’s first CapCara (Capsule Character).

The five figures in the collection are OG White Yuurei Neko Sama, Daruma Neko Sama, Piggy Neko Sama, Ringo (apple in Japanese) Neko Sama, and Fortune Neko Sama.

Capsule toys are better known by their Japanese name, Gashapon. These are collectables that are usually sold in coin-operated machines. It got its name from the sound the machine makes when you put in a coin and turn the knob to get a random capsule.

Originally the Yuurei Neko Sama CapCara was slated to be released during the 2020 Chinese New Year (February). But, COVID-19 forced Michael to change his plans to May 2020.

“Yuurei Neko Sama is a cat that got turned into a ghost. Together with its frog companion, Yuurei Neko Sama toured the human realm, meeting various different youkai, whom Yuurei Neko Sama befriends. This character was first introduced in 2018 during the Taipei Toy Festival,” explains Michael.

I got to ask him if Yuurei knows Jiban the next time I meet Michael.

In addition to his habit of being the first at a lot of things, Michael is also the kind of guy who would encourage those around him to take a chance, make the step, and be first at anything just like he is. And I am not exaggerating.

Heck, right now, on 20 June 2020, Michael Chuah is having his first “Yuurei Neko Sama Gathering” show in Mothership Toy Gallery, Philadelphia, USA. The organiser Martian Toys invited artists from all over the world to customise the Yuurei Neko Sama figure.

It is just plain criminal how few Malaysians know him and his work, despite all that he has done and achieved.

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Anyway, Michael is also generous and insisted that he send me a set of Yuurei Neko Sama CapCara. On top of that, I love gashapon toys. I collected a lot of them especially back in the day. So take my thoughts on these toys accordingly.

These figures, like most gashapon toys, require some assembly. The capsule itself is the cat’s head. Pop it open and you will find the body, ears, and the all-important list of figures in the series.

The plastic is ABS, the build is sturdy and the figures are painted. So be careful when you assemble them to avoid scratches. 

Each toy has a pleasant mat finish, but there may be some shiny spots here and there. 

Although there are only five pieces in all, I wished the Yuurei Neko Sama CapCara came with instructions or better markings. I am sure that the ears are asymmetrical and there is a left ear, a right ear, and a right way and a wrong way of assembling it. 

Because the figures are painted and the tolerances are tight, I find that sometimes the ears are difficult to assemble. This is especially true for me with the piggy figure. The paint adds just enough thickness that the ears are a tight fit.

While the OG White Yuurei Neko Sama, Daruma Neko Sama, and Fortune Neko Sama are basically the same mould. Piggy Neko Sama and Ringo Neko Sama adds a little variety with floppy ears on Piggy and an apple chapped head complete with a stalk on Ringo.

The genius in the design of Yuurei Neko Sama CapCara is that they also double as platform toys. Just spray on a primer and you got yourself a blank Yuurei Neko Sama that you can customise and make your own.

If you want to know more about the man, follow Michael Chuah in his adventures as a character design on Instagram and Facebook.