《"Yumo & Friends x Soeking Studio Local Handicraft Collaboration | The Attacking Takoyaki Octopus"》
Yumo & Friends is a local design brand that has previously released two Yumo plush figure toys. This time, the new character being released is not Yumo, and it is not a plush - it is a resin figure of the bubble company octopus manager character Tako! For this collaborative production, they worked with the local Hong Kong craft studio Soeking Studio.
Soeking Studio was established 3 years ago, and in addition to resin craftsmanship, they also work in glass, bronze and silver casting, sculpture, and ceramics. The master who created the takoyaki figure has 40 years of experience making resin in Hong Kong, having witnessed the rise and decline of the resin craft industry in the city. They were once worried this skill would be lost in Hong Kong, but fortunately they connected with a graduate of the HKBU Visual Arts program, Ah Tsuen, to help pass on the craft.
In designing the figure's structure, they decided to use solid resin, firstly because it is a local Hong Kong craft, and secondly because solid resin has more weight, better texture, and more collectible value than regular resin figures. This also ties into the background of the original character Tako.
In the creative story, Tako plays the role of a manager with ambitions to rule the world. Using solid resin that matches his weighty character gives the Tako figure substance, whether in the story or in reality. For this collaborative project, the author personally painted each piece with plastic paints to make them unique and trendy. Combining artistic creation with collectible toy elements, Tako is debuting in the form of a takoyaki octopus ball.
Becoming a takoyaki is not just for fun, but because Tako's family was captured by humans and made into takoyaki. Tako lurks within the takoyaki, hoping that when humans eat them, they will choke and remember their fear of awakening octopus.