Philip Lee’s #TopTenToysof2018

Featured here today is Hong Kong toy designer Philip Lee's 2nd Top Ten Toys-list on TOYSREVIL (#TOPTENTOYSOF2017), and comes after his ByeBye2018 Hello2019 interview ... and I share his affinity with licensed collectibles as well, specifically anime-related LOL

Stay connected with Philip's Insta @classicbot_toy and check put his playsometoys-products on TOYSREVIL!


#10: Dead Cosmonaut by Philip Lee

Ok I am cheating here. It is not a toy I bought last year. It is something I made a couple years back. Dead Cosmonaut seems to be a fascinating subject that has inspired a bunch of art toys. So I wanted to make my own version. I sculpted it in 3D and printed it out. It has been seating on my desk and I got somehow quite attached to it. I probably won’t turn it into a product. So I just want to use this chance to show it to you guys.


#9: Bubblegum Crisis Motoslave for Priss by Yamato

Here is another gem from toy hunt. This toys is almost 10 years old. Yamato is already bankrupt. Bubblegum Crisis is one of the classic anime that is quite influential. The Motoslave is a motocycle that can transform into a robot. This version I got is a special metallic coating one. The toy is great looking. But not so great engineered. It feels a bit flimsy. I dare not to transform it too often. But you rarely get a toy from Bubblegum Crisis, so it got to be on my top ten.


#8: Riobot Tsugumori by Sentinel

This is a radical looking mecha from the Netflix show Knight of Sidonia. The anime is top notch, so go check it out. The toy by Sentinel is excellent in every aspect. I cannot show you in the photo. But the rail gun it is holding is around 1 meter long. I told you it is radical, didn’t I.


#7: Robox by 1000toys customized by Frutiger_

Robox is a toy born from a collaboration between the world famous Korean artist Kim Jung Gi and 1000toys. This is a very cool robot toy that can fold its limbs and turn into a perfect rectangle. This unique customized piece is done by my Singaporean friend Frutiger_. It is a nicely weathered Gundam RX78 paint scheme. Check out Frutiger_’s instagram account. His toy photography is exceptional!


#6: AHBOY by Jefferson Ng

Here comes another cool toy from Malaysia. This special version is inspired by Charlie Brown, obviously. AHBOY is a lovely character. And I love the hand painted finishing of it. It always feels so special when your toys are hand painted by the artist.


#5: MUHAN DOJEON by STICKY MONSTER LAB

So I read this is a toy based on one of the host of Muhan Dojeon, a hit Korean TV program. As I am not familiar with Korean pop culture, I know nothing about the show. But I guess the toy looks fun enough for me to put it in my top ten list.


#4: TinboTo-fu Mom by Tinbot Creations and by Devilrobots

Tinbot is a wonderful series by Hong Kong Designer Lock Lai. It is a tin box with magnetic heads and limbs (Classicbot’a magnetic hands were inspired by Tinbot). One of Tinbot latest cross over project is with the Japanese master Shinichiro Kitai of Devilrobots. This just looks absolutely fantastic.


#3: Darling in the Franxx Robot Spirits Strelizia by Bandai

Although I position my toys as designer toy, my taste on toys is actually quite main stream. I grew up on manga and anime but have less time for them lately. Last year the anime Darling in the Franxx is one of the few Anime that I watched and enjoyed. (Even though the ending is not entirely satisfying) I really love the Mecha design , it is like a love child of Five Star Stories and Sailor Moon. The toy by Bandai is of its usual high quality. And is extremely posable. I fiddled with it all the time when I just bought it.


#2: S.F.L.M.F. from Michael Lau

I love hunting old toys. I probably enjoy that more than getting new ones. This blind box by Michael Lau is very rare. It probably has more than 15 years of history. It was a collaboration with Hong Kong famous Rap group LMF. The design pays homage to the SF3d series by Japanese master Kow Yokoyama. I love how rough the surface is. You can also see the knife mark resulted from the sculpting process. And when you look at Lau’s body of work, he has been constantly evolving. This piece is a good example of his “rough surface” phase. Even though it is a mass produced toy (relatively speaking), it looks like an art piece.


#1 Kebab Toy’s TV’s Craig By Kangblabla

This is a real gem. It is a hand made one off wooden toy by Malaysian artist Kangblabla. It is full of personality. Check out his Facebook. He has made over 200 of these Kebab Toy series. Each of them are totally unique, and totally awesome.

[ Above authored by Philip Lee ]