Despite all the anticipation and even a special feature I wrote last time, the majestic Mosasaurus in "JW: Fallen Kingdom" only appeared for a mere few tens of seconds at the beginning and end. And most of that was already shown in the trailer. To be continued... I guess I'll just have to take care of myself and wait three more years. As a distraction, I tried to estimate its full length from internet images of helicopters and surfers. Its head alone seems to be 5-6 meters long. Looking at skeletal diagrams, although there are differences between species, the total length is at least seven times that, meaning it easily surpasses a blue whale. Incidentally, the new book "The Rise and Fall of the Shark Empire: A 500-Million-Year History of Marine Life" (by Ken Tsuchiya) is surprisingly detailed about mosasaurs, and it estimates the body length of an individual with only a 1-meter skull found to be over 8 meters.

I thought the only thing that could stand against such a sea monster was a comedic Mega Shark (that eats flying jumbo jets and swallows nuclear submarines whole, with an estimated length of 150-300 meters!). But then, in a "Cinecon Walker" booklet at the movie theater, I found an article about "The Meg," which will be released in September... It's a film adaptation of Steve Alten's 1997 novel "Megalodon" (the first translated title was MEG) that I read long ago. Of course, it's a story about the ancient shark Carcharodon (often called Carcharocles nowadays) Megalodon surviving and attacking humans. Overcome with nostalgia, I pulled out my old copy from the bookshelf and found a band around it that read, "Movie adaptation decided for summer '98!" It ended up being shelved, only to see the light of day 20 years later, which is cause for celebration! I can't miss it. I just hope it sets itself apart from the countless other silly shark movies. By the way, the atmosphere of MEG in the trailer is very similar to the JW Mosasaurus. https://warnerbros.co.jp/movie/megthemonster/

"JW: Fallen Kingdom" seems to be a huge hit, which is also cause for celebration! I went to see it twice (2D and 3D), and both times it was almost full. It was full of plot holes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here are some questions without spoilers:

● When did the collection of Indominus bones (and the Mosasaurus' escape) happen? How old is the Indoraptor, which was created using the DNA from those bones?
● In the first place, was it necessary to extract DNA from the bones of an Indominus that was already created in a lab?
● The horns on the Triceratops skull are conveniently pointing upwards too much, and how can a nearly 1-ton Indoraptor fall on it without it budging? What material is it made of?
● The Brachiosaurus, left behind, put on a moving, tear-jerking performance. However, sauropods are supposed to be able to swim. In the first movie, there's even a scene where a Brachiosaurus emerges from a lake. Why didn't it jump into the ocean?
● The Stegosaurus's teeth are too large.

There's no end to it, so I'll stop here and report on the aftermath of my figure collecting.

*Among the figures introduced last time, Metriacanthosaurus and Dimorphodon were not seen on screen, and Dilophosaurus only appeared as a model. Conversely, the Sinoceratops, which has not yet been made into a figure, had a considerable presence, and I really want a figure of it.


(Image 1) Mini Figures
It took me a while to realize this after I started collecting, but despite having the same packaging, there are two types: "MINI DINO" and "MINI ACTION DINO." While they are the same size as candy toys, they are different. The "MINI" ones are mostly unpainted and have no movable parts. They sell for about 300 yen at Yodobashi Camera and Toys "R" Us. The "ACTION" ones, available at import toy stores, have one movable part (head, jaw, leg, tail, etc.) and are painted. The pre-order bonus was this type. They cost about 1000 yen each. You can't see what's inside either, but you can usually tell by touch. The paired dinosaurs in the photo are MINI on the left and ACTION on the right.

(Image 2) Blue
As the main dinosaur of this film, the number of figures for Blue is overwhelmingly high. The upper back and bottom figures in the photo are prizes from Ichiban Kuji (a lottery). They are about 45cm long. I didn't know about Ichiban Kuji and bought it on Yahoo Auctions for about 15,000 yen, which seems to have been a reasonable price. The auction images all had them in plastic bags, so I couldn't see the details and was a bit anxious, but I was very satisfied with the unexpected quality when it arrived.
From the left in the foreground are Mattel's "Attack Pack" series (Japanese name: Mini Action Figure) / "MINI DINO" / "MINI ACTION DINO" / "Ania" (Takara Tomy) / "Metacolle" (Takara Tomy) / and Mattel's gimmick-laden one that connects to Owen's motorcycle and runs (a famous scene from the previous movie). Mattel also has about three other types of figures, such as the "Owen and Baby Blue Set," but I'm hesitant to buy them due to the sheer number. But I have a feeling I'll end up buying them eventually.


(Image 3) Indoraptor
Fortunately, there are surprisingly few figures of the antagonist Indoraptor. I only managed to get three. The large one is a Mattel action figure, about 40cm long, with movable joints, which is quite fun to play with. Mattel also released another figure with many gimmicks, such as roaring and glowing eyes, but I haven't seen it in Japan yet. The one on the front left is "MINI DINO," and the one on the right is the most dinosaur-like "Ania."
*Despite being toys for toddlers, the LEGO JW series, which I've been ignoring because it's so expensive, now has a Lockwood Estate playset. It's designed like a dollhouse with a decent interior (it even has a Triceratops skull!), and it comes with Indoraptor, Blue, and six human figures. It's quite tempting... but I must resist.

(Image 4) Stygimoloch
Who knew it would play such an active role! I thought the name of this minor dinosaur would suddenly become famous, but the name Stygimoloch wasn't mentioned in the dialogue. However, the figures even have the nickname "Stiggy."

From the left in the photo above are Mattel's "Attack Pack" (Mattel also has one with a head-butting gimmick and "Battle Damage" with an opening wound) / "MINI DINO" / "MINI ACTION DINO," and the best-made Ania. This alone feels a bit lonely, so below is the cheering squad. From the left: 1/20 garage kit (Alucard - featured in Secret Treasure House Vol. 24) / Safari / Geoworld. And as an aside, Dracorex, which is said to be a juvenile Stygimoloch (CollectA and Safari skull tubes). However, there is also a theory that both Stygimoloch and Dracorex are merely growth stages of Pachycephalosaurus.
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E3%82%AE%E3%83%A2%E3%83%AD%E3%83%AD%E3%82%AF

Let me also introduce some books (Image 5).
Film magazines, of course, cover it, but only "DVD Video Streaming Data" has a dinosaur on its cover. "Movie Star" features Chris Pratt, the lead actor, on its cover. "Eiga Hiho" and "Screen" introduce dinosaurs under the titles "Great Dinosaur Exposition" and "Dinosaur Color Illustrated Encyclopedia," respectively. All are July issues.
The mook "JURASSIC PARK" (Media House), edited by Newsweek, is a comprehensive guide to the 25th-anniversary series, with highlights of "Fallen Kingdom," and is packed with content.
The cover of the July issue of J:COM Magazine also features a T-Rex and Christel Takigawa. CS also aired many JP series and dinosaur documentary programs.
A novelization has also been released by Shogakukan, but the author is listed as Tokutaka Banno, a Japanese name. The American version, like the previous one, is by David Lewman, which is a mystery. It's available from Shogakukan Bunko and Shogakukan Junior Bunko, but the cover and content are the same. The junior version is slightly larger, and the wider line spacing due to the furigana makes it easier to read, plus it has photo pages at the beginning, so it's a good value. From the junior bunko, "Jurassic World 0" has also been released, an episode about Claire, the heroine of the series, when she was dispatched as an intern to Jurassic World during its preparations for opening. I've just started reading it, but it seems interesting. The "Dinosaur Survival Guide" (KADOKAWA), created by Claire before the "Fallen Kingdom" incident as the head of a "Dinosaur Protection Group" for the members participating in a secret plan to rescue dinosaurs from Isla Nublar, is quite elaborate and enjoyable for children, despite being aimed at them. Another children's book that's popular these days is "Surprise 3D Encyclopedia JW Fallen Kingdom" from Iwasaki Shoten, where dinosaurs move when you hold your smartphone over it, but I don't have a smartphone, so I don't know what it's like.

More "Fallen Kingdom" figures will be added (for example, Sega crane game prizes, or Blue figures that I'm afraid I'll try to complete), but I'll save that for next time. Let's move on to showing off my spoils from this year's "Museum Festival."


At Hasamic World's booth, which I look forward to every year, I bought a big item this year. It's the feathered skeleton of Sinosauropteryx housed in a B4-sized 3D frame. This is truly art. I'm enjoying it deeply (Image 6).


I couldn't resist buying a regular-sized (about 10cm) Caudipteryx either (Image 7). This one is also incredibly beautiful...