By the time the next "New Treasure House" is updated,

the final installment of the Jurassic Park series, "Jurassic World Dominion," will be in theaters. I, who plan to watch it on opening day with a feeling of deep emotion accumulated over the past 30 years, will probably be writing a report along the lines of "I cried three times..." But to think there are only three days between the release and the manuscript deadline!

So, this time, it's a preparatory issue to properly appreciate JW3. In addition to introducing the JW3 figures that are starting to appear on the market, I'll feature the newly appearing giant carnivorous dinosaur, Giganotosaurus, to bring the excitement for the final Jurassic Park to its max. But before that, I must also mention Netflix's original CG anime, "JW Camp Cretaceous" (original title is Camp Cretaceous).

I'm sure many of you are watching this series, which is currently streaming on Netflix. Season 1, which depicts the story of young campers on another part of the island before the opening of "Jurassic World," until they are stranded on the island during the chaos portrayed in JW1, is interesting because it links to the movie. For example, they witness Masrani's helicopter being shot down by a pterosaur from a distance, are chased by the Indominus Rex, and are attacked by a Mosasaurus in the pool after the audience has evacuated. However, as the seasons progress, cute baby dinosaurs, ugly hybrid dinosaurs, and evil human characters keep appearing, and the well-made CG dinosaurs lose their presence. It has become an endless escape story typical of American TV dramas (like the "Lost World" drama version introduced in New Treasure House Vol.31 or the old "Lost in Space"). By the latest Season 4, the group finally escaped Isla Nublar and arrived at an island where not only dinosaurs but even sabre-toothed tigers are kept, and devices like anywhere doors and dog-shaped robots that manage dinosaurs also appear. The Tyrannosaurus is being used as an experimental subject, and dinosaurs are now just side dishes. I gave up halfway and watched it on fast-forward. And it hints at a shocking development for Season 5, with "To be continued." I don't know if there will be a continuation, but it has completely become a parallel world to the JW movie series.

Broadcasting anime and selling figures during the off-season of a movie series is a trick that Star Wars also used, but even knowing that, I have no choice but to go along with it. For the past three years, various series of JW figures, starting with those bearing the "Camp Cretaceous" name, have been continuously released by Mattel, without regard for my financial situation, resulting in the "terrible situation" I feared in Treasure House Vol. 47. I long ago gave up on completing the collection, but I have no way to resist when rare, collector-oriented dinosaurs that don't appear on screen (though they seem to appear in games) are lined up in stores, a tradition of the JP series. Before I knew it, this is what happened.

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I've thrown away the packaging, so I don't know which series is which. If you're curious, search online!

From top: Irritator, Majungasaurus, Edmontosaurus (with crest), Ouranosaurus, Nasutoceratops, Sinoceratops (which was almost a Pachyrhinosaurus in "Fallen Kingdom" but has been corrected), Mononykus (!), Masiakasaurus (!!), Gallimimus, Styracosaurus, Sauropelta.

The bottom row features ancient creatures that have never appeared on screen: Postosuchus, Scutosaurus, Dimetrodon (perhaps its first appearance since the original JP movie), and the surprisingly first-ever action figure of Plesiosaurus. The only marine reptile to appear in the movies is the Mosasaurus in JW, but since the whole thing started with dinosaur blood sucked by a mosquito preserved in amber, marine reptiles are a stretch. What about the Mosasaurus?

The huge Brachiosaurus on the right is, surprisingly, from the same mold as the soft vinyl model released by Tsukuda Hobby at the time of the first movie, based on movie props (New Treasure House Vol.24). It is an action figure, but its tail hardly moves, its legs don't bend at the knees so its feet don't touch the ground when moved, and its neck moves up and down at the base, so it looks ridiculous when lowered. Only its jaw can be moved, and it's a regretful item that makes me feel Tsukuda was enough... More than anything, it's cumbersome.

Below that is the Dimorphodon from the "Amber Collection" series, which I recently bought and remember. This series is aimed at adults, eliminating tricky gimmicks, and the paintwork is realistic. This Dimorphodon couple looks pretty good, but compared to similar ones from Rebor (a British brand), it can't be denied that it has a toy-like feel.

Thanks to these irregular figures, my JP corner is overflowing, like little turtles on the back of a parent turtle. Amidst all this, "Dominion" figures have joined the fray. For now, my rationality is still working, and I've only bought these.

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Rajasaurus, Therizinosaurus, Quetzalcoatlus. And two types of multi-packs in truck-shaped packaging: Triceratops, Baryonyx, Lystrosaurus (too sudden!), Carnotaurus, Claire, Owen, Allosaurus, Dimorphodon, Stegosaurus, Blue. And the Giganotosaurus mini-figure from a blind pack, which I luckily got on my first try.

The common gimmick in these figures is that you can pull out a DNA chip embedded in their bodies and scan it to get data. But is that really fun? Perhaps it's because I don't have a smartphone... The T-Rex and Blue figures are pretty much the same except for the gimmick (naturally), so I think I'll be selective this time. I even aimed to complete the Blue collection during "Fallen Kingdom"... (New Treasure House Vol.43/Vol.44)

I'm also skipping the giant Mosasaurus that appeared last time, as it just has an embedded chip. I'm holding off on buying the Triceratops and Ankylosaurus too, as they only seem to have changed articulation gimmicks and colors.

However, major star-level figures are coming. Scheduled for release on June 25th are the giant Giganotosaurus, and the even larger Dreadnoughtus, which is said to be 1.5m long. Also, a crested Yangchuanosaurus, and first-time figures of Quilmesaurus and Megaraptor. Not to mention the Atrociraptor and Pyroraptor that appeared in the trailer. And if you look at American websites, there are even Coelurus and Scorpiovenator. While it's inevitable to spend a lot, I no longer have space to display them... Furthermore, the "Ania" series will also be added, and I'm at a loss.

I'll report on the terrible state of my room in the next Treasure House. Stay tuned.

Now, let's talk about the Giganotosaurus, which is expected to be the biggest villain this time. In the trailer footage that has been released in snippets online, there's a scene from what appears to be the prologue of the movie, set in the Cretaceous period, where the Giganotosaurus easily defeats a Tyrannosaurus. This scene caused quite a stir among dinosaur enthusiasts. As far as known from fossils, Giganotosaurus and Tyrannosaurus lived in different eras and regions, so they would never have met. Don't tell me to ignore the details and enjoy it, even if they're from the same late Cretaceous period, about 30 million years apart. Debating these points over drinks is one of the pleasures of the JP series. Conversely, it shows that the dinosaur movies are of high enough quality for enthusiasts to discuss. Come to think of it, I remember a lively discussion about whether the Brachiosaurus standing up scene in Jurassic Park was appropriate.

*This is just my speculation, but perhaps the T-Rex will get its revenge on the Giganotosaurus in the modern era.

Giganotosaurus

More details here

Coincidentally, Giganotosaurus was discovered in the year JP was released,

1993. It was described in 1995, and an on-site report by Don Lessem titled "Record-Breaking Carnivorous Dinosaur Discovered!! Giganotosaurus" was immediately featured in the December issue of "Dinosaur Science Frontline" that year. The appearance of this "strongest carnivorous dinosaur surpassing T-Rex" had a huge impact, and despite its relatively recent debut compared to other famous dinosaurs (though it's still been nearly 30 years), there's a decent number of figures available. Especially recently, several Chinese manufacturers have been releasing 40cm-class models, filling up Amazon and other sites. Let's start by introducing some of those.

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The top left one is from PNSO, a manufacturer I've recently come to favor. The characteristic downward projection at the tip of the lower jaw is emphasized. Although it appears to be a unique sculpt at first glance, U-san, a fellow dinosaur club member who deeply researches carnivorous dinosaurs and runs the website "Carnivorous Lineage" online, highly rates it.

To its right is a Nanmu product, which I think is a very well-made model. The head seems a bit large, but the full skeletal specimens I occasionally see also give that impression, so it conveys the essence of a Giganotosaurus. This person also liked it and introduces it in detail.

Vitae is also a manufacturer I've introduced several times, and it was the first Chinese manufacturer I encountered (New Treasure House Vol.44).

I also like their sculpting, which is meticulous, but I made a big mistake by being stingy and buying the cheaper version without a base (about 1/3 of the price). I was stunned to find that it had glittery powder sprinkled on it, like a Christmas card. Moreover, the paint job was sloppy, with burrs and parting lines remaining, meaning it was apparently a toy version for children. I had no choice but to repaint it to hide the flaws, but if you look closely, a little glitter still remains... sad.

*Originally, it was something like this.

Other Chinese brands include Eden Toy and the somewhat expensive W-dragon, and the Spanish manufacturer Eofauna also produces well-proportioned figures.

On the bottom row, the left is Safari. It's quite well-made for a general audience, but currently, I have no choice but to wait for it to appear at auction. Safari also has a Wild Safari brand item, which is even cooler, but it doesn't seem to be imported to Japan. I might buy it if I find it on Sekaimon.

Schleich has released four different Giganotosaurus figures, including discontinued ones, but all of them look rather toy-like. The Bullyland one also lacks realism. Papo's somewhat cool Godzilla-stance Giganotosaurus is available through parallel imports at a higher price. Surprisingly, CollectA, which seems to have everything, hasn't released one yet. It's a mystery, given that they have related Carcharodontosaurus, Mapusaurus, and Acrocanthosaurus.

On the right is a 1997 action figure from Resaurus Carnage, a manufacturer introduced in Treasure House Vol.42. Its face is short and doesn't resemble the actual animal much, but it's very poseable. It seems to be quite rare now, with some fetching as much as $684 on eBay auctions.

Next, domestic products

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First, Favorite's soft model. It's sculpted by Araki-san. Since the price is low, the paint job is also for a general audience, so I repainted it to compete with the Chinese figures. Favorite also has a soft, large-sized Giganotosaurus for younger children. To its right is the garage kit by Nobuyoshi Takeuchi from Shinzen Modeling Research Institute, introduced in Treasure House Vol.64. I bought and assembled it at Wonder Festival in 1998. Below are figures from the relatively recent "Dinosaur Colosseum" candy toys and the "Great Dinosaur Era" soft vinyl series released by Happinet in 2007. These are also Araki-san's work.

Other than these, there are only a few from Takara Tomy's "Gacha Action THE Dinosaur" gashapon and "Honehone Zaurus," which means the domestic scene is surprisingly sluggish.

Next time, more Giganotosaurus figures will appear. I plan to purchase and unveil a reasonable number of JW figures, skull models I'm currently eyeing, and other items.

Happy news! Overseas dealers, who had been absent due to the pandemic, returned to the Shinjuku Mineral Show held in late May. Although there were only two, it was exciting to see new dinosaur fossils and replicas. I had a wonderful time with paleontologists and dinosaur enthusiasts.

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Image 5 shows a replica of the trendy Rajasaurus, now that "Dominion" figures have been released. It's something you don't often see even in museums. I definitely can't afford it for 500,000 yen...

On the far right is CollectA's Raja, from a brand that has "everything except Giganotosaurus." Rajasaurus is an abelisaurid, and for some reason, the JW3 figures introduced this time include three abelisaurids: Majungasaurus, Masiakasaurus, and Rajasaurus. The iconic Carnotaurus is a regular in the JW series, and the Quilmesaurus, to be released on the 25th, is also an abelisaurid. Is the age of abelisaurids coming?

Zoic, from Italy, is a familiar store where I've shopped many times, but perhaps I got carried away after a long time and bought this.

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Watsonisuchus madagascariensis

It has nothing to do with dinosaurs, and it's not even a reptile, yet it cost 70,000 yen... After much deliberation, I ended up with this Triassic amphibian. I searched online, but there was no Japanese explanation. I barely managed to identify it as a Mastodonsauridae from a website titled "Phylogenetic Classification of Tetrapods." Mastodonsaurus was a formidable creature that competed with crurotarsans and dinosaurs in Triassic waters (New Treasure House Vol.54/Vol.55), so I'm telling myself that buying a relative of such a creature was the right decision.

The fossil is perfectly preserved within a nodule. Although it's hard to tell from the photo, the left side appears to be a concave impression rather than bone. The right side has lost its bone surface but still retains the lower jaw with teeth. I'm also happy that the backbone is attached.

More than anything, I was swayed by its upward-looking gaze, as if it was asking me to take it home.

There were these images on an overseas website.

Now for a final advertisement.

The June issue of the magazine "Showa 40 Nendoko," currently available in bookstores and convenience stores, features a substantial dinosaur special, including an interview with me and an explanation of Showa-era dinosaur goods. You can also hear Showa dinosaur stories from other surprising people, all for 780 yen! Please buy it.

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Kenji Ohtsuki of "Kinniku Shojo Tai" (do you know him?) passionately talked about Raquel Welch in "One Million Years B.C.," and I couldn't help but nod in agreement. So, finally, a fan service shot of Raquel Welch. I finally got the Raquel Welch & Triceratops that I wanted in New Treasure House Vol.58 on Yahoo Auctions!