Kinnikuman is one of those properties that just has a global appeal. The colorful characters and over-the-top action are enough to spark the imagination of any kid that’s familiar with pro-wrestling.
In North America, though, the cartoon didn’t get a wide release in the early days. The toys, though, were found in every toy store and discount store, as well as a number of dollar stores. Re-branded as “M.U.S.C.L.E.”, the toys were a staple of countless childhoods.
Of course, sometimes, childhood innocence can be ruined in the most unintentional ways.
In Japan, a line of Kinnikuman headphone jack charms hit the market recently. Among the set is a two-figure scene of Kinnikuman delivering the Kinniku Buster, his finishing move, to rival wrestler Warsman. All said, it is a nifty scene that would make a great phone charm.
The key word, in this case, is “would.”
Due to a cost-saving decision, the entire figure was molded in Kinnikuman’s signature pink shade. This includes the segment that plugs into the headphone jack, itself. On top of this, Kinnikuman is painted as wearing his white wrestling tights, which leads to, well… I’ll let you be the judge.
Yeah. Not exactly a smart design decision.
Twitter user “Momonoki @ Ehime PT” posted the first openly-noticed pictures online, which led to a viral spread of the image.
https://twitter.com/momonokey/status/524502862731018240
Since this is the internet, fans took it upon themselves to improve on the scene.
Several of these, we’re unable to publish.
The most work-friendly of these, though, is a mild mosaic edit that really allows the imagination to go wild.
