Booska! Booska!

Updated 9/12/2001

Introduction:

So Who or What is Booska?

Since the first time I discovered a vinyl Booska figure at a Godzilla convention in NYC, I've been fascinated by this unusual and adorable creature. If you've seen any Japanese toy collector books, then you may have seen many examples of Booska toys from the past 20 + years.

Booska first appeared on Japanese TV on November 9, 1966, in a black & white series produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the same company who created Ultraman.  In fact, Booska premiered just three months after the first Ultraman episode! The same designers and script writers worked on Booska and Ultraman, and the show's director would go on to direct Ultra Seven.

 According to Tsuburaya, his origin goes like this: 

"Young inventor, Daisuke Tonda fed his pet iguana an experimental herb called Kuropara and the iguana turned into the fun loving monster BOOSKA. BOOSKA loves to play and he loves to eat ramen noodles. He has the intelligence of a sixth grader (which is pretty smart for a former iguana!). When he's happy, BOOSKA cries "Barasa! Barasa!" Nobody's really sure what that means... "

Some other interesting tidbits about Booska:

• If you press his navel, he can't stop laughing!

• Booska loves ramen noodles. So much that he eats 30 bowls a day!

• The triple point Boo Crown is the center of Booska's powers. If it were to be removed, Booska's mind would not work.

Although Booska's heyday may have been in the late 1960's, Booska never really disappeared completely. In the '90s, the character was used in various commercials, and had guest appearances on Japanese shows like "Let's Learn English with Ultraman" and "Cooking with Ultraman." Booska came back in a big way in the year 2000, with a new TV series called "Booska! Booska!" And if you ever find yourself in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district, stop by the Official Booska shop!

Since they come from the same production company and originated around the same time, Booska and Ultraman are often linked together, even though neither ever appeared on the other's original 1960's episodes. Collector's of Ultraman toys may have come across Booska before, as many series of Ultraman Kaiju (monsters) will include a Booska figure, just for fun.

** The following toys are here for display purposes, and are not for sale. **

Click on any of the thumbnails to see a larger image.

Feb. 1996

Booska with Chopsticks - This one comes from the Ultraman 20th Anniversary Kaiju collection. The series was made up of 101 of Ultraman's famous monster foes, and this Booska plush was a secret bonus character, numbered 000.

	Aug. 1998	Nylon Plush Set - Booska, Boosko & Chamegon. These are made of a nylon, parachute-type material. Complete set shown.
	2000	Booska DX - The only non-superdeformed plushes. These deluxe plushes stand 12 inches tall. There were just the two in the series.
	2000	This great set is based on the new Booska. The one on the left has his eyes slightly closed, which is a great effect. The complete set of three is shown.

2000

Ultraman Sofubi - These tiny hollow vinyl figures are "Sofubi." (Often call finger puppets.) They're packaged in plastic capsules and available in vending machines. This Ultraman series includes Booska & Chamegon.

I've become such a fan of Booska that I collect more than just the catcher toy items. The following toys are so cute I wanted to share them with other fans, but they are not catcher toys.
	2000	This 6" vinyl bank was a promotional item and not sold in stores. Booska became the mascot for a Japanese newspaper, appearing on billboards and in ads. Perhaps this was available for the newspaper's subscribers?

?

This bank is one of my favorite Booska items. It measures 14 inches tall and 11 inches wide. And it talks when you drop a coin in! Produced by Run A.

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The words and scans are © Kane, aka spooky@voicenet.com, who freely admits he spends way too much time thinking about toys. The toys shown are © Banpresto, Inc., a subsidiary of Bandai, Inc. This site is not endorsed or affiliated with Banpresto, it is just a hobby that I enjoy working on. The toys on this site are part of a personal collection, and are NOT FOR SALE. Thanks for visiting. Cheers.