From design to toy · 1994
Tsubasamaru: One Bird, Two Guardians
An early cannon in a bird’s neck becomes eight glowing wingtip barrels. Follow Tsubasamaru from that sketch to the original DX bird and its two giant combinations.
- From the world of
- Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
- Toy maker
- Bandai
- Release year
- 1994
Original AI cover illustration inspired by the character design; historical artwork and toy photographs appear inside the article.
AI cover illustration · Rewind: Northwest RetroDesign reference ↗01 / The design
Tsubasamaru in its bird form. The finished design puts a bank of four cannon barrels along each wingtip.
Super Sentai Art Collection · MediaWorks, 2002 · printed p. 074 · PDF p. 82
02 / The toy
Original DX Tsubasamaru on its own. The clear stand belongs to the photographer’s display.
A cannon in a bird’s neck
The early Tsubasamaru has a barrel where you might expect a throat. Sketch 70 shows an upright bird with folded wings and a circular cannon inside its neck. The caption describes a proposal that would attach to Muteki Shogun’s chest as a finishing weapon.
The finished bird moves the firepower outward: four red cannon tips sit at each wingtip. Compare the sketch with the color design beside it. The shape changes from a compact neck weapon to a broad span, but the bird still has two jobs—creature and cannon. Early sketches, p. 149.
The book says the earlier idea was retained and later consulted for Gao Falcon. It is a connection between design proposals, not an additional mode of the Tsubasamaru toy.
Look closer
Sketch 70 explores a bird that would attach to Muteki Shogun’s chest as a finishing cannon. The barrel in the neck is especially clear in this drawing; the finished design above places its cannon banks at the wingtips.
Super Sentai Art Collection · MediaWorks, 2002 · printed p. 149 · PDF p. 157
The finished design moves the cannon banks to the tips of the broad wings.
Super Sentai Art Collection · MediaWorks, 2002 · printed p. 074 · PDF p. 82
The wings become the weapon
The opening photograph shows the complete original Japanese DX Tsubasamaru, uncombined. Its broad white panels carry the red tips from the drawing into the toy. The clear support beneath it belongs to the photographer’s display. Original DX photograph.
Bandai’s 1994 catalog advertises a 420 mm wingspan, eight wingtip LEDs and built-in sound, at ¥3,980. The artbook describes the bird cry, attack sounds and illuminated cannon fire. The weapon idea therefore became something a child could hear and see at the ends of those wings. Bandai catalog, p. 2; artbook, p. 074.
The original box remains below as packaging evidence. It identifies the DX bird separately from the larger robot pictured in its combination inset.
One bird, two guardians
In Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, Tsubasamaru represents mind among the divine generals and first appears in episode 23. It can join either Muteki Shogun or Kakure Daishogun. Artbook, p. 074.
The two contemporary catalog photographs make a useful side-by-side comparison. Super Muteki Shogun carries the cannon banks upright beside its head. Super Kakure Daishogun spreads the wings over its red and blue arms. Both assemblies require the separately offered bird and a larger combining robot.
The early neck barrel has become a pair of wide weapons that can change two different silhouettes. Tsubasamaru remains recognizable on its own, yet gives each guardian something it did not have before: the same white bird becomes a different finishing shape.
Look closer
Two contemporary DX combinations
The toy in combined form: DX Tsubasamaru joins DX Muteki Shogun to make Super Muteki Shogun. The white bird’s wings become the prominent cannon banks. This photograph shows both toys together.
1994 Bandai Catalogue · Bandai; scan by Gaming Alexandria · printed p. 2 · PDF p. 3
The winged DX combination in Bandai’s contemporary catalog. It uses DX Kakure Daishogun and the separately offered DX Tsubasamaru.
1994 Bandai Catalogue · Bandai; scan by Gaming Alexandria · printed p. 3 · PDF p. 4
The winged design
Super Kakure Daishogun: Tsubasamaru adds its broad wings to the five-beast guardian. Finished artwork in front and rear views.
Super Sentai Art Collection · MediaWorks, 2002 · printed p. 077 · PDF p. 85
In the advertisement
This Japanese DX commercial excerpt shows the bird toy and its winged combination with Muteki Shogun.
Watch the bird and its winged combination in motion.
Sources
- Mandarake — original Bandai DX Tsubasamaru packaging photograph, item 2054z78 · Mandarake
- Super Sentai Art Collection: Sentai Robo Edition 1975–2002 — Tsubasamaru and DX toy · MediaWorks · 2002 · page 074 · scan page 82
- Super Sentai Art Collection — Early Sketches: Tsubasamaru, drawing 70 · MediaWorks · 2002 · page 149 · scan page 157
- 1994 Bandai Catalogue — DX Tsubasamaru and Super Muteki Shogun · Bandai · 1994 · page 2 · scan page 3
- DX Tsubasamaru advertisement excerpt · G RAISER(ジーライザー) / YouTube
- Super Sentai Art Collection — Five beasts and Super Kakure Daishogun · MediaWorks · 2002 · page 077 · scan page 85
- 1994 Bandai Catalogue — DX Tsubasamaru with DX Kakure Daishogun · Bandai · 1994 · page 3 · scan page 4
- RoboToyDays — original Bandai DX toy photographs · RoboToyDays
Artwork and toy photographs are credited reproductions from published sources. This is a virtual exhibit.