ねんどろいどnendoroido
Quick definition:Nendoroid is a line of small, collectable figures with oversized heads and swappable faces and parts, made by Good Smile Company and based on anime, manga and game characters.
Meaning
Nendoroid figures are small articulated figures, about ten centimetres tall, with big heads and simplified bodies in a chibi style. Each comes with several faces, such as smiling, angry or crying, and extra hands, accessories and effect parts, so owners can pose the figure in many ways. They are sold as characters from anime, manga and games, and as original designs.
Fans like Nendoroids because they are affordable compared with large statues, easy to display on a shelf and designed for playing and photography. Collectors take pictures, build scenes and swap parts between figures. Releases often follow popular series, and special editions are sold at events or with limited-time offers.
The cute proportions make almost any character look charming, from a serious warrior to a villain. Fans also compare them with other lines, such as figma, which are more realistic. Since Nendoroids are numbered, collectors can keep track of their shelves and enjoy hunting for a missing number.
Origin:Nendoroid comes from nendo, meaning clay, and the suffix oid, meaning like, so it suggests a clay-like figure. The line was introduced by Good Smile Company in the mid-2000s, and it grew into one of the most popular lines of collectable figures. The name is a brand name, so it refers specifically to that company's figures.
Example:A collector places a small Nendoroid of a favourite heroine on a desk, swaps her calm face for an excited one and adds a tiny cake accessory. Then she takes photographs with a toy backdrop and shares them online, where other fans post pictures of their own, often with jokes in the captions.
Did you know?Nendoroid sets commonly include a clear stand to support the figure, which makes dynamic poses possible even with the large head. Some also include parts for effects, such as sparkles or flames, so a figure can act out a scene or strike a dramatic pose.
