Real Action Heroes (リアルアクションヒーローズ, Riaru Akushon Hīrōzu, or simply abbreviated as the acronym RAH) is a popular line of high quality collectible figures made by Medicom Toy. This iteration of the series focuses on villains from the popular 1973 tokusatsu television series titled Kamen Rider V3. The figures, produced in 1998, follow the maximalist design trends of the Japanese hobby scene in the late 90s to early 2000s while also including callbacks to the campy visual aesthetics of tokusatsu. The use of gradients and masked type work with the bright and contrasting color selections aren't uncommon in Japanese design culture and are largely inspired by the rich visual languages of Japanese pop culture. You'll also notice the type choices being a mix of Roman and Japanese characters, this is a common practice and helps to emphasize certain portions of the design.
Unfortunately, next to nothing is known about the designer for the RAH series packaging, however, it's clear that they were extremely familiar with the content they were working with. Callbacks and references to the source material can be seen throughout the packaging. Fans of the series will recognize the tarot card motif on the back and inner flap of the box, referencing each villain's unique association with one of the major arcana. These intricately illustrated cards work with the gothic type choice used on the back of the box emphasize the feeling of evil even if you're unable to read the English copy. The large and colorful logos, headers, and graphic elements from the series have been implemented in a way that feels exciting and unique and most importantly, on-brand for the series as a whole.
Because this is such a unique and niche piece of design, almost no documentation of this series exists online. This package design is a love letter to 70s tokusatsu media and a time-capsule of Japanese design trends of the era.
by Koa Baker @sega.creamcast
Toy, Medicom. “Medicom Toy.” MEDICOM TOY, www.medicomtoy.co.jp/. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Usman, Muhammad. “Exploring Japan’s Design Evolution: From Minimalism to Maximalism.” Medium, Medium, 14 Sept. 2023, medium.com/@usman.masood04/exploring-japans-design-evolution-from-minimalism-to-maximalism-aa2ca0b11dcc.
Wiki, Contributors to Kamen Rider. “Real Action Heroes.” Kamen Rider Wiki, Fandom, Inc., kamenrider.fandom.com/wiki/Real_Action_Heroes. Accessed 1 May 2024.
