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Now you can buy a piece of a gut-busting android’s abs from Kamen Rider thanks to Premium Bandai

Dale Roll Feb 5, 2020
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We have no idea why anyone would want one, but why the heck not?

Online goods and collectibles retailer Premium Bandai makes a lot of cool stuff, like Trunks’ jacket from Dragon Ball, a Pokédex phone case, and a Mobile Suit Gundam Zaku teapot, but they also sell a lot of weird and kind of useless stuff, too. Do you really need a Pot of Greed pot in your home? Or GeGeGe no Kitaro ghost underwear? Not unless you’re a die-hard fan of Yu-Gi-Oh or GeGeGe no Kitaro. And even then…maybe not.

Still, serious fans of Kamen Rider Zero One, and possibly fans of Japanese comedian Nakayama Kinnikun, might want P-Bandai’s latest release: a slab of Gut Buster Taro’s abs.

▼ Or again…maybe not.

If you’re thinking, “A slab of what, now?”, you probably haven’t seen Nakayama Kinnikun’s appearance on Kamen Rider Zero One. Essentially, he appears as an android that works as a comedian named Gut Buster Taro at the amusement park. His main comedy act is exploding the panels of his abs off, which the guests find inexplicably hilarious.

▼ His trademark is shouting “Ab power!!” as he strikes a bodybuilding pose, forcing his abs to blast off and revealing the robotic mechanics underneath.

This ridiculous and silly trope obviously became a hit among viewers, as Premium Bandai took it upon themselves to release the very panels of Gut Buster Taro’s abs for sale.

They measure 55 millimeters wide and 85 millimeters long (2.16 x 3.3 inches), exactly the size a single ab muscle of a buff android should be. They also have a durable three-layer design: the top is made of silicone, the middle polyester, and the bottom aluminum. Even if you throw it hard against a wall, it’ll still retain its ab-muscle shape! Truly like a real piece of Gut Buster Taro’s abs.

It’ll even come in a special gift box, with the word “Busting” embossed in gold on the top. Doesn’t it look fancy?

“But what are they for?!” you ask, exasperated. The answer is: whatever you want! P-Bandai even wrote on their product page that the Gut Busting Taro ab muscles don’t really have any intended purpose. “There aren’t even any gimmicks, like a speaker or something,” it says honestly. “It’s just a piece of ab muscle.” It also notes that, even if you collect six, it won’t be enough to recreate Gut Busting Taro’s chiseled core.

Still, the product page does give some helpful advice on what to do with it: “Why not keep it in your house as a good luck charm, or carry it around with you?” it says. “It’s an all-purpose product!”

It’s strange but…somehow you just can’t help but want one, right? This weird good luck charm(?) will sell for 3,300 yen (US$30), and Premium Bandai will start taking reservations starting on March 29 at 11 p.m. They’ll ship in June, just as you forgot that you ordered one, and maybe when it arrives it will come crashing through your window, Gut Buster Taro style. Why not take the plunge and order one, just to see what happens?

Source: Premium Bandai via Hamster Sokuho
Images: Premium Bandai
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