Quagsire Katazun Fig 3 by Takara Tomy Arts: A Guide for Pokemon Collectors
What You’re Looking At
This figure is part of the Katazun Fig series by Takara Tomy Arts, a line of officially licensed Pokemon collectible figures. The piece featured here comes from Katazun Fig 3 — the third release in the series — and depicts Quagsire (known in Japan as Nuoh), the laid-back Water/Ground-type Pokemon from Generation II. The figure presents Quagsire in a seated pose, arms folded in front, rendered in its signature light blue with a matte finish and that unmistakable expression: crescent-shaped eyes and an upward-curving mouth that perfectly captures the character’s famously unbothered personality. Based on the format and scale, this is a pre-painted PVC or ABS figure consistent with Takara Tomy Arts’ capsule-toy and small collectible range — more stylized and kawaii in proportion than a detailed-scale model, which is entirely the point.
The Character and the Franchise Behind It
Quagsire holds National Pokedex number 195 and first appeared in Pokemon Gold and Silver, released in Japan in 1999. It evolves from Wooper (#194) and is officially characterized as easygoing and unhurried — qualities that translate directly into its rounded, soft design aesthetic. Pokemon itself launched in 1996 through Game Boy titles developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, and has since grown into one of the largest media franchises in the world, spanning games, animation, trading cards, and an enormous licensed merchandise ecosystem. Takara Tomy Arts, a subsidiary of Takara Tomy, is one of the primary manufacturers in that ecosystem, holding an official Pokemon license and continuously producing multiple figure lines across capsule-toy machines, toy retailers, and Pokemon Center locations throughout Japan. The Katazun Fig series sits on the kawaii-and-deformed end of their lineup — distinct from their more anatomically precise Monster Collection (Moncolle) line — and is designed as a serialized set, encouraging collection across multiple numbered releases and characters. The exact meaning of the “Katazun” name isn’t confirmed by any official source, so the origin of the series name remains genuinely unclear.
Why Collectors Outside Japan Seek These Out
Capsule-toy culture in Japan stretches back to the 1970s, when vending machines dispensing small figures in plastic capsules began appearing in shopping centers and train stations. Today they’re ubiquitous, and Takara Tomy Arts stands alongside Bandai’s Gashapon line as one of the major players in the space. These figures are produced for domestic Japanese distribution, meaning international collectors have few official channels to obtain them — which is why Japan-based sellers on platforms like eBay serve as the primary route. Within the Pokemon collector community, Quagsire occupies an interesting position: while not one of the most immediately prominent Gen II Pokemon, it has developed a strong and loyal following, particularly in Western fan communities where it’s frequently described as an underrated favorite. Its expression and posture lend themselves naturally to the kawaii figure format, and that combination of character charm and distinctly Japanese small-figure craftsmanship is exactly what drives demand among collectors who want something that feels genuinely rooted in Japanese toy culture rather than globally mass-marketed product.
Price: $15.74 | View on eBay
