What Is MegaHouse? The Portrait.Of.Pirates Figure Maker, Explained

MegaHouse is the Bandai-owned Japanese figure maker best known for Portrait.Of.Pirates (P.O.P), the premium One Piece scale-figure line collectors have chased for two decades. If you own a Luffy, Zoro or Shanks scale figure that isn't from Banpresto or a prize crane, there is a strong chance MegaHouse made it.

This guide explains what MegaHouse is, the figure lines it runs, why One Piece fans reach for P.O.P first, and how to buy the figures safely from outside Japan. Every fact here is drawn from MegaHouse's official company profile and its own global store.

MegaHouse sits in the same maker tier as Good Smile Company, Kotobukiya and Alter, but its identity is built around scaled character figures for long-running shonen franchises rather than Nendoroids or gunpla.

What is MegaHouse? The company in one paragraph

MegaHouse Corporation is a Japanese toy and figure company, a subsidiary of Bandai Co., Ltd. within the Bandai Namco group. Its core business is the planning, development and sale of figures, character goods and toys, plus original design manufacturing (ODM) for other brands.

The company traces its founding to March 2, 1962, when it was established as Kagaku Giken Co., Ltd. (shortened to "Kaken"). It took its current name in July 1997, after Bandai merged Kaken with two other group subsidiaries, Angel and B-AI, into a single figure and toy label. Its headquarters are in Sotokanda, Akihabara, in Tokyo's Chiyoda ward.

MegaHouse figure lines at a glance

MegaHouse does not run one product type. It runs several distinct lines, each aimed at a different price point and display style. Knowing which line a figure belongs to tells you its scale, articulation and roughly what it costs.

Portrait.Of.Pirates (P.O.P) — the One Piece flagship

Portrait.Of.Pirates is MegaHouse's signature line and the reason most collectors know the brand. Launched in the mid-2000s under the "Excellent Model" banner, P.O.P delivers detailed, non-articulated One Piece scale figures built to be display centerpieces.

The line has grown into a family of sub-series, each with its own focus. On MegaHouse's official store you will find these named P.O.P sub-lines:

• NEO-DX — the mainline single-character scale figures.
• Sailing Again — reissues and expanded character choices.
• Warriors Alliance — Wano and alliance-era looks (Zorojuro, Kozuki Oden).
• Playback Memories — nostalgic early-arc versions (Shanks, Mr. 2 Bon Clay).
• Evolutionary History — form-progression figures such as Luffy Gear 5.
• LIMITED EDITION and the MAXIMUM series (SA-, WA-, NEO-, MAS-MAXIMUM) — larger, higher-spec pieces.

If you want the full picture of how central One Piece is to this line, our Portrait.Of.Pirates 20th anniversary and Gear 5 Luffy guide covers the 2026 wave in detail.

G.E.M Series — premium figures beyond One Piece

The G.E.M Series is MegaHouse's premium scale line that reaches across many franchises rather than a single title. Naruto, Bleach, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen have all received G.E.M figures.

These are sculpted and painted for shelf display, often built in ABS and PVC, and frequently ship with accessories or interchangeable parts so you can vary the pose or scene.

Look Up Series — the figures that look back at you

The Look Up Series is MegaHouse's small chibi line. Every figure is posed sitting and gazing upward, so it looks up at you when placed beside a monitor or on a desk. It is the maker's most affordable, most approachable format.

Desktop Army and Variable Action Heroes — the poseable side

Two lines cover collectors who want movement rather than a fixed statue. Desktop Army offers compact, poseable figures sold in themed sets. Variable Action Heroes are fully articulated action figures for dynamic display and light posing.

Why One Piece collectors reach for MegaHouse first

For One Piece specifically, MegaHouse occupies a place few makers do. P.O.P figures are typically around 1/8 scale, roughly 20 cm or larger for standing characters, and priced as premium statues rather than mass-market prize figures.

That matters because One Piece's cast is enormous and long-running. P.O.P has covered the Straw Hats, the Warlords, the Emperors and Wano-era looks over 20 years, so collectors can build a coherent shelf in one consistent style. If you are new to figure scales, our explainer on what 1/7, 1/8 and 1/4 scale actually mean shows how big these pieces are in person.

Where MegaHouse sits vs prize figures

MegaHouse is a boxed-retail maker, not a crane-game supplier. That is the key line between its figures and the prize pieces you win from Ichiban Kuji or arcade cranes.

• P.O.P and G.E.M are retail scale figures you buy directly, at premium prices, in a fixed edition.
• Prize figures from Banpresto or Sega are made for game centers and lotteries, at lower cost and lower spec.

Neither is "better" in the abstract; they solve different problems. Our guide to prize figures vs scale figures breaks down the trade-offs, and if you collect crane and lottery pieces, our What Is Banpresto and What Is Good Smile Company guides round out the maker picture.

How to buy MegaHouse figures overseas — and avoid fakes

MegaHouse figures release primarily through Japanese retail and pre-order, then reach overseas fans through importers and the aftermarket. Two practical points matter for collectors outside Japan.

First, pre-orders close months before release, so P.O.P and G.E.M pieces often sell out and move to the secondary market at a markup. Buying early from a reliable importer is usually cheaper than chasing a sold-out figure later.

Second, MegaHouse is one of the most heavily bootlegged brands, especially popular One Piece P.O.P sculpts. Counterfeits copy the box art but cut corners on paint and assembly. Before you buy from an unfamiliar seller, our guide on how to spot a fake anime figure walks through the tells.

MegaHouse FAQ: 5 questions collectors ask

Is MegaHouse owned by Bandai? Yes. MegaHouse is a subsidiary of Bandai Co., Ltd., part of the Bandai Namco group.

What does P.O.P stand for? Portrait.Of.Pirates, MegaHouse's premium One Piece scale-figure line.

Are P.O.P figures articulated? No. Portrait.Of.Pirates figures are fixed-pose display statues. For articulation, MegaHouse's Variable Action Heroes line is the poseable option.

What scale are MegaHouse P.O.P figures? Most are around 1/8 scale, sized as premium standing statues rather than pocket prize figures.

Does MegaHouse only make One Piece figures? No. One Piece P.O.P is its flagship, but the G.E.M, Look Up, Desktop Army and Variable Action lines cover Naruto, Bleach, JoJo, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Sailor Moon and more.

The bottom line for collectors

• MegaHouse is a Bandai-owned figure maker founded in 1962, renamed in 1997.
• Portrait.Of.Pirates (P.O.P) is its flagship premium One Piece scale line.
• G.E.M covers premium figures for other franchises; Look Up, Desktop Army and Variable Action Heroes cover chibi, mini-poseable and fully articulated formats.
• Buy early from trusted importers, and check for bootlegs before purchase.

Start your One Piece shelf

If MegaHouse's Portrait.Of.Pirates put One Piece figures on your radar, that is the franchise to start with. Fans of P.O.P usually build their shelf around the Straw Hats first. Browse in-stock One Piece figures, prize pieces and gashapon at Akibato's One Piece collection, which ships worldwide from Japan.

Sources

• MegaHouse Corporation — Official Company Profile
• MegaHouse Official Store (megahobby) — Portrait.Of.Pirates
• MegaHouse Official Store (megahobby) — G.E.M Series
• MegaHouse Official Store (megahobby) — Desktop Army
• MegaHouse Official Store (megahobby) — Variable Action Heroes
• MegaHouse Official Store (megahobby) — One Piece Figures