What Is Union Creative? Japan's Illustrator Figure Maker Explained
Union Creative is the Tokyo figure maker whose catalog looks like two different companies at once: licensed anime statues from franchises like To LOVE-Ru and Honkai: Star Rail sitting next to original characters dreamed up by a single illustrator and turned into 3D figures. Akibato currently stocks two of those illustrator-original pieces, Soshie and Bara, and neither is based on an existing anime. Here is what Union Creative actually is, how its two product tracks differ, and where its figures fit next to the prize figures and statues already covered on this blog.
What Is Union Creative?
Union Creative Co., Ltd. is a Japanese company founded on November 9, 2004, headquartered in Taito Ward, Tokyo, according to its own corporate page. It runs on ¥10 million in capital with a staff of 18, and its registered business covers character figure planning, manufacturing, and sales, alongside plastic models, apparel, and character intellectual-property licensing. The company's name was updated effective April 1, 2014, though it has kept the same Taito Ward office and figure-making business throughout.
That small headcount matters for understanding the catalog: Union Creative does not sculpt everything in-house. Instead it brokers partnerships, licensing characters from anime and game publishers on one side, and commissioning original artwork from illustrators on the other, then hiring outside sculptors to turn either into a painted PVC or ABS figure. By its own description, the company positions itself around "original designs with unique artistic concepts" as much as licensed character work, which is unusual for a figure maker this size.
Licensed Anime Statues vs. Original Illustrator Figures
Union Creative's catalog splits into two tracks that are easy to tell apart once you know what to look for.
| Track | What it is | Example franchises or creators |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed anime and game statues | Figures of existing characters, licensed from the IP holder | To LOVE-Ru, Azur Lane, Blue Archive, Honkai: Star Rail, Overlord |
| Original illustrator figures | Original characters created specifically for the figure, credited to one illustrator | Soshie by Yuichi Hiiragi, Bara by TACCO |
Akibato's current Union Creative stock sits entirely in the second track. Both Soshie and Bara are original characters with no anime, manga, or game behind them; the illustrator's artwork is the entire source material.
Why Make Figures With No Anime Behind Them?
Licensing an existing anime or game character means clearing the design through the rights holder before a single prototype is sculpted, which slows a release down and caps how experimental the pose or outfit can be. An original illustrator figure skips that approval chain entirely: Union Creative and the illustrator are the only two parties signing off, which is also why these two figures can lean into an illustrator's specific art style rather than matching an existing character sheet.
Inside the Illustrator Collaboration Model
The illustrator-original line works differently from a normal licensed figure. There is no studio or publisher to sign off on the sculpt, so Union Creative works directly with the illustrator to keep the painted figure matching the original 2D art, down to details like pose, expression, and color.
Soshie (2026) — Yuichi Hiiragi's Original Cheerleader
Soshie is an original character by illustrator Yuichi Hiiragi, released by Union Creative on June 20, 2026 at a list price of ¥21,000, per retailer HLJ. The figure stands about 29cm tall in a cheerleading pose, holding a pom-pom, with a removable uniform top and skirt. Akibato currently has this figure in stock for $297.99.
Bara (2025) — TACCO's Rose-Themed Original Character
Bara is TACCO's original character, released in July 2025 with a regular retail price of ¥27,500, according to retailer Hobby-Genki. The figure is approximately 28cm tall, pre-painted, and comes with a rose accessory and display base. Akibato currently carries this figure for $139.32.
If an illustrator's original art is what drew you in rather than a specific anime, these two figures are the easiest way to see the model in person: Soshie is in stock now, alongside Bara, both shipping from Japan.
Union Creative vs. Other Figure Makers Explained
Placed next to the manufacturers already covered on this blog, Union Creative occupies a middle tier, pricier than a crane-game prize figure but far below a museum-scale statue.
| Maker | Typical price | What makes it |
|---|---|---|
| Taito Coreful | Under $50 | Mass-produced crane-game prize figures |
| Union Creative | Roughly $130-$300 | Licensed statues and illustrator-original figures, non-scale or small scale |
| Medicos Super Action Statue | Roughly $30-$80 | Posable, articulated figures built for play value |
| Prime 1 Studio | $1,200 and up | Museum-scale polystone statues, static display only |
The practical difference for a collector: a Union Creative figure costs roughly the same as a mid-range scale figure, but unlike most scale figures, half of Union Creative's catalog is not tied to any existing franchise at all.
Is Union Creative Merchandise Official?
Yes, both tracks are official. Licensed figures are produced under agreements with the rights holders listed on Union Creative's own site, and the illustrator-original figures are produced with the illustrator's direct involvement rather than as unauthorized fan art. Neither track is a bootleg or garage-kit reproduction.
That last point is worth spelling out because garage kits, a separate category covered elsewhere on this blog, are typically unpainted resin kits that a collector assembles and paints themselves. Union Creative's figures arrive pre-painted and fully assembled out of the box, built from ATBC-PVC and ABS rather than resin, which puts them closer to a standard scale figure in how they are handled on arrival.
Does Union Creative Sell Outside Japan?
Yes. Union Creative's figures are distributed through retailers across Japan and overseas rather than sold only direct from the company, which is why the same Soshie and Bara figures turn up on multiple Japan-based hobby retailers alongside Akibato.
How to Buy Union Creative Figures
A few things to check before ordering:
- Scale: Union Creative's illustrator-original line is typically non-scale rather than a fixed ratio like 1/7 or 1/4, so compare height in centimeters rather than scale ratio when sizing a shelf. Soshie and Bara are both close in height, at roughly 28 to 29cm.
- Pre-order timing: both licensed and original-illustrator figures are announced and pre-ordered months ahead of release, same as most Japanese PVC figures, so a sold-out listing does not necessarily mean the figure is gone for good. Bara shipped in July 2025 and Soshie followed roughly a year later in June 2026, which gives a rough sense of how often Union Creative adds to the illustrator-original line.
- Stock location: figures ship from Japan, so lead time and shipping cost should be factored in alongside the sticker price. Akibato lists both figures with current stock status rather than a pre-order placeholder, which is worth checking before ordering from any retailer.
Summary
- Union Creative is a Tokyo figure maker founded in 2004, with 18 employees and ¥10 million in capital.
- Its catalog splits into licensed anime/game statues and original illustrator-collaboration figures.
- Akibato's current Union Creative stock, Soshie ($297.99) and Bara ($139.32), both belong to the original illustrator track.
- Prices sit between Taito Coreful prize figures and Prime 1 Studio's museum-scale statues.
- Both tracks are official releases, not bootlegs or fan reproductions.
Akibato ships both Soshie and Bara from Japan right now. Browse the rest of the figures collection to see what else is currently in stock alongside them.