Wednesday, 9 September 1995.
After acquiring 30% of Studio Ghibli, Zaboru made his way to HanDai HQ in Tokyo. He had important meetings scheduled regarding the launch of a new line of collectible miniature cars called Hotwheels.
Zaboru was set to meet with the current HanDai CEO, Mido Mitoma. Although Mitoma only held 10% of the company shares, he retained full profit access from his portion, giving him both influence and wealth. With Zaboru now owning the majority 90%, Mitoma no longer had to worry about budget cuts or toy sales performance—his position was secure, and he could enjoy a luxurious yet manageable workload. Still, Mitoma remained passionate and highly professional when it came to toy and action figure design.
"So, Mido-san," Zaboru began, adjusting the cuff of his blazer, "as you know, I'm here to pitch a new toy line that could revolutionize our market presence. Does HanDai have the capacity and flexibility to develop something brand new, perhaps something outside our traditional scope?"
Mido responded with a calm, measured smile, his fingers steepled thoughtfully in front of him. "There's always room for innovation, Zaboru-san. Our foundation is built on creative risks. I heard a whisper about miniature cars being involved. Don't we already produce R.C.PRO Mini 4WD toy cars for competitive racing enthusiasts? Are we looking to expand on that, or venture into something entirely different?"
Zaboru grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, it's a car-themed toy line, but it's quite different from Mini 4WD, which is all about building, tweaking, and racing cars for performance. These models are designed as collectibles, more like miniature works of art than competitive machines. They're entirely fictional, each with its own unique flair and personality, crafted from my imagination. That means we'll completely avoid the usual licensing hassles with established car manufacturers. Plus, this gives us the freedom to go wild with our creativity—think futuristic, retro, fantasy-inspired, even absurd designs—all under our own branding."
Mido nodded again, visibly intrigued. Zaboru handed him a thick folder, its cover stamped with a bold, metallic ZAGE logo. "Here are the detailed designs for each model," he said, his tone a blend of pride and anticipation. "I've categorized them by theme—fantasy, futuristic, retro, and mash-ups—and annotated each one with notes on materials, size ratios, and proposed paint finishes. Do you think we can have them ready by year's end, including prototyping and early batch production?"
Mido opened the folder and began flipping through its pages, which featured around 20 unique car designs. As he examined each one, his eyes sparkled with a mix of amazement and excitement. A broad grin crept across his face, growing wider with every turn of the page. "This won't be too difficult," he said, his voice tinged with enthusiasm. "Back in the day, HanDai collaborated with Honda to create miniature car models that were incredibly detailed. We've definitely got the know-how and technical foundation for this sort of thing. And damn, Zaboru-san, these designs are wild—I mean seriously, some of them are downright sexy. I can already picture these on display shelves."
The list of cars included:
ZAGE - Rad Racer 1992 (from Rad Racer game)
Burueno - Z86 (from Rad Racer game)
Zabo - Racer (from Rad Racer game)
Beatnik Bandit (Hotwheel)
Custom Otto (Hotwheel)
Count Musculla (Hotwheel)
Hammered Coupe (Hotwheel)
Bumblebee (Transformer Movie)
Optimus Prime Truck (Transformer Movie)
Reventón (Future lamborgini)
Veyron (future bugati)
Blue Viper ZB 1(Future Dodge Viper)
Mohawk Warrior (Monster Truck)
Dark Knight (Batman car in Dark Knight Movie)
Mach Gogo (from Tatsunoko/speed racer)
Black RX Ridoron (Kamen Rider black RX car)
A thrilling variety of styles leapt off the pages—sleek speedsters, nostalgic retro rides, bold futuristic visions, and designs so absurd they bordered on genius. Zaboru's drafts were not only wildly creative but also impressively detailed, making the transition from concept to prototype remarkably straightforward. "These can absolutely be ready for a December release," Mido said with confidence. "They're far less complex than the R.C. PRO Mini 4WD cars, and honestly, they might even be more fun to produce."
Zaboru nodded firmly. "Just make sure the packaging matches my design, Mido-san."
"Of course. And what about the tracks? Do you want to include them in the main product or sell them separately?" Mido asked, tapping his pen thoughtfully against the table.
"Separately, obviously," Zaboru replied with a confident grin, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "The tracks will be an entirely separate product line—a perfect complement to the cars but sold individually. This allows us to create different types of track sets. Each set can have its own unique flair and tie into specific models from the main line. I've already got a marketing campaign in mind that emphasizes their collectibility and modular expansion. Also, this is just the first wave—more models will follow, and the next wave will integrate even more innovation. So be prepared for a wild ride."
Mido chuckled. "Don't worry, Zaboru-san. We're always ready." His voice carried a warm confidence, laced with a hint of admiration. HanDai had already grown into a colossal toy empire, with sprawling branches in the U.S. and Europe; those expansions had occurred before Zaboru's acquisition. Updates are released by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
"Next," Zaboru continued, "I'll also send you a new draft for a different toy line. Don't worry, I'll provide full design specs for those as well, though I'm not sure exactly when that will be."
"Understood, Zaboru-san. Whenever you're ready, just let me know," Mido said with a nod.
They chatted for a while longer before parting ways. Zaboru returned to his office, where he leaned back in his chair, reflecting on the day.
"Hotwheels will launch this year... hehehe. Too bad LEGO already exists in this world, or I'd try to reinvent those, too," he said with a chuckle. Then, jotting something down in his notebook, he murmured, "A Hotwheels video game—maybe next year." Initially, Zaboru had considered including cars from video games like NASCAR Rumble or Twisted Metal in the toy line. However, he ultimately refrained from doing so. He reasoned it would be wiser for those games to be released first, establishing their presence and popularity, and only afterward offering their cars as part of the Hotwheels collection. Releasing them as toys first, he figured, would be putting the cart before the horse.
He chuckled again and returned to his work.
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