Hiya Toys Interview

SDCC 2026

July 24, 2026

Larry Chen: Marketing Department

Freya Hou: Marketing Department

Interview prepared by The Articulation Series

 

 

Hiya Toys is an international e-commerce company. We mainly stock a wide range of excellent figures. We are committed to bringing our customers the very latest and most creative products. We have very strict quality control of our products to ensure that our customers could receive unique high-quality products. At the same time, we have a very professional customer service team with more than 4 people to provide customers with after-sales service.

 

TAS: I’m here with Larry Chen and Freya Hou from the Hiya Toys marketing team. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat, particularly Hiya Toys work with the Godzilla license. I wanted to explore where Hiya Toys stands as a toy developer within the overall franchise and dive a bit into the company's background. Given that Hiya originally focused on properties like Alien, Predator, and G.I. Joe, how did the move into Legendary’s MonsterVerse figures and Godzilla come to be?

 

Larry: Hiya Toys originally grew from our passion for toys and films, starting with properties such as Alien, Predator, and RoboCop. Expanding into Godzilla gave us an opportunity to reach a broader global audience and further develop our design and articulation capabilities. Fan feedback has also played an important role in the evolution of the line. From our earlier releases to newer figures such as King Ghidorah, Monster X, and Kiryu (2002), we have continued refining our articulation and overall design.

 

Freya: Godzilla has become an important part of our product lineup. It allows us to continue improving our designs while expanding the range with more characters that fans want to see.

 

TAS: It seems the Godzilla franchise is proving to be a major success for Hiya Toys. From my own observation, the overall quality and intricate surface details on the figures continue to improve with each release. I wanted to ask and clarify this: are all of the Godzilla-related releases digitally sculpted using 3D software?

 

Freya: Yes, the entire sculpting process relies on 3D software.

 

TAS: Could you walk us through the typical development timeline—taking a standard Toho release like Godzilla (2004) as an example—from the initial conceptual phase all the way to a finished prototype?TAS: Could you walk us through the typical development timeline—taking a standard Toho release like Godzilla (2004) as an example—from the initial conceptual phase all the way to a finished prototype?

 

Larry: When initiating a project, development usually takes around a year. However, complex cases like Nergigante from Monster Hunter can extend that timeline. A significant portion of time goes into testing articulation and determining joint designs—such as evaluating whether to use a joint system or bendy wire for wing structures of Toho's King Ghidorah or Legendary's King Ghidorah. Conducting these extensive tests adds to the development period, but overall, moving from initial concept to solicitation generally takes between a year and a year and a half.

 

TAS: With that said, fan feedback following a prototype solicitation appears to be another significant factor shaping production. Hiya Toys seems very attentive to online critiques and willing to make adjustments accordingly. A prime example is the Godzilla (2002) figure, which has undergone at least two major revisions that I know of.

 

Larry: Yes, I believe we've made improvements roughly two or three times.

 

TAS: Given that this figure took over a year—first solicited in December 2024 and not shipping until August 2026—fans certainly welcomed the revisions, but they also expressed frustration with the release delay. Having navigated this situation, have you developed new approaches to effectively integrate fan feedback without causing major delays to your shipping timeline?

 

Larry: Our priority is always to deliver a product that meets our own quality and design standards. Fan feedback is one of the references we consider during development. We want to make improvements where they genuinely benefit the final product while keeping the overall development process moving forward.

 

Freya: Feedback from the market is part of our review process, but it is considered together with our own product direction and development goals. Our aim is to make appropriate improvements while keeping the overall production process on track.

 

TAS: On another note, I've noticed a distinct pattern in Hiya Toys' solicitation approach. For instance, Super Mechagodzilla was announced recently even though the standard Mechagodzilla (1993) hasn't officially shipped yet. Is this overlapping release schedule standard practice for Hiya Toys—soliciting a variant or updated version before the original release has hit the market? I understand that licensing agreements often require specific product announcements within fixed timeframes—is that also a factor?

 

Larry: Our announcement schedule is influenced by several factors, including development progress, licensing timelines, and our overall product planning. Because different projects often move forward in parallel, there may be cases where a new version is announced before an earlier release has shipped. Our team works carefully to balance the timing of announcements and releases across the lineup.

 

TAS: Turning to the figures on display, the showcase highlights the newly introduced Male & Female MUTO set alongside the 2019 MUTO. They look fantastic. Biollante is another impressive addition—that figure must have required a lengthy development process, perhaps around two years to complete?

 

Larry: I believe it was actually slightly longer than a year.

 

TAS: Is an internal LED light feature planned for Biollante? 

 

Larry: This version does not include an LED feature. We may explore additional versions in the future depending on fan feedback and demand.  

 

TAS: Would you agree that another strategy of Hiya Toys is to roll out a standard variant for its initial release, followed by a heat ray edition or light up edition later on?

 

Larry: It depends on the character, fan response, and what we feel works best for the design. Different characters may have different opportunities for alternate versions.

 

TAS: Regarding Biollante, at every show it's been shown off, the tendrils have been displayed laying flat—does this current prototype not have any bendy wire in it?

 

Larry: The display prototype does include internal bendy wire. As this is an early prototype that has been used for multiple exhibitions, its current posing does not fully represent the final product.

 

TAS: I did notice that Burning Godzilla (1995) appeared smaller at previous events, but now it looks to have been scaled up. Is there a specific reason behind increasing its height?

 

Larry: We refer to this specific prototype as a "test shot," which allows us to evaluate its joint articulation and overall detail. The final product will match the dimensions announced at the time of solicitation.

 

TAS: That makes sense, and I'm sure collectors worried about the scaling will be relieved to hear that. Moving over to the Godzilla Ultima from Godzilla: Singular Point, the sculpting and surface texturing are truly next-level compared to previous Hiya Toys releases. Regarding the mouth articulation, I noticed the lower jaw moves, but does the upper jaw articulate up and down as well?

 

Freya: We are still exploring that.

 

Larry: Much like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon figure, it represents a very early prototype created specifically for the initial IP announcement.

 

TAS: If Godzilla Ultima performs well, is there a chance we might see other characters from Singular Point down the line, such as Jet Jaguar or Anguirus?

 

Larry: If fans respond positively, we can definitely consider it or consult with the licensor about expanding to additional characters. Releasing more figures will ultimately depend on fan interest and feedback.

 

TAS: Toho produced two anime projects—Singular Point and, before that, the trilogy featuring Godzilla Earth. Do you have any plans to release figures from that series?

 

Larry: Currently, we don't have any plans for that series.

 

TAS: Looking at the MonsterVerse lineup, almost every major character has been released except for Mechagodzilla (2021). Is there a possibility we might see that figure somewhere down the road?

 

Larry: Mechagodzilla (2021) is a very complex design. One of the main challenges is that some parts of the original 3D model overlap or pass through one another in the film. While this works on screen, translating those elements into a physical figure while maintaining both the original appearance and functional articulation is much more difficult. We remain very interested in Mechagodzilla (2021), and perhaps one day in the future fans may have the chance to see it.

 

TAS: Your price points are usually quite reasonable—typically around $80 for Godzilla and $100 to $180 for larger characters recently. So, it isn't completely ruled out, though?

 

Larry: It is something we may revisit in the future. For now, our main focus remains on expanding the Toho Godzilla lineup.

 

TAS: Regarding the Toho Godzilla library, do you have full access to the entire IP, or are specific licenses handled individually? For instance, I know Godzilla: Singular Point requires an individual license. My understanding is that Shin Godzilla was integrated into the Classic license relatively recently—are you now able to make a figure of Shin Godzilla?

 

Larry: We don't have any plans to announce for Shin Godzilla at this time.

 

TAS: We haven't seen any Showa-era Godzilla figures in the lineup so far. Are there any plans to explore that era soon?

 

Larry: No, not at this time.

 

TAS: So, for the time being, the lineup is focused strictly on the Heisei, Millennium, and MonsterVerse eras?

 

Freya: Yes, we plan to keep monitoring fan reactions across our social platforms to guide our decisions on future character releases.

 

Larry: We are always monitoring fan requests. If there is strong interest in specific Showa-era versions, they are something we can consider exploring in the future.

 

TAS: Would it also be beneficial for fans to share reference photos alongside character names? Since there are so many variations of Godzilla—like the 1954, 1964, and 1972 designs—images could help clarify specific suits.

 

Larry: Yes, reference images can be very helpful when fans are requesting a specific version.

 

TAS: Got it. Naturally, Godzilla Minus One is huge right now. With everyone wondering, do you plan on eventually making figures for Minus One as well?

 

Larry: Godzilla Minus One is not part of our current announced plans. For now, our focus is on continuing to expand the Classic Toho Godzilla lineup.

TAS: With Ultraman, are you planning to produce figures of the hero himself, or will the focus be strictly on the monsters?

 

Larry: Only kaiju for the time being.

 

TAS: For Yu-Gi-Oh! you’ve showcased both the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Jaden Yuki. Starting with Yuki rather than Yugi Muto is an intriguing decision. Did a licensing constraint lead to that route, or was it simply a deliberate effort to try something different?

 

Larry: We wanted to explore different characters within the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe while also expanding our experience with articulated human figures. Developing characters like Jaden gives us another opportunity to refine our articulation engineering beyond creature designs.

 

TAS: Are there any plans to produce human figures from the Godzilla series?

 

Freya: At the moment, there are no plans for human figures from Godzilla.

 

TAS: Regarding the Blue-Eyes White Dragon prototype, it appears to feature segmented wings rather than bendy wire wings. Is that design final?

 

Larry: Since it is still an early-stage prototype, the final design remains open to changes and has not been finalized yet.

 

TAS: Starship Troopers is also a new addition! Are there plans to expand the line beyond this initial offering?

 

Larry: We are currently gathering feedback on the prototype shown here. If the response is positive, we can consider expanding the line with additional characters.

 

TAS: Larry and Freya, thank you both so much for taking the time to speak with me today and share these insights about your products. I’m really excited to see what Hiya Toys has in store for the future. Thanks again!

 

Larry: Thank you very much, and we really appreciate your time.

 

 

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