"Introduction" 25th Anniversary Jump Multi World

 

The two 25th Anniversary Jump Multi World prism cards

In the summer of 1993 celebrating their 25th anniversary Shonen Jump organized an event called the Jump Multi World. The event was held from July 28 to August 15 at the Tokyo Dome Prism Hall.

All the major manga works published in Shonen Jump were part of the event including some that had ended publication such as City Hunter, and Orange Road among others. The event had lots of games to participate in, lots of merchandise available for sale, and plenty more.

A picture of the information booklet and uchiwa found online

Attendees received an information booklet, the two prism cards introduced in this article, and an uchiwa (a Japanese style fan). The back of the uchiwa had a map giving a rough representation of what the layout was like.

My preferred map is the one included in the booklet which has a nice hand drawn representation with captions indicating what was to be found at the event.

A drawn layout of the Jump Multi World event of 1993, from omochalaheadchala.com

For more pictures of the booklet please read the excellent article written about it at omochalaheadchala.

On the upper right section attendees would find the "Jump Museum NOW" displaying important moments in Jump's history, including a special section dedicated to Akira Toriyama.

The upper middle section had a "DBZ robo game", which featured a new Bandai arcade fighting game of Dragon Ball Z inspired by Super Butouden. The design of these special cabinets was designed by Toriyama sensei himself. For more information on the arcade cabinet here's an article at Kanzenshuu about it.

To the right of that was the "DB VR Battle game", where attendees could reenact the special moves from the series.

Below the VR game room was the "Multimedia Computer Land", a section where attendees could view digital files on a few computers on display (must have been very cool in 1993!).

On the top right was the "Jump Game World", where one could gather information on the new video games, learn tips and techniques, as well as see demo plays. There were also daily video game competitions, during which participants were able to earn the Super Saiyajin Son Gohan Multi World 1993 Certification card.

The bottom areas were the "Multi World Bazaar", the area where lots of merchandise was available to buy such as posters, postcards, artworks, telephone cards etc.

25th Anniversary Jump Multi World prism cards back

These two Special Carddass cards offered to attendees featured many characters from the ongoing manga series of the time. These two cards are not featured in the Daizenshuu Perfect File Premium Gallery 2 probably because it was not a Dragon Ball exclusive item. 

Son Goku and Son Gohan are however front and center on both cards (in Super Saiyajin form) so most Dragon Ball card collectors do collect these Carddass cards. The frame design used is unique, and looks like a digital matrix type of design. I really like the frames, and I also like the cards as a whole.

1993 was really an incredible year for Dragon Ball events. First the Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project and the subsequent contests, followed by the Jump Multi World event in which Dragon Ball was very heavily featured, and at the end year the opening of the Akira Toriyama World Exhibition!

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"Introduction" Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card

 

Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card

 

The Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card was originally revealed as a reward during the Jump Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project Shijou Battle (this item would have been distributed to 200 winners). The promotional sheet in the pages of Jump had it referred to as the "Z Fighters Certificate" card. The reward was revised and used for the follow up round of the Mechanko Project known as the Teknaichi Shikenkai, which took place in May of 1993. This time limited to 500 cards.

The Tenkaichi Shikenkai (天下一試験会) event was the follow up round of the Shijou Battle, and was partly organized around the release of the Super Famicom title "Dragon Ball Z: Super Butouden", which had just been released a month earlier. 

 

Prototype of the Tenkaichi Shikenkai card

Unlike the first round (the Shijou Battle) which was a questionnaire form to be mailed in, this event consisted of a written test to be filled out in person! 7000 selected participants attended over two days, depending on their location the dates of the test were:

- May 7: Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Sapporo, and Sendai.

- May 14: Tokyo, and Osaka.

There's a wonderful blog written by a person who participated (called Rien), and I highly recommend reading it if interested.

According to Rien the Tokyo event was like a regular examination test with desks and chairs, but some of the other locations were in places like gymnasiums.

 

The Shitajiki and VHS rewards, along with the questions sheets (from Rien's blog)

 

There were many rewards given out, the first of which was a large Shitajiki and a VHS with promotional footage of "Dragon Ball Z: Super Butouden".

The top rewards included:

- A signed artwork by Toriyama sensei himself [Rewarded to the 10 participants with the highest scores].

- A full set of all 10 released Dragon Ball Z movies on VHS [Rewarded to the top 30 highest score earners].

- A gold certification card [Rewarded to the 500 highest score earners].

The exam questions and the scoring results were later returned to the applicants (as shown in the photo above).

Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card back

The Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card is made of metal but is still of relatively normal thickness (slightly thicker than a normal card). 

The back of the Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card reads: 

"We certify that you have achieved outstanding results at the 1993 Tenkaichi Shikenkai."

The white section underneath was for recipients to write in their name. Fortunately for collectors most do not appear to have written in their name (fortunate for sellers too as this card is one of the most valuable Dragon Ball cards). Regrettably however most of the cards that were either stored among other cards or stored in the card holder have had sections of the white part come off. In some extreme cases the back of the card may have no white name section left at all.

Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card holder

 

This is not technically a "Carddass" card, and it's not listed in the Daizenshuu Carddass Perfect File books. However because it was released by Bandai in an age where they mainly released Carddass cards some fans still mistakenly consider it part of the Carddass series.

There is mention of "OFFICIAL CARD" written all in caps in the upper left, as well as a Bandai logo in the lower right, two design traits shared with the Multi World 1993 Certification card released later that year. Both cards also are in the same format and dimensions (slightly horizontally narrower).

Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card

The Tenkaichi Shikenkai Gold Certification card must have been an incredible reward to receive. An appropriate prize for those top 500 highest scoring winners of the test! It’s a unique and incredibly sleek card.

SS Son Goku’s portrait comes through very nicely on the metal surface. Despite being thin, the weight of the card makes it feel imposing. A very exclusive and mystical card!

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The Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project Questionnaire

This is an extension to the Toriyama Mechanko Project Carddass review, please first read the article here.

The Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project (鳥山明めちゃんこプロジェクト in Japanese) Shijou Battle (誌上バトル) questionnaire of 1993 was introduced in the pages of Jump. Thankfully there is a blog that kindly shared all 50 questions as they were originally published. Thanks to the writer of that blog called りょう (Ryo) for making these easily accessible.

Part 1 questions 1~10
Part 2 questions 11~20
Part 3 questions 21~30
Part 4 questions 31~40
Part 5 questions 41~50

Here is a nearly complete translation of all 50 questions and answers from the questionnaire:

- (1) What was the password to call Shenron on Planet Namek?

1. Pepporunga hattaripito horopuruppipe
2. Takkaraputo poppurunga pupirittobaro
3. Bametopiran tererorukoro popporunga
4. Boropparabi tanomoreruro pereparorunga
5. Rapputotaka rupporunga ripputopiparo

- (2) During the 23rd Tenkaichi Budoukai who were the participants of the second match?

1. Goku & Chichi
2. Jackie Chun & Man-Wolf
3. Krillin & Piccolo
4. Tenshinhan & Goku
5. Yamcha & Shen

- (3) The picture below of Android 16 was published in the comics. What is the character hidden in the mark of the Mechanko Project?

1. 16
2. CAPSULE CORP.
3. RR
4. DR GERO
5. RED RIBON

- (4) What was the TV department of channel 827 doing live broadcast in Ginger Town?

1. ZTV
2. CHQ
3. DQZ
4. UFW
5. CQV

- (5)　Who is the character who was killed at the beginning of the title story in the color issue titled "NEW YEAR Super Power Battle"?

1. Krillin
2. Chaozu
3. Dende
4. Jeece
5. Freeza

- (6) In the Dragon Ball Power Up calender of 1993, in the months of April, May, and June which of these boots was Gohan wearing?

1. Jungle boots
2. Ring boots
3. Side gore boots
4. Engineer boots
5. Short boots

- (7) In the comics between volumes 1~33, after Goku which character makes the most appearances in the opening pages?

1. Gohan
2. Krillin
3. Piccolo
4. Vegeta
5. Kamesennin (Master Roshi)

- (8) After Goku defeated Piccolo Daimaoh, what was the channel Bulma informed from the radio on the plane?

1. NWA
2. CNN
3. NBS
4. BMW
5. BPS

- (9) In the comics 1~33 there was a thing that had "43" written in it. What was it?

1. Broadcasting station's camera
2. Goku's jacket
3. The hovercar Gyuumaou was riding
4. A car Goku was riding
5. A car Satan was riding

- (10) The picture below is an enlarged view of a town next to a city. Where is this located?

1. North City, northwest 9 km
2. West City, southeast 9 km
3. East City, northeast 9 km
4. South City, southwest 9 km
5. Midle Town, north 9 km

 - (11) According to the information from the news reporter, how many humans would Cell have absorbed, excluding the androids?

1. 500 people
2. 1000 people
3. 1500 people
4. 10,000 people
5. 15,000 people

- (12) Which of the following is the name of the town near the hospital where Goku was hospitalized when heavily injured?

1. Wild Denshaa
2. Hill Town
3. Downtown
4. Ginger Town
5. Apple Town

- (13) Which of the following manga books did Bulma bring with her to planet Namek?

1. Dragon Ball
2. Dr Slump
3. Kosuke & Rikimaru
4. Mad Matic
5. Pink

- (14) In the comics between volumes 1~33, after Goku which character makes the most appearances in the table of contents title pages?

1. Gohan
2. Piccolo
3. Bulma
4. Vegeta
5. Freeza

- (15) During one of Kamesennin training days Goku and Krillin delivered milk. how many empty bottles did they collect together in one day?

1. 6 bottles
2. 8 bottles
3. 10 bottles
4. 12 bottles
5. 16 bottles

- (16) In the 1990 Miracle Card Jump calendar there were a card for each number. What was the 0 card mark?

1. Heart
2. Diamond
3. Spade
4. Clover
5. Joker

- (17) What chapter and what title was the illustration on the right used for?

1. One hundred, unprecedented fear
2. One hundrer, unprecedented threat
3. Two hundred, unprecedented fear
4. Two hundred, unprecedented shock
5. Three hundred, unprecedented shock
 

- (18) The Arc Demon from DQ (Dragon Quest) has a cameo in which of the following parts?

1. Red Ribbon Army HQ
2. West City
3. Penguin Village
4. Tenkaichi Budoukai preliminary grounds
5. Inside Muscle Tower

- (19) In the 1990 Jump Calendar what month to what month was the Dragon Ball illustration?

1. July to August
2. August to September
3. September fo October
4. July to September
5. August to October

- (20) When Goku had Bulma repair the Dragon Radar in her house, approximately what time was it?

1. 9:00
2. 10:00
3. 11:00
4. 12:00
5. 13:00

- (21) Which among these characters was carried on the box written "TEA FOODS"?

1. Small fry character n79 from Planet Freeza
2. Gohan
3. Krillin
4. Trunks
5. Gyuumaou (Ox King)

- (22) The great decisive battle between Goku and Piccolo Daimao unfolded at King Castle. How many total episodes were spent on this head-to-head?

1. 5 episodes
2. 6 episodes
3. 7 episodes
4. 8 episodes
5. 9 episodes

- (23) * At the moment unable to decipher this question based on quality of the current image below.

1. 123
2. 125
3. 127
4. 129
5. 131

- (24) Who is Goku's opponent in the episode with the color subheading "Final Decisive Battle Intro"? 

1. Piccolo Daimaoh
2. Ma Junior
3. Vegeta
4. Freeza
5. Cell

- (25) For chapter 354 "Surplus of the Androids" there was a figure present(?).  What day and month was the deadline?

1. 1992, January 6
2. 1992, January 7
3. 1992, January 8
4. 1992, January 9
5. 1992, February 8

- (26) What is Bulma's identification number?

1. SKM11875
2. SSC41453
3. SSK14875
4. SKC41875
5. SCS14534

- (27) Between comic volumes 1~33 which of the following characters has never worn a hat?

1. Krillin
2. Gohan
3. Chichi
4. Tenshinhan
5. Yamcha

- (28) How many of Mutaito's disciplines appear in the original manga work?

1. 3 people
2. 4 people
3. 5 people
4. 6 people
5. 7 people

- (29) In what year and in which issue was the chapter 130 published in Jump?

1. Showa 62, issue 30
2. Showa 62, issue 31
3. Showa 62, issue 32
4. Showa 62, issue 33
5. Showa 62, issue 34

- (30) Which of these is the original name of Frypan Yama (Mount Frypan)?

1. Ryoukeizan
2. Fuurinkazan
3. Koppepan Yama
4. Gyuumaou Yama
5. Kakazan

- (31) How many buildings are there on the Capsule Corporation premises?

1. 2
2. 4
3. 6
4. 8
5. 10

- (32) Why is there no hair on Krillin's head? Which of the following is the explanation?

1. He shaved it to be able to use the Taiyouken
2. He was born with no hair
3. His hair fell out during martial arts training
4. He shaved his hair to tighten his Ki
5. In the original work an explanation is not provided, so it is unknown

- (33) Which of the following characters had a kettle in Kame House?

1. Kamesennin
2. Lunch
3. Krillin
4. Bulma
5. Chichi

- (34) What is the game software found on the desk of Dr. Brief?

1. Super Mario Brothers
2. Dragon Ball Z
3. Dragon Quest
4. Donkey Kong
5. The Legend of Zelda

- (35) Of the following character names in the Red Ribbon Army, which does not exist in the original work?

1. Brown
2. Violet
3. Yellow
4. Kappa
5. Grey

- (36) How many Namekians did Frieza kill himself?

1. 0 people in total
2. 1 person in total
3. 2 people in total
4. 3 people in total
5. 4 people in total

- (37) In Jackie Chun's (Kamesennin) deathblow what character appears in the page from the illustration below?

1. 万國突天掌 (Bankoku Bikkuri Shō)
2. 万國吃天掌 (Bankoku Bikkuri Shō)
3. 万國尾天掌 (Bankoku Bikkuri Shō)
4. 萬國仰天掌 (Bankoku Bikkuri Shō)
5. 萬國驚天掌 (Bankoku Bikkuri Shō)

- (38) Approximately how long from that world was the serpent road to reach Kaiou sama?

1. 10,000 km
2. 100,000 km
3. 1,000,000 km
4. 10,000,000 km
5. 100,000,000 km

- (39) What does the following Namek language symbol represent (refer to picture below)?

1. Complete
2. Roger
3. God
4. No way
5. Be silent

How good is your understanding of Namekian language?

- (40) Which of the following was the hour at which Vegeta and Nappa arrived on earth?

1. 11:34
2. 11:43
3. 23:34
4. 23:43
5. Time undetermined

- (41) Excluding himself, how many people knew of Jackie Chun's true identity?

1. 1 person
2. 2 people
3. 3 people
4. 4 people
5. 5 people

- (42) During the fight against Raditz, what was the gap between Piccolo's lowest and highest fighting power (power levels)?

1. 602
2. 690
3. 998
4. 1003
5. 1018

- (43) Which of the following company names did not appear in the comics?

1. LUCKY FOODS COMPANY
2. AIR PANIC
3. MATODOG CORPORATION
4. SOMY
5.BEANS CORP.

- (44) Aside from himself, how many people knew that Shen's body had been borrowed by Kami?

1. 2 people in total
2. 3 people in total
3. 5 people in total
4. 6 people in total
5. 7 people in total

- (45) What is the name of the dragon Toriyama sensei drew on Koyami Mami's album jacket (voice of Lunch)?

1. Gebura
2. Kururu
3. Purin
4. Kurira
5. Hiyako

- (46) What is the title of the anime movie where Toriyama sensei appeared in one scene along with artist Takemiya Keiko?

1. Galaxy Express 999
2. Crusher Joe
3. Mobile Suit Gundam
4. Dr. Slump Hoyoyo Space Adventure
5. Space Battleship Yamato

- (47) When Toriyama sensei was little, he threw the O-Jizo's head into a soil reservoir and was scolded by his grandfather. He picked it up from the reservoir, washed it properly, and put it back together, but he had to suffer for a week. What was it that made him suffer?

1. He was crying in his dreams
2. He couldn't get rid of the smell of the reservoir
3. He got hit bumps
4. When he was walking around he spotted a headless Jizou
5. He kept falling into the reservoir
* O-jizo san are little buddhist statues

- (48) Which of Toriyama's works won the silver prize in the 9th Tamiya model modification contest?

1. Raiders
2. Dragon Ball
3. Nausicaa
4. Godzilla
5. Dr. Slump

- (49) Where is Capsule Corporation located

1. 29 West city
2. 29 East City
3. 43 West City
4. 43 East City
5. 23 West City

- (50) In the illustration below Goku received damage from a poweful enemy. From which fight was this?

1. Raditz fight
2. Vegeta fight
3. Freeza fight
4. Ginyu fight
5.Android 19 fight

 

As you can see the difficulty varied a lot. Fans would need to refer back to the original manga work among other things while filling this out. As the questionnaire was long, it probably wasn't easy to earn a high score!

Below is what the return form looked like. It had to be filed out with the participants name, address, telephone number, and of course all or as many of the answers filled out as possible.

The entire multiple choice sheet that was to be returned completed

Hopefully you enjoyed, or at least found this page of interest, and hopefully it has given you better insight and appreciation for the very special contest that was the Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project challenge!

To return to the Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project Carddass set review click here.

 

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"Introduction" Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project Limited cards

 

The Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project Carddass set

In February of 1993 Jump started one of the biggest Dragon Ball related events called the Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project (鳥山明めちゃんこプロジェクト in Japanese). The project featured many potential rewards, but to Carddass fans the ultimate prize was a limited set of 10 prisms cards given exclusively to 2000 lucky winners. 

Unlike the first and second limited gift cards that were won through a lottery system, the Mechanko Project cards were won through the magazine contest phase called Shijou Battle (誌上バトル). A long and challenging 50 multiple answer questionnaire in which each question had five potential answers to chose from.

For more information, as well translations of the entire Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project questionnaire, please refer to the page on the subject: The introduction to the Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project questionnaire.

The Mechanko Project cards presented in an unfinished form from the pages of Jump

At the time of the announcement this set was simply referred to as a "Jump original super limited Carddass" set, but later became officially recognized as the "Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project Carddass" set (as seen in 1995's Daizenshuu Perfect File volume 1). Mechanko is Nagoya dialect and can translate to "extreme" for those wondering where the name came from.

Back from when I was in school in the mid 90's, at least in my school, we called them "the Cell games limited cards". Outside Japan these cards are sometimes referred to as the Limited 2000 cards. Ultimately the most commonly used name is the "Mechanko Project" cards, an abbreviation of the full title.

As a child I had classmates that had several cards from this set, I was lucky enough to have acquired a majority of the set through trades at school. They often circulate incomplete because presumably this happened quite often. Children would end up trading some of these cards for other rare cards (or what we felt was rare in those days). 

The Mechanko Project cards were distributed after the release of Carddass part 14, and before the release of part 15. The Cell Saga was reaching its climax, and the last two cards in this set would become the very first to feature Son Gohan in his incredible Super Saiyajin 2 form (later part 15 would include two more iconic SS2 Gohan cards!).

Mechanko Project card number I "Son Goku"

The first card, number I ("TORI" in the scouter box) features several Son Goku illustrations. At the center Son Goku is shown smiling while doing a double peace sign in a tuxedo! In the upper left is a younger Goku flying on Kintouun with the Nyoibou in his hand, while the right side has SS Goku in SD (Super deformed) doing a Kamehameha!

This card is notorious for being among the most difficult to find individually. The card mistakenly reads "Son Goku & Gohan", an error that was also in the Jump issue promoting the contest. 

The bottom box reads: "Dragon Ball Special Carddass". The edge of the card reads: "I'll become even stronger!!".

Mechanko Project card number II "Son Goku" (written in gold)

Card number II ("YAMA" in the scouter box) shows Super Saiyajin Son Goku during his fight against Cell during the Cell games. A nice and elegant illustration.

A large area of the card is black in non prism coating, as a result this card is a bit infamous among fussy collectors for potentially attracting flaws. 

The lower box reads: "Goku's desperate great counterattack! Can he inflict damage to Cell!?" The edge of the card reads: "Time for a decision!!!".

Mechanko Project card number III "Decisive Battle"

Card number III ("AKIRA" in the scouter box) is a majestic group illustration centered around Cell, with his opponents minus Goku featured around him). One of my favorite cards in the set!

There aren't many group cards with this many characters presented so gracefully as in this brilliant illustration. Like most cards of this set the artwork comes from the full page chapter illustrations published in the manga.

The lower box reads: "Sudden surrender of Goku! Who in the world has more power than Goku!?". The edge of the card reads: "Who will follow next!?".

Mechanko Project card number IV "Son Gohan"

Card number IV ("ME" in the scouter box) features several Son Gohan illustrations. At the center is SS Gohan during his fight with Cell. The three other representing Gohan at different ages during different arcs of Dragon Ball. The first being prior to Raditz' arrival, the second during the fight against Nappa and Vegeta, and the third during the fights on planet Namek.

This is a magnificent card with a great choice of colors. I really like how it shows us Gohan's evolution in a very exquisite and fresh manner. Also notice the special blue Dragon Ball logo!

The lower box reads: "Gohan's major change!! Use that tremendous battle power to knock down Cell!!". The edge of the card reads: "Takeoff! Super Son Gohan".

 

Mechanko Project card number V "Son Gohan"

Card number V ("CHANKO" in the scouter box) features SS Son Gohan again. This time at the instant right before he transformed into SS2 Gohan in his fight against Cell. A very confident Cell is shown on the left side of the card smirking.

It's a little hard to see, but Vegeta, Tenshinhan, Yamcha, Piccolo, and other Z fighters are in the background!

The bottom box reads: "Will Gohan's anger explode! And will Cell experience true fear!?". The edge of the card repeatedly displays the 怒 (character for rage) as a sound of anger.

Mechanko Project card number VI "Family"

Card number VI ("P" in the scouter box) features Chichi, Gohan, and Goku, riding in a car together. A memory of peaceful days from some point in time prior to Raditz' arrival on Earth.

The bottom box reads: "Gohan's desperate cry dissipated in the empty sky. Where is this desperate battle heading!?". The edge reads: "Remembering those nostalgic and happy days".

Mechanko Project card number VII "Cell Jr"

Card number VII ("RO" in the scouter box) features the Cell Jr’s being both menacing and playful. A very charming card and the only Carddass prism exclusively featuring Cell Jr. Undeniably very special!

Some years ago this used to be one of the hardest cards to find in the set. Several collectors mentioned it as being the last card that completed their set (including artist Youngjijii). It remains one of the rarer cards.

The bottom box reads: "Despite being small, terrifying fighting power!! What is their true strength!?". The edge of the card reads: "The hell of Cell Jr’s".

Mechanko Project card number VIII "Z Fighters"

Card number VIII ("JE" in the scouter box) features Yamcha, Tenshinan, Krillin, Piccolo, Trunks, Vegeta, and Goku. All tired and inured from their fights with Cell Jr’s, and all in awe over Gohan's astonishing transformation into Super Saiyajin 2!

Another one my favorite cards in the set. I really like the combination of many emotions and the great use of colors. Wonderful!

The lower box reads: "That anger that even burns the heavens! It’s the true power of Gohan who exceeded the critical point!!". The edge reads: "The savior!! His name is Gohan".

Mechanko Project card number IX "Son Gohan" (written in gold)

Card number IX ("C" in the scouter box) features SS2 Gohan immediately after his epic transformation during his fight against Cell. Cell reacts to this with a concerned and upset expression. Another classic moment expressed with great style and colors through a wonderful card!

I've found that this is often one of the favorite cards of collectors in Japan. Understandably!

The bottom box reads: "Gohan's ki of infinite power erased the calmness from Cell's face!!". The edge of the card essentially reads: "Full power vs full power".

Mechanko Project card number X "Son Gohan"

Card number X ("T" in the scouter box) features SS2 Gohan dashing forwards, with Cell looking very distressed. Son Goku observes calmly with a serious expression. Featuring a special green Dragon Ball logo, and a red/white diagonal gradient background, this is a highlight card in the set and one of my absolute favorites as a little child!

Similarly to card number I, this has become well-known for being one of the most expensive and sought after cards. The lower box reads: "Half of Cell's body is blown away by Gohan's super oversized Kamehameha.". The edge of the card reads: "Cornered Cell".

As you can see from the different readings in the scouter boxes of each card, when the full set are put together they read "Akira Toriyama Mechanko Project"!

Back of the Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project Carddass cards

Cards number I, IV, and X have the distinction of having been gorgeously colored by Toriyama himself, as was also the case with all the cards from the first and second Limited 3000 cards, as well as the Over 1 Billion Carddass Commemoration limited 6000 cards. The remainder use beautiful digital coloring as was the norm for most Carddass prism cards.

The illustrations on cards number II, III, V, VI, VIII, and IX can also be found on the Visual Adventure Special metallic cards, the Visual Adventure Special Asian version prisms, and the Carddass Special prism card set.

As a complete set, the Mechanko Project cards have become the most valuable and most sought after item in all Carddass according to recent online sales and the purchase offers by stores such as Mandarake.

The Mechanko Project remains most significant and constantly in demand, both due to its history and for being a part of a beloved era of Dragon Ball. This is a legendary collection of cards, and it stands up there among the most treasured of all Dragon Ball cards. 

 

The Toriyama Akira Mechanko Project Carddass cards

 

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"Introduction" Carddass Museum '92 Son Goku card

 

The Jump Museum '92 Dragon Ball Special Carddass

 

During Golden Week (a Japanese week with many holidays) of 1992 Weekly Shonen Jump organized a special event in Tokyo (at Mecca Harajuku) called the Jump Museum (ジャンプミュージアム). According to people who attended, this was not a huge venue compared to the size of events that would be organized later on. A lot of Dragon Ball related merchandise were for sale, such as shitajiki, soundtrack CD's, posters, and so forth. 

Guests were also given the opportunity to win one of 19 Special Carddass cards. They had one for each of the most popular Jump published manga at the time (such as Dragon Quest Dai's Adventure, Yuyu Hakusho, Video Girl Ai, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Slam Dunk, etc). Obviously one of them was for Dragon Ball.

The Dragon Ball card features Super Saiyajin Son Goku during the climax of his fight with Freeza. Surprisingly this is the only limited gift card that was made representing the Freeza arc of Dragon Ball. The earlier Limited 3000 cards represented the Saiyajin arc of early Dragon Ball Z (arrival of Raditz, Nappa and Vegeta), and the following limited gift cards such as the Mechanko Project and 1993 Multi World gift cards would represent the Cell arc.

The Jump Museum '92 Dragon Ball Special Carddass back

This card has a special holographic "Weekly Jump" logo stamped in the bottom left corner. Possibly the biggest protection the card has from being accurately copied as reproduction cards. Jumbo cards aside, this is one of only three non prism limited gift cards that were made (the only other two were the last two made, the two Tokubetsudan limited gift cards).

It is not a numbered limited card, but since it was only distributed at this event, and only for a few days, it's likely there were no more than a few of thousands made.

Personally I really like this card. Not just because it's the first limited card featuring Super Saiyajin Son Goku, or because it's the only Freeza arc limited gift card, but because I just find it really majestic. The illustration used is so classic!

 

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"Introduction" Part 3 Release Commemoration cards (Limited 3000)

The second part of the of the Limited 3000 set

For the release of Carddass part 3 in November of 1989, Jump followed up the first limited 3000 card with another prize card event in Weekly Shonen Jump. This time the lucky selected winners were awarded a full set of 6 prism cards! This set was called the "Part 3 release commemoration limited n2" (3弾発売記念限定第2 in Japanese).

Below is a picture that has surfaced thanks to a seller on Yahoo Auctions Japan, revealing what the original prize announcement looked like. The instructions were to fill out the little box on the upper left section (cut out by the owner) with one's name and address. By doing so, the owner of the set below was selected as one of lucky winners.  

On the bottom left Kami sama says "I want those", and Goku replies "indeed!" ^^

On the upper left of the picture is part of the list of successful candidates who won the prize, including their name and region of Japan they lived in. Also included on the bottom left is the envelope in which the cards came in (a similar envelope was used for later limited cards as well).

Following in the footsteps of the first limited card, these cards too are numbered after letters in the Greek alphabet. Where as the first limited card started with the last letter of the alphabet, for the second set of 6 cards they started from the beginning of the alphabet: alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon and zeta (or α β γ δ ε ζ).

 

Limited 3000 card "alpha"

Card number "alpha" depicts Son Goku and friends dressed in garbs inspired by "Journey to the West" (the edge text refers to such). The Chinese legend of a hero called Sun Wukong that served as an influence to Toriyama for creating Dragon Ball in the first place!

Of course Son Goku is dressed as Son Goku from the tale. Piccolo, Kuririn, and Gohan are dressed as other characters from "Journey to the West".

The bottom box reads: "What is the secret of these 6 special cards?"

Limited 3000 cards "beta" & "gamma"

Card number "beta" and "gamma" form a pair. These are often just referred to as the Goku and Vegeta cards. Featuring Son Goku and Vegeta in their iconic stances during their first fight, these illustrations come straight out of the manga.

These are two of my personal favorite cards, also worth noting that individually these two are harder to find than the other four in the set, for understandable reasons.

The lower box of the Goku card reads: "It seems in Part 4 a powerful enemy will appear.". The box on the Vegeta card talks about how combined with the infinity card (the first limited card) will give bonuses when playing the card game (+200 BP).

The edge captions read: "Here comes the last decisive battle!", and "Let's go Kakarot!". Classic!

Limited 3000 card "delta"

Card number "delta" depicts everyone heading off for adventure in space. Another wonderful and delightful group illustration. Notice how even Umigame (the turtle) is in a spacesuit!

The bottom text box reads: "Vegeta revives in the recovery tank! Who will get their hands on the Super Dragon Balls!"

 

Limited 3000 cards "zeta" & "epsylon"

Card "zeta" and "epsylon" form another pair, with each having an icon for 左 and 右 (left & right) in the icon boxes. When displayed together they display a long single panoramic scene as shown above. 

The lower boxes of both cards state bonuses relating to the card game (when the two cards are combined they will provide total power x3).

Edge on the zeta card reads: "At any time, and at any place, ZENKAI power!".

The illustration features most of the cast of Son Goku's friends and family up to this point. There's a beautiful gradation in the sky, and a great sense of adventure!

 

Part 3 Release Commemoration Limited 3000 cards

The second set is of 6 cards only came out a few months after the first, but Carddass cards were growing at a very rapid rate. As such these are somewhat more in circulation than the first limited card. They are still incredibly rare, and nowadays very expensive.

Like with the first Limited 3000 card, all 6 of the illustrations on these cards were colored by Akira Toriyama himself, unlike most cards which used digital coloring. These 7 Limited 3000 cards would be the only limited cards featuring illustrations from the Saiyajin arc of Dragon Ball Z.

Part 3 Release Commemoration Limited 3000 cards back

The back of the second limited cards are the same as the back of cards Bandai started using with Carddass part 3 (meaning no more gold particles). Just like with the Limited 3000 number 1, the production year is omitted on the back.

 

Part 3 Release Commemoration Limited 3000 cards

These illustrations can also be found in Dragon Ball art collection books including the amazing 30th anniversary artbook. Some of the illustrations can also be found in the full color manga as postcards attached at the back of certain manga volumes.

The Limited 3000 first and second set limited cards are most special, and are beloved Dragon Ball Carddass cards for their great style and their significance in Carddass history.

For anyone looking for the pictures used some years ago, they can be found here.

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"Introduction" First Limited Carddass card (Limited 3000)

The first limited Dragon Ball card

To commemorate the release of Carddass part 2 in July of 1989 Jump decided to give a free prize prism card to 3000 lucky winners of a lottery contest organized in Weekly Shonen Jump.

The lucky winners were awarded the card known in Japan as the "Part 2 release commemoration limited card n1" (2弾発売記念限定第1 in Japanese). More commonly referred to as the first limited (限定1号). It is sometimes called the Infinity card due to the symbol in the numbering circle, but it is actually the Greek alphabet letter "omega" (last letter in the Greek alphabet).

 

Shonen Jump issue promoting the Limited 3000 present card (found on twitter "tiyu12sai")

This prism card is considered the rarest Dragon Ball Carddass card from Bandai, literally the alpha and the omega. Being that there were only two parts of Carddass at the time, there were a lot less collectors, and the way most children viewed and preserved these cards was likely different from a few years later when Carddass cards became more established. Different collectors have different estimates of how many may still be circulating, but it’s almost certainly less than were made.

The card was originally shipped in a plain envelope, which contained the card in a slightly oversized transparent plastic bag taped closed by a piece of tape. It is very rare to still find it in this condition, but due to the method of shipment not offering much protection, the card could still sometimes arrive damaged, which is why quite a few of these were possibly slightly bruised prior to even being received (usually dents in the front or back of some cards).

For a video of a collector opening up a brand new still sealed card please enjoy this Youtube video from collector サンマルコ (San Marko?). A real treat!

The first limited Dragon Ball card back

The back side of the first limited 3000 originally had the same gold particles found on the original print of the first two parts, and just like on most of those, the gold particles have generally come off, but often times there is still remnants of it in areas of the back.

Aside from being the first limited card this card was a pioneer in more than one way: It was the first Carddass card to have a border design (in this case maroon colored), the border design later became a staple of Carddass parts starting with part 3. This card is also the first prism card to feature the Dragon Ball Z era, and the very first prism card featuring Son Gohan.

 

Part 2 Release Commemoration Limited 3000 card

The illustration is a classic piece of artwork featuring Son Goku and Son Gohan as a little child, riding a dragon. The text on the top reads "We need to hurry in order to not be late!". Son Gohan is likely late to school (this is indicated by the fact he is wearing a traditional little child's school outfit and backpack). The Dragon seems to be sweating as he pushes through, with Goku looking perfectly relaxed. 

This illustration is one of the rare pieces depicting Gohan's life before Raditz' arrival on Earth. It was colored by Toriyama sensei himself.

The Limited 3000 first and second set limited cards are most special, and are beloved Dragon Ball Carddass cards for their great style and their significance in Carddass history.

 

For anyone looking for the pictures used some years ago, they can be found here.

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