Ono Kojin
Encyclopedia
Ōno Kōjin.
Toy designer employed by Takara
since 1980. Mr. Ōno's early designs included the Diaclone
Walk-In Centre and Microman
Acro Saturn. He also designed most of the Diaclone Car Robot line (with additional design work by Shoji Kawamori
) and Car Microman figures, which soon drew the attention of the U.S. toy company Hasbro
. Hasbro amalgamated the Diaclone and Microman figures, and alongside with a story treatment developed by Marvel
, created the toy cult phenomenon known as the Transformers. Ōno continued to design Transformers throughout the 1980s until the end of the original franchise.
Ōno designed most Transformers manufactured by Takara, including Metroplex
, Fortress Maximus
and Powermaster Optimus Prime
. However amongst the hundreds of Transformers that he has designed, his considers the Decepticon
Triple Changers Blitzwing
and Astrotrain
to be his finest achievements in toy design.
Although Mr. Ōno no longer designs Transformer toys, he is still currently employed by Takara where he continues to design figures in other Takara toylines.
Toy designer employed by Takara
Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....
since 1980. Mr. Ōno's early designs included the Diaclone
Diaclone
Diaclone was a toyline by Takara Toys launched in 1980. It consisted of transforming vehicles and robots piloted by miniature, magnet-shoed figures spun off from the prior Microman toy line that were in turn called an Inch-Man....
Walk-In Centre and Microman
Microman
is a line of toys manufactured by Takara from 1974 to the present. Microman toys were originally imported to the United States by Mego Corporation as Micronauts until the company went bankrupt in 1982...
Acro Saturn. He also designed most of the Diaclone Car Robot line (with additional design work by Shoji Kawamori
Shoji Kawamori
is a Japanese anime creator, screenwriter and mechanical designer, having created or co-created such notable series as The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, The Vision of Escaflowne, Earth Maiden Arjuna, Genesis of Aquarion, Macross 7, and Macross Frontier. He is currently executive director at the...
) and Car Microman figures, which soon drew the attention of the U.S. toy company Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
. Hasbro amalgamated the Diaclone and Microman figures, and alongside with a story treatment developed by Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, created the toy cult phenomenon known as the Transformers. Ōno continued to design Transformers throughout the 1980s until the end of the original franchise.
Ōno designed most Transformers manufactured by Takara, including Metroplex
Metroplex (Transformers)
Metroplex is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series.-Transformers: Generation 1:Metroplex is capable of transforming into a battle station or a giant robot...
, Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus is the name of several fictional characters from several of the various Transformers universes. Fortress Maximus appeared in the season 4 finale of the US Transformers animated series voiced by Stephen Keener. He was one of the stars of the Japanese Transformers: Headmasters...
and Powermaster Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
. However amongst the hundreds of Transformers that he has designed, his considers the Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
Triple Changers Blitzwing
Blitzwing
Blitzwing is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. He is always depicted as a Decepticon with two alternate forms, that of a jet and that of a tank...
and Astrotrain
Astrotrain
Astrotrain is the name of three fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons who can assume the form of a space shuttle.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
to be his finest achievements in toy design.
Although Mr. Ōno no longer designs Transformer toys, he is still currently employed by Takara where he continues to design figures in other Takara toylines.