There’s something rather funny about the use of the French word “déformé” by Japanese marketers. In English and French the word means warped or twisted or bent out of shape, usually with the connotation that this disfigurement isn’t a good thing. In Japan, however, the nuance is lost and the word simply means something closer to ‘disproportionate’ or out of proportion.
(English continued after Japanese)
長い間「呪術廻戦デフォルメフィギュア」ゲーセンで眺め、欲しいなぁと思いながらなかなか手を出せませんでした。なぜなら自力で取れそうであり取れそうにないからです。私みたいな下手く・そゲームプレーヤーは取れるわけないだろうと我に返り、結局、大人しくメルカリでポチりました? 長い道のりでした? やっぱりこの4名カワイイ? 2年ズも呪霊も作ってほしいです❤️
I prefer the use of the word “chibi”, actually, as it has already made its way to the common language of otaku the world over, and it simply means that a figure has a larger head than normal, as well as being small and kawaii.

These game center prizes are called “Deformed” but there’s nothing hideous about them! They’re adorable, especially Nobara holding a bouquet of vivid red roses. Gojo is wearing sunglasses and grinning, along with Yuji doing a peace sign. Megumi is his usual serious-faced self. So very cute!
Here are the boxes on all sides:

The figures are about 7cm tall, consisting of three parts each.

They were quick to put together, and have some heftiness to them. Just a little taller than the usual 4 to 5cm chibi figures, I think they offer a good middle ground between the tiny capsule toys – which are easy to misplace – and the larger, 18 to 20cm-sized figures that are troublesome to carry around.
Game Center Prize
And here are the figures displayed tantalisingly at a game center. Aaaargh! So tempting, don’t you think? They make it look really easy to win but from painful experience, looks can be quite deceiving!

For months now I’ve been seeing these figures at game centers everywhere. It took me a long while to decide whether to try winning them on my own, or simply buying them off the online flea markets.
I’ve already written about how bad I am at the game center. With zero skillz, I know it’s totally uneconomical for me to make attempts at crane gaming. There was a time in my life when I used to spend too much at the game center just for the sake of telling people I won a prize! How stupid can one get? xD

Anyway, those days are over, I’ve become a wizened old crow and now just use the online flea markets. Thankfully, there are plenty of game center experts who put their prizes up for sale for people like me who are hopeless at winning.
Folk Art Backdrop
Isn’t the background pretty?

It’s a page from the Lang Folk Art 2022 Wall Calendar, featuring works by Mary Singleton. I absolutely love all the Lang calendar products. They’re made of sturdy linen paper with fantastic texture. You can also download digital versions of the art to use as computer wallpaper.

Singleton’s artwork is so folksy and pretty I think they look great as backdrops for anime figures. Isekai is a thing nowadays, making these JJK characters look as if they’ve been transported into a different world (country, in this case!).

The other months feature seasonal images, perfect as an all-year backdrop resource. I know I’ll be using this beautiful calendar as a backdrop for years to come.
Where to Buy the Jujutsu Kaisen Deforme Figures by Taito
They’re available in most anime/manga specialty shops around the country.
Buying Within Japan
I bought this set from PayPay Fleama, an online flea market run by Yahoo! Japan. It’s also available on Mercari, Japan’s biggest online flea market. If you prefer the specialty shops, Surugaya has them in stock, and so does Lashinbang. (NOTE: Figures are available as of this writing. May no longer be around on a much later date.)
Buying From Outside Japan
You can buy these from Japan even if you live outside the country. Check out my Guide for Overseas Buyers!
Search key phrase:
呪術廻戦 デフォルメ フィギュア
Thank you so much for reading! Please take a moment to share a thought or two in the comment section below. Your comments give me life and are a real source of encouragement. xoxo – hana