Takio Ejima

Takio Ejima (江島 多規男 Ejima Takio, born June 6, 1964) is a designer at TakaraTomy. His first product at Takara was Crazybird from the "Flower Rock" series, and after joining the Overseas Transformers Product team in the Boys Enterprise department, he single-handedly created the all European Transformers during the period when the American Transformers line ended, until the advent of Beast Wars. After the Beast Wars Metals (the Japanese release of the Transmetals Beast Wars figures), he moved to the Girls Toy Department, but came back to Transformers during the Energon line. According to fellow designer Takashi Kunihiro, Ejima is "the man who created the most transforming robot toys in the world".

Hand-in-hand with developing the Turbomasters and Predators, Eijima created the concept of using light-piping for the eyes of Transformers toys. He is also credited with coming up with the idea of the extensive use of ball joints seen towards the end of the Generation 2 toyline as a means of making toys more durable, thus complying with more rigorous safety standards. This idea opened up possibilities of robot toys with extensive articulation.

We all owe this man, so, so much.

Known design projects

Generation 1

1991

Action Master figures Bombshell with Needler Charger with Fire Beast Powerflash with Road Rocket Sideswipe with Vanguard Take-Off with Screech Tracks with Basher

Exo-Suit Action Masters Circuit Thundercracker

Motorized Exo-Suit Action Masters Rumbler Slicer

Action Master Elites Double Punch Omega Spreem Turbo Master Windmill

Action Master Elite Omega Spreem

1992

Turbomasters / Road Corps Boss / Mach Road Flash / Spin Road Hurricane / Checker Road

Rotorstorm Scorch / Fire Road Thunder Clash

Predators / Jet Corps Falcon / Shadow Jet Skydive / Dark Jet Skyquake

Snare / Flare Jet Stalker Talon / Moon Jet

File:G1Thunder clash toy.jpg Turbomaster Thunder Clash

1993

Axelerators Rapido Skram Turbofire Windbreaker		Skyscorchers Afterburner Eagle Eye Terradive Windrazor		Aquaspeeders Aquafend Deluge Jetstorm Speedstream		Stormtroopers Aquablast Drench Hydradread Rage		Obliterator Clench
Lightformers Deftwing Ironfist		Trakkons Calcar Fearswoop		Obliterators Clench Pyro

Generation 2

Rotor Force Leadfoot Manta Ray Powerdive Ransack		Laser Rods Electro Jolt Sizzle Volt		Cyberjets Hooligan / Jetfire Skyjack / Generation 1 Strafe / G-2 Strafe Space Case / Air Raid / Aero Raid		Auto Rollers Dirtbag Roadblock		Smokescreen (the design he is most proud of)
ATB Dreadwing & Smokescreen

Beast Wars

Basics Optimus Primal Terrorsaur		Deluxes Cheetor Retrax		Megas Inferno Transmetal Optimus Primal		Ultras Megatron		Deluxe Cheetor
And... "every one of your favorite original Beast Wars figures" according to Evan Brooks [1]

Machine Wars

Basics Hoist / Hubcap Mirage / Prowl Skywarp / Thundercracker

Basic Mirage

Beast Wars II

Autorollers Autostinger Autocrusher Autojetter Autolauncher

Autoroller Autolauncher

Animorphs

Deluxes Rachel

Deluxe Rachel

Beast Machines

Deluxe Class Jetstorm

Mega Class Tankor

Deluxe Jetstorm

Mutant Beast Wars

Deluxe Class Icebird Razor Claw Soundwave

Deluxe Icebird

Energon

Energon Class Cruellock Duststorm Kickback Perceptor (Grindor, High Wire, Sureshock) Sky Shadow Sledge Stormcloud Treadshot

Combat Class Barricade Demolishor Sharkticon Slugslinger Snow Cat Steamhammer Storm Jet

Mega Class Mirage Shockblast

Command Class Bulkhead Landmine

Command Class Landmine

Cybertron

Scout Class Brakedown Clocker Ransack Scrapmetal		Deluxe Class Dirt Boss Override Sideways Thunderblast Thundercracker Unicron		Voyager Class Crumplezone Evac Mudflap Quickmix (w/ Stripmine) Soundwave (w/ Laserbeak)		Ultra Class Menasor (w/ Heavy Load)		Sideways (the other design he's most proud of)
Leader Class Megatron Metroplex (w/ Drill Bit)

Classics (2006)

Deluxe Class Grimlock (with Eric Siebenaler)

Voyager Class Megatron (with Eric Siebenaler) Optimus Prime (with Don Figueroa, Eric Siebenaler and Alex Kubalsky)

The Ultimate Battle Megatron

Voyager Class Optimus Prime

Transformers (2007)

Real Gear Robots Meantime Speed Dial 800

Deluxe Class Payload Scorponok

Voyager Class Blackout (w/ Scorponok) Incinerator

Leader Class Megatron

Voyager Class Incinerator

Universe (2008)

Deluxe Class Cheetor (with Bill Rawley)

Ultra Class Powerglide (with Bill Rawley)

Revenge of the Fallen

Combiner Class Constructicon Devastator (initial concept by Shogo Hasui)

Dark of the Moon

MechTech Deluxes Bumblebee

Generations

War for Cybertron: Kingdom

Titan Class Autobot Ark

Studio Series

Deluxe Class 86-02 Kup (The Transformers: The Movie) 86-03 Blurr (The Transformers: The Movie) 82 Autobot Ratchet (Bumblebee)

Leader Class 91 The Fallen (Revenge of the Fallen)

The Fallen

Legacy / Legacy: Evolution / Legacy: United

Core Class Infernac Universe Bouldercrash		Deluxe Class Axlegrease Crashbar Dead End		Decepticon Drag Strip Scraphook Decepticon Wild Rider Infernac Universe Magneous		Voyager Class Trashmaster Prime Universe Thundertron		Menasor
Leader Class Transmetal II Megatron		Commander Class Decepticon Motormaster / Menasor		Others "A Hero is Born" 2-Pack (Orion Pax and Alpha Trion w/ Vector Sigma)

Convention appearances

• San Diego Comic-Con 2023
• Hasbro Pulse Con 2023

Hasbro Pulse livestream appearances

• April 12, 2022's Fan First Tuesday | BACK-TO-BACK Transformers & Power Rangers Livestream, with Isabella Weiss, Rachel Fleming, and Mark Maher.

Notes

The only designer who makes even cooler figures off the clock.

• Besides developing the concept of light-piped eyes, Ejima also holds patents for the Predator missile launchers and megavisor system.
• Ejima reused the engineering from the toy that would become Machine Wars Skywarp / Thundercracker for the bat version of Optimus Primal (the toys were applied for in the same patent). Likewise, the basic class version of Terrorsaur shares engineering with the toys that would become Machine Wars Hoist / Hubcap and Mirage / Prowl.
• Fellow TakaraTomy designer Shogo Hasui was assigned to do the large Combiner Class Constructicon Devastator toy, and had completed some early sketches, but Ejima subsequently took over due to scheduling conflicts.
• Off-hours, Ejima's main hobbies include gardening and creating striking, intricate, almost jewelry-esque articulated metal sculptures. Pictured right are a couple he slipped in to the bonus features of the Beast Wars Reborn behind-the-scenes DVD.

External links

• Takio Ejima on Twitter
• Takio Ejima's metalworking blog

Interviews

• "Tantou! Staff! Special Talk!?" roundtable with Takashi Kunihiro and Hisashi Yuki on the Henkei! Henkei! toyline in Transformers Generations 2009 Volume 1, translated at TFW2005