Remember those little green army men you used to play with when you were a kid? You got a lot bigger since then… and thanks to Takara Tomy, so did they! 
When it comes to telling it like it is, few can beat corporate Japan. Case in point: “Fat Cute Soldiers”, a new series of miniature plastic figurines designed for popular Gachapon machines – basically fancy gumball machines that cost more (usually 200 yen or $2) and dispense plastic “eggs” containing these types of collectible toy figures.
While their relative cuteness (or lack thereof) lies strictly in the eye of the beholder, there’s no denying these little green army men are… well, not so little. In fact, we can be just as unsubtle as Takara Tomy’s T-ARTS division and declare outright that these dudes are overweight, obese, husky, XXL – there’s really no way to sugarcoat (mmm, sugar) it; the toy army men of our far-off youth are flat-out FAT.
Which is the whole point, of course. The time has long passed since obesity in our society (and yes, even Japan’s traditionally slim society) ceased being the 800lb gorilla in the room. It’s in our homes, our schools, our shopping malls (we’re looking at you, Walmart) and yes, even in our armed forces.
