Official brand logo.
Super Yo-Yo (超速YoYo or 超速搖搖) was a line of yo-yos sold in Hongkong, Taiwan and South East Asia in the 2000's and early 2010's, as a tie-in to the localized version of the Bandai-produced anime Super Yo-Yo (known as Chousoku Spinner in Japan) in those countries.
Background[]
Originally, the anime aired in Japan around 1998-1999 in order to promote Bandai's own Hyper Yo-Yo line of yo-yos which were already being sold there. During those times, Hyper Yo-Yo products were also being sold in Hongkong, though the range of yo-yo models to choose from was limited compared to the Japanese release.
However, the anime didn't air in Hongkong until 2002, when it was aired on Jade channel. Muse Communications (Hong Kong), Ltd. obtained the rights to distribute the anime, as well as use the trademarks and characters in merchandise; however, it was not feasible to distribute official Hyper Yo-Yo products during this time, since the Hyper Yo-Yo line was already discontinued two years ago. Muse took this opportunity and commissioned a local toy company distributor, Daniel & Co., to launch its own line of yo-yos bearing the "Super Yo-Yo" name and characters.
Daniel & Co. heavily promoted this yo-yo line, using the popularity of the anime to sell their yo-yos in Hongkong. They even launched yo-yo workshops where people can watch yo-yo masters perform tricks, as well as join a Yo-Yo Trick Certification Event where people owning an official "Super Yo-Yo" branded yo-yo to perform 30 yo-yo tricks and grade them, in similar fashion to Bandai's Trick Certification Events.
This massive campaign was so successful that when Muse distributed the anime in Southeast Asian countries, they also brought the Super Yo-Yo line of products, and were heavily promoted as well, creating a yo-yo boom in those countries.
This success may have inspired Auldey to launch a similar campaign using a live-action TV drama called Blazing Teens in 2006, after the first Super Yo-Yo boom has died out.
In 2009, The Super Yo-Yo anime was re-aired, and a new wave of Super Yo-Yo products was released and promoted.
General Features[]
Typical features of yo-yos in this toyline include having a picture of one of the characters in Super Yo-Yo on one side of the Yo-Yo, and the name of the yo-yo on the other side.
Most of the yo-yos are clones of Yomega yo-yos, or uses parts that are compatible with Yomega yo-yos, while some yo-yos are rebrands of YoTech yo-yos. Because of this, it is speculated that ToyTech International Co. Ltd (Hong Kong), whose factory in China may have also been responsible for manufacturing Yomega yo-yos, was responsible for manufacturing the yo-yos in this line.
Each yo-yo is assigned a certain level depending on its performance. The yo-yos are also named after existing yo-yos from the Bandai's Hyper Yo-Yo line to match those that were used in the anime, however the names do not match the performance of their namesake yo-yos. The range of yo-yos that were in shelves has varied from time to time (depending on what episode of the anime was aired), and also from country to country.
Workshop events were held in countries where these yo-yos were sold, where people can watch and learn how to do tricks from yo-yo masters and also have their own yo-yo skills tested and graded when an Official Grading Card is presented. Only Super Yo-Yo-branded yo-yos can be used in these events.
Companies Involved[]
The copyright owners to the Super Yo-Yo brand are Takashi Hashiguchi, Shogakukan, Shopro, Bandai, and TV Tokyo. (Because of this, it is erroneously believed that Super Yo-Yo products were manufactured or sold by Bandai.)
The rights to use the Super Yo-yo brand in these yo-yos were licensed by Muse Communications (Hong Kong), Ltd.
Super Yo-Yo products were known to be distributed and marketed in Hong Kong by Daniel & Co., in Philippines by Smarty Toys Corporation, in Malaysia by RB Zicon Sdn. Bhd., in Singapore originally by Megcorp and later by Passion Marketing Pte. Ltd.. It was also exported to Taiwan by Gain Power Ltd., and was marketed by Yuanta Toys Co., Ltd.
It is speculated that most, if not all of the yo-yos in this line were made by ToyTech International Co. Ltd (Hong Kong), whose factory was in Baoan, China. It is also possible that the factory in China that produced yo-yos for this line also manufactured yo-yos for Yomega. It is also possible that other manufacturers or factories in China have been responsible for producing the cheaper, lower-grade yo-yos.
Yo-Yos Produced[]
WAVE 1 (2002-2003)[]
The first wave of Super Yo-Yo products were launched around the time Super Yo-Yo first aired in their respective countries, around 2002-2003. Yo-Yos released around this time were of decent quality for their price, which, combined with the promotional campaign and workshops that only allow Super Yo-Yo branded yo-yos to be used, cemented their reputation as being the "official" yo-yos, despite not being featured in the anime (the advertisements made it appear as if they were). However, the fact that light-up auto-return yo-yos were considered "advanced grade" yo-yos gives the impression that the marketers didn't quite understand the products they were selling.
Elementary (Slimline Shape, Fixed steel axle)[]
- Super Yo-Yo
Junior (Firestorm V3 Body, Wooden Axle)[]
Intermediate (X-Brain Body, Nylon Transaxle)[]
- Fire Star
- Super Raider
- Super Mirage
Advanced (Rounded Wing Shape, 4-clutch Auto Return)[]
- Super Wasp
- Super Brain
Super Advanced (Rounded Modified Shape, Floating-clutch Auto Return, Light Up)[]
Professional (Flat Modified Shape, Size K Ball Bearing)[]
Professional Limited Edition (Flat Modified Shape, Size K Ball Bearing)[]
Professional Limited Edition (Flat Wing Shape, Size K Ball Bearing)[]
Supreme (Rounded Bulged Shape, Roller Bearing, Adjustable gap)[]
Supreme Limited Edition (Flat Wing Shape with Attachable Rim Weights, Size E Ball Bearing and Wooden Axle Sleeve Options)[]
- Supreme Aqua Dragon
Super Supreme (Rounded Modified Shape with Weights, Bandai Hyper Dragon Graphics, Size E Ball Bearing)[]
Super Supreme (Rounded Butterfly Shape with Weights, Bandai Hyper Dragon Graphics, Size E Ball Bearing)[]
WAVE 2 (2009-2010)[]
Following the success of Auldey's Blazing Teens series, the Super Yo-Yo anime was re-aired, and a new wave of Super Yo-Yo products was released, along with remaining stocks from the previous line-up. While the higher-grade yo-yos in this line up are of decent quality, the lower-grade yo-yos were very cheaply made, and are comparable to bootleg yo-yos and no-name dollar-store yo-yos sold as party favors.
Intro (Budget Flat Modified Shape, Plastic Transaxle) (SEA EXCLUSIVE)[]
Elementary (Smaller Rounded Modified Shape) (HONGKONG EXCLUSIVE)[]
- Super Russell
Elementary (Budget Rounded Wing Shape, 2 clutch Auto-return) (SEA EXCLUSIVE)[]
Junior (Budget Rounded Modified Shape, 2 clutch Auto-return) (SEA EXCLUSIVE)[]
Intermediate (X-Brain Body, Wooden Axle)[]
Advanced (Rounded Modified Shape, Nylon Transaxle)[]
Advanced (Rounded Wing Shape, Nylon Transaxle)[]
Super Advanced (Rounded Modified Shape, Switchable Auto Return, Light Up)[]
Professional Limited Edition (Flat Modified Shape, Size A Ball Bearing)[]
Professional Limited Edition (Flat Wing Shape, Size A Ball Bearing)[]
Supreme (Rounded Bulged Shape, Roller Bearing, Adjustable gap)[]
- Supreme Dragon Ball
- Water Dragon Supreme
- Supreme Fire Dragon (HONGKONG EXCLUSIVE)
WAVE 3 (SINGAPORE EXCLUSIVE)[]
Super Advance (Rounded Modified Shape, Floating-clutch Auto Return, Light Up)[]
WAVE 3 (TAIWAN EXCLUSIVE)[]
Note about Super Yo-Yo names[]
As mentioned above, the yo-yos in the Super Yo-Yo line are named after existing yo-yos from the Bandai's Hyper Yo-Yo line used in the anime, which were not normally sold in those countries. Instead, the yo-yos in the Super Yo-Yo line were advertised as used by the characters in the anime.
For example, the Ultra Russell was advertised as used by Shunichi Domoto, Seito Hojoin, Rian Yumemiya, and Nakamura Meijin. However, in the anime, they used the Super and Professional yo-yos of the Hyper Russell line of yo-yos.
The Super Brain was advertised as used by Benkei Musashimaru; However, he actually used a Yomega Hyper Brain in the anime.
The Super Wasp was advertised as used by Wappa Tsuyoshi; However, he actually used a Proyo Hyper Loop in the anime, and the Proyo Hyper Wasp was also featured.
The Golden Fire was advertised as used by Chuta Kogure; However, he actually used a Yomega Hyper Impulse and Hyper RB II in the anime.
The Fire Star was advertised as used by Shunichi Domoto; However, he actually used a Yomega Fireball in the anime.
The Stealth Raider was advertised as used by Seito Hojoin; However, he actually used a different yoyo of the same name.
The Super Dragon Ball was advertised as used by Shunichi Domoto; However, he actually used a Bandai Hyper Dragon in the anime, which was modified to become the Bandai Hyper Dragon Fire.
The Super Aqua Dragon was advertised as used by Seito Hojoin; However, he actually used a Bandai Hyper Dragon Aqua in the anime.
The Super Fire Dragon was advertised as used by Nakamura Meijin; However, he actually used a Bandai Hyper Dragon in the anime.
Trivia[]
- The "Super Yo-Yo" name was first used in China by Auldey, although it had a different Chinese name (超级悠悠).
- Inexplicably, the "Super Yo-Yo" name was also used in an unrelated series of Yomega-clone yo-yo series in Taiwan called Flash Boy YoYo (小炫風 YoYo).
Website[]
https://web.archive.org/web/20090708020844/http://superyoyo.com.sg/