The Toy with a Note Inside: A Kaiju Mystery

I really don't consider myself superstitious. But I have to admit being a bit freaked out when my buddy Joe told me the story of this vintage Marusan figure with a cryptic note inside.



on a piece of old cardboard, it reads: "Father and Mother, please forgive me. And now, goodbye. December 3rd."

Here is the note more clearly written:



What does this note mean? From what I can gather, there seems to be at least four different camps:

1. It's a suicide note and the toy is bad luck and it should be burned via a Shinto ceremony to release the poor guy's soul.

2. It could be a suicide note, but it's creepy and Joe should just get rid of it.

3. It's not a suicide note. The kid ran away or didn't pick up his toys or he hit his little sister. All of you are idiots for thinking otherwise.

4. It's a suicide note and that fucking rules and I want that cursed toy on my shelf.

So is it a suicide note? The Japanese do have the highest suicide rate in the world. It's actually twice the rate of the US. From Samurai committing Seppuku to WWII Kamikaze pilots, suicide is almost considered a virtue in Japanese culture. But why hide the note inside a toy where it was unlikely to be found by his parents? Maybe the note was never meant to be found?

Is the toy cursed or possessed? Who knows? The previous owner had it for some time and nothing bad or weird apparently happened to him. But he didn't discover the note either. I personally don't think the note means the toy is cursed or possessed, but I might believe the toy is somehow linked to the kid if he did commit suicide.

If not a suicide note, what kind of note would it be? It could be anything. If this kid didn't have a great relationship with his parents, maybe he couldn't talk to them at all. Maybe he failed an entrance exam for college. maybe he got fired from his job. But the part where he says: "and now, goodbye" What kid says that to his parents in a note? Under what possible circumstances? maybe he stole $20 bucks from them on the way to summer camp? who knows. it could be anything.

So what should Joe do with this toy? Since I don't buy into the whole evil/cursed/bad luck/possessed angle, I don't think he should take it to a Shinto shrine and burn it via some ceremony. I also don't think he should give it away. personally, I think it's an interesting story and he should keep it.



What do you think? Of course Alex Zavaleta gives us his opinion on the subject.

The Toy with the Note from toybot studios on Vimeo.