EGX just sent me a link to yet another magazine featuring OP ths month and since it's a minor one, I dunno if I'll be able to pick it up and there's also no interview with Oda, just Japanese comedians, but I did read an excerpt online and it was interesting in that it revealed the origin of the TB goons.
Now, they may appear vaguely similar in appearance, or perhaps just actions, or perhaps bits of both. Some design similarities are easily present but their 'tsukkomi' or slap-stick style are similar as well which makes perfect sense when you know who they are.
Anyway here goes.
Hogback and Cindry:
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Nankai Candies. Japanese comedy pair where many of their routines revolve around the unusually large 'Suzu-chan' reacting coldly towards partner 'Yama-chan's' bubbly and positive personality. And of course the hair.
Absalom:
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Atsushi of the comedy pair London Boots. I've never seen them perform since they don't usually perform now as their popularity boosted them to host status years before I came to Japan. However, Absalom's human features are similar to Absalom's and he was also notorious as something of a playboy.
Perona
Yeeees that's right. The 'vocalist' behind op12 was the inspiration for Perona.
NOW! Anyone see anything familiar about this line-up? Hands up!
Yes that's right, by no coincidence, these same three individuals were the 'support squad' for the promotion of Movie 8 during its release and their PR began around the same time as the start of TB.
Cool beans.
See now THIS is the kind of stuff Oda should be talking about at JF instead of showing us part of a movie we've already seen.
Now scurry off to OPWiki.