The 54th Shizuoka Hobby Show is already two weeks in the past, and still the talk of the town is the surprise that Tokyo Marui have pulled off --- the AA-12 Automatic Electric Shotgun (AES). It was such a surprise since we were expecting those products that were shown in the teaser photos they released before the event. Not even one image gave us an idea of the AA-12. Why? It wasn't shown in the teaser at all.

Tokyo Marui are a mainstay at the Shizouka Hobby Show, drawing big crowds interested in their airsoft products and anxious of what they will unveil for the year. It is a big exhibit space for their products, which includes areas for kids, a shooting area to test their products, product presentation area and very organised product categories. We have seen many airsoft exhibits, but so far Tokyo Marui still pull off the most amazing shows for airsoft whenever they show up at the Shizuoka Hobby Show, All Japan Model Hobby Show, and their very own Tokyo Marui Festival.

Just the photos below show how well-organised they are:

Now, for some bits of airsoft history in the making. By this, I mean that we see another milestone in airsoft history, and it is a history written again by Tokyo Marui with their announcement of the AA-12 AES. It is automatic, it is electric, and it is an airsoft shotgun. The design of the AA-12 as an automatic electric shotgun is the big surprise itself. We have been conditioned to expect airsoft shotguns to be spring or gas or Co2 powered, just like the Tokyo Marui M870 series. Now an electric airsoft shotgun? That's something new.

We know that there are already plans for an airsoft AA-12 such as those from Airsoft Absolution and Silverback Airsoft, but the Tokyo Marui AA-12 is already in the advanced stages. Further on, the story about the Tokyo Marui AA-12 is that this is not a very recent project at all. The company has been receiving requests from players that they design an automatic electric shotgun and they started working on this project years back with an actual prototype produced two years ago. But what the airsoft players were thinking of was a SAIGA AES (which would be more than welcome if they make one too), and thus, they were surprised and ecstatic that it is an AA-12 AES with a full auto firing mode.

The Japanese airsoft players remember the AA-12 from the movies "Predators" and "Expendables" like most airsoft players around the world. It is a flat-design and players may like to give it a camo skin like in "Predators 2."  The 3,000-round drum magazine is an optional magazine which will have to be purchased separately and I expect it would be a magazine that will be in demand (I plan to have the AA-12 with the drum magazine when it gets released).  There are requests for a rail mount to be used on the flattop of the AA-12 so they can mount optics and other weapons accessories. So far, they haven't decided yet if they will make one which can be an opportunity for third-party accessories makers to take and release their rail mounts for the Marui AA-12 AES.

According to the company, there are concerns that the AA-12 is a strong airsoft gun that it might just bring an imbalance to an airsoft game, especially that it comes with three barrels that will expel a high number rounds in a short period if done in full auto.  It is hefty, at 4 kilograms by its default setup, and over 5 kilograms with the drum magazine. If you think that the AA-12 is a good one to bring for indoor games, I would rather suggest that Marui M870 Breacher, it is lighter, more manoeuvrable for indoor games and range is crazy too. Time to strengthen those biceps if you want to bring the AA-12 regularly.

The Tokyo Marui AA-12 AES release date has not yet been determined. Unofficially, they are looking into a Summer or Fall release. We are eager for its release, though others cannot wait longer and have been throwing their money at their computer screens when they learned about the news online.

For the long awaited Tokyo Marui M4 MWS (Gas Blowback), perhaps some are already disappointed that it's taking longer than usual for its release, which is not typical for Tokyo Marui to be delayed this much. But the delay has been for the better. According to the company, they have improved on the durability and stability of the rifle, with the recoil effect even much improved.

There have been requests that they place some real internal mechanisms, but for them it is more of reliability and performance that they are concerned with rather than making it even more realistic. Will it be a hard-kicking one than other M4 GBBs made in Taiwan?
Most definitely, the M4 MWS will get released this year. For avid gas blowback users, this might be the M4 Gas Blowback Rifle that they have been waiting for. If I get to own one, I hope I can use some real steel weapons accessories and kits on it.

The M9 series continues with Tokyo Marui, which early this year the Tokyo Marui Biohazard Samurai Edge Barry Burton Model Version II was released. For owners of the Tokyo Marui M9A1 Gas Blowback Model who have been very much satisfied with its performance, they welcome the new M9 Gas Blowback Pistol uses the same M9A1 Gas Blowback  Engine. The company didn’t mention this but our source says that when those who checked it during the show found out about the M9A1, they spread the word around to others who welcomed the news.

The Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa Gold Match is what they call a "renewed version" of the Hi-Capa 5.1 Match Custom. The difference between the Gold Match and the other Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa Gas Blowbacks is it has a function to avoid notch damage for the slide stop which other Hi-Capa versions didn't have. For practical shooters, they have another pistol to look into for modding into a race pistol for airsoft practical shooting tournaments.

With all those serious looking airsoft guns that are based on real world firearms, there is also an airsoft gun for children. But this is not an airsoft gun that is designed to look like a deadly firearm. Called the "Train Gun", this is an airsoft gun that can also be played like a toy train. It comes in various colours and for parents, it's going to be hard to object to such "Train Gun" when kids want them to buy one for them as it looks totally harmless.

If you're a parent, you might be concerned with the "Train Gun" as it fires BBs. Many incidents of airsoft eye injuries are about children playing with airsoft guns unsupervised and without any eye protection at all. What Tokyo Marui did is come with another type of BB for this product. It is a "spongy" BB (the material looks to be foam) which means it is soft BB that won't hurt children even in the eye.

Some say the airsoft AA-12 will be the product of the decade. I cannot agree with that  for now as we're still halfway through the decade and I am expecting even more innovations in airsoft. But if they say it's going to be airsoft product for the year, as long as it performs as expected, then I'm all for it.

More photos of Tokyo Marui at the 54th Shizuoka Hobby Show now at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.