united Kup backing card has a cigar?

Had this toy been designed exclusively for the Japanese market then it may have come with the cygar since Japanese aren't that fussed about exposing kids to tobacco images (this is a country where smoking is far more socially acceptable than in Australia - they still have tobacco advertising on TV -- and remember that there was at least one Japanese Transformer who came with grog (which transformed into half of his weapon in robot mode!)) :D

Earlier today I saw a toy based on a character from the anime One Piece -- it had a stogie in its mouth.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ode to a Grasshopper

They could give him a voice-chip with a hacking old-man cough and the line "Smoking is bad, kids!":D

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I don't know why but all I could really think about there was the early Family Guy gags. Smoking - subliminal messages!!

"Lassie's out in the field - peachers' are commin' in mighteh early this year."
"Smoke."

I see we're just running with the assumption this is all Hasbro's fault

I'd say the decision to include then remove the Cy-Gar would more probably have come from Hasbro. Consider the following...

1: Kup's Cy-Gar only exists in Anglophone continuity. It's relatively meaningless to most Japanese fans.

2: Anglophone cultures like the US and Australia have proportionately larger and more vocal anti-tobacco lobby groups and anti-tobacco culture in general. Smoking simply isn't as taboo in Japan as it is in Anglophone societies. Smokes are cheap as chips in Japan where they still have tobacco advertising on TV - and Japanese people smoke everywhere... even in non-smoking zones. Even in a hospital while I'm having an asthma attack. Thanks alot あのフザケンな超ムッカツクめ！ :mad:
I've seen a One Piece toy that's smoking a stogie, and of course, the Japanese-exclusive Transformer Heinlad comes with alcohol -- one of his accessories is a gord of sake (it's even clearly labelled as such!) which transforms into the back half of his rifle in robot mode! Predacons must attack him on purpose to make him hose them with free grog. ;)

My theory is that Hasbro was going to include the Cy-Gar to appease adult fans, but then later decided that it wasn't worth appeasing a minority at the expense of potentially aggravating the majority (i.e. children's parents). So while I suspect that this was Hasbro's decision, I don't blame them for doing so. I'd probably make the same decision if I were in Archer's shoes.