Reviews in Time & Space: Doctor Who 11x02 - The Ghost Monument

The woman has now fallen to Earth, and now it's time for her to take to the skies with new friends in tow as Doctor Who series 11 continues with The Ghost Monument. This may be the second episode in the series but it still has plenty of "firsts" on offer too, the most significant of those being the new title sequence and new look TARDIS. The Ghost Monument was written by series showrunner Chris Chibnall and directed by series newcomer Mark Tonderai, who has previously directed episodes of both Gotham and Black Lightning.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers: The Ride 3D Deluxe Class Evac

Release Date: 2012

RRP: $30

I recently went on a trip to Universal Studios Resort in Orlando, and quite a lot has changed since I was last there about a decade ago. For a start the park (along with the ones in Singapore and California) now is host to Transformers: The Ride 3D - a motion vehicle 3D ride where passengers assist NEST in defending the last shard of the Allspark from a Decepticon attack. Passengers board the Autobot Evac as they race through both NEST facility and the nearby city, fighting against the likes of Ravage, Bonecrusher, Devasator, Grindor, Starscream and of course Megatron alongside Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Optimus Prime. Evac is a Transformer created exclusively for the ride, and is also available in toy form exclusively at Universal Studios gift stores. This deluxe class figure has been available consistently since 2012 and probably will continue to be until the ride eventually closes, which is a pretty impressive production run when you think about it.

Reviews in Time & Space: Doctor Who 11x01 - The Woman Who Fell To Earth

Doctor Who has returned to television screens once again, and this time it's a debut that could give even the 2005 revival a run for its money in terms of anticipation. The show that's built itself on change continues to grow as it welcomes Jodie Whittaker, the 13th Doctor and the first woman in the 55 year old role. That isn't the only new thing the show's 11th series has to offer either, as it also brings along a new head writer in the form of Chris Chibnall, new companions, a new TARDIS, a new logo, a new episode running time and even a new airdate as it moves from Saturday evenings to Sunday for the first time since its revival. That's a lot of changes, and these changes have brought about a lot of discussion - both for better and for worse. But amidst all the speculation and damnation, there was one message that was clear - no one knew exactly what these changes would bring until we saw them in action. Series 11 kicks off with The Woman Who Fell to Earth, a special 65 minute episode to welcome in this new era.

First Impressions: SSSS.Gridman

SSSS.Gridman is available in streaming form on Crunchyroll

2018-2019 is proving to be a rather busy time for Studio Trigger. They collaborated earlier in the year with A-1 Pictures on Darling in the Franxx, hit the big screen the beginning of next year with Promare and even have a Kill la Kill video game in the works. But for tokusatsu fans, there's one particular Trigger project that stands out from them all. The studio have teamed up with Ultraman creators Tsuburaya Productions to create SSSS.Gridman - a brand new anime adaptation of the TsuPro's 1994 series Denkou Chojin Gridman (adapted in the US as Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad). This isn't the first time Trigger have dabbled with Gridman either, having previously brought its cancelled sequel hero Gridman Sigma to life in their Japan Animator Expo short boys invent great hero. Sandwiched between the GARO series and the forthcoming Ultraman manga Netflix series, it's a pretty great time for tokusatsu anime adaptations.

Anime REVIEW: Cells at Work!

Cells at Work! is available in streaming form on Crunchyroll 

Anthropomorphism – the one thing that will ensure that anime never runs out of ideas. From monsters and countries to guns and warships, the act of turning things into marketable moe has always proven to be particularly popular. Now 2018 has shown that won't be changing any time soon with the release of Cells at Work! (Hataraku Saibou), adapted from the ongoing manga series of the same name by Akane Shimizu. This time it’s the turn of the human body, turning the millions of cells inside of us all into a whole selection of memorable characters. Running for a total of 13 episodes and animated by JoJo's Bizarre Adventure maestros David Production, Japan's answer to Osmosis Jones might just be the series you didn't know you wanted but secretly have always needed.

Anime REVIEW: Gundam Build Divers

Gundam Build Divers is available in streaming form on Crunchyroll and Youtube 

Sometimes there's no shame in shameless consumerism, and with Gundam Build Fighters both Bandai and Sunrise seemingly found the perfect formula for creating a Mobile Suit Gundam entry that's thoroughly enjoyable despite being primarily created to shift boxes and boxes of gunpla. Following the sequel series Gundam Build Fighters Try in 2015 this specific subset of the franchise went pretty quiet other than a few OVA-style specials here and there, but in 2018 it came back in full force under the new name of Gundam Build Divers. The game may be a little different, but it's still business as always when it comes to building customised Gundams and battling them across a series chock-full of franchise references and homages. But does it manage to capture the same magic as the original Build Fighters?

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Grease

Release Date: August 2018

RRP: 6264 yen

It's an unfortunate truth of the S.H. Figuarts line these days that no matter how much of a main character a particular Kamen Rider may be, the way Bandai Tamashii Nations release these figures its almost certain that someone will end up as a Tamashii web exclusive rather than a general retail release. Kamen Rider Build got off to its odd decisions pretty early with the standard Kamen Rider Cross-Z being an exclusive while the less prevalent Cross-Z Charge was a general release. S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Grease is the latest Build character to join the line, with Hokuto's own Kazumi Sawatari kicking off what will most likely be a string of Tamashii web exclusives from here on out.

Movie REVIEW: Ultraman Geed the Movie: Connect the Wishes!

Although for the most part heroes never fully retire in the world of tokusatsu, it can often be a bittersweet moment when one series comes to an end and the baton is passed onto a new hero. However there's always one last farewell in the form of a movie, and Ultraman Geed's story is no exception as the 2017 Ultra returns in Ultraman Geed the Movie: Connect the Wishes!. As per previous entires Tsuburaya Productions' latest Ultra Series film instalment also acts as a crossover with 2016's Ultraman Orb - a hero that has continued to stay in the spotlight since his original series thanks to an Amazon Prime exclusive prequel series, a biography-style recap series and more recently a dark version of the titular character's powers appearing in the currently airing Ultraman R/B.

Movie REVIEW: Engine Sentai Go-Onger: Ten Years Grand Prix

The realisation that Engine Sentai Go-Onger came out ten years ago might be making some fans pretty old right now, but there is one silver lining to this reminder of just how quickly time can pass. After both Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger and Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger reunited for special V-Cinema releases a decade after their original appearances, it's now time to go at full-throttle mach speed once again as the 32nd Super Sentai team return for Engine Sentai Go-Onger: Ten Years Grand Prix. So grab your Engine Souls and get ready to 'met on once again, as all seven team members are back for one last adventure.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Pandon "The Biggest Invasion in History" Set

Release Date: August 2018

RRP: 8100 yen

Although the latter half of 2018 will be going full force on modern Ultra Series releases with both the long awaited Ultraman X and Ultraman R/B figures, Bandai Tamashii Nations still have plenty of love to give to the classic era of Ultraman. This year may have seen the S.H. Figuarts line move ahead into The Return of Ultraman but there's still plenty of room for releases from both the original series and Ultraseven - with this particular one being extra special. The vanguard of the Alien Ghos and the final opponent of Ultraseven, the twin-headed monster has finally arrived! S.H. Figuarts Pandon "The Biggest Invasion in History" set celebrates the two-part finale of the 1967 series, arriving as a Tamashii web exclusive release.