Sunday 12 September 2021

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider V3 (THE NEXT)

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Release Date: February 2008
RRP: 2420 yen

In 2008 Bandai Tamashii Nations introduced a whole new line of Kamen Rider action figures - S.H. Figuarts, the spiritual successor to their previous Souchaku Henshin line. Originally the "S.H" in the name even stood for "Souchaku Henshin", but since then Bandai have also said it stands for "Simple style and Heroic Action - the motto which has accompanied the line since its very beginning. With S.H. Figuarts now having stretched far beyond Kamen Rider also all include a number of other tokusatsu, anime and Western properties, it's a little strange to think that it all began with figures from Kamen Rider: The Next. The 2007 sequel to Kamen Rider: The First had been released in Japanese cinemas just a few months prior, and so Figuarts launched onto the scene with a double bill of releases - S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider V3 (THE NEXT) and also the film's version of Kamen Rider 1. Either could feasibly be consider the very first release from the line, but there's just something fitting considering the next Rider to be the next step in Kamen Rider action figures.

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It's clear from the very beginning that Tamashii Nations had a certain uniformity planned for the S.H. Figuarts line's packaging, with Kamen Rider V3 coming in the nostalgic silver box that graced the line for a good while during its earliest slew of releases. Some things were dropped along the way, such as the cool full-body side shots that adorn both of the sides, but for the most part things remained pretty much the same. One of the better aspects (at least in my opinion) of the earlier Kamen Rider releases was that the front of the box had a picture of the onscreen suit next to the window, rather than the toy image they use now. Flip around to the back of the box and there's a selection of photos displaying the figure in various poses, showing off just what this (at the time) new toy line is capable of. For collectors who've followed the line for since its early days, its pretty nostalgic to see that grey backdrop Tamashii used to use for their photos again. Open it up and as far as storage goes very little has changed in the last 13 years - with the figure and accessories still being housed on a moulded plastic tray.

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And here it is, S.H. Figuarts number one - Kamen Rider V3 (THE NEXT)! As the very first figure in the line V3's body would have been brand new at the time, but it's the same one that was also used for The First and The Next versions of Rider 1 and Rider 2 as well as The Next Shocker Rider (albeit with a few sculpt changes). As far as proportions go the line has come a LONG way since 2008 - V3 is both shorter and scrawnier than his modern counterparts, with certain joint cuts nowhere near as well integrated. The main offender is the lower torso, which has been moulded and angled as though it's sloping upwards into the upper part. With the upper torso sticking out much further, the result isn't just a bit of a weird design but also a pretty sizeable gap between the two pieces. While the Double/Shocker Rider version of the mould uses the same sculpt, said gap isn't anywhere near as noticeable or ugly on those figures. But as far as details go, it looks as though Bandai were getting a lot right on these figures from the very beginning. Sure it's been squished down and not as well proportioned as the suit itself, but there a lots of little details on this figure that surprisingly haven't been skipped over. The tiny Shocker emblems on the gloves and back for one, as well as all the detailing and "Version 3" label on the Double Typhoon - the belt even has a V3 Hopper moulded into the side, which wasn't used in the movie but a nice reference back to the original Kamen Rider V3.

Design-wise this is naturally a more modern take on 1973's Kamen Rider V3, done with a similar biker aesthetic to the reboot Double Riders. The colours of the suit stay relatively close to the original, but with much darker shades of green and red as well as the addition of gold gloves (matching the film's Shocker Riders). Whereas the original Kamen Rider V3 had white mufflers, The Next's V3 has green ones slightly lighter than the body suit. The helmet is a more compact take on the original, but retaining all of the colouring and detail - most importantly those vibrant green compound eyes. Like the Double Riders, the helmet doesn't completely cover the head so it has hair sculpted into the back. While I personally don't think it rocks quite as well as the films' interpretation of the Double Riders, it's still a great redesign of one of my all-time favourite Kamen Riders.

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But while the sculpt quality and overall accuracy of the figures has changed CONSIDERABLY over the years, the fundamentals of that S.H. Figuarts articulation have stayed pretty consistent. Yes there's been some improvements, and even when the joints themselves haven't changed the ways they've been implemented have gotten better, but handling and posing this figure isn't that too far detached from what the line is putting out now. Altogether V3 features;
- Peg hinge head 
- Ball jointed lower neck, torso, waist and wrists 
- Swivel hinge shoulders and ankles
- Butterfly joint shoulders
- Drop-down ball jointed hips
- Double hinged elbows and knees
- Bicep and boot swivels
- Single hinge shoulder pads and toe sections
Instead the big difference between old and modern Figuarts figures is just how well they're able to stand the test of time. To go off on a tangent for a moment when I bought this figure online it was listed as "sealed and unopened but hip damaged". Since the latter couldn't really be confirmed if the figure was unopened I took a chance on it, and was pleased to find that the figure was in fact still intact. That said, I'm not surprised that the figure was listed this way just so that the store covered themselves. All of the The First/The Next figures have a noted problem when it comes to hip deterioration, and although I've been lucky enough not to have anything break on my other figures this is one I can really see it happening too if I'm not careful. The hips are tight, they're squeaky and since the body is much thinner than modern Figuarts you can even begin to feel things bending in ways they shouldn't sometimes. The ankles, despite being made of metal, share a similar problem and require a fair bit of force even just to bend slightly. Thankfully the upper body is considerably better, with a really good range of motion in both the torso and shoulders in particular. Neck articulation isn't great, but that's more because of the huge collar surrounding it and the size of the helmet rather than a problem with the joint itself. If there wasn't such a huge fear that the hips could break at any given moment (there's no way I'm trying that crouching pose that's on the box), then this would be a pretty fun toy to pose.

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As far as accessories go V3 keeps it relatively simple - not just because it was the first release for the line but also because he doesn't really have anything in the way of fancy attacks in The Next. Both reboot films are a bit more back to basics when it comes to fight choreography, focusing more on hand-to-hand combat and emphasising the sheer power of the Riders' new cyborg bodies. Altogether the figure comes packaged with four additional pairs of hands and four swappable mufflers - two standard and two windswept. As V3's mufflers don't wrap around his neck like the Double Riders' these pieces instead plug directly into two holes on his back. Despite it being easy to do, you do have to push them in with a good bit of force to stop them from just popping out every time you move the figure to pose it. They're pretty basic even compared to the ball joint fittings Bandai used later down the line for pieces like these, but they get the job done and the alternate windswept pieces work to make poses that little bit more dynamic. The hand selection with the figure is pretty good too, including some open hands, knife strike hands, closed fists and most importantly ones to capture that signature V3 pose. S.H. Figuarts' hand selection has had plenty of ups and downs over the years, but it's nice to know that even with its very first release it was covering all the basics.

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S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider V3 (THE NEXT) may be the starting point for the whole line, but sadly it has not aged quite as well as its fellow reboot Rider figures. The sculpt being a little more disjointed is a little more forgivable, but the fear that comes from trying to pose the figure and not have the legs break on you kind of takes away from the whole "simple style and heroic action" thing the line has prided itself on for the past 13 years. Naturally he doesn't hold a candle to the figures the line is putting out now (although that said these things were considerably cheaper back in 2008), but even compared to some of the releases that came shortly afterwards you can see just how far the S.H. Figuarts line has come over the years. As time has gone on the sculpts and proportions have just gotten better and better, evolving the line to a point where figures like V3 probably have more in common with the old Souchaku Henshin figures than they do the more modern releases. But despite it's flaws, V3 is a piece of Figuarts history that I'm still pleased to welcome into my collection. As much as I'd love remakes of these The First/The Next characters I just can't see it happening, and with the price these figures go for on the aftermarket they're a steal to pick up even with the potential hip issues.

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