Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Vice Rex Genome

Release Date: February 2022

RRP: 4950 yen

When a new series of Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts kicks off with a cheaper release, it doesn't take long for a fully priced one to come just to bring collectors crashing back down to reality. However the positive is that these are far more "complete" releases, and with a better number of accessories more indicative of what Bandai Tamashii Nations has to offer with the line. 50th anniversary series Kamen Rider Revice showcases a duo of lead Riders, and with Kamen Rider Revi taking that cheaper slot his demonic partner is left to take that more typical price point. S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Vice Rex Genome however was released alongside Revi rather than the following month, giving collectors the opportunity to pick the duo up at the same time.

Contrasting nicely with Kamen Rider Revi's brightly coloured packaging, S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Vice Rex Genome comes in a black box that's similarly designed to match the suit's colour scheme. All of the additional text and flourishes have been done in a bright pink, with the front window also featuring a cool stencil of the Rex Genome Vistamp mark. The sides and back of the box feature the usual array of Bandai stock imagery released around the time of the figure's initial solicitation, with a guest appearance from Revi because how could you not include a shot of the pair together? Inside the figure and accessories are neatly laid out on a moulded plastic tray, but far more interestingly like Revi Vice also lacks a loose instruction leaflet – with all the guidance about the weapons and hand switching instead printed on the inside sides instead. The instructions are still very clear so it's a great way to ditch that additional bit of paper, but it'll be interesting to see if this carries over to all the other figures in the S.H. Figuarts range – particularly the ones that come with a lot of accessories (as rare as that may seem these days).

Despite being his partner demon, Vice's design differs in quite a few ways to Revi's. While overall it's still very much a "Kamen Rider", with Revi effectively in the driving seat of it all Vice lacks some fundamental Kamen Rider hallmarks. The most obvious of which is a Driver, with Vice having a simple belt in its place with no notable design or gimmicks. Furthermore Vice's Rider design has been blended with that of his base demon form, highlighted in the clawed hands and feet as well of course his tail. That said, the inclusion of a scarf is very much a Kamen Rider trademark that is nice to see back with this design. Kamen Rider Vice's body is predominantly black with sections of pearlescent pink and metallic grey, as well as additional bits of purple, blue and white. Certain parts of the figure, such as the tail and scarf, are made of a softer, bendier plastic. The head sculpt on this release is particularly good – not just because of those icy blue compound eyes staring out amongst the blackness but also for the detailing on that dinosaur "hood" piece. It even has stitching marks between the various colours, which is something I hadn't fully appreciated on the actual suit.

But while visually there's quite a bit different between the two Riders construction-wise it's very much the same, with the pair sharing exactly the same articulation for the most part. Altogether Vice features; 

- Ball jointed head, neck, scarf, torso, waist, wrists and tail 

- Swivel hinge shoulders and ankles 

- Butterfly joint shoulders 

- Double hinge elbows and knees 

- Drop down ball jointed hips 

- Bicep and thigh swivels 

-Single hinge toe sections 

Looking at that list the clear difference between the two is the addition of the scarf and tail joints, which naturally is because neither parts are present on Revi. They're very basic connection ball joints (in terms of the scarf it's basically the same as what's on some of the Shinkocchou Seihou figures), but they do add that little bit extra to the figure to make posing feel more natural and interesting. The tail is also pretty good for adding a little bit of extra balance to the figure as well. It's also worth noting that the shoulder pads on Vice are much larger than Revi's but the connection is very much the same – a raised ball joint that adds a little bit of extra movement. It isn't a huge amount, but it's enough to make the posing the arms easier. Other than that everything else is very much the same, a great range of articulation that really shows off what the S.H. Figuarts like is capable of.

Whereas Revi came up short on accessories due to his low cost, as a full priced S.H. Figuarts release Vice has much more to offer in that regard. Altogether he comes with four pairs of additional hands, the Ohinbuster50 in both gun and axe modes and finally the Megalodon Vistamp. The hand selection is pretty much identical to that of Revi's (closed fists, two styles of weapon holding hands and a second pair of open hands), which is ideal as it covers both the included accessories and a bit of extra personality. Both versions of the Ohinbuster50 are really nicely painted/detailed, with the two pieces being slightly differently proportioned for extra accuracy. Sure you could argue that one of these could have come with Revi and the other Vice, but as I commented in my Revi review – the likelihood of collectors just buying one of them is slim so pricing one lower and making the other a little more "complete" makes sense. It isn't the most ideal situation, but Bandai being Bandai it's something that isn't going to change any time soon either so at least they've done it in a way that works (for most) here. Rounding off the accessories is the Megalodon Vistamp, again very nicely detailed – complete with the moulded symbol on the grip and stamp mark on the underside. The Vistamp can fit into both the main slot on Revi's Revice Driver, and (though not pictured here) the holsters on either side of the belt.

Much like his partner S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Vice Rex Genome is another winner for the line, and together they're easily some of the best "new"/titular Riders we've had in some time. On top of all the accessories that help make the Revice pair feel like the full package, Vice works so well because he's so different from Revi. They enough similarities that they're easily identifiable as being from the same series, but the little differences in design, construction and materials make handling him that little bit more unique than simply being a second Rider from the same series. And while I've repeatedly mentioned how he's more expensive than Revi, he isn't really that much more. Much like on the show itself this pair make an incredible team, and it's one Kamen Rider fans should definitely be looking to add to their S.H. Figuarts collection.