Special REVIEW: Girls Remix in Halloween Party

The Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club pulls from all corners of the Kamen Rider franchise when it comes to inspiration for its specials, and one of its most deserved and overdue offerings in recent years is Girls Remix - a celebration of the heroines of Kamen Rider. Whereas the first Girls Remix special in 2022 was a largely self-contained crossover, when it returned in 2025 with Kamen Rider Majade with Girls Remix it hinted towards a much bigger storyline. Luckily fans haven't had to wait too long for the next instalment, as it gets into the spooky season with Girls Remix in Halloween Party. Key cast members Akiko, Rinne and Hana return once more, this time bringing in new characters from Kamen Rider Kiva, Kamen Rider Wizard, Kamen Rider Geats, Kamen Rider Gotchard and Kamen Rider Gavv.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who The Master & TARDIS (Vortex Edition)

Release Date: October 2025

RRP: £44.99

The Doctor Who toy line's move to (predominantly) B&M exclusivity has allowed for the reissue of figures long out of production, but among them there's always been one significant adversary that's been curiously forgotten. Despite being the longest serving incarnation and the only one to face off against all seven classic Doctors, the Anthony Ainley version of The Master has only ever had one release - a Planet of Fire two-pack alongside the Fifth Doctor all the way back in 2010. Even more curious is that the figure isn't even of his standard costume, instead being the three-piece suit he wore in that story. For years fans have wondered when a new Master would join the collection, and now 15 years later the wait is finally over. The Master & TARDIS (Vortex Edition) set is the latest figure to join the Character website exclusive range - sporting a "higher specification deco applied over base colour plastics for extra detail" to their general retail counterparts.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series Scavenger

Release Date: August 2025

RRP: $24.99/£24.99

Several years in and Studio Series 86 (even if it’s not technically called that anymore) still has a few surprises up its sleeve, debuting its first combiner figure in 2025 with the release of Devastator. That said, being the only combiner that appears in Transformers: The Movie means there isn’t a great deal of choice either. Hasbro have ensured fans haven’t had to wait too long to complete their Constructicons, with the team steadily releasing over the course of the year. Studio Series Scavenger is part of the final pair to release, coming as a Deluxe Class figure alongside the Voyager Class Mixmaster – mirroring how Scrapper and Bonecrusher kicked the team off earlier in the year.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Galactron

Release Date: July 2025

RRP: 19,800 yen

The Ultraman franchise has lots of legacy aliens and kaiju that first debuted during the Showa era and have continue to appear to this day, but arguably most of its newer offerings haven't reached the same iconic status. However if there's one kaiju that's come close, it's undoubtedly Galactron. First debuting in some of Ultraman Orb's strongest episode, variations of the robot superweapon have gone on to fight numerous other Ultras in the New Generation - including Geed, Taiga and Decker. Its origins were even explored in the Orb/Geed crossover movie Connect the Wishes!, where we learned they were created by the artificial intelligence Gillvalis. Put simply, Galactron is a pretty big deal as far as modern Ultra kaiju go. And at long last Bandai Tamashii Nations have FINALLY recognised this with the release of S.H. Figuarts Galactron, based on the orginal MK1 model that appeared in Orb. Galactron is a Tamashii Web exclusive release.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Omega

Release Date: August 2025

RRP: 6600 yen

These days Bandai Tamashii Nations have gotten very good at announcing the titular characters from the latest Ultraman and Kamen Rider series as soon as the show begins to air, even if fans do still have to wait a few months for their actual release. Thankfully though we haven’t had to wait too long for S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Omega, who kicks off a new range of figures from the 2025 Ultraman series. Ultraman Omega comes as a general retail release figure, and although Bandai tends to offer “introductory” (i.e. lower) prices on these titular characters Omega’s 6600 yen price tag is rather middling compared to other recent Ultra releases – cheaper than Ultraman Blazar’s 7150 yen but a considerable step up from Ultraman Arc’s 4400 yen last year.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Vram Pudding Custom

Release Date: August 2025

RRP: 8800 yen

While we certainly don't get as many alternate forms from a Kamen Rider series as we used to in the S.H. Figuarts line (and even less as retail releases), Bandai Tamashii Nations still do a good job at least at making sure all the Riders featured in the most recent shows are represented. Kamen Rider Gavv may have reached its conclusion onscreen but there's still plenty to look forward to in regards to figures, with S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Vram Pudding Custom releasing hot on the heels of Kamen Rider Valen. Both the third release and third character to appear in the Gavv range, like Valen before him Vram is also a Tamashii web exclusive release.

Movie REVIEW: Ultraman Arc the Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil

As the Ultraman franchise continues to grow in global recognition, it's 2024 entry Ultraman Arc is perhaps the most accessible it has ever been to an international audience - not only was it simulcast on YouTube alongside its initial airing on Japanese television, but it also had a variety of dubs available immediately on release as well. This isn't the only thing that makes Arc unique amongst its contemporaries either, with its subsequent movie outing also bucking the trend when it comes to what fans have come to expect from such things. Rather than act as an epilogue to the series, Ultraman Arc the Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil instead mixes things up by taking place during the main story (specifically episodes 21 and 22). However despite that, the film was not released in Japan until a month after its conclusion - making it best viewed with the whole series in mind.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1 Sakurajima Ver. (Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition)

Release Date: September 2025

RRP: 9900 yen

While any veteran S.H. Figuarts collector will tell you that preordering can often be a bit of a nightmare, for the most part most figures aren't too difficult to track down (or expensive) on the aftermarket following their release. There are some exceptions though, with one of the best examples in recent memory being S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1 Sakurajima Ver.. Originally a Tamashii Nation 2018 event exclusive, this costume variant of the original Kamen Rider quickly became a highly sought after item - with a price tag to match. Last year it even won a poll of which Shinkocchou Seihou figure should be reissued the most, despite event exclusives rarely ever getting second runs. However Bandai Tamashii Nations could clearly see there was money to be made, and eventually revealed (the lengthily titled) S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1 Sakurajima Ver. (Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition) - a brand new edition of the figure with some slight upgrades. Of course there was no way they were going to make this version easily obtainable either, with it originally released as a Tamashii Nations Live Action Figure Expo and Club Tamashii lottery exclusive item. A second run of the figure will also be made available early next year, again as a Club Tamashii lottery item.

First Impressions: Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider

While the (nearly) worldwide streaming of Kamen Rider Zeztz on YouTube may be the most notable way the Kamen Rider franchise is making waves across the globe this year, it isn't the only way newcomers may be enticed into giving it a try. Among Crunchyroll's simulcast shows for the Winter 2025 season is Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider, based on the ongoing manga series of the same name by Yokusaru Shibata. Produced by Linden Films (whose work includes Cells at Work! CODE BLACK, among others) in collaboration with Toei, it poses the question surely every Rider fan has considered at least once in their lives - what if I could become Kamen Rider?

Toybox REVIEW: Trasformers Studio Series Hook & Long Haul

Release Date: June 2025

RRP: $89.99/£91.99

Even though Hasbro are slowly running out of key Transformers: The Movie characters to bring to the Studio Series line, leaving the Constructicons towards the end was a very good way of keeping fans interested. Particularly when they're not wasting any time in getting the whole team out, which means collectors won't have to wait long to form Devastator on their shelves. While most of the Constructicons are getting standard single releases, the Studio Series Hook & Long Haul set mixes things up a bit - featuring two members of the team in a single Commander Class set alongside some of the extra parts needed to make up the original Decepticon combiner.