Series REVIEW: Ultraman Omega

As Ultraman rapidly approaches its 60th anniversary, it's interesting to look back and see just how far the franchise has come in recent years in regards to worldwide availability. Not just in terms of the show being simulcast beyond Asia thanks to the ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL YouTube channel, but also the exposure it has through live shows and convention appearances across the globe. 2025 saw the release of Ultraman Omega, once again available globally with a variety of different language subtitles as well as a full English dub (albeit not released simultaneously this time around). The series compositors were Toshizo Nemoto and Junichiro Ashiki (both of whom have worked across the New Generation era), its main director was Masayoshi Takasue (Ultraman R/B, Ultraman Decker), and chief producer Tsugumi Kitaura.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Usopp -Romance Dawn-

Release Date: December 2025

RRP: 7700 yen

Although the One Piece line continued to go from strength to strength in 2025, the year was actually rather quite as far as the "Romance Dawn"/pre-time skip characters were concerned. Following Zoro's release in February, the line largely decided to focus on the modern era and the Future Island Egghead arc instead. However fans longing to go back to the franchise's humble beginnings weren't kept waiting for too long, and the year ended with the fourth member of the Straw Hat crew - S.H. Figuarts Usopp -Romance Dawn-! The plucky sniper from Syrup Village was a retail release, ensuring that so far none of the main crew have been locked behind Tamashii Web exclusivity.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zeztz Physicam Impact

Release Date: December 2025

RRP:7150 yen

Once upon a time collectors would have to wait a good few months to get the latest Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts release, but with production on new series happening a lot earlier now Bandai Tamashii Nations have also sped up production on their end as well. The last few years have seen new Riders coming out in the early months of the year, but S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zeztz Physicam Impact arrived just in time to see 2025 out – a mere four months after the series first debuted. Sadly no cheaper price tag this time around (although at 7150 yen he’s still quite reasonable), but both the earlier release date and being a general retail release are fairly reasonably trade-offs.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Mother of Ultra

Release Date: September 2025

RRP: 8800 yen

With Father of Ultra finally joining the S.H. Figuarts line back in August 2024, it felt like only a matter of time before the Mother of Ultra would join him. Thankfully Bandai Tamashii Nations didn't have collectors waiting too long, and it was only another year before S.H. Figuarts Mother of Ultra was a reality. Also known as Ultrawoman Marie, she acts as medical relief for the Inter Galactic Defence Force and is wife to Father of Ultra and biological mother to Ultraman Taro. First appearing in Ultraman Taro all the way back in 1973, she is significant for being the first female Ultra warrior in the franchise. Despite this, the figure was a Tamashii web exclusive as opposed to a retail release.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts General Grievous

Release Date: November 2025

RRP: 18,150 yen

While Bandai Tamashii Nations are constantly revealing new and exciting figures in the S.H. Figuarts line, sometimes the most satisfying releases are the ones that have been sitting in Bandai purgatory for years only to suddenly get a surprise release. 2025 marked the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, so there couldn’t have been a better time for S.H. Figuarts General Grievous to suddenly become a reality. First seen at an event all the way back in 2015, Grievous (along with many of the other Star Wars figures seen at the same event) hadn’t been seen since despite the line continuing on strongly. How much of that old prototype is still in this new release is another question entirely, but nevertheless this is one fans (including myself) have been waiting a long time for.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Taro

Despite Ultraman Ace proving to be fairly popular throughout its run, the show was not without its problems behind the scenes - so much so that some at broadcaster TBS even suggested putting the franchise on hiatus for a year following its completion. However producer Yoji Hashimoto was able to convince them otherwise, and work began on the next instalment as Tsuburaya Productions approached their tenth anniversary. The initial pitch was "Ultra Jack" - a space-based "neo fairy tale" series which would introduce the sixth Ultra Brother and build upon ideas from Ace. While many of the ideas presented would remain in the final version, the trouble was coming up with a name. Jack was a common name in Western fairy tales, but it was also felt to be too similar to "hijacking" - something which was a global issue at the time. So director Kazuho Mitsuda suggested a more Japanese name which conveyed the same idea - and thus Ultraman Taro was born. The series premiered on April 6th 1973, and ran for a total of 53 episodes.

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Gamerverse Gargantos

Release Date: October 2025

RRP: $69.99/£65.99

The Capcom range of Marvel fighting games has gone through a bit of a renaissance recently, not only with the release of Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics at the end of 2024 but also both Hasbro and Bandai revealing Gamerverse figures inspired by the series in their Marvel Legends and S.H. Figuarts lines. Hasbro have led the charge with quite an extensive range of figures, with one of the premium pieces among them being the Marvel Legends Gamerverse Gargantos. But rights issues regarding the name be damned, everyone knows this is Shuma-Gorath. Also known as the "Great One Who Slumbers", "Conqueror of Midnight", "All-Killer of the Dawn", "Father of All Evil" and the "Lord of Chaos", the Doctor Strange adversary has been a mainstay of the games since 1995's Marvel Super Heroes, going on to also appear in the first three Marvel vs Capcom games as well.

Favourite Toys of 2025

And before the year is out there's just enough time for one more tradition - the annual countdown of my top ten favourite toys of the year! There's been a lot of great releases in 2025 but there's no doubt that (for me) it was truly the year of S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou, with that line taking up half the spots in the list! In fact with me largely out of the Star Wars Black Series loop now and no Transformers quite reaching the top spots (although collecting the Constructicons and forming Devastator was A LOT of fun, and I look forward to doing the same with Bruticus next year), it was very nearly a clean sweep for S.H. Figuarts in general. As usual I've adhered to my own personal rule of only counting figures first released in 2025, which discounts both reissues and the handful of 2024 figures I hadn't reviewed at the beginning of the year. It also discounts some figures I haven't quite gotten around to receiving and/or reviewing yet (mostly November and December releases), so if you think something significant is missing and it came out in those months, that's probably why! 

But without further ado, onto my top ten favourite toys of 2025!

Top 5: Toys I'm Looking Forward to in 2026

I've come to enjoy all the little traditions I've created doing this website over the last decade or so, but these end of year lists are definitely my favourites. As always I'll be ending the year with a rundown of my ten favourite toy releases, but before then I like to look forward to some of the figures coming in 2026 first. Bandai definitely continue to dominate here, but I like to think there are a few surprises in the list in amongst the usual Figuarts fare. With a few of the figures on last year's list ending up of my forthcoming "Favourite Toys of 2025" piece, I've got high hopes these will also be similarly impressive in-hand.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Stronger

Release Date: October 2025

RRP: 9900 yen

While the order in which Bandai Tamashii Nations are introducing Heisei-era Kamen Riders into the S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou line seems to be random, when it comes to the Showa era the pattern is a little more predictable. For the last couple of years we've been treated to a new addition to the roster each year, with 2025 finally seeing the completion of the original "Seven Legendary Riders" with the long-awaited release of S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Stronger. However despite the character's popularity and significance of the show itself he, along with V3, Riderman and X, was still inexplicably a Tamashii web exclusive release rather than general retail.