Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers

Release Date: May 2023

RRP: $124.99/£118.99

Full team sets don't really come along all that often in the Power Rangers Lightning Collection, so whenever one is announced it feels like a pretty big deal. But while Hasbro had previously tested the waters before the Psycho Rangers set with some individual releases, with the Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers it's all brand new! The first (and currently only) release of the Alien Rangers of Aquitar, this set features all five Rangers alongside the usual selection of accessories and effect parts.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider 555 20th: Paradise Regained

Milestone anniversaries are something that rarely go uncelebrated in the Kamen Rider franchise, and when it's a series as popular as Kamen Rider 555 of course something big was going to happen for its 20th birthday. Though a series that has continued to endure in parallel universe, crossover and/or spin-off material, there is one thing that it has constantly been denied - a proper resolution. All this could change however with the release of Kamen Rider 555 20th: Paradise Regained, a V-Cinext reunion film penned by original writer Toshiki Inoue (fresh off his work on Avataro Sentai Donbrothers) and directed by Ryuta Tasaki (who has worked on nearly every Kamen Rider series since Agito). The film's production was initially announced on the 5th May 2023, which was dubbed "Faiz Day" in celebration of the 20th anniversary.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Red King

Release Date: April 2024

RRP: 9900 yen

Despite having already released an impressive range of monsters and aliens from the original Ultraman series in the S.H. Figuarts range there are still a number of important gaps for Bandai Tamashii Nations to fill, which just goes to show how iconic many of these creatures have become. One such example is S.H. Figuarts Red King, who has taken a whole eight years to come to the line despite being one of the franchise's most enduring foes. First appearing in episode eight of the original series, the ferocious "skull monster" has gone on to appear in numerous instalments across the franchise, most recently in the opening scenes of currently airing series Ultraman Arc.

Toybox REVIEW: Shokugan Modeling Project Tetra Boy

Release Date: April 2024

RRP: 5500 yen

A sure sign that a toy line is doing well is if they revisit things previously covered years before in order to plug any gaps they might have missed first time around. This is definitely something Bandai have had in mind with the Shokugan Modeling Project line - first revisiting Ninja Sentai Kakuranger last year to give fans Ninjaman and now also returning to Chōjin Sentai Jetman to give us the last of its mecha as well. Shokugan Modeling Project Tetra Boy is a Premium Bandai exclusive release, finally giving Jet Icarus and Jet Garuda in the form of the AI-powered robot with kickboxing skills and the abilities to turn into the formidable Tetra Buster.

First Impressions: Ultraman Arc

2024 looks like it's going to be another big year for the Ultraman franchise! In the last few weeks Ultraman: Rising has dropped on Netflix to largely positive reception, in comics the Giant of Light will be facing off against Earth's Mightiest Heroes starting this August in Ultraman x Avengers and on the main series side of things a brand new instalment in the franchise has just begun! Ultraman Arc invites fans to unleash the power of imagination, once again being distributed worldwide via the ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL YouTube channel complete with a variety of different language subtitles as well as a simultaneously released English dub.

Special REVIEW: Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger with Tombo Ohger

The Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club April Fools' joke has become something of an annual tradition now, with them teasing some bizarre joke concept only for them to go and turn it into a viable special. For its 2024 rendition they announced its first ever romance drama in the form of "First Love Detective", to then later reveal the following day that the production was in fact Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger with Tombo Ohger. Coinciding with Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger's 20th anniversary movie Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger 20th: Fireball Booster, the one-off special reunites the "Girls in Trouble" Jasmine and Umeko in a crossover with Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger's Yanma Gast.

Toybox REVIEW: Shokugan Modeling Project GaoGod

Release Date: September 2022

RRP: 7000 yen

True to their word, Bandai went all out to complete the in-show line-up of Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger Power Animals in the SMP line. The final release in the range was something familiar but at the same time different – Shokugan Modeling Project GaoGod! This Premium Bandai exclusive release is a remould of GaoKing – its components the five God Power Animals, the ancestors of the Gaorangers' own totem Power Animals.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kyoryu Red

Release Date: May 2024

RRP: 9900 yen

As if releases from series of the past three years wasn't enough confirmation that Super Sentai S.H. Figuarts truly are back, there's now also the fact that S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Gokai Red wasn't just a one-off. While the idea of getting full teams from Bandai Tamashii Nations once again still feels like a pipedream, a second entry in this prestigious line is definitely something to be excited about. This time around Bandai are being a little timelier with their celebrations, marking the tenth anniversary of Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger with the (general retail) release of S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kyoryu Red!

Toybox REVIEW: Shokugan Modeling Project GaoLion & GaoElephant

Release Date: July 2022

RRP: 6364 yen

If the Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger range is anything to go by, when Bandai properly hit the 2000s era of Super Sentai in the Shokugan Modeling Project they really will cover all the bases when it comes to core and auxiliary mecha. 2022 proved to be another glorious year for the 25th Sentai team with a number of retail and Premium Bandai exclusive releases from the series, including the Shokugan Modeling Project GaoLion & GaoElephant set. This Premium Bandai set contains no ordinary GaoLion however, but rather the enlarged version that can combine with GaoElephant, GaoShark, GaoTiger and GaoFalcon to form the mighty GaoKentaurus.

Toybox REVIEW: Shokugan Modeling Project GaoIcarus

Release Date: July 2022

RRP: 8800 yen

Bandai's overall commitment to adequately covering a Super Sentai series in the Shokugan Modeling Project line is something to be commended, especially when its a series as extensive as Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger. Even after covering impressive ground with their GaoKing, GaoMuscle, GaoKnight and GaoHunter releases, the line carried firmly on into 2022 with the third of its retail releases - Shokugan Modeling Project GaoIcarus! First debuting in episode 31 of the series, GaoIcarus is the combined form of GaoFalcon, GaoDeers, GaoGiraffe, GaoRhinos and GaoMadillo.