I'm sure many will agree that S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Abyss qualifies as Tamashii Nations' "Most unexpected release of 2013". Though the Kamen Rider Decade exclusive Ryuki Rider was seen at a Tamashii event some time ago, there was no word on release for a long time. Then all of a sudden he comes out of nowhere as a mass release figure. This is especially strange when you consider that there are still legitimate Ryuki riders to comes out, but then Blade came out this year too so its oddly fitting for a Decade character who's an AU Ryuki Rider whose identity is in fact an AU Blade monster. The Decade relevance? I don't know - Tsukasa was in the last episode of Kamen Rider Wizard? Yeah, let's just go with that...
Though Abyss is technically a Kamen Rider Decade release (as denoted by the series logo on the front on the box), the packaging is in fact styled like Abyss' fellow Ryuki Riders. This includes the predominantly silver card and the shattered mirror look to the back complete with Advent Deck slogans. The foil blue goes really well with the silver, and while its not a box that's instantly striking the colours do sit comfortably together. The figure and its accessories all lie on a single tray, with the included Tamashii stand taped neatly to the back.
Of course, as is the case with any pre-W Kamen Rider Figuart, the box labels the figure as "Masked Rider" rather than "Kamen Rider".
Just look at those wonderful blue colours, aren't they just beautiful? Though the suit perhaps looks a little lighter (and flatter) in Kamen Rider Decade, you can't deny that the metallic finish that Bandai have been giving the Ryuki figures does wonders for the multitudes of shades and tones. The suit is a rather busy one with all the vents and gold/silver/black accents, but also the colours work so well together that every detail pops and not a single thing is left unnoticed.
As a "Ryuki Rider" Abyss shares the same body type as his official brethren, which mean much more solid (and stable) hips as opposed to the usual swing-down variety. This also means diecast feet, which make balancing in those stretched out poses far less of a hassle. Articulation can get a little limited in the neck and shoulder areas because of the extravagant helmet and large shoulder pads, but not to the point where he can't do most poses. Just don't try any in the "flailing arms in the air" variety.
While we're probably unlikely to see Abyss' dual contract monsters Abysshammer and Abyssslasher in Figuarts form (although after this I'm inclined to say anything is possible with time), that doesn't mean the Rider himself doesn't come with a wonderful amount of accessories. Included in this set are 11 alternate hands (the odd one is a card holding right hand), dual Abyss Sabers, the Abyss Visor, Abyss Smash weapon and four Advent Cards (Sword Vent, Strike Vent, Final Vent and a contract monster summon card). That's pretty much everything the character needs save for the two contract monsters and their combined form of the Abyssodon...but I feel that's probably going into addition figure/multi-pack territory there.
The Abyss Visors and Abyss Smash slip on to their respective arms with relative ease and then clip on via the vent ports on the forearms. Both have lovely hinged jaws, while the Visor also has an area where the cards can be placed should you so wish. Finally, Abyss is one of the few Figuarts lucky enough to come with his own unique Tamashii stage - a clear Act 4 stage with a Jaws-like logo and "Masked Rider Abyss" printed on it.
Kamen Rider Abyss just about sums up everything I want in a Figuarts release. A flawless sculpt/finish, diecast feet, brilliant articulation, a heap of accessories, a personal stand and to top it off - a mass release of an obscure character. For a design that only appears in two episodes, its clear that a lot of love has gone into this figure and it gives me hope that we might see more wildcard releases one day. Go on Bandai, you know you want to make a mass release S.H. Figuarts Dark Red Buster...
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