Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Riderman

Release Date: June 2023

RRP: 8800 yen

Bandai Tamashii Nations draws one step closer to reimagining the original seven Kamen Riders in "true bone carving" style with the release of S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Riderman! Following swiftly on from Kamen Rider V3 at the end of last year, Riderman is the fifth of the seven to be released in the line – with X and Stronger unveiled at previous events but yet to be solicited. Once a Destron scientist, Joji Yuki donned the mantle of Riderman and vowed revenge on the evil organisation after they turned against him. Curiously Riderman comes as a Tamashii web exclusive which seems a little odd for such a popular/iconic character, but given that the same happened to V3 it's likely that this might just be the fate of all Showa era Riders going forward.

Whether they're general release or Tamashii web exclusives, S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou releases stick to the same style of packaging and Riderman is no exception. The figure comes in the usual two-piece box, with the top half featuring a close-up profile image of the figure whilst the sides sport "Riderman" in silver foil lettering against a black background. On the back of the box you'll find more images of the figure in various poses showing off the wealth of accessories, as well as an image of him alongside Kamen Rider V3. Inside the contents are spread across two moulded plastic trays – one housing the figure itself and the other all of those delectable accessories.

As fans will surely already know Riderman is a somewhat unusual entry in the Kamen Rider line-up – not just because he lacks the title of "Kamen Rider" but also due to his exposed face on his mask/helmet. This is partly to convey that unlike the other Riders at the time he was not a cyborg as thus retained his humanity, with his powers instead coming from his prosthetic right arm. Despite human head sculpts often being a bit hit or miss with Figuarts Riderman looks absolutely fantastic, without the exposed area just as striking as the covered area. The mouth has been moulded into a neutral but somewhat-displeased looking expression, which covers Riderman's general attitude rather nicely. Although Riderman might not have the patterned compound eyes of his compatriots, their glossy translucent finish makes them just as prominent on his bright blue helmet. The rest of Riderman's body has much more of a conventional Showa-era Kamen Rider look (other than the lack of a transformation belt), with those raised sections along the torso and of course the classic scarf. Like V3 and the "first appearance" Kamen Rider 1 release, Riderman's is made from soft goods fabric with a bendable wire inserted through the middle – allowing it to be properly posed rather than the switch-out hard plastic kind previously seen. Though these suits may be a lot more basic compared to their more modern counterparts, every detail has been meticulously recreated on this figure – from the correct colours to the fine sculpting on the belt buckle and pouches. Though he might not be quite the same as his predecessors, Riderman eventually proves himself to be every bit much the hero and his suit design carries that same classic superhero vibe.SCULPT

Riderman doesn't really stray far away from the kind of articulation we've previously seen on Shinkocchou Seihou figures, with his body featuring;

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

- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- Single hinge toe sections

- Bicep and thigh swivels

Overall it’s a pretty great spread of articulation, even if it is missing one or two of the things we've seen implemented on newer figures. That said, given the apparent fragility of them the added elbow joint swivel probably isn't a good idea on a figure that welcomes repeated limb-swapping. But nevertheless you're getting that solid range of poseability that the line has managed to perfect by now, without any areas of the sculpt being broken up in the process. It might have been nice to have those articulated pectoral pieces seen on some of the other Showa Riders just to give the butterfly joints a little bit more movement, but even without them arm movement isn't really impacted all that much. That pliable soft goods scarf also continues to be an absolute joy, as it's able to be shaped into far more natural windswept poses to match the kind of action poses (or moody stoicism) you might have in mind for Riderman.

With Riderman wielding a number of different "Cassette Arms" in his fight against Destron, a good range of accessories was vital to this figure and Bandai certainly haven't disappointed. Included with this release are a spare pair of antennae (in the event of any unfortunate breakages), three pairs of alternate hands (open, accessory holding and knife-strike), Drill Arm attachment, Power Arm attachment and finally a Rope Arm attachment with alternate Hook and Swing Arm parts. Each of these spare arms can be attached by removing Riderman's right forearm, which is done by gently twisting it out at the elbow joint. It can be a little daunting at first given the fragility of these figures at times, but after repeated removals my figure is holding up perfectly fine. Each of the arms is beautifully detailed, painted and textured – the Power Arm looking particularly impressive with its silver paint wear as well as the splashes of red on the curved blade. The blade can also be rotated for a little more variety when posing. However it's the Rope Arm with the most to offer with its alternate attachment pieces, which include a proper rope attachment to fix between the parts. Simplistic as they may be there's a real satisfaction to attaching any of them to the figure, with all of them adding something different when it comes to display and posing.

It's been long established by now that this line really is some of the best Bandai Tamashii Nations has to offer, but even with those high expectations S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Riderman still manages to impress. While the figure itself might not really do anything strikingly new in terms of what the line already has to offer, what REALLY makes this release special is the sheer number of accessories they packed in with – making sure Riderman is the one-man arsenal he was on the show itself. Colourful, dynamic and with plenty of display and poseability options, Riderman lives up to the high standard of the Shinkocchou Seihou and then some.