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.

Movie REVIEW: Ultraman: Rising

 

Ultraman's worldwide expansion over the last few years has been a thing of marvel, with the likes of mass market Blu-ray releases, a Marvel comic book series, an anime adaptation of an ongoing manga sequel/spin-off, the cinematic release of Shin Ultraman and YouTube simulcasts of the current airing shows all working in tandem to turn the franchise into a household name across the globe. Now the next step in that bid for world domination comes in the form of Ultraman: Rising - a feature length animated film co-produced by Netflix Animation and Tsuburaya Productions with animation by Industrial Light & Magic. The film is the directorial debut of Shannon Tindle, so co-directed alongside John Aoshima. Tindle also co-wrote the story alongside Marc Haimes, both of whom also were behind the original story for Laika's 2016 film Kubo and the Two Strings. The film stars Christopher Sean (Star Wars Resistance) in the lead role as Ken Sato/Ultraman, with the Japanese voice being provided by Yuki Yamada (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger's Joe Gibken/Gokai Blue).

Toybox REVIEW: Soul of Chogokin GX-37B King Joe Black (Revival Ver.)

Release Date: April 2024

RRP: 16500 yen

While a re-release of 2007's Soul of Chogokin King Joe in celebration of Ultraseven's 55th anniversary didn't necessarily come as a huge surprise, it's 2008 repaint from a series that isn't celebrating any notable anniversary getting similar treatment was. As was the case with GX-37R, the Tamashii Web exclusive Soul of Chogokin GX-37B King Joe Black (Revival Ver.) is a slight reworking of the figure from 16 years ago - updating it with a sharper colour scheme. King Joe Black first appeared onscreen in 2007's Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle, clashing against ZAP SPACY on several occasions, In addition to its bold new black and gold colour scheme, King Joe Black is also armed with the Pedanium Launcher - a powerful weapon capable of rapid-fire energy projectiles.

Toybox REVIEW: SV-Action Spider-Man Noir

Release Date: February 2024

RRP: 13500 yen

Though at first it seemed either Hasbro or Medicom would beat them to the punch, it's actually Sentinel who've done the impossible and finally completed the core Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse cast (six years after the release of the film no less) in six-inch figure form. After successful releases with Miles, Peter B., Peni and Gwen/Spider-Ham over the last few years, 2024 sees them round things off with SV-Action Spider-Man Noir. Famously voiced by Nicholas Cage in the film, this version of Spider-Man hails from the Marvel Noir universe of Earth-90214 – a 1930s Great Depression-styled New York entirely in black and white.

Toybox REVIEW: Shokugan Modeling Project Won Tiger

Release Date: December 2023

RRP: 6500 yen

Bandai continue their dive into 1993 and Gosei Sentai Dairanger with the release of Shokugan Modeling Project Won Tiger! Perhaps better known in many parts of the world as the White Tigerzord from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, this feels like a particularly notable release for the line given the popularity of both Kiba Ranger and the White Ranger. Which perhaps makes it rather odd that it comes as a Premium Bandai exclusive release, but when have Bandai ever truly made sense? Created as the sixth Mythical Qi Beast using the powers of both the Great Cosmos and the Dairangers, it then became the personal Qi Beast of Kou as he joined the team as Kiba Ranger.

Top 5: S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Remakes I'd Like To See

Bandai Tamashii Nations' recent announcement of Kamen Rider 1 (The Next) being the 100th Kamen Rider release in the S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou line was just about the perfect choice for the coveted top spot – while there are plenty of unreleased characters deserving of figures, there's just something poetic about the very first S.H. Figuarts release finally getting an updated figure. In fact much of that Shinkocchou Seihou line-up is updates of characters previously released in the standard Figuarts line, which isn't all that surprising given how long it's been going for now. Which got me thinking – what Kamen Rider figures present in the main S.H. Figuarts line would I like to see redone for the Shinkocchou Seihou range? Read on to find out!

Series REVIEW: Sentika F8ABA6 Jisariz

Based on his numerous appearances as both Tsukasa Kayodoya/Kamen Rider Decade in Kamen Rider and Jinga in GARO, it's fair to assume that Masahiro Inoue is a man that loves tokusatsu. So much so that in 2023 following his appointment as representative director of AIC RIGHTS he started up the PINK no Tokusatsu project, the name of which of course refers to Decade's colour scheme. The first major work to come out of the project is Sentika F8ABA6 Jisariz – a 12-episode web series starring AKB48 member Manaka Taguchi alongside Inoue. Though the series was originally made freely available on the GGE YouTube Channel with English subtitles, it has since been put behind a paywall.