Release Date: August 2024
RRP: 9900 yen
Between Kamen Rider Gaim and Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, 2013-2014 was a very popular year for Super Hero Time. So much so that Bandai Tamashii Nations haven't forgotten either series' tenth anniversary, first releasing a brand new Kyoryu Red figure earlier and this year and now following it up with new renditions of the Armoured Riders. S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Gaim Orange Arms is the first of what will hopefully be many Gaim characters in the "true bone carving" line, offering the usual high standard when it comes to sculpt while also throwing a working form change gimmick into the mix once again.
Kamen Rider Gaim Orange Arms comes in the usual two-piece S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou box, and following on from my train of though in my Kamen Rider Saga review it seems as though the overly matte feel is the standard for Kamen Rider releases going forwards. The front of the box features a lovely headshot of the figure against a white background, with the character name written in silver foil lettering against a black background on each side. On the back/underside of the box you'll find further images of the figure, not only showing Gaim in combat with Kamen Rider Baron but also a look at the armour swapping compatibility with Baron's Banana Arms. Open it up and inside the contents are spread across the usual two plastic trays – one for the figure itself and another for the accessories.
Straight out of the box and Kamen Rider Gaim Orange Arms looks just as good now as it ever has. One of the franchise's best examples of taking two completely different themes and merging them together into an aesthetic that just works on every level, Kamen Rider Gaim is the perfect fruit-themed samurai warrior. Tamashii Nations have wasted no effort in getting this figure to look like the perfect replica of the onscreen suit, with the metallic paintwork of the armour going beautifully with that glossy blue undersuit. One little quirk of the figure that I discovered accidentally but definitely appreciate is that the crest isn't glue onto the head, so can be popped off to avoid breakage if you're having trouble pulling the head off of the neck socket to play around with the Arms Change gimmick. The metallic colouring of the orange slice visor looks great under the transparent piece in front of it too, standing out just as vibrantly as the armour itself.
Despite being a decade old at this point the original S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Gaim is still an incredible figure, and prior to having it in hand it was hard to imagine how the Shinkocchou Seihou could top it outside of incorporating the Arms Change gimmick. But clearly Tamashii Nations took that as a challenge but this is definitely an improvement, even if it isn't quite as significant a one as you usually get when comparing the two lines. The Shinkocchou Seihou is a little bulkier to properly incorporate the gimmick, but with that you also get the same proportion improvements that come from the line's "true bone carving" method. The detailing and paintwork are also sharper, the most obvious of which being all the detailing on the bottom of the feet but also the webbed patterning on the arms and legs as well. No disrespect to the original release at all because it is still fantastic, but when you compare the two in-hand you can really see how much things have evolved in the last ten years.
It's not like the Shinkocchou Seihou line to skimp on any detail so of course this version of Gaim retains a functional Sengoku Driver, sporting a moveable 'Cutting Arm' lever and removable Lockseed. Also included here are three closed Lockseeds, which can be stored on the holder on the side of Gaim's belt. Though the closed Lockseeds sadly can't be clipped onto the Driver or Musou Saber, they can be comfortably held in the figure's hands. Both the Lockseeds and Sengoku Driver are gorgeously detailed, the Lockseeds particularly impressive for their sharp metallic paint apps at such a small side. The Sengoku Driver naturally also features the Gaim faceplate on the side, which again somehow manages to be much clearer/sharper than the one present on the previous figure.
The high quality of the original figure means that articulation isn’t that much of a huge leap either, both in terms of movement and how seamless the sculpt looks. But all that means is that this is another area the Shinkocchou Seihou doesn't disappoint in, with the figure 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
The shoulder pads and back panel of the Orange armour are also hinged where they connect to the collar piece, allowing them to lift up out the way of the arms when posing. Interestingly Bandai have opted not to give Gaim the elbow/knee joints that have the built-in swivel, which have been occasionally appearing on Shinkocchou Seihou figures since the OOO range. Really this could have been the only major difference between this and the original figure, but with how fragile those joints can be at times they are no major loss. The armour is a little bulkier this time around to work with the new proportions, which you'd think might affect poseability across the torso but reality only has any noticeable impact on the neck. It's still moveable, but perhaps not quite as mobile as the original's. Other than that it's pretty much business as usual for the Shinkocchou Seihou line - with great articulation across the whole of the body and some particularly good ankle tilts for dynamic posing.
The accessory count remains almost identical to the original figure, consisting of 11 additional hands, closed versions of the Orange, Pine and Ichigo Lockseeds, Musou Saber and Daidaimaru. An alternate Orange Arms visor piece is also included, intended for use with Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Baron when using the Arms Change gimmick. Other than that the only real additions here are a couple of extra pairs of hands and the alternate Lockseeds – both of which don't seem like much but really add to the overall presentation of the figure. As with Gaim himself both weapons have benefitted nicely from the Shinkocchou Seihou treatment despite already being pretty great on the original release, with improved moulding, proportions and paint apps. When not in use, the Musou Saber can be clipped onto the side of Gaim's belt, though unsurprisingly (as it was exactly the same on the original figure) it can be a little stiff to get off afterward so take care when doing so. The open Orange Lockseed can be removed from the Sengoku Driver and fitted onto the Musou Saber, simulating the 'Lockseed Charge' finisher.
The Musou Saber and Daidaimaru can also be combined to form Naginata mode, a weapon formation unique to Gaim. Once this has been done the figure can comfortably wield it from either portion of the hilt, and though a little tricky because of the shoulder clearances it's also possible to have Gaim hold it two-handed as well.
Of course the biggest draw with these new Shinkocchou Seihou figures is the Arms Change gimmick, which we'll get into a little further in the future with a second Gaim figure in hand but also has some cool individual features worth discussing. Disassembling the figure in order to showcase the gimmick is very similar to that of both the Geats and Shinkocchou Seihou Den-O figures, and involves first removing the head so that Orange armour can be lifted off of the body. From there the upper torso pieces of the body can be unclipped if needed, and then the head disassembled by removing both the faceplate, visor and backpiece. It seems daunting but is actually really straightforward and user-friendly, with the only tricky bit being prying away the visor from the head. It'll be a lot more fun with more armours to play around with, but even with out them it's wonderful that you can make a proper "blank form" Gaim figure just by removing all the Orange Arms-related parts. Other than the armour not being able to properly fold up into an orange it's all very reminiscent of the Arms Change figures, but with the added articulation and detailing of an S.H. Figuarts release.
When S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Gaim was first announced my initial reaction was "why?". Short of the series celebrating its tenth anniversary and implementing the Arms Change gimmick, it was hard to see how much Bandai could improve on what are still some of the best Kamen Rider Figuarts they've put out. And while there are still plenty of other Riders in dire need of an update more than Gaim, Bandai definitely made those improvements. Side by side you can see how much better the proportions and sculpting are, and that Arms Change gimmick is a hell of a lot of fun even if you're just giving Gaim a blank Rider form. The leap in quality might not be as significant as it usually is, but this is still the same Shinkocchou Seihou magic Kamen Rider fans have come to expect.
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