Finally we reach the end of 2024, and as such its time to look back on the year with a post that's not only become something of a tradition for me but also one of my favourite pieces to write for this site - my top ten favourite toys of the year. As usual the rules are simple - anything I've reviewed for the site which was released in 2024 is eligible, which sadly does discount a lot of reviews from earlier in the year when I was still sifting through my rather extensive (but now depleted) backlog. Honourable mention needs to go to the following toys below, all of which I bought this year but either haven't received or reviewed yet. Whether they would have made the list or not is another question entirely, but it's one we don't know the answer to.
- NECA Ultimate Chucky (TV Series) (Holiday Edition)
- S.H. Figuarts Monkey D. Luffy -Gear 5-
- S.H. Figuarts Bun Red
- S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader (A New Hope) Classic Ver.
- S.H. Figuarts C-3PO (A New Hope) Classic Ver.
- S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1 (The NEXT)
- Shokugan Modeling Project Victory Mars
- Shokugan Modeling Project Bull Taurus
- Transformers Studio Series 86 Springer
So without further ado, onto my top ten favourite toys of 2024!
10. SV-Action Spider-Man Noir
The first entry in this top ten is perhaps less about the figure itself, and more about the satisfaction of finally completing a lineup of figures that feels like it's been years in the making. When MAFEX first launched their Into The Spider-Verse range with Miles Morales back in December 2020 I thought it would only be a matter of time before I had high-end figures of the full cast. Peter B. Parker and Gwen quickly followed, but after that Medicom dropped off and it was up to Sentinel to pick up the slack. Peni & SP//dr came in June 2022, but it wasn't until February this year that they finally dropped their Spider-Man Noir. Sure I could have gone with Marvel Legends in the meantime, but this figure was definitely worth the wait. Sentinel figures aren't cheap (and the jointed coat parts might not be to everyone's tastes), but boy do they get the job done. Even if Bandai's forthcoming S.H. Figuarts version turns out to be better, the way this Noir fits in so well with the MAFEX releases makes it the perfect way to round off the set.
While they might be a little late off the mark with some of their releases, the MAFEX line really knows how to stick it to their competitors when their figures finally do drop. When it comes to collector-grade figures their Mandalorian Ver. 2.0 feels like the definitive article - beating out both S.H. Figuarts and Black Series when it comes to sculpt, proportions, materials, finish and accessories. Again you could argue that it is a little on the expensive side, but when you consider how many different versions of the character Hasbro would have you buy instead it all balances out nicely. I may have bought far less Star Wars figures in 2024 than I have in previous years, but that just makes the ones I have bought stand out all the more.
As I said in the review itself, Shinkocchou Seihou renditions of the Showa era Kamen Riders always turn out to be some of my favourite figures in my collection. Having only released at the end of October Kamen Rider X is a fairly late entry to the list, but once again Bandai Tamashii Nations have provided all the things to make the figure a surefire winner. Between the sculpt, articulation, accessories and of course that wonderful poseable soft goods scarf X is just an all-round fantastic figure that might not break the mould for Shinkocchou Seihous, but meets that high bar in pretty much every area. Best of all is that X's release brings us one step closer to having all seven original Kamen Riders in the Shinkocchou Seihou line, and with Kamen Rider Stronger celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025 it only feels like a matter of time until his release date it confirmed.
2023 may have technically been the year I started watching One Piece, but 2024 is definitely the year it took over a big part of my life. At the current time of writing I'm halfway through the Dressrosa arc so it'll still be some time before I'm finally caught up, but I'm certainly far enough through it to get excited about all these new Figuarts releases. As my favourite member of the Straw Hat crew naturally Nami was going to end up on this list somewhere, and her first S.H. Figuarts release since 2010 was everything I was hoping for. Not only does it perfectly capture Nami's look from the very beginning of the series, but her release so soon after Luffy felt like a promise from Bandai that they were actually going to commit to this range. With Zoro out in March and Usopp and Sanji revealed at Tamashii Nations last month (as well as Ace and Shanks also releasing in the meantime), it looks like the pre-timeskip era of One Piece Figuarts will be around for some time.
Aniplex's BUZZmod line took the top spot last year with their Kamina figure, and given their high quality it doesn't surprise me that they've slipped in again this year with their second Gurren Lagann release. Granted that a new Yoko isn't quite as exciting as Kamina finally getting a poseable figure after all these years, BUZZmod have still managed to put out a figure that far outclasses any other Yokos we've had in the past. It's another particularly expensive toy line, but their knack for producing sculpts that look like they've jumped straight out of the anime just can't be beaten. With the line moving into the likes of Kill la Kill and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners I'm sure it'll continue to go from strength to strength, but I hope this isn't the last time they visit Gurren Lagann as well.
The line formerly known as Super Mini-Pla hasn't appeared on one of my top ten lists for some time now, but that certainly doesn't mean they haven't been putting out banger after banger in the interim. The first Seijuu Sentai Gingaman release saw the line make a few changes in terms of overall presentation (finally packaging retail releases in a single box rather than smaller ones for each component), while the model itself was another triumph of Bandai engineering. How they just keep improving the articulation on these kits, especially on boxy mecha like GingaiOh, I'll never know. GingaiOh has never been one of my favourite Super Sentai mecha, but when a figure starts making you reconsider that then you know it has to be one hell of a release. Now I'm just patiently waiting for SMP Bull Taurus to get here so I can add the Super Armour Shine parts and make it even better.
Ultraman Arc is an interesting one, because while I don't think the figure necessarily does anything better than previous Ultraman releases I am however enamoured with just how much fun it is. Low-priced S.H. Figuarts releases has always felt like something of a double-edged sword given how it usually leads to missing accessories (usually packaged with later web exclusive figures), but with Arc using armour upgrades rather than the standard alternate forms it's helped this base figure feel like a far more complete release. Great poseability and a reasonable accessory count all for the low price of 4400 yen. They say these figures are supposed to act like a gateway drug into the world of S.H. Figuarts, and even though I'm long gone in that respect I'd envy anyone who received Ultraman Arc as their first.
Hasbro have been suspiciously absent in my list of favourite toys from 2024, partially due to their fumbling of the Power Rangers Lightning Collection. However one line they seem to only go from strength to strength with is the G.I. Joe Classified Series, and while it isn't one that I spend a great deal of time with every figure I've bought has been fantastic. Their first Cobra Commander figure just made it into my top ten back in 2020, but their retro offering somehow managed to be even better. If the classic toy/cartoon look wasn't enough to seal the deal, look no further than that gorgeous vac metal/chrome faceplate - such a little detail, but the kind that really elevates a figure. But even putting those individual details aside, the Classified Series really is a cut above any similar line Hasbro has to offer. The fact it's the cheapest figure on the list and still managed to make the number three spot shows that price doesn't always equal best.
The second entry for the Shinkocchou Seihou line in 2024, and a pretty big moment for Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts collectors. While not quite as momentous as Kiva's release back in 2019, the wait for Saga has been similarly painful. And although technically this isn't the same figure that was shown off at a Tamashii Nations event nearly 15 years ago, what we would eventually get is even better. Shinkocchou Seihous are a cut above regular Figuarts anyway, but Kamen Rider Saga truly is a work of art - covered head to toe with the kind of INCREDIBLE detailing that have made the Kiva suits so beloved. As the last of the core Kiva characters to be released in the S.H. Figuarts line, Saga is a particularly special figure and one that I'm sure is topping a lot of collectors' favourite toys lists this year.
In 2024 what was old became new again, as TakaraTomy released their umpteenth G1 Optimus Prime reissue - but this time with a big twist. Reinvigorated with brand new articulation worthy of a toy in 2024, the original 1984 Optimus Prime mould felt like a whole new release. Available in both toy and cartoon accurate flavours, it felt like all sides of the Transformers fandom were being appeased with a figure that felt like a true celebration of the franchise's 40th anniversary. As I have repeatedly said, even if "Missing Link" had only been this one figure rather than the whole line it's become (although can we please have some Decepticon releases Takara?), it would still be perfect. Even if Transformers as a franchise is overly obsessed with G1 far too often these days, Missing Link Convoy is an example of exactly what they should be doing with that obsession. Handling this toy was an absolutely magical experience, and I really hope Takara are able to somehow do the same for Megatron one day.
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And that's a wrap on 2024! As usual I'd like to thank each and every one of you that's taken the time to visit the site and read/comment, whether it's just been for one piece you just so happened to stumble across or if you've been reading for some time. Even though numbers-wise I've posted a lot less this year than I have previously (my lowest number of posts since 2011 apparently), overall I feel like the quality of my writing (and photos) have taken a big step up this year and I hope that will continue into 2025. Speaking of which, now that I've finally review every Kamen Rider series I'm getting into a nice little routine of other tokusatsu reviews - getting back to classic Super Sentai alongside both Ultraman and (at long last) the Metal Heroes franchise as well. But that's enough rambling for now - I hope everyone reading this has a great new year and I'll see you in 2025 for more reviews! What were your favourite toys of 2024? Is there anything else you'd like to see on My Shiny Toy Robots in 2025? Let me know in the comments below!
1 comment:
Always wonderful to see the yearly roundup of toys, a certainly great variety despite the rising prices and difficult production, at least we still got some shining stars. Great read!
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