Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Gavv Poppingummy Form

Release Date: January 2025

RRP: 4950 yen

Things are looking a little sweeter for Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts this year as Kamen Rider Gavv takes over the main series slot, with a number of exciting releases already planned for 2025. As usual though the range always needs to start at the very beginning, and as a January release S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Gavv Poppingummy Form is the perfect way to kick off a whole new year of S.H. Figuarts releases. After a brief hiatus with Kamen Rider Gotchard, Gavv Poppingummy also sees Bandai Tamashii Nations return to their tried and tested strategy of a lower price for the titular Rider - luring in new fans and longtime collectors alike with this cheaper figure with the hopes that they'll stick around for the rest of the cast.

Appropriate to its name, S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Gavv Poppingummy form comes packaged in white box decorated with brightly coloured gummy shapes. The front of the box is divided up by a window section showing off the figure along the top, and then in the bottom an image of the figure (posed in the same way as the series' initial reveal poster) alongside the character name and Bandai, Tamashii Nations and Kamen Rider Gavv series logos. Both sides of the box feature the figure name in colourful text backed by solid purple sections, and then on the back are further images showing the figure off in various poses. Also included is a preview of the forthcoming S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Valen Chocodon figure, which is due for release in July as a Tamashii web exclusive. Open the box up and both the figure and its small array of accessories can be found on a moulded plastic tray, with instructions on its features printed on the inside flaps of the box.

In terms of general silhouette Poppingummy may look like a fairly basic Kamen Rider form, but here it's undoubtedly the colours and detailing that make truly make the design pop. Unlike the more basic kid-orientated Gavv figures released following the show's premiere the S.H. Figuarts version uses transparent plastic on the armour segments to give it that gummy look, as well as further highlight that blue/purple/yellow colouring that runs throughout. This is also true of the helmet design, which features flat yellow compounds eyes on a purple face with blue border. The overall effect is fantastic, making Poppingummy a form that genuinely looks good enough to eat. That said when handling the figure it's slightly disappointing to see that Bandai didn't take the on-screen quirks of the form into account, such as the gummy pieces being able to break off the body as the armour gets damaged. It's most likely a case of the toy designers not knowing this was a feature of the form when it initially went into production, but nevertheless it would have been nice to see this incorporated into the figure somehow. Underneath that armour is a bodysuit that's a combination of matte black and shiny silver - two colours which compliment the gummy elements really well. The main bit of solid colouring that breaks up the flow of the suit comes from the red Gavv Belt, which is very nicely moulded/detailed to look as screen accurate as possible.

The Henshin Belt Gavv (or "Red Gavv" as it's more commonly referred to in the series) features a hinged upper jaw (Red Jaw) and rotating handle (Gavvdle), and then pegged inside is a tiny activated Poppingummy Gochizo - complete with waving arms and open mouth. An inactive version is also stored in the Gochizo Holder on the side of the belt, which can be held by the figure as well as placed inside the Red Gavv (albeit precariously as it doesn't peg in like the active version). Both Gochizos are moulded in translucent lilac plastic and lack any sort of paint or sticker work, instead only having a very simplified version of the face moulded on. It's a little disappointing given that Tamashii Nations have given smaller gimmick items more detail in the past, but then again it's not the first time they've done this either - in fact it's especially prevalent on mainline Riders that have this lower price point. There are almost certainly third party companies out there already working on stickers for this (or any other Gochizo released in the future) so it isn't like collectors aren't without options, but it would be nice if Bandai would go back to putting a little more colour and effort into these accessories.

But no matter the price you can almost always rely on S.H. Figuarts having excellent articulation, the main Kamen Rider range having particularly evolved to a point where it doesn't feel like that much of a step down from the Shinkocchou Seihou figures. Altogether Gavv features;

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

- Swivel hinge shoulders and ankles

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Drop-down swivel hinge hips

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- Single hinge toe sections

- Bicep and thigh swivels

As usual the shoulder pads are connected via ball joints to give them some independent mobility when posing the arms, but interestingly here the joints are plugged into the back piece of the armour rather that in the general shoulder area. It doesn't really affect movement all that much and the arms still move (and are as limited) just as you'd expect them to be. Another area that feels slightly more restricted is the torso, because despite the body offering a pretty good ab crunch the bend is quickly obstructed by the torso armour clashing with the belt though. Overall though it's still a great example of what the S.H. Figuarts line has to offer, and more than enough to pull off all the core Poppingummy Form poses. The signature crouch pose looks particularly good thanks to the extra movement you get from the drop-down hips, combined with the balance offered by that great ankle tilt movement.

And just in case you had forgotten what the biggest drawback to these cheaper main Rider releases was, in addition to those two previously mentioned Gochizo all Gavv comes packaged with are five alternate hands. The hand selection is however a little curiouser than normal though, with only two matching pairs (open hands and the default closed fists) among them. The other three are a Gochizo-holding left hand, open right hand with splayed fingers and then finally an additional right hand for turning the Gavv Belt handle. Overall a relatively decent hand selection for getting all the basic poses out of Gavv, but significantly lacking when it comes to weaponry. Anyone who has been collecting Kamen Rider Figuarts for some time won't be surprised to hear that the Gavvgablade will be included with Kamen Rider Valen. Thankfully at this current point in time there aren't any other significant accessories Poppingummy is lacking, but any other Gochizo that might have complimented it will also be included with alternate forms (which are becoming more of a rarity with Figuarts, but we do at the very least know that Caking is coming). Much like the detailing on the Gochizo it should be all that surprising that Gavv doesn't come with his weapon, but at the same time Bandai gave both Saber and Geats theirs along with the lower price point. Yes in both those cases the weapons are essential to the forms, but the point still stands. 

S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Gavv Poppingummy Form is another great release for the line, but admittedly gets more passes than it should thanks to that lower price point. At roughly half the price of your average S.H. Figuarts release its easier to overlook things like the lack of gummy armour gimmick or the unpainted Gochizo, even if they are elements the figure could have realistically had. The missing Gavvgablade is frustrating but unsurprising, but at least it's just the one accessory and not the kind of nonsense Bandai pull annually over in the Ultraman range. Plus Gavv just feels like one of those series where collectors will be picking up Gavv and Valen at the very least. So while not the best "entry level" Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts Bandai have ever done (that title still very much belongs to Geats), Gavv does at the very least feel par for the course.