Toybox REVIEW: Shokugan Modeling Project BullTaurus & Galaxy Decisive Battle Set

Release Date: December 2024

RRP: 8000 yen

2024 was the year Seijuu Sentai Gingaman stormed onto the Shokugan Modeling Project scene, and despite a brief stopover to round off the GoGoFive range with Victory Mars, Bandai made sure to return to the 22nd Super Sentai series to round off the year in suitable fashion. And of course the next obvious port of call is the show’s sixth (or extra depending if you’re going by Gokaiger categorisation) hero Black Knight – or more specifically the Shokugan Modeling Project Beast Combination BullTaurus & Galaxy Decisive Battle Set. This Premium Bandai exclusive release goes a little bit further than simply Black Knight’s Starbeast partner – covering off other aspects seen in both Gingaman and its follow-up crossover movie KyuuKyuu Sentai GoGoFive vs. Gingaman.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Mecha Gigantron [Ultraman: Rising]

Release Date: March 2025

RRP: 22,000 yen

An Ultraman S.H. Figuarts range just doesn't feel complete without a monster or two, and for the most part Bandai Tamashii Nations are quick to deliver. So much so that even Ultraman: Rising has been able to get in on the action, with the third release from last year's film being the biggest yet - S.H. Figuarts Mecha Gigantron [Ultraman: Rising]! After Gigantron is captured by the Kaiju Defence Force, the KDF enslave the monster in mechanical armour - using her to battle Ultraman and reclaim her child. It is only with the combined strength of Ultraman, Emi and Ultradad that they are able to bring the monster back to her senses and fight back against the KDF. A figure that very much lives up the monster's name, Mecha Gigantron is a Tamashii web exclusive release.

Special REVIEW: Kamen Rider Majade with Girls Remix

Amongst the weird and wonderful specials that find their way onto the Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club, Kamen Rider Jeanne & Kamen Rider Aguilera with Girls Remix was a particularly special gem. Celebrating numerous women from across the Kamen Rider universe whether they were Riders or not, the three-part miniseries was exactly the kind of crossover that the streaming service should be investing time into. So it’s extremely pleasing to see that (some of) the gang are back once again for a follow up release – Kamen Rider Majade with Girls Remix. This time simply taking the form of a one-off special, it’s Rinne Kudo taking the spotlight as her story continues beyond Kamen Rider Gotchard: Graduations – bringing with her some new members to the group as well as the established roster.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Roronoa Zoro -Romance Dawn-

Release Date: February 2025

RRP: 7700 yen

The return of One Piece S.H. Figuarts might have been a momentous occasion for fans, but it certainly hasn’t been without its problems. And if you ask collectors, perhaps the biggest of all was the Roronoa Zoro -Raid on Onigashima- figure. With woeful articulation stemming from both poor engineering choices and the use of soft plastic robes, it’s widely considered to be a bit of a disaster. However with Bandai Tamashii Nations returning to the show’s origins in celebration of its 25th anniversary, they’ve got a chance to make up for those mistakes with S.H. Figuarts Roronoa Zoro -Romance Dawn-. A retail release figure, Zoro is the third of the Straw Hats’ original lineup to be released in the line (following on from Luffy and Nami).

Toybox REVIEW: Sentinel Choukou Senshi Changerion

Release Date: October 2022

RRP: 18,000 yen

Bandai may effectively rule the roost when it comes to tokusatsu toys, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other companies out there leaving that stone unturned – particularly when it comes to things Bandai themselves aren’t releasing. While the likes of Evolution Toys are doing interesting things when it comes to lesser-known heroes from the Showa era, one of the more surprising additions from the last few years was the Sentinel Choukou Senshi Changerion figure. With Sentinel perhaps best known amongst collectors for applying their talents to high-end mecha figures, I don’t think anyone saw an articulated action figure of the titular hero from the 1996 series of the same name. Or maybe even a modern Changéríon toy at all for that matter really.

Toybox REVIEW: JoyToy TMNT Shredder

Release Date: November 2024

RRP: $25.99

Even though JoyToy’s Warhammer 40,000 range has been incredibly expansive, when the company revealed they would also be tackling the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1/18 scale fans still probably weren’t prepared for just how many characters they planned to release. Since the release of the main four Turtles the line has successfully dived into the realm of villains and side-characters, naturally starting with their greatest foe – the leader of the Foot Clan himself, the Shredder. JoyToy TMNT Shredder is another interesting release that clearly has design cues from previous iterations of the character, but also a fresh take unique to this toy line.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Monkey D. Luffy -Romance Dawn- Gum Gum Option Parts Set

Release Date: February 2025

RRP: 4950 yen

As great as the recent string of One Piece S.H. Figuarts have been, there's been one complaint among them that just seems to persist - why don't any of the standard Luffy figures come with stretchy arm parts? After all, being a rubber man is the future Pirate King's entire gimmick! It seems Bandai Tamashii Nations were prepared for such a complaint though, and as such have released the S.H. Figuarts Monkey D. Luffy -Romance Dawn- Gum Gum Option Parts Set! This rather extensive accessory pack has been produced with the -Romance Dawn- version of Luffy in mind, but has some parts that are also compatible with the earlier -Raid on Onigashima- version.

Toybox REVIEW: Shokugan Modeling Project Victory Mars

Release Date: October 2024

RRP: 7200 yen

While there are plenty of things to praise Bandai for when it comes to the Shokugan Modeling Project (formerly Super Mini-Pla) line, one thing that should be commended is how thorough it is - particularly when it comes to the Super Sentai range. In the years since it began back in 2017 it's covered a number of different series, and nearly every time it's done the complete mecha line-up. Some things do occasionally fall through the cracks though, and in the last few years it does feel like there's been effort to fix that. First the Kakuranger line finally got its Ninjaman after five years in 2023, and now it's KyuuKyuu Sentai GoGoFive's turn with the release of Shokugan Modeling Project Victory Mars. Last seen with the release of Black Max Victory Robo back at the end of 2020, Victory Mars has been LONG overdue. Comprised of five Mars Machines built for deep space rescue missions, the final mecha in the GoGoFive arsenal was released as a Premium Bandai exclusive.