Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Galvatron

Release Date: January 2025

RRP: $54.99/£55.99

Even though the Studio Series 86 line is running out of core Transformers: The Movie characters to feature, there are still some characters that have not appeared in the line itself despite having a recent toy. One such example is Galvatron, who despite being synonymous with the movie has been overlooked by the line until now due to his War For Cybertron: Kingdom toy coming out around the time the line was starting. However Studio Series 86 Galvatron has finally arrived, and while it might not be a brand new figure (ala Ultra Magnus), it does however fill a void that Transformers fans have noted in Galvatron toys for decades.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Valvarad

Release Date: October 2024

RRP: 9900 yen

If there's one thing you can almost be certain of in a modern Kamen Rider series these days, it's that most of the principal characters will become Riders at some point. When Kurogane Spanner was first introduced in Kamen Rider Gotchard as the "masked warrior" Valvarad, it created the surprise dynamic of having a transforming protagonist that wasn't necessarily a Rider. However it didn't take long for Spanner to cast this transformation aside - confronting his dark past and, with the help of a new Driver, evolving into Kamen Rider Valvarad. Released as a Tamashii Web exclusive toward the end of 2024, S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Valvarad rounds off the core trio of Gotchard's Rider roster.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Alien Hipporit

Release Date: May 2025

RRP: 11,000 yen

One of the greatest feelings one can experience as an S.H. Figuarts collector is when a figure revealed at a Tamashii Nations event finally escapes Bandai purgatory and gets an official release date. First revealed all the way back in 2019, S.H. Figuarts Alien Hipporit was never heard or seen from again until the lead up to the 2024 event, when it was announced that he would finally be released in 2025 as a Tamashii Web exclusive. First appearing in episodes 26 and 27 of Ultraman Ace, Alien Hipporit is notable for successfully capturing all five Ultra Brothers as well as even fighting Father of Ultra to a standstill - the latter only securing victory when he tore out his own Colour Timer to revive Ultraman Ace.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Shanks & Monkey D. Luffy -Childhood-

Release Date: March 2025 

RRP: 11,000 Yen

When Bandai Tamashii Nations revealed that they would be going back to the very beginning of the series with the One Piece S.H. Figuarts line, they really meant it. In addition to the first appearance “Romance Dawn” looks of the Straw Hat crew, we’re also going all the way back to when Luffy first dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates with the S.H. Figuarts Shanks & Monkey D Luffy -Childhood- set. This Tamashii Web exclusive release continues to expand the roster beyond that of just the Straw Hats, Red-Haired Shanks being a firm fan favourite and driving force behind the series despite his fleeting appearances overall.

Movie REVIEW: Thunderbolt Fantasy: Sword Seekers -The Finale-

Thunderbolt Fantasy is available to stream on Crunchyroll

All good things must eventually come to an end, and after four series and two movies that time has finally come for Thunderbolt Fantasy. The collaboration between Gen Urobuchi, Nitroplus, Good Smile Company and Taiwanese puppet production company Pili International Media has wowed fans for the past nine years with its mesmerising story and incredible production values, so the idea that this will be the last we ever see of Shāng Bù Huàn, Lǐn Xuě Yā and the gang is a difficult one to accept. Though originally planned for five full-length seasons, Thunderbolt Fantasy: Sword Seekers -The Finale- was instead condensed down into movie format – rounding off all the plot threads that have developed over the last decade in a swift 90 minutes.

Series REVIEW: Chouriki Sentai Ohranger

Despite it being common knowledge that the Super Sentai franchise started in 1975 with Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, that wasn't always considered the case "officially". Legal issues with Ishinomori Productions in 1987 actually saw both Gorenger and its successor JAKQ Dengekitai discounted from the franchise for just under a decade, and it wasn't until 1995 that they finally returned to the Super Sentai banner - making the series for that year a celebration of its 20th anniversary. And that is exactly what Toei did with Chouriki Sentai Ohranger - a series that returns to the franchise's roots with a team of professional soldiers whilst also embracing the evolution it had undergone in the years since. As well as marking the first time "Super Sentai" as a franchise was fully formed, Ohranger is also significant for the introduced of the "Versus Series" crossover movies - Chouriki Sentai Ohranger: Ole vs. Kakuranger beginning an annual tradition that continues on to this day.