Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Ryuki

Release Date: August 2025

RRP: 9900 yen

It doesn't seem like all that long ago that simply having all the Heisei era Kamen Riders in the S.H. Figuarts line was a big achievement (who can forget the agonising wait for Kiva?), but suddenly we're also one step away from having all the Heisei Phase one Riders as part of the S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou line as well. Last year we saw Bandai Tamashii Nations kick off a big multi-Rider series with the release of Kamen Rider Gaim figures, and in 2025 they're doing it all again with the original big multi-Rider series - Kamen Rider Ryuki. S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Ryuki kicks a whole new range off for S.H. Figuarts' premium line, and if you're planning to get them all - you better strap yourself in for an expensive commitment. Ryuki himself is a retail release, but based on Bandai's current release patterns it seems unlikely the others will follow suite.

Kamen Rider Ryuki comes in the standard two-piece Shinkocchou Seihou packaging, with the top half of the box featuring a nice big headshot of Ryuki against a white backdrop. Both longer sides of the lid also sport "Masked Rider Ryuki" in silver foil lettering against a solid black background. On the bottom half/underside of the box you'll find the usual array of images showing the figure off in various poses, along with all the accessories/features it has. Inside, all the parts are spread across two moulded plastic trays - a deeper one for the figure itself, and then a shallower one underneath housing all of the accessories.

As per the "true bone carving" sculpting methods that sets the Shinkocchou Seihou line apart from standard S.H. Figuarts, this version of Kamen Rider Ryuki sports revised and more realistic proportions directly based on Ryuki's suit actor Seiji Takaiwa. Naturally this makes him quite a bit larger than the original Figuarts Ryuki figures, but perfectly scaled with other Shinkocchou Seihous and modern Figuarts Kamen Rider releases. Despite arguably having a simpler design to other Riders from the series Ryuki's suit is still loaded with detail, particularly the helmet which has those signature bulging red Kamen Rider eyes peeking out from behind the grilled mask piece. Above that is the Dragredder crest moulded into the helmet, the silver paint shining on the matte black panel. The solid red body suit features the distinct moulding seen across all of the Ryuki Riders, as well additional material folds here and there to give it an extra sense of realism.

Kamen Rider Ryuki isn't complete without the Dragviser clipped to his left arm, which is included in the box as a separate accessory rather than immediately attached to the figure. Fixing it to the body simply involves removing the silver stud piece on the arm, and then popping the Dragviser into the ball joint socket left in its place. From there, all you need to do is use the designated hand to grab the handle. Granted that doing so means Ryuki basically loses the use of his left hand, but it's essential for that screen-accurate look.

Ryuki's Advent Card Holder can also be removed from its slot in the V-Buckle, and held by the figure in any of its compatible hands. As simple a feature as it may be, this gimmick was absent on the original S.H. Figuarts Ryuki releases so it's great to see it finally implemented here. While there is a blue section printed into the side of the Holder to suggest that there are currently cards stored in it, the cards included separately as accessories cannot be stored within the Holder itself.

While the Shinkocchou Seihou line has maintained an extremely high standard of articulation since its inception, the most notable releases are always the ones that implement something new to push the limits of these figures even further. Ryuki is one such figure, with Bandai proudly promoting new engineered ankle articulation in the lead up to its release. Altogether the figure features;

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

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles

- Double hinge elbows

- Double hinge (with an added swivel cut) knees

- Single hinge toe sections

- Bicep, forearm and thigh swivels

While the basic design of the ankle joints hasn't changed, Ryuki's feature a larger hinge for a much greater bend - to the point where they can almost curl completely up to meet with the shins. Together with the sidewards tilt and and the surprise swivel also engineered into the knees, this gives Ryuki some incredible lower leg articulation - perfect for pulling off his signature Final Vent/Rider Kick pose without any difficulty whatsoever. Those may be the highlights, but the rest of the body is also very impressive when it comes to poseability - meeting that high Shinkocchou Seihou standard easily. Even the raised shoulder guards don't really offer much restriction thanks to the versatility of the joints. Collectors will often talk about learning curves figures have when it comes to getting figures into the most realistic poses, but everything with Ryuki just comes naturally.

This Ryuki sadly may not have a Dragredder packaged alongside him, but that doesn't mean he isn't short of accessories. To start with the figure comes with the aforementioned Dragviser, ten additional hands, the Dragsaber and the Dragclaw. Rather than be five matching sets the hands are weighted more towards Ryuki's right hand, which makes sense as the left spends most of the time gripping the Dragviser. That said, there are a couple of alternate left ones thrown in for good measure. The Dragsaber is very nicely detailed and painted, with a removal pommel at the bottom so it can be slid into the hand(s) easier. However of the weapons of course the Dragclaw is the highlight, because who wouldn't love a dragon head arm that can shoot fireballs? The Dragclaw is beautifully realised with metallic red paint, and fits onto the figure in place of a right hand. Once attached the Dragclaw features a ball jointed neck and opening jaw, but sadly no effect parts for the fireballs. 

And of course no Kamen Rider Ryuki release would be complete without some Advent Cards thrown in, of which Ryuki himself includes five. As with the cards included with Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Decade, these are all initially attached to a larger sheet and need to be punched out for use. The cards included are the Dragredder Advent card, Sword Vent, Strike Vent, Guard Vent and Final Vent. Despite their diminutive size, the printing on the cards in clear enough that you can easily distinguish which is which. The cards also feature printing on both sides, and so all feature the same generic Advent Deck printing on the back. Once punched out the cards can be held either in the two designated hands, or slotted into the socket on the Dragviser (the instructions denote a slot which can be pulled out at the back, but this is quite fiddly to do). They may be small and easy to lose, but they definitely help complete the look of any Ryuki Rider.

Finally Shinkocchou Seihou Ryuki also introduces a brand new gimmick to the line - alternate head sculpt parts to give the figure light-piped eyes. Granted this is something that's been used in various figure lines for decades, but it's the first time (to my knowledge at least) that S.H. Figuarts have ever tried such a thing. Swapping the parts requires first splitting the mask piece in two (this is far easier than it sounds), replacing the internal silver piece with the alternate clear one, and then also replacing the black back piece with the alternate one. This alternate one has a small clear plastic window at the top, allowing the light to shine through and make those eyes glow red through the grilled visor. While nowhere near as elegant as the light-up heads third party companies have been offering for Kamen Rider figures for some years now, it's a more inexpensive effort that still works pretty well as both an alternative and an additional feature for the figure. Given its simplicity I would not be surprised if we start seeing it used a lot more on S.H. Figuarts releases going forwards.

There almost comes a point when reviewing this line that you want a figure to have some noticeable flaw just so you have something different to talk about, but S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Ryuki isn't one of those times. Yes there is definitely an argument to be had about how the original release came with Dragredder and this version has it bundled away as a Tamashii web exclusive, but then again Bandai's greed never ceases to amaze. While it might feel like you're getting less bang for your buck here, there is still plenty to love about Shinkocchou Seihou Ryuki that lets it stand firmly on its own without the addition of Dragredder. The improved sculpting/proportions and newly reworked articulation make the figure among a new gold standard for the line, but it's not like it isn't short of accessories either. With over 13 Riders (plus alternate forms and Contract Monsters) to choose from, Bandai are almost certainly going to milk the Ryuki range dry - I hope your wallets are ready.