Toybox REVIEW: THE GATTAI DX Bravern

Release Date: January 2025

RRP: 16,800 yen

Brave Bang Bravern! was quite the surprise hit last year, luring anime fans in with what seemed like a fairly run-of-the-mill real robot show and then instead dropping a love letter to the Super Robot genre full of over the top action and hot-blooded romance between men. That said, with Masami Ōbari involved perhaps it didn't come as a complete surprise to everyone. With the series airing back at the beginning of 2024 the wait for merchandise has felt like an eternity, and nearly a year later Good Smile Company are the first to come out swinging with THE GATTAI DX Bravern - the latest release in their ever-growing high-end mecha line.

Movie REVIEW: Fuuto PI: The Portrait of Kamen Rider Skull

The announcement of a Fuuto PI anime series felt like a huge moment for the Kamen Rider franchise, particularly as its worldwide simulcast would allow the series to have a far wider reach than any others had previously. But although the sequel to 2009's Kamen Rider W certainly delivered in terms of story and spectacle, the 12-episode series barely scratched the surface of the manga it was adapted from. However despite a few years of silence it seems the story of the half-and-half detectives isn't quite over yet, as return once more in Fuuto PI: The Portrait of Kamen Rider Skull. Adapting the "Portrait of S" arc from the manga, the feature film looks back at the origins of Kamen Rider Double as well as Shotaro's mentor Sokichi Narumi. Once again animated by Studio Kai, the film also serves as the 2024 "Winter movie" for the franchise - unexpectedly taking the place of a Gavv and Gotchard crossover.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Springer

Release Date: May 2024

RRP: $54.99/£55.99

So far the Studio Series 86 line has provided us with four great years of Transformers: The Movie figures, but with most of the cast now covered it's definitely beginning to wind down a bit as the franchise moves on to other things. While there's still plenty to look forward to in 2025-26 (the Constructicons especially), pretty much all of the key characters are present and accounted for. For example the release of Studio Series 86 Springer finally saw the main group of Autobots rounded off entirely within the line itself, even though some of the characters had previously appeared in the War for Cybertron trilogy lines. Springer is a retooled version of the War for Cybertron: Siege figure previously released in 2019, somewhat controversially upgraded from a voyager class figure into a retooled leader class release in the same manner as Coronation Starscream. 

Special REVIEW: The Dark Revelation: Lachesis

Kamen Rider Gotchard is a series that certainly isn’t short of backstory. Between the creation of the Chemies, Glion’s relationship with Fuga Kudo and experiments with dark alchemy as well as the formation and students of the Alchemy Academy, it has plenty of potential for spin-off material for long after the series has come to an end. But a good place to start is with fan favourite characters, and when they’re also villains you’ve got the perfect recipe for a Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club special. The Dark Revelation: Lachesis is an exploration into the origins of the youngest of the Three Dark Sisters, receiving a limited theatrical release in Japan before arriving on the streaming platform at the beginning of April 2025.

Anime REVIEW: The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World

The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World is available to stream on Crunchyroll

There has been a steady increase in tokusatsu-inspired/adjacent superhero anime series in recent years, not just thanks to the likes of the Gridman and GARO anime adapations or Fuuto PI, but also manga adaptations like Love After World Domination, Miss Kuroitsu From the Monster Development Department and Go! Go! Loser Ranger!. Based on the number of series released each season, the popularity of Isekai-themed anime hasn't waned in the past few years either. So the two coming together in the lengthily titled (this is an Isekai series after all) The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World should pretty much be a match made in heaven. Animated by Satelight (the studio behind Symphogear as well as later instalments of the Macross franchise), the 12-episode series is an adaptation of the manga series of the same name by Koyoshi Nakayoshi - which began publication in 2020 and is currently still ongoing.

Series REVIEW: Choukou Senshi Changéríon

After a successful collaboration with Mechanical Violator Hakaider in 1995, SEGA Enterprises looked to work with Toei once more on a second tokusatsu project. Though the initial plan was to produce a Hakaider TV series, it was soon decided that the project instead would be a wholly original one-off superhero series - Toei's first since Kyodai Ken Byclosser back in 1985. Producer Susamu Yoshikawa and effects company Rainbow Zokei Planning, looking to work with new costume materials, put forth the idea of a transparent hero, and Yasushi Shinohara was brought on as character designer. With a team that included main director Takao Nagaishi (a regular on Super Sentai between Changeman and GoGoFive), action director Kazuo Sagawa and writer Toshiki Inoue (at the time best known among tokusatsu fans for his work on Chojin Sentai Jetman as well as various other Super Sentai series), the result was Choukou Senshi Changéríon ("Super Light Warrior Changéríon" or simply "Changerion"). Starring a young Takashi Hagino (who would famously go on to play Takeshi Asakura/Kamen Rider Ouja in Kamen Rider Ryuki) in the title role, Changerion aired from April to December 1996 - initially proposed for a full 52 episodes before being cut short to 39 due to low ratings.

Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Dino Thunder Black Ranger

Release Date: June 2023

RRP: $24.99/£24.99

Even as the Power Rangers Lightning Collection bowed out (at least for the foreseeable future anyway) after 15 main waves and countless sets/exclusives, it still continued to throw out a few last-minute surprises. But it also made sure to finish a few more teams nearing completion on its way out, including Power Rangers Dino Thunder. With the team spread across four years it was a bit of wait, but Hasbro definitely chose a good one to finish on. The Lighting Collection Dino Thunder Black Ranger is the final member of the team to be released, and is the final ranger form of legendary hero Tommy Oliver – now a palaeontologist and mentor a new team of rangers.

Toybox REVIEW: Star Wars Black Series Clone Commander Cody (Revenge of the Sith)

Release Date: March 2025

RRP: $24.99/£24.99

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge on the Sith, and of course Hasbro are getting in on the celebration. In addition to some much-needed updates to characters via new sculpts and/or revised paint jobs, this new selection of Black Series figures have also been given the retro packaging treatment – matching that of the original 3.75" figures released all those years ago. Among the range is an all-new Black Series Clone Commander Cody, finally updating one of the most iconic clone troopers with an all new sculpt, removable helmet and movie-specific accessories.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Gridman

Release Date: January 2025

RRP: 11,000 yen

Although for the majority of its lifespan the S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou line has remained fairly Kamen Rider-exclusive, the last couple of years particularly have seen it branch out into a number of other tokusatsu franchises. First there was a brief foray into GARO, eventually followed by the line expanding into both Ultraman and Super Sentai. 2025 is set to see the line expand even more – most surprisingly with Wingman later in the year, but first with something else Ultra-adjacent. S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Gridman sees the Hyper Agent make his long-awaited return to a Bandai Tamashii Nations line – his first since his Ultra-Act figure all the way back in 2012. The figure is a Tamashii web exclusive, adding to the renaissance of Gridman merchandise there's been since the release of the anime series SSSS.Gridman and its subsequent sequels/spin-offs. This figure is of course based on his appearance in the original 1993 series, later adapted in the West as Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider Gotchard: Graduations

Do Kamen Rider series really ever end, or do they simply enter a new chapter of their lives? Such a thing could definitely be said about Kamen Rider Gotchard's V-Cinext movie, which sees the cast graduate from their highschool days and takes their first steps into adulthood. Despite Toei opting to skip over the usual Winter crossover movie for Kamen Rider Gavv's tenure, Gotchard still receives its epilogue with Kamen Rider Gotchard: Graduations. Written by Gotchard Hyper Battle DVD writer Takahito Oonishi (with supervision from series co-head writer Hiroki Uchida) and directed by Kyohei Yamaguchi, the story picks up around six months after the events of the series.

Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Dino Thunder Yellow Ranger

Release Date: December 2022

RRP: $24.99/£24.99 

The Lightning Collection may be as good as dead by this point, but despite all the QC woes it will at least go down as the most varied and arguably best Power Rangers figure line collectors have ever gotten (and potentially will ever get). Though there were a number of teams sadly left untouched during the line's four-year run, some however were lucky enough to be completed – one such example being fan favourite Power Rangers Dino Thunder. The Lightning Collection Dino Thunder Yellow Ranger joined the line as part of its 12th retail wave at the end of 2022, completing the core trio of heroes despite being the fourth in the series to be released by Hasbro.

Toybox REVIEW: NECA Ultimate Chucky (Holiday Edition)

Release Date: September 2024

RRP: $34.99/£34.99

With Cult of Chucky and then the subsequent Chucky television series establishing that there can be as many Chuckys as there are Good Guy dolls and that many of these Chuckys can also look slightly different, personally I feel like NECA aren't releasing enough figures of the iconic killer doll. That said, their output is hardly something to scoff at either, releasing their NECA Ultimate Chucky (Holiday Edition) figure just in time for Christmas 2024. This is their fourth Chucky figure in the "Ultimate" range, and second to be based on his appearance in the TV show.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Ultradad [Ultraman: Rising]

Release Date: January 2025

RRP: 8250 yen

Ultraman: Rising proved to be quite the surprise hit last year, telling a heartfelt story about parenthood all through the lens of one of Japan's most iconic superheroes. Although both critical and fan reception was pretty positive, for now it seems Netflix aren't all that interested in exploring a potential sequel. It's a massive shame because it feels like there's still so much left unresolved, but unfortunately this is the way many things seem to go these days. That said, at the very least Bandai Tamashii Nations are still showing it the love it deserves - with a number of S.H. Figuarts releases coming in 2025 off the heels of their Ultraman & Emi release last year. The first of these is S.H. Figuarts Ultradad [Ultraman: Rising], the true form of Ken's father Professor Hayao Sato. Though retired, Sato adopts this form once more at the end of the series to assist his son in the battle against Mecha Gigantron and the KDF. Ultradad is a Tamashii web exclusive release.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Portgas D. Ace -Fire Fist-

Release Date: January 2025

RRP: 9900 yen

While the rebooted One Piece S.H. Figuarts line has gone far beyond what it originally did 15 years ago in terms of character selection, it's undeniable that all of the characters it covered back then could also do with a bit of an update. With the 25th anniversary of the One Piece anime prompting Bandai Tamashii Nations to go back and produce the cast from those early episodes, now seems like the perfect time to go back and redo another fan favourite. Jumping a little forward from the "Romance Dawn" era the line is currently covering, S.H. Figuarts Portgas D. Ace -Fire Fist- marks the first figure from the Alabasta Saga – in which Luffy reunited with his sworn blood brother as they journeyed to liberate Vivi's homeland. This new version of Ace is also the first Tamashii web exclusive from this pre-time skip range of One Piece figures, with plenty more surely to come in due time.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts C-3PO -Classic Ver- (Star Wars: A New Hope)

Release Date: November 2024

RRP: 9900 yen

While Bandai Tamashii Nations could never dream of properly covering the Star Wars universe, there's still plenty of obvious candidates for S.H. Figuarts out there that they've never even touched. Nevertheless it's clear that they like to keep things both simple and classic - returning once again to Star Wars: A New Hope for a series of "classic ver" releases that revitalise some of their older releases with more screen-accurate paint jobs. S.H. Figuarts C-3PO -Classic Ver- (Star Wars: A New Hope) is particularly notable in this regard, finally returning the iconic Protocol Droid to his shiny greatness.

Anime REVIEW: Dragon Ball DAIMA

Dragon Ball DAIMA is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix

On March 1st 2024 the world was shook by the passing of Akira Toriyama, a manga legend best known for the Dragon Ball series and Dr. Slump but also as an iconic character designer who worked on video games such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. His death came just months away from the release of Dragon Ball DAIMA - a brand new instalment in the franchise that was written by Toriyama himself. It's a much sadder world without him, but this is one final gift from the man himself. Unlike previous Dragon Ball series, DAIMA tells a single story rather than multiple arcs, and at a mere 20 episodes is the shortest by some margin. The series ran from October 11th 2024 to February 28th 2025 - rather fittingly concluding the day before the first anniversary of Toriyama's passing.

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Spider-Man Unlimited

Release Date: February 2025

RRP: $24.99/£24.99

To its credit, the Marvel Legends line does a pretty great job of releasing a wide range of characters. But if there's one thing Hasbro love it's variants, and between both Iron Man and Spider-Man alone they certainly aren't in short supply. But every so often a costume variant will come out that's particularly special, and for many collectors Marvel Legends Spider-Man Unlimited is one such example. Based on the costume from the 1999 series of the same name, Spider-Man Unlimited sees Spidey don a nanotech-enhanced suit as he travels to the parallel Counter-Earth - battling the forces of the High Evolutionary as well as the combined strength of Venom and Carnage.

Series REVIEW: Thunderbolt Fantasy: Sword Seekers 4

Thunderbolt Fantasy is available in streaming form on Crunchyroll

With the long-awaited arrival of Thunderbolt Fantasy's fourth season, it's also a sad reminder that all good things eventually come to an end. After four seasons and two movies spanning across nearly ten years, the latest instalment in the epic fantasy puppet saga from writer Gen Urobuchi, Nitroplus, Good Smile Company and Taiwanese puppet production company Pili International Media signals that end is near. Despite originally being billed for five series, Thunderbolt Fantasy: Sword Seekers 4 will now be its last -with the story then finally concluded with a third film released in Japan at the end of February 2025. But for now, it's time to revel in another 12 episodes of the adventures of Shāng Bù Huàn, picking up after the events of 2021's third season.

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.

First Impressions: No.1 Sentai Gozyuger

Although both Kamen Rider and Ultraman may have celebrated their 50th anniversaries a few years ago, in terms of overall achievement neither are quite as impressive as Super Sentai finally reaching that milestone. Of the three, it is the only franchise to have run consistently without any significant breaks since the premiere of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger on April 5th 1975. While previously Super Sentai has celebrated its anniversaries by series number rather than year (Gorenger's run having spanned across two years), 2025 will now see that change. Despite being the 49th instalment in the franchise, No.1 Sentai Gozyuger slots in rather nicely as the 50th Super Sentai team thanks to the two-team gimmick of Lupinranger vs Patranger. The series is written by Akiko Inoue (daughter of tokusatsu legend Toshiki Inoue) in her Sentai debut, with veteran Ryuta Tasaki on board as the main director.

Series REVIEW: Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger

As it rapidly approaches its 50th anniversary, the Super Sentai franchise has gotten a little more experimental in recent years. However both its longevity and success can at least be partly attributed to that instantly recognisable Sentai formula, and after the grandiose narrative of the VFX-laden Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger something a little more familiar definitely feels appropriate. Once more returning to the ever-popular car/vehicle theme, Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger is the 48th entry in the franchise - the team name being a play on the Japanese onomatopoeia "bunbun", the sound an engine makes when revving. Making his Super Sentai debut is screenwriter Atsuhiro Tomioka, who served as head writer on the series alongside Shojiro Nakazawa, Jun Watanabe and Hiroshi Butsuda as director, action director and SFX director respectively.

 

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #19 Set

Release Date: December 2024

RRP: £21.99

Nearly five years on from when they first debuted and the History of the Daleks range is still trucking on, and in the last few releases has finally stepped out of the classic era of Doctor Who and entered the modern era. Sadly the numbering is a bit all over the place now though, with last year's poorly-named History of the Daleks #16/#17 covering both Dalek and jumping ahead to Doomsday (while set #18 went all the way back to Resurrection of the Daleks). The finale of series one and the Ninth Doctor era hasn't been forgotten though, with Character Options circling back to The Parting of the Ways with History of the Daleks #19. This B&M Stores exclusive two-pack was released as part of the final assortment for 2024, containing both an Imperial Guard Dalek and a standard bronze Dalek.

Toybox REVIEW: JoyToy TMNT Donatello

Release Date: October 2024

RRP: $39.99

Originally founded in 2015, Chinese company JoyToy have been making for themselves across the globe in the last few years with their very impressive (and continually growing) selection of Warhammer 40,000 figures. In 2024 they began to expand their repertoire with another big-name franchise that it seems every toy company wants a piece of these days – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Naturally JoyToy TMNT Donatello was one of the first figures to be released in the range alongside his brothers, but in the months since the line has continued to expand to feature villains, supporting characters and plenty more to come!

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Sabo -Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff-

Release Date: January 2025

RRP: 7700 yen

As the One Piece S.H. Figuarts line steadily grows, its success can be seen in the way it's spread across both new releases that correspond with more recent events in the manga/anime and gone all the way back to celebrate its beginnings for the show's 25th anniversary. Not to mention the fact that Bandai Tamashii Nations are taking their sweet time releasing all the Straw Hats, which hopefully suggests long-term plans rather them never getting there before the line fizzles out. In the meantime though there's still plenty to offer in regards to the supporting characters, with S.H. Figuarts Sabo -Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff- the latest to join the range – somewhat surprisingly as a retail release figure.

Anime REVIEW: Shinkalion: Change the World

Not to stop a winning combination whilst the going is good, TakaraTomy's Shinkalion franchise returned in 2024 for its third outing following a two-year break. However rather further the story that started out 2018-19's Shinkansen Robo Henkei Shinkalion and continued on into its 2021-22 sequel Shinkansen Robo Henkei Shinkalion Z, this time around it's a whole new continuity. Running for a total of 39 episodes (plus  three specials/recap episodes), Shinkalion: Change the World also brought along a number of other changes - dropping the "Shinkansen Robo Henkei" branding as well as Production I.G. and Signal.MD taking over animation duties from OLM. The series was also available to watch worldwide via the official Shinkalion YouTube channel, albeit without subtitles and most episodes only being made available their original week of airing.

Miniseries REVIEW: Kamen Rider Outsiders

Over the years the Kamen Rider franchise has evolved in many different ways, and one of the more noticeable changes throughout the Heisei and Reiwa eras has been a shift towards having Riders themselves as principle villains in the series rather than standard monsters. This has created quite the range of villainous Riders, many of which have now come together in what is arguably the Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club's biggest project yet - Kamen Rider Outsiders. Beginning its story with a prologue episode in 2022 before releasing a further seven in intervals across 2023 and 2024, writer Yuya Takahashi brings together his three main series (Ex-Aid, Zero-One and Geats), along with characters and threads from several other Kamen Rider shows in this grand-scale story.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader -Classic Ver- (Star Wars: A New Hope)

Release Date: October 2024

RRP: 8800 yen

While the Star Wars S.H. Figuarts line has spread across a number of different films and shows, it seems Bandai Tamashii Nations will always come back to the film that started it all. 2024 saw them announce a new range of "Classic Ver" releases - reissuing a number of characters from the original film with updated paint jobs to make them more screen accurate. The rather lengthily titled S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader -Classic Ver- (Star Wars: A New Hope) was among the first of these releases, and the fifth rendition of the iconic Sith Lord in the S.H. Figuarts line. At this point, Bandai have now done two versions of Vader from A New Hope and two from Return of the Jedi, but still nothing at all from The Empire Strikes Back. Given how long the line has been going for now it really is beginning to feel like Bandai have something against that film...

Series REVIEW: Space Sheriff Gavan

By the beginning of the 1980s, the Henshin Hero boom was over and many studios had already stopped producing live-action series about costumed superheroes. Ultraman had just entered a long hiatus following the conclusion of Ultraman 80, and even Kamen Rider had disappeared from television screens again after a brief revival with Skyrider and Super-1. Although Super Sentai remained a steady constant, Toei looked to create an all-new hero that would revive their tokusatsu productions. Inspired by artwork from toy designer Katsuhshi Murakami (who would later handle the overall design for the show) that depicted a lone metallic, sword-wielding hero, the plan was simple - create a hero that would be able to surpass even Kamen Rider. Spearheaded by tokusatsu veteran Shozo Uehara and starring stuntman Kenji Ohba (who had previously appeared in both Battle Fever J and Denshi Sentai Denjiman, as well as a longtime Toei stunt performer) in his first starring role, the end result was Space Sheriff Gavan - the first entry in the Space Sheriff trilogy as well as the wider Metal Heroes franchise. Gavan ran for a total of 44 episodes between 1982 and 1983, introducing Japanese audiences to an all-new kind of hero.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Arc

Although its move towards global takeover has been happening for some time now, 2024 proved a be a particularly big year for the Ultraman franchise. The animated movie Ultraman: Rising arrived on Netflix to critical acclaim, the Marvel Comics series returned in a big way with Ultraman x Avengers and of course a brand new mainline series debuted - once again available worldwide on the ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL YouTube channel with multi-language subtitles and an English dub. Ultraman Arc invites viewers to unleash the power of their imagination, written by Jun Tsugita and directed by Takanori Tsujimoto - both making their debut as head screenwriter and main director respectively though previously contributors to Ultraman throughout the New Generation era. 

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Monkey D. Luffy -Gear 5-

Release Date: April 2024

RRP: 9900 yen

The introduction of Luffy's Gear 5 form in the One Piece anime series was undoubtedly one of the biggest anime moments of 2023, with even those not well-versed in the decades-spanning series unable to escape the internet hype that surrounded its debut. Said popularity quickly spread to merchandising as well, with Bandai Tamashii Nations fairly quick off the mark to add it to the now steadily-growing range of S.H. Figuarts. S.H. Figuarts Monkey D. Luffy -Gear 5- even proved so popular that Bandai chose to reissue it the same year it was released - with a second shipment of the retail release figure coming into November 2024 following its initial April release.

Series REVIEW: Wingman

With the tokusatsu scene largely dominated by the big name franchises it's always good to see something else come along for fans to sink their teeth into on top of that, and in the case of this late-entry 2024 series it's a particular love-letter to both the medium and superheroes in general. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Masakazu Katsura's manga series Wingman, Toei Video joined forces with TV Tokyo and DMM TV to produce a ten-episode live-action adaptation - something that feels long overdue for a series so obviously inspired by the heroes we all know and love. This is the second onscreen adaptation Wingman has received (following a 47-episode anime series back in 1984), and stars Maito Fujioka (son of original Kamen Rider actor Hiroshi Fujioka and the young Hongo Takeshi in Kamen Rider: Beyond Generations) in the lead role.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1/Takeshi Hongo (Kamen Rider: The Next)

Release Date: December 2024

RRP: 9900 yen

In 2024 Bandai Tamashii Nations began a countdown to their 100th Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou figure, with fans all over the world speculating on what this milestone release could be. The reveal itself was one many had considered, but perhaps never thought would be reality. All the way back in February 2008 the S.H. Figuarts line began, and now its very first figure has been reborn in Figuarts' premium "true bone carving" range. S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1/Takeshi Hongo (The Next) breathes new life into a figure that has been long forgotten by many, despite being the foundation for everything the line has done since. If that's not the perfect reason to make it the 100th Kamen Rider release, then I don't know what is. A Tamashii web exclusive release, the lead Rider from 2007's Kamen Rider: The Next is a new twist on a classic in a number of ways.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Bun Red

Release Date: October 2024

RRP: 8250 yen

Once upon a time the return of Super Sentai S.H. Figuarts seemed like a pipe dream, but now that we're four years into new releases on both the mainline and Shinkocchou Seihou side of things its fair to say they're back with a vengeance. At the time of writing, S.H. Figuarts Bun Red may be the only confirmed release from Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger (however there's been plenty more showcased when it comes to vehicle-themed Sentai), but Bandai Tamashii Nations simply continuing what they've started and getting the leader from the latest series out while said series is still airing is still more than a lot of fans ever expected to be getting.

Movie REVIEW: Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger GekijoBoon! Promise the Circuit

As the Super Sentai rapidly approaches its 50th anniversary we've seen the format played around with a bit in recent shows, but there are some traditions that just seem to be set in stone. One such example is the Toei's annual Summer movie double bill, in which Super Sentai usually draws the short straw compared to the longer and more elaborate Kamen Rider offering. 2024 is no exception, as Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger GekijoBoon! Promise the Circuit screened alongside Kamen Rider Gotchard: The Future Daybreak. The first big-screen outing for the 48th Super Sentai series (but now officially 49th team), the film was written by series show runner Atsuhiro Tomioka and directed by main director Shojiro Nakazawa.

Movie REVIEW: Ultraman Blazar the Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown

While the Ultraman franchise has carved out a clear plan for worldwide exposure over the past few years, there were times where it ran the risk of being a little too predictable for longtime fans. Then following a string of series where paying tribute to the past seemed to be a primary factor (whether it be the gimmicks and continuity of the New Generation Heroes or the "reimagining" approach of Trigger and Decker), Ultraman Blazar came along and tore up the playbook - featuring a fresh take on its hero that wasn't quite as tied to the show's history. And though its now firm tradition for an Ultraman series to end with a big screen movie adventure, Ultraman Blazar the Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown is similarly unfazed by its predecessors. Though released in Japan back in February 2024, unlike other recent Ultraman movies this was not made available worldwide through Ultraman Connection - with English-speaking fans having to wait for the recent complete series blu-ray release from Mill Creek Entertainment for it's official subtitled (and dubbed) release.