Series REVIEW: GARO: Sentinel of the East

As the GARO franchise continues to celebrate its 20th anniversary, fans are lucky enough to have two projects representing its two main continuities. Whilst the Saejima family timeline added a new chapter to its story last year with prequel film GARO: Taiga, 2026's offering instead focuses on Ryuga Dougai - continuing his story from when we last saw him in 2024's Heir to the Steel Armor. Though at only eight episodes (plus a prologue episode which quickly recaps Ryuga's story from the very beginning) GARO: Sentinel of the East is one of the shortest entries in the franchise thus far, it does however reunite Ryuga with Rian - the Makai Priestess who first debuted alongside him in The One Who Shines in the Darkness and continued into Gold Storm, Gold Storm -Sho- and Fang of God. As with the previous series, The Eastern Sentinel was made available worldwide via the official GARO YouTube channel with multi-language (albeit AI generated) subtitles.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series Thundercracker

Release Date: January 2026

RRP: $42.99/£34.99

The Seekers are arguably the Transformers' franchise greatest cash cow, and with the ability to repaint/retool the same mould into a dozen different characters rarely does a line go by where they aren't included. Since its debut back in 2020 the War for Cybertron: Earthrise version as been the standard for mainline Transformers, sneaking its way into multiple lines since - including the Studio Series with the Coronation Starscream set. But now a new challenger has finally entered the ring, with Hasbro unveiling an all-new seeker mould with Studio Series Thundercracker. Based on his (brief) appearance in Transformers: The Movie and the preceding seasons of the Generation One cartoon, this is the first of what will certainly be many more Seeker releases in this mould. Is he good enough to justify potentially buying them all over again?

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Rekiness

Release Date: January 2026

RRP: 13,750 yen

Thankfully the fact that most Ultraman series feature a solo hero have never stopped Bandai Tamashii Nations when it comes to character choices for the S.H. Figuarts line - with plenty of alien and kaiju figures to go alongside them. That said, with the Ultra Series placing much more emphasis on legacy characters many of these tend to come from the classic shows, leaving the New Generation era far more underserved outside the Ultras' various forms. With Ultraman Omega featuring kaiju battling alongside the hero himself though, there was no way the line couldn't include at least one of them. S.H. Figuarts Rekiness is the second figure to be released from Omega, and another general retail release.

Anime REVIEW: Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider is available on Crunchyroll

With the release of Fuuto PI back in 2022 there was the fleeting hope that it may result in more Kamen Rider anime series, but while an adaptation of Kamen Rider Spirits is still nowhere to be found in the meantime Liden Films (Cells at Work! CODE BLACK, Tokyo Revengers, Goblin Slayer II) have come along with the next best thing. Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider is a 24-episode adaptation of Yokusaru Shibata's ongoing manga series of the same name, made in cooperation with both Toei and Ishimori Productions - giving it official recognition as a spin-off (of sorts) of the wider franchise. With its release also coinciding with the main show taking its first steps in wider streaming on YouTube, newcomers who discover Kamen Rider through this show also might want to consider checking out current series Kamen Rider Zeztz as their first steps into the wider world of this iconic franchise.

Toybox REVIEW: Chogokin Metal Gear Rex

Release Date: February 2026

RRP: 36,300 yen

Despite Metal Gear Solid being arguably one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, when it comes to figures and merchandising there's a lot of untapped potential. The majority of characters haven't had toys since the games originally released, and when it comes to the Metal Gears themselves the only real options are large/expensive figures like the ThreeA releases (which are even more expensive on the aftermarket) or Kotobukiya's impressive (but requiring a lot of extra work to look screen-accurate) model kits. As such it came as a bit of a surprise when Bandai Tamashii Nations announced their Chogokin Metal Gear Rex seemingly out of nowhere, bringing a new offering of the iconic war machine from the 1998 game to the table. At 36,300 yen (roughly $220/£171) it's still not exactly a cheap option, but as a Chogokin release their Rex should promise a high quality release with plenty of diecast metal. Is this truly the weapon that will lead us into the 21st century?

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Age of the Primes Blast Off

Release Date: January 2026

RRP: $27.99/£24.99

2026 is shaping up to be the year of Bruticus as the “big bad battling” Combaticon combiner bursts his way into the Transformers Age of the Primes line. Collectors were treated with a nice little tease of what’s to come last year with Vortex, but now it’s time for the rest of his teammates to gradually join him over the course of the years. Helping to kick things off is Age of the Primes Blast Off, a Deluxe Class figure who joins Brawl as part of the line’s first assortment of 2026 releases.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Decepticon Frenzy (Red)

Release Date: August 2023

RRP: $11.99/£13.99

Given it's strict focus on the cast of Transformers: The Movie there isn't a lot of opportunity for remoulds/repaints in the Studio Series 86 line, but what few there are Hasbro certainly aren't going to pass up on. And perhaps the most obvious of these was Studio Series 86 Decepticon Frenzy (Red) - Soundwave's second humanoid cassette minion who is of course identical to his brother Rumble. And like Rumble, Frenzy joined the line as one of the handful of smaller Core Class releases.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Age of the Primes Brawl

Release Date: January 2026

RRP: $42.99/£34.99

The release of Transformers Age of the Primes Vortex midway through 2025 was a pleasant surprise, albeit a little bit odd given than none of his fellow Combaticons were anywhere to be seen around this time. But with the range continuing on through 2026 it was only a matter of time, and now Bruticus is truly beginning to take shape as Age of the Primes Brawl joins him. Released alongside Blast Off, Brawl is the first of the two Voyager Class components that make up the Combaticon combiner – something which has been stated by the designers to be required by the leg pieces to enhance stability.

Toybox REVIEW: Revoltech Amazing Yamaguchi Harley Quinn Suicide Squad ISEKAI Ver.

Release Date: January 2026

RRP: 10,000 yen

There are many collectors (myself included) who would count Kaiyodo’s Revoltech line among their first foray into Japanese collector-grade action figures, and whilst many competitors have appeared in the years since it began the line has continued strong – its flagship Amazing Yamaguchi (named after sculptor Katsuhisa Yamaguchi) range covering the likes of Marvel and DC comics, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Evangelion and more. As such a figure like Revoltech Amazing Yamaguchi Harley Quinn Suicide Squad ISEKAI Ver. feels like an obvious choice for the line, but the series getting so little merchandise elsewhere it feels like quite a pleasant surprise. As the name suggests, this version of Harley is based on her appearance in the Suicide Squad ISEKAI anime series – where Task Force X are transported to a fantasy realm of magic and monsters.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider Gavv: Guilty Parfait

Whilst one could argue that Kamen Rider Gavv ended on a fairly satisfying note, there were still plenty of plot threads left open to be explored in future instalments. Something that's been mandatory for Kamen Rider for well over a decade now, as there needs to be something to cover in the obligatory V-Cinext epilogue movie. As also tends to be the standard for these films, Kamen Rider Gavv: Guilty Parfait shines the spotlight on the series' secondary and only (heroic) human Rider - Hanto Karakida, aka Kamen Rider Valen. The one-hour film was written by Gavv's main writer Junko Komura, and directed by Takayuki Shibasaki.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Sanji -Romance Dawn-

Release Date: January 2026

RRP: 7700 yen

Given both the overwhelming popularity of One Piece and how long the S.H. Figuarts line has been going for, it’s amazing (but ultimately not all that surprising) that Bandai Tamashii Nations haven’t given fans a full Straw Hat lineup yet. 2026 is the year all that changes though, with the release of S.H. Figuarts Sanji -Romance Dawn- completing the crew from that initial arc of the story. Sure it may be doing it on a technicality as only half of them were around during that time, but it’s still the closest Bandai have ever got. The Straw Hats’ faithful cook and lover of women everywhere kicks off the 2026 slate of One Piece releases as a general retail figure, and is actually the third release of the character – not only following on from the Raid on Onigashima from 2023 but also an Enies Lobby version released all the way back in 2011.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Char Aznable

Release Date: October 2025

RRP: 9900 yen

There are a lot of characters famous for their time spent in "Bandai Purgatory" (the fabled place prototypes go after being displayed at Bandai Tamashii Nations events and then never seeing subsequent release), but certain figures are particularly legendary - especially when they manage to finally escape. S.H. Figuarts Master Asia is one example that immediately springs to mind, first appearing at an event in 2008 before finally being released in 2014. Kamen Rider Saga is another one - first appearing as a standard S.H. Figuarts in 2011 before being revitalised as a Shinkocchou Seihou in 2024. Then in 2025 another one joined their ranks, and arguably it might be the most significant one of them all. After first being seen at a Tamashii Nations event all the way back in 2014, S.H. Figuarts Char Aznable is finally a reality. With the appearance of more and more Gundam characters in the line the iconic Mobile Suit Gundam antagonist was long overdue, and marks the first release from that original series.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Dracule Mihawk -Hawkeye-

Release Date: December 2025

RRP: 13,200 yen

Whilst the One Piece S.H. Figuarts range is taking its sweet time completing the full Straw Hats line-up, it's nice that Bandai Tamashii Nations are providing a good selection of key side characters from various arcs in the meantime. The initial "Romance Dawn" section of the story has been of particular interest, and the release of S.H. Figuarts Dracule Mihawk -Hawkeye- compliments the current selection rather nicely. Known as the strongest swordsman in the world and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Mihawk first appeared to the Straw Hats during the Baratie Arc. Zoro challenged him to a duel and was swiftly defeated, leading the Straw Hats' first mate to vow that he would never lose in battle again until he became the strongest swordsman. Directly based on his appearance during this arc, Mihawk was released as a Tamashii Web exclusive at the very end of 2025.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series Soundwave (with Buzzsaw, Laserbeak & Ravage)

Release Date: December 2025

RRP: $59.99/£55.99

Transformers: The Movie may have introduced fans to a whole new selection of Autobots and Decepticons, but that doesn't mean that the veteran cast was completely forgotten about. The opening battle on Autobot City in particular was a showcase of previously established characters, earning them a place in the Studio Series "86" line. Among the figures to kick of the 2026 assortment (even if they were technically released at the end of 2025) to celebrate the film's 40th anniversary is Studio Series Soundwave, the Decepticon Communications Officer and one of Megatron's most loyal soldiers. Of course no Soundwave figure would be complete without some of his cassette minions to go with him, and this release has been bumped up to Leader Class status partly thanks to the inclusion of Buzzsaw, Laserbeak and Ravage.

First Impressions: Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity

The age of Super Sentai is over, and so begins the time of Project R.E.D.! Overall details on Toei's newest tokusatsu franchise are still somewhat vague, but what we do currently know about Project R.E.D. (which is an acronym for Records of Extraordinary Dimensions) is that while it will primarily feature red-coloured heroes (no surprise there), the shows themselves won't necessarily follow a specific pattern. It's first entry, Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, is already a pretty good example of this. As the title suggests the series is a reboot of 1982's Space Sheriff Gavan, however it is not explicitly a continuation of the series (in the same way the 2012 movie was) nor is it a relaunch of the Metal Heroes franchise. So just what is Gavan Infinity, and why has a reboot of the iconic Space Sheriff been chosen to spearhead a whole new franchise? We'll just have to watch on to find out! 

Series REVIEW: No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger

50 years is one hell of a milestone to celebrate anyway, but when it comes to tokusatsu it's a particularly monumental achievement for Super Sentai. Ever since Himitsu Sentai Gorenger first began on April 5th 1975, the franchise has carried on almost non-stop all the way up until now - spawning 49 different mainline series, 50 different teams and hundreds of brightly coloured heroes. But it seems all good things really must come to an end, and after several years of experimentation amidst declining profitability it was decided that the 50th anniversary series would also be its last - at least for the time being anyway. And thus the longest consecutively running tokusatsu franchise bows out with No.1 Sentai Gozyuger, a series which aims to celebrate five decades of Super Sentai spirit in its own unique way. The series written by Akiko Inoue (daughter of tokusatsu legend Toshiki Inoue) in her debut as head writer, with Ryuta Tasaki (a veteran of Super Sentai, but most recently the main director of Avataro Sentai Donbrothers) as main director and Daigo Matsura as chief producer.

First Impressions: GARO: Sentinel of the East

While it may not seem like new GARO series come around quite as often as they used to, every time a new one is announced it feels all the more special. With the franchise currently celebrating its 20th anniversary there have been a few new projects celebrating its different timelines. The tail end of 2025 saw the release of prequel film GARO: Taiga, taking place in the Saejima family timeline and focusing on Kouga's father and previous Golden Knight Taiga. Meanwhile 2026 kicks off with a new instalment in the alternate Ryuga Dougai universe, GARO: Sentinel of the East (Higashi no Kairo) - the fourth series to feature the character. As with 2024's Heir to Steel Armor, the series will be simulcast worldwide via the official GARO YouTube channel. However like before whilst multi-language subtitles are available, these are machine generated and thus of varying quality.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 2 (Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition)

Release Date: December 2025

RRP: 11,000 yen

If there's one thing you can often guarantee about a Kamen Rider 1 figure, it's that a Kamen Rider 2 figure usually isn't that far behind it. After revitalising their standard and Sakurajima version Kamen Rider 1 figures with new "Legendary Showa Masked Rider Edition" versions, the least Bandai Tamashii Nations could do is offer the same treatment up to his successor. But as well as bringing the figure more in line with the more recent Showa era releases, S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 2 (Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition) has another surprise in store for fans who've watched Hayato Ichimonji's costume evolve over the years.

Special REVIEW: Kamen Rider Eins with Girls Remix

Over the past couple of years the Girls Remix series of Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club specials hasn't just been a brilliant way to bring back the heroines of the Kamen Rider franchise in one multi-series crossover. It's also been building towards something - particularly in its last two instalments Kamen Rider Majade with Girls Remix and Girls Remix in Halloween Party. Now the story reaches its climactic conclusion (for the time being at least) in Kamen Rider Eins with Girls Remix, reuniting many of the cast members from across the previous specials once more alongside representatives from Kamen Rider 555 and Kamen Rider Fourze as well as a few other surprises along the way.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Shocker Combatman (Evil Showa Kaijin Edition)

Release Date: December 2025

RRP: 7150 yen

With both S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider 1 and Kamen Rider 2 getting new "Legendary Showa Masked Rider Edition" re-releases, Bandai Tamashii Nations were wise to bring back another iconic figure from the original 1971 series. The Shocker Combatman went through many evolutions over the course of the series, but the final "Bone" version is arguably considered the most recognisable - having gone on to reappear in later shows and just become part of the franchise iconography as a whole. The S.H. Figuarts Shocker Combatman (Evil Showa Kaijin Edition) figure is the third version (of this variant) of the evil organisation's expendable henchmen to be released in the line - following on from the first edition in 2013 and then a second in 2018.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Borsalino -Future Island Egghead-

Release Date: November 2025

RRP: 16,500 yen

One Piece S.H. Figuarts have been keeping up with current events in the anime through its "Future Island Egghead" range, but it (along with the line in general really) has been sorely lacking in antagonists. With Luffy getting a long awaited rematch against Admiral Kizaru (aka Borsalino) during this arc it's the perfect time for Bandai Tamashii Nations to add some Marines to the line with the release of S.H. Figuarts Borsalino -Future Island Egghead-! Borsalino is the first Marine Admiral to join the line, and while it shouldn't come as any surprise to hear the figure is a Tamashii Web exclusive (and a rather pricey one at that), hopefully it bodes well for the other Admirals joining him in due course.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Omega

As Ultraman rapidly approaches its 60th anniversary, it's interesting to look back and see just how far the franchise has come in recent years in regards to worldwide availability. Not just in terms of the show being simulcast beyond Asia thanks to the ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL YouTube channel, but also the exposure it has through live shows and convention appearances across the globe. 2025 saw the release of Ultraman Omega, once again available globally with a variety of different language subtitles as well as a full English dub (albeit not released simultaneously this time around). The series compositors were Toshizo Nemoto and Junichiro Ashiki (both of whom have worked across the New Generation era), its main director was Masayoshi Takasue (Ultraman R/B, Ultraman Decker), and chief producer Tsugumi Kitaura.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Usopp -Romance Dawn-

Release Date: December 2025

RRP: 7700 yen

Although the One Piece line continued to go from strength to strength in 2025, the year was actually rather quite as far as the "Romance Dawn"/pre-time skip characters were concerned. Following Zoro's release in February, the line largely decided to focus on the modern era and the Future Island Egghead arc instead. However fans longing to go back to the franchise's humble beginnings weren't kept waiting for too long, and the year ended with the fourth member of the Straw Hat crew - S.H. Figuarts Usopp -Romance Dawn-! The plucky sniper from Syrup Village was a retail release, ensuring that so far none of the main crew have been locked behind Tamashii Web exclusivity.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zeztz Physicam Impact

Release Date: December 2025

RRP: 7150 yen

Once upon a time collectors would have to wait a good few months to get the latest Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts release, but with production on new series happening a lot earlier now Bandai Tamashii Nations have also sped up production on their end as well. The last few years have seen new Riders coming out in the early months of the year, but S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zeztz Physicam Impact arrived just in time to see 2025 out – a mere four months after the series first debuted. Sadly no cheaper price tag this time around (although at 7150 yen he’s still quite reasonable), but both the earlier release date and being a general retail release are fairly reasonably trade-offs.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Mother of Ultra

Release Date: September 2025

RRP: 8800 yen

With Father of Ultra finally joining the S.H. Figuarts line back in August 2024, it felt like only a matter of time before the Mother of Ultra would join him. Thankfully Bandai Tamashii Nations didn't have collectors waiting too long, and it was only another year before S.H. Figuarts Mother of Ultra was a reality. Also known as Ultrawoman Marie, she acts as medical relief for the Inter Galactic Defence Force and is wife to Father of Ultra and biological mother to Ultraman Taro. First appearing in Ultraman Taro all the way back in 1973, she is significant for being the first female Ultra warrior in the franchise. Despite this, the figure was a Tamashii web exclusive as opposed to a retail release.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts General Grievous

Release Date: November 2025

RRP: 18,150 yen

While Bandai Tamashii Nations are constantly revealing new and exciting figures in the S.H. Figuarts line, sometimes the most satisfying releases are the ones that have been sitting in Bandai purgatory for years only to suddenly get a surprise release. 2025 marked the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, so there couldn’t have been a better time for S.H. Figuarts General Grievous to suddenly become a reality. First seen at an event all the way back in 2015, Grievous (along with many of the other Star Wars figures seen at the same event) hadn’t been seen since despite the line continuing on strongly. How much of that old prototype is still in this new release is another question entirely, but nevertheless this is one fans (including myself) have been waiting a long time for.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Taro

Despite Ultraman Ace proving to be fairly popular throughout its run, the show was not without its problems behind the scenes - so much so that some at broadcaster TBS even suggested putting the franchise on hiatus for a year following its completion. However producer Yoji Hashimoto was able to convince them otherwise, and work began on the next instalment as Tsuburaya Productions approached their tenth anniversary. The initial pitch was "Ultra Jack" - a space-based "neo fairy tale" series which would introduce the sixth Ultra Brother and build upon ideas from Ace. While many of the ideas presented would remain in the final version, the trouble was coming up with a name. Jack was a common name in Western fairy tales, but it was also felt to be too similar to "hijacking" - something which was a global issue at the time. So director Kazuho Mitsuda suggested a more Japanese name which conveyed the same idea - and thus Ultraman Taro was born. The series premiered on April 6th 1973, and ran for a total of 53 episodes.

Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Gamerverse Gargantos

Release Date: October 2025

RRP: $69.99/£65.99

The Capcom range of Marvel fighting games has gone through a bit of a renaissance recently, not only with the release of Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics at the end of 2024 but also both Hasbro and Bandai revealing Gamerverse figures inspired by the series in their Marvel Legends and S.H. Figuarts lines. Hasbro have led the charge with quite an extensive range of figures, with one of the premium pieces among them being the Marvel Legends Gamerverse Gargantos. But rights issues regarding the name be damned, everyone knows this is Shuma-Gorath. Also known as the "Great One Who Slumbers", "Conqueror of Midnight", "All-Killer of the Dawn", "Father of All Evil" and the "Lord of Chaos", the Doctor Strange adversary has been a mainstay of the games since 1995's Marvel Super Heroes, going on to also appear in the first three Marvel vs Capcom games as well.