Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 2/Hayato Ichimonji (Kamen Rider: The Next)

Release Date: February 2026

RRP: 9900 yen

The reveal of S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider 1/Takeshi Hongo (Kamen Rider: The Next) as the 100th Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider release came as quite a pleasant surprise, even though it absolutely deserved its place given it was the figure that kicked off the whole S.H. Figuarts toy line. Of course it was also far too good of a figure to be left on its own as well, so after a slight wait Bandai Tamashii Nations have returned to the world of 2008's Kamen Rider: The Next with the release of S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 2/Hayato Ichimonji (Kamen Rider: The Next). In the film, Hayato returns on the brink of death, his wasting disease becoming more debilitating without regular transfusions from Shocker. Nevertheless he fights alongside Hongo once more, even at the cost of his own life. As with the Rider 1 figure, this new version of The Next's Kamen Rider 2 was released as a Tamashii web exclusive.

The figure comes in the standard two-piece S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou box, with the lid featuring a suitably moody picture of Rider 2 looking over his shoulder. A fun little detail is that he's looking in the opposite direction that Rider 1 is on his packaging, making the two boxes look particularly good when placed side by side. Along the sides are the figure's full designation of "Kamen Rider 2/Hayato Ichimonji (Masked Rider: The Next)" in silver foil lettering, making the predominantly black space look rather crowded for once. e underside of the box then features a variety of images showing the figure off in various poses, and then inside the contents are spread across two plastic trays. The standard sized tray houses the figure itself, and then underneath is a smaller tray containing all of the accessories.

Kamen Rider 2 returns in Kamen Rider: The Next with a newly coloured suit, but unlike Rider 1's (which was very obviously recoloured to mirror the Sakurajima suit from the original series), this one doesn't have quite as obvious an influence. The colour layout still matches that of the original appearance Rider 2 suit, but the light metallic green of The First's suit has now been replaced with a much darker olive green. The muffler is also a slightly darker shade of red too - something that's not all that visible when looking at the figure on its own but immediately noticeable alongside Rider 1. Whether it references something or not it's a great update to the suit, distinguishing him from Rider 1 nicely whilst also matching the darker mood/setting of The Next. As with Rider 1, Hayato's suit also sports far more wear and tear than previously - not just a symbol of being on the run from Shocker, but also his worsening condition from the wasting disease. The silver maw of the mask now sports rust detailing, while the eyes and middle stripe also have vein-like cracks running off of them as well. True to the usual high standard of the Shinkocchou Seihou range, every aspect of this fantastic suit has been recreated in pain-staking detail. The Typhoon Belt sports sharp paint apps as well as a moulded turbine encased behind a clear plastic pane, and the muffler piece has been recreated with wired soft goods to give a more realistic (whilst also poseable) look. Despite the suit being very nearly identical to Rider 1 other than colour scheme, the minor differences between them (along with the differing proportions) have all been recreated here to preserve accuracy. This is most visible in Rider 2's torso area, which lacks the studded shoulder pads of the Rider 1 suit. The "jacket" parts are also much smaller on Hayato's suit, and don't hang down underneath the belt the same way they do on Hongo's. Seeing these little details up close makes you appreciate these incredible suits all the more. 

Sadly I don't have the original standard S.H. Figuarts version of Kamen Rider 2 (The Next) from 2008 to make a direct comparison to, I do have the repainted Kamen Rider: The First version from 2010. This mould was used to make the Double Riders from both The First and The Next and The Next's Shocker Rider. Given that this was one of the first ever S.H. Figuarts figures ever released, it's no surprise to see just how far the line has come in the near-18 years since. The old one was good for it's time, but definitely showing its age now (not to mention the fragility of the hip joints). Whereas that one just looks like an action figure, the Shinkocchou Seihou has the proportions and detailing to make it feel like a mini-replica of the suit - combined with all the advancements in articulation that the line has made over the years.

But while there might be more differences between the two suits than you'd initially think, the design in terms of articulation remains exactly the same. So like Rider 1, this new Kamen Rider 2 figure features;

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

- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- Single hinge toe sections

- Bicep, glove and thigh swivels

While in the grand scheme of things none of this feels unexpected and/or revolutionary for a Shinkocchou Seihou figure, it's still a significant update to the previous version of this suit. This more streamlined version of the classic Double Rider design makes full use of the capabilities of S.H. Figuarts engineering, with fantastic shoulder articulation that allows you to lift the arms right above the figure's head without any sort of obstruction. The torso armour is a solid piece that doesn't intrude upon the shoulders' butterfly movement, and the aforementioned soft goods scarf offers far more freedom when it comes to posing than a plastic version ever could. From Hayato's signature transformation poses to the all-important Rider Kick, this figure looks great no matter how you pose it.

Among the accessories included here are three additional pairs of hands (closed fists, knife-strike and alternate open) to compliment the default 'relaxed' open hands, as well as an alternate pair of antennae to use in case of any breakage. As with the Showa era Rider releases, while Bandai don't have to include spare antennae I am grateful that they do just in case. Overall the hand selection is fairly basic, but it's enough at least to cover all of Rider 2's signature poses so it gets the job done. But of course the real highlight here is the alternate Hayato Ichimonji head, depicting the character as portrayed by Hassei Takano (who also played Miyuki Tezuka/Kamen Rider Raia in Kamen Rider Ryuki and Hiroya Fujimiya/Ultraman Agul in Ultraman Gaia) in the film. As with the alternate Takeshi Hongo (as portrayed by Masaya Kikawada) head included with Rider 1, the likeness is excellent - capturing the look of the character with details that aren't too soft or slip into the realm of uncanny valley. Again swapping between the heads is really easy too - both the helmet and civilian heads pop off the neck joint without having to pull with too much force. Each head also has its own back hairpiece which sits on the neck joint to complete the look. When the Hayato head is attached the helmet can also be carried by the figure as an accessory, even though technically it isn't screen-accurate as the helmet lacks the mouth plate when being carried around. But of course Bandai have accounted for that and if you want a screen-accurate version, you'll also have to spring for the new Cyclone II that was released alongside it. While I've never been the biggest fan of Bandai packing accessories away with separate purchases, in this case it doesn't feel too bad as the standard helmet still looks great even if it isn't technically screen-accurate.

Given how well the Rider 1 figure turned out it's no surprise to see that S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 2/Hayato Ichimonji (Kamen Rider: The Next) is another triumph for the range, giving these superb suits the high quality figures they've always deserved. Any misgivings about The First and The Next (especially The Next) I may have, the suits definitely aren't one of them - offering a far more distinct and interesting version of the iconic Double Riders uniform than Shin Kamen Rider did. With Hayato also the standout character across both films, his is a figure that feels particularly special. This is more love than anyone would have anyone expected Bandai to show the films 19 years after their release, and I sincerely hope they don't stop there either. Kamen Rider V3 has already made his appearance at the Tamashii Nation event last year, but on top of that there's also the Shocker Rider and The First suits that are in just as desperate need of an update.