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Showing posts from July, 2026

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kaiser Belial

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Release Date: June 2026 RRP: 13,200 yen With Ultraman celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026, Bandai Tamashii Nations have been pulling from all corners of the franchise for this year’s S.H. Figuarts offerings. As well as reissues and brand-new releases from the Showa, Heisei and New Generation eras, some of the more interesting choices have come from movies – the likes of Ultraman Saga, Hyper Zetton and Ultraman Zearth immediately springing to mind. Continuing this foray into Ultraman’s cinematic history is another dive into the saga of Ultraman Zero , or more specifically 2010’s Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial with the release of S.H. Figuarts Kaiser Belial . Based on his revised appearance as head of the Belial Galactic Empire, this Tamashii Web exclusive release is Figuarts’ latest rendition of the corrupted Ultra and one of the franchise’s most popular modern recurring villains.

First Impressions: Kakuseihunter Omegahorn

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Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity may have been a loving tribute to one of their most iconic tokusatsu superhero series, but for the second instalment in Project R.E.D.   Toei  seem to be trying something new. Channelling the likes of Monster Hunter and Pokémon , Kakuseihunter Omegahorn turns the focus slightly away from transforming superheroes and brings kaiju to the forefront of the series. With characters and elements from Gavan Infinity also carrying over, Atsuhiro Tomioka continues on as head writer for the series - now joined by  Hiroyuki Kato and Jun Watanabe as director and action director respectively.

Series REVIEW: Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity

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It wasn't all that long ago tokusatsu fans were bidding a fond farewell to Super Sentai , and now the first instalment of its replacement has drawn to a close. Towards the end of 2025 Toei announced that taking the place of Super Sentai  would be Project R.E.D. (" Records of Extraordinary Dimensions ") - an ambitious new project primarily featuring red-coloured heroes as well as continuity between its instalments (which wouldn't follow a set pattern in the same way Super Sentai  did). Then in February 2026 Project R.E.D. officially launched with the premiere of Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity - a reboot and spiritual successor to Space Sheriff Gavan  (as well as the Space Sheriff trilogy and wider Metal Heroes  franchise), but also explicitly neither a continuation or relaunch of Metal Heroes. Written by Atsuhiro Tomioka ( Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger , as well as numerous anime credits) and directed by Hirofumi Fukuzawa (who has worked as action director on every S...

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Tony Tony Chopper -Drum Island-

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Release Date: May 2026 RRP: 4400 yen Whilst Bandai Tamashii Nations may have completed the Straw Hat crew as they appeared in the Romance Dawn Arc, that doesn't mean they're slowing down on One Piece S.H. Figuarts any time soon. As well as continuing forward with a number of figures based on the Marineford Arc, they are also expanding the pre-time skip era with additional Straw Hat members that joined at a later date.  S.H. Figuarts Tony Tony Chopper -Drum Island- is the first of these subsequent releases, with the crew's doctor the next to come aboard the Going Merry during the Drum Island Arc. As with the previous crew members Chopper is a retail release, and also the second Chopper figure in the line - a Future Island Egghead version having been previously released in 2025.

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

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Release Date: March 2026 RRP: 12,100 yen There are plenty of Kamen Riders that are super popular amongst fans, but few are so popular that they have a whole day dedicated to them. Every 13th September the Kamen Rider fandom celebrates Kaixa Day , honouring the utterly despicable yet somehow loveable character that is Masato Kusaka . 2025's Kaixa Day came with a particularly special announcement, with the reveal that an S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Kaixa figure was finally set for release. Given that it's been a few years since the release of Kamen Rider Faiz one might think this was one of the most obvious places for the Kamen Rider 555 line to go next, but in a classic case of Bandai Tamashii Nations throwing curveballs we've had both Next Kaixa and untransformed Masato Kusaka figures before the standard version. Like those figures, Shinkocchou Seihou Kaixa was also a Tamashii Web exclusive - with the original May shipment selling out almost imm...

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who The Cybermen From Dark Water (2014) Vortex Edition Figure Set

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Release Date: June 2026 RRP: £44.99 The Doctor Who action figure line has slowly but surely been building itself back up through a range of online exclusives that feature more new/upgraded tooling when compared to the B&M store exclusive retail figures, now culminating in its most ambitious wave in years. Over the next five months Character Options will be release one new figure set a month in their website exclusive Vortex Edition range, each featuring a build-a-figure piece to create a Yeti from 1967’s The Abominable Snowmen . Kicking off the wave is The Cybemen from Dark Water (2014) Vortex Edition figure set , a two-pack of the “Cyberiad” Cybermen that first appeared in 2013’s Nightmare in Silver  before subsequently appearing the 2014 series eight two-part finale Dark Water/Death in Heaven .

First Impressions: Ultraman Teo

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It doesn't really feel like that long ago that Ultraman was celebrating its 55th anniversary, but the last five years have clearly flown by and now the franchise is in the midst of its 60th birthday. And whilst there sadly might not be a big budget movie like Shin Ultraman to commemorate the milestone this time around, that doesn't mean Tsuburaya Productions aren't going to celebrate the occasion. The birthday bash kicks off with the premiere of its latest instalment Ultraman Teo , which once again will be released globally with multi-language subtitles (and once again a simultaneously-released English language dub) thanks to the ULTRAMAN Official YouTube channel . Teo 's main writer/series compositor is newcomer to the franchise Shigenori Tanabe , with Takashi Ninomiya and Takanori Tsujimoto as the main director and special effects director respectively.

Toybox REVIEW: BUZZmod Lucy

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Release Date: April 2026 RRP: 12,000 yen Given its immense popularity across the globe, it's amazing that it's taken this long for articulated Cyberpunk Edgerunners figures to happen. But as tends to be the case with these things, you patiently wait for one and then suddenly multiple options come at once. With Jada Toys ' offerings are the cheaper end of the spectrum and ThreeZero's FigZero  line on the opposite side, it isn't often you see a product from Aniplex sitting somewhere in the middle. BUZZmod Lucy is the first of the three figures the line is set to put out this year, with Rebecca releasing at the end of July and then David  following in November.