Kamen Rider Black Sun is available to stream on Amazon Prime The celebration of Kamen Rider 's 50th anniversary came in several different forms – there was Kamen Rider Revice , the forthcoming Shin Kamen Rider movie as well as the franchise's first proper foray into animation with Fuuto P.I. . But arguably one of the most interesting projects that came out of this milestone was the announcement of Kamen Rider Black Sun – a darker, more adult-orientated reinterpretation of 1987's Kamen Rider Black . Releasing exclusively on Amazon Prime , the 10-episode series follows in the footsteps of Kamen Rider Amazons in not only being another reimagining of a classic Showa era series, but also one of the few pieces of Kamen Rider media readily available worldwide.

Release Date: October 2021 RRP: 8250 yen When a brand new Shinkocchou Seihou rendition of Kamen Rider Black was announced for release in 2021, no one should have been surprised to see that his brother Noboyuki wasn't far behind. S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Shadow Moon is the third release of the character from Bandai Tamashii Nations (none of which have been web exclusive), further cementing his place as one of the most iconic Kamen Rider villains of all time. But with Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Black proving to be quite the controversial talking point amongst collectors, is Shadow Moon plagued with the same problems or another winner for S.H. Figuarts' premium sub-line?

Release Date: April 2021 RRP: 7700 yen The S.H. Figuarts line has been running long enough now that we're seeing plenty of Kamen Riders previously released be redone as part of the "true bone carving" S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou range, but it's only now that we are seeing a Rider that had previously been remade be done for a third time. And outside of the original Kamen Rider himself, if that was going to happen to any Rider it was going to be Kamen Rider Black. Bandai Tamashii Nations released the first Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts figure all the way back in 2009, with a renewal version with updated proportions and accuracy following in 2013. Fast-forward nearly nine years and the renegade Century King has returned once more, almost perfectly timed with the announcement of the Kamen Rider Black Sun reboot due next year. S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Black was a retail release, pushing the envelope for the line even further as it uses rubber shoulder...

Back in 2009 when Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker was released a giant Kamen Rider crossover was a pretty big deal. The film itself wasn’t the best, but it was the largest gathering of the franchise’s heroes yet and that certainly held its weight in spectacle. But since then these crossovers have become commonplace, even briefly roping in the Super Sentai and Metal Heroes franchises for Super Hero Taisen and Super Hero Taisen Z . A few of these offerings have still managed to hold their own in terms of spectacle, but more often than not these films have suffered greatly from the law of diminishing returns. After last year’s Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai , Toei are continuing on the Kamen Rider focus with Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3 . The draw this time however is perhaps not the mass assembling of Riders, but the first onscreen appearance of a lost piece of Kamen Rider history.

These days my favourite months of the year are always the ones that bring along a new box of 66 Action candy toys . With the Ultraman selection strangely quiet at the moment (there's been no new announcements since wave 2 hit a few months back, so hopefully something come forth once Ultraman X hits screens), the series that started this wonderful little line is back for its sixth wave. This time the selection of Kamen Riders   Bandai have on offer include Kamen Rider Mach, Kamen Rider Accel, Kamen Rider Kuuga and Shadow Moon.

It's a brand new year for the 66 Action range of candy toys from Bandai , and with the line going from strength to strength with each passing release I can't wait to see what 2015 brings. Despite humble beginnings as simple a range of cheap, poseable Kamen Rider figures it's now extended into a number of other franchises as well as growing a sizeable fanbase. January saw the launch of the 66 Action Ultraman line, and now the Riders return for an impressive fifth wave. This time the selection includes Kamen Rider Drive's Mashin Chaser, Kamen Rider OOO Tajador Combo, Kamen Rider Ryuki and Kamen Rider Black .

With a brand new Kamen Rider Black and a brand new Battle Hopper , it would be wrong not to have a Shadow Moon figure on the market at the same time. The second Century King, stepbrother to Black himself and villain of the show - Shadow Moon is the result of Gorgom's successful brainwashing. Having received a figure back in 2011, Shadow Moon wasn't desperately in need of a renewal like his counterpart and so Bandai have instead settled for a reissue. So without further ado let's take a look at one of the most popular villains in the Kamen Rider franchise. Once upon a time Figuarts boxes weren't all that interesting, and the standard was a silver foil box with black lettering and a picture of the character (rather than of the toy itself). Despite not being a REALLY old figure, Shadow Moon still follows this pattern and given his colourscheme it kinda works. It's nice reflective box but MISB collectors should be warned that the foil finish comes off qu...

While the S.H. Figuarts line is arguably still near the top when it comes to toy quality, that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. The line is a good few years old now and the age of some of the early releases is beginning to show, especially when stacked up to some of the most recent Kamen Rider figures. It was only a matter of time before Bandai Tamashii Nations started to tread the path of renewal figures, something that's already in effect in their similar Ultra-Act line. And what better way to kick off new versions of beloved characters than with one of the most popular Kamen Riders (and apparently, most popular Figuarts) - Kamen Rider Black ! Black's release was also timed with a brand new version of Battle Hopper, who won't be included in this review because I stupidly passed up on pre-ordering it. The original Kamen Rider Black figure had to deal with the bland silver Figuart packaging of old, so this new version is a nice way fo...

Over the past 42 years there have been 24 Kamen Rider  series alongside movies, specials and more. However there are few that have a reputation like Kamen Rider Black does. This 1987 series is currently the ONLY Rider series to have had a direct sequel continuing with the same protagonist is often cited as one of the best that both the Showa era and franchise as a whole have to offer. 26 years later, does Kamen Rider Black still live up to these expectations? The show that DIDN'T become Saban's Masked Rider Just like the original Kamen Rider  series, Black continues the tradition of our hero being an augmented human originally created for evil. However telling the same story all over again would be boring so there's quite a different angle to it. On the night of their 19th birthday, stepbrothers Kotaro Minami and Nobuhiko Akizuki are kidnapped by the evil Gorgom cult. The two are considered to be the "Century Kings" and subject to cybernetic surgery - w...