Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Den-O Rod Form & Ax Form

Release Date: February 2022

RRP: 9350 yen

When Bandai Tamashii Nations revealed that their first S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Den-O release would be a combination of both Sword and Gun Forms, it was immediately clear that a Rod and Ax Form figure would eventually follow. But Bandai being Bandai they certainly took their sweet time on this, and nearly two years and multiple other Den-O releases later S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Den-O Rod Form & Ax Form finally made its long-awaited debut. Unlike the other half of Den-O's core forms this was a Tamashii web exclusive release and coincided with a second release of Kamen Rider Den-O Plat Form figure – reworked to be compatible with the Rod/Ax parts much like the original was with the Sword/Gun parts.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Zeronos Altair Form

Release Date: July 2021

RRP: 7700 yen

With the amount of Kamen Rider Den-O figures there are to (re)release as part of the S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou range combined with the overall popularity of Den-O in general, releasing the titular Rider's main forms in two-in-one sets was a pretty genius idea on Bandai Tamashii Nation's part. That releases from the series have been pretty sparse with everything else going on in the line too, so much so that's it's taken just over a year since the release of Sword & Gun Form for S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Zeronos Altair Form to finally arrive. The secondary Rider of Kamen Rider Den-O and time traveller arrives as the second Tamashii web exclusive from the series, which based on further releases already solicited for the 2022 will likely be the way all future Den-O Seihous are released.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider Den-O: Kamen Rider Pretty Den-O Appears!

If there's always one thing you can rely on in the Kamen Rider franchise, it's that there's never too long to wait until another Kamen Rider Den-O special. When the series first landed all the way back in 2007 the cast immediately captured fans hearts and even though lead actor Takeru Satoh has gone on to bigger things, the Imagin and supporting cast have made numerous appearances in the years since. From crossovers with Kamen Riders Decade, OOO and Zi-O to the various New Den-O spin-off films, the climax has never stopped. Even a global pandemic can't stop the climax, with 2020 seeing them return once again in Kamen Rider Den-O: Pretty Den-O Appears! Released as part of the Toei Manga Matsuri omnibus film series, this half hour film introduces a new kind of Kamen Rider heroine.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Momotaros Imagin

Release Date: October 2020

RRP: 7150 yen

If there’s one Kamen Rider series you should never discount the popularity of, it’s Kamen Rider Den-O. Even though Bandai Tamashii Nations have released nearly every S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou figure that isn’t of the titular character as a Tamashii web exclusive since 2017, Den-O was always going to be the one that got a few extra coming to retail. And that’s because these days it isn’t really Ryotaro Nogami who’s considered the star of the show, it’s the Imagin. So while we still patiently wait to see what Bandai have in store for Kamen Rider Zeronos, S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Momotaros Imagin has arrived in the meantime to tide us over. The third release in the Den-O range, Ryutaro’s first and most prominent Imagin partner was a no-brainer for the Shinkocchou Seihou line. With the original S.H. Figuarts figure having been released all the way back in 2009, Momotaros was long overdue the kind of high quality up date this line has repeatedly delivered.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Den-O Sword Form & Gun Form

Release Date: May 2020

RRP: 8800 yen

Bandai Tamashii Nations immediately set the bar pretty high when it came to the S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou range, but their recent releases have been pushing the envelope and showing off just why these are a cut above normal Figuarts. It's always the most exciting when it's announced they're going to be moving onto a new Kamen Rider series to see what new tricks they'll throw in, but I don't think anyone quite expected what they had in store for Kamen Rider Den-O. S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Den-O Sword Form & Gun Form is a two-in-one deal that features two of the Rider's main form changes in one figure, thanks to a number of swappable parts. Bandai had previously toyed with the idea of a larger transforming Den-O figure at the Tamashii Nations event in 2017, but since that never came to pass you could consider this its spiritual successor. Sure it may not transform properly, but adding form changes to S.H. Figuarts even in this capacity is something that hasn't been dared since its predecessor line Souchaku Henshin. 

Series REVIEW: Kamen Rider Den-O

The Heisei era of Kamen Rider has produced a number of highly popular series over the years, but of all the success stories there's one that truly stands out amongst the rest. First airing back in 2007, Kamen Rider Den-O not only spawned a 49 episode series, anime spinoffs, seven direct movies (four of which released under their own "New Den-O" banner), as well as prominence in significant crossover productions like OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders and the first Super Hero Taisen. Its lead actor Takeru Satoh has gone on to have the most successful acting career of all the Heisei Kamen Riders, yet the popularity of the series allowed it to endure even when he was no longer able to continue to play the role. This of course made his surprise cameo in Heisei Generations FOREVER a particularly big deal. So what is it about Den-O that's made it so well loved? The series was written by tokusatsu veteran Yasuko Kobayashi (who's key writing works include Kamen Riders Ryuki, OOO and Amazons) and served as the eighth Heisei Kamen Rider series and 17th overall.

Toybox REVIEW: 66 Action Kamen Riders Wave 2

 

Wave one of the 66 Action Kamen Rider candy toys have hands down been my favourite release of 2014 so far. While S.H. Figuarts are doing some amazing things with their releases at the moment, it was amazing to find a brand new line that had so much personality. And thankfully Bandai must have felt the same, because before the first wave was even released they had already officially unveiled a second. Showing up for wave two are Kamen Rider Zangetsu (Melon Arms), Kamen Rider Double (Cyclone Joker), Kamen Rider Den-O (Sword Form) and Kamen Rider Kabuto (Rider Form). Adding a little bit of mystery into the mix, this wave also includes a bonus secret release in the form of Dark Kabuto.