Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Baron Banana Arms

Release Date: September 2024

RRP: 11,000 yen

In addition to all the usual sculpt and proportion improvements that come with S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou figures, one of the most interesting aspects of the Kamen Rider Gaim range is the implementation of the show's versatile Arms Change gimmick. Not only does it add an extra level of play to the range, but also hopefully means Bandai Tamashii Nations will be fairly extensive when it comes to releases. At the very least though Gaim himself will not be alone, with S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Baron Banana Arms announced alongside him for release the following month. Though a little more expensive than Gaim, Baron also comes as a general retail figure.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Gaim Orange Arms

Release Date: August 2024

RRP: 9900 yen

Between Kamen Rider Gaim and Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, 2013-2014 was a very popular year for Super Hero Time. So much so that Bandai Tamashii Nations haven't forgotten either series' tenth anniversary, first releasing a brand new Kyoryu Red figure earlier and this year and now following it up with new renditions of the Armoured Riders. S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Gaim Orange Arms is the first of what will hopefully be many Gaim characters in the "true bone carving" line, offering the usual high standard when it comes to sculpt while also throwing a working form change gimmick into the mix once again.

Miniseries REVIEW: Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Gridon vs Kamen Rider Bravo

I’m not sure if anyone had “new Kamen Rider Gaim content” on their 2020 bingo card but it seems that the fruit never gets mouldy, as the 2013 series returns once again for yet another spin-off side story. After previous entries has focused on Kamen Riders Zangetsu, Baron, Duke and Knuckle (as well as further stage show entry for Zangetsu), this time it’s the turn of fan favourites Hideyasu Jonouchi and Oren Pierre Alfonzo in Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Gridon vs Kamen Rider Bravo. This two episode mini-series was released exclusively via the Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club, also coinciding with the official announcement of Premium Bandai’s CSM series Sengoku Driver.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FINAL: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders

It's only a matter of days until the premiere of Kamen Rider Zi-O, the latest Kamen Rider series that marks both the 20th anniversary and the end of the Heisei Era in the franchise. But when it comes to their movies, Toei perhaps jumped the gun a bit when it came to the last entry in the annual Movie War series. The 2017 crossover between Kamen Rider Build and Kamen Rider Ex-Aid was titled Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FINAL: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders, and as the name suggested also brought along a few older faces. Also returning for this movie (complete with their original actors) are Kamen Rider Ghost, Kamen Rider Gaim, Kamen Rider Fourze and Kamen Rider OOO.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders

Kamen Rider is a franchise where the weird and wonderful is commonplace, but when Toei revealed that Kamen Rider Ex-Aid and Kamen Rider Ghost would be facing off against Pac-Man in their annual crossover movie it was clear this was going to be something really special. Ex-Aid is a video game-themed series after all, so they’d be fools to make use of their links to Bandai Namco properties! Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders is a 45th anniversary Kamen Rider project, dropping the usual “Movie Wars” title but falling under the same banner as those films. As well as reuniting Ex-Aid and Ghost following the latter’s final episode, the film also features Kamen Riders Drive, Wizard and Gaim to celebrate the last five years of Kamen Rider history.

Favourites from Tamashii Nations 2016

Last weekend Bandai Tamashii Nations held their annual Tamashii Nations event, and as usual it was packed full of new items from the likes of S.H. Figuarts, S.H. MonsterArts, S.I.C., Super Robot Chogokin, Soul of Chogokin, Hi-Metal R and more. As usual a lot of these items will probably never see release (I’m personally still waiting on the Kikaider REBOOT Figuart from 2014) but it’s always fun to speculate what could be coming soon. Here are my five personal highlights from the event, based on the items which were available for photography and not on display for attendees only.

And as usual, there was absolutely no sign of Kamen Rider Kiva at the event. Because why break tradition?

Toybox REVIEW: S.I.C. Kamen Rider Gaim Orange Arms

Bandai Tamashii Nations may have been providing collectors with highly articulated show-accurate Kamen Rider figures with the S.H. Figuarts line for over eight years, but they also have one line that's been doing more interesting things with your favourite tokusatsu characters for much longer. The Super Imaginative Chogokin (or simply S.I.C. for short) line has been going strong for the past  18 years, creating wild and highly detailed reinterpretations of characters that go far further than any suit could. Running a few years behind the current Kamen Rider show, the line has now begun tackling the highly popular Kamen Rider Gaim - pushing the traditional armour styling of the suits even further to the point where it looks like they could have jumped straight out of the history books. The first of these releases is of course Kamen Rider Gaim Orange Arms, with Kamen Riders Zangetsu, Baron and Ryugen soon to follow.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Lord Baron

More often than not S.H. Figuarts collectors will find themselves left with a relatively incomplete cast from a particular series, but there are occasions where Bandai Tamashii Nations really do go the extra mile. The last two and a bit years have seen the cast of Kamen Rider Gaim grow and grow within the line, to the point now where the only things missing are some movie Riders, Overlords, some forgettable alternate forms and an even more forgettable epilogue villain. Considering there are now 23 figures out of 22 releases, that isn’t bad at all. However all things much eventually come to an end, with no more Gaim figures currently on the horizon. However if this is the end, Bandai are sure ending it with a bang. Their latest Tamashii web exclusive release is S.H. Figuarts Lord Baron, the Overlord version of rival and eventual villain Kamen Rider Baron. After eating the Helheim fruit and gaining his new powers, Kaito Kumon sets about destroying the world and then using the Golden Fruit to rebuild it. The only obstacle left in his way is Kouta Kazuraba, leading to an ultimate showdown where only one can survive.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Knuckle Kurumi Arms

Back in May 2014 when Bandai Tamashii Nations released the first of the Kamen Rider Gaim S.H. Figuarts figures, fans wondered just how long it would take them to get through the rather extensive cast. Just look at the similar sized Kamen Rider Ryuki for example, which had the first of its 13 Riders released in August 2011 but wasn’t completed until November 2014 (and still has a few Contract Monsters missing here and there). But although Gaim still has a few movie exclusive Riders, bit-part characters and monsters left untouched or without a release date, the main cast was neatly rounded off at the end of November 2015 with Kamen Rider Knuckle Kurumi Arms. Another Tamashii Web Exclusive, Knuckle returns Gaim to its roots with another standard armoured Rider, following on from the completion of the New Generation Riders with Kamen Rider Sigurd in the previous month.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider Gaim Gaiden: Duke & Knuckle

Some people say that you can never have too much of a good thing. These people have clearly never seen Kamen Rider Gaim Gaiden: Zangetsu & Baron. After the Kamen Rider Gaim series impressed audiences with its cleverly woven (though admittedly Urobuchi-trope ridden) storyline and fantastic characters, these V-cinema side stories came along feeling like a pure money spinner – offering weak stories that raised further questions while shoehorning in new Armoured Riders and Lockseeds derived from already existing suits. However both Bandai and Toei must have clearly got what they wanted out of this, because it wasn’t long before a second Gaim Gaiden was put into production and released – this time focusing on Kamen Rider Duke and Kamen Rider Knuckle.

So with zero expectations and extreme trepidation, I ventured back to Zawame City to see if these offerings were much of the same or whether they were able to once again capture what made Kamen Rider Gaim so engaging in the first place.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Sigurd Cherry Energy Arms

It’s beginning to feel like the Kamen Rider Gaim train will never end. It’s been over a year since the series came to a close, yet it seems to still be going strong in the form of the various Gaim Gaiden DVD/BD specials and accompanying merchandise. Bandai Tamashii Nations is still yet to squeeze out the entire main cast in the S.H. Figuarts line as well, but the end of 2015 sees them coming pretty close. Finally rounding off the initial quartet of New Generation/Energy Riders, the next character to join the line is the devious Lockseed dealer Sid – aka Kamen Rider Sigurd Cherry Energy Arms! Another Tamashii Web Exclusive, it’s amazing that it’s taken this long for the character to get released despite Sid appearing right from the start of the show. Still, when you’ve got a cast as big as Gaim’s it’s no surprise that some releases are going to come later than others.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Marika Peach Energy Arms

If their Kamen Rider Ryuki figures proved anything, Bandai Tamashii Nations are pretty good at providing fans with the main cast of a large Rider series. Of course fans will argue there are a few variants (and Contract Monsters) missing here and there and popularity also had a lot to do with it, but nevertheless you can’t argue with the results. Now it looks like Kamen Rider Gaim is going the same way, with the line ready to largely round off the main show cast by the end of the year as Tamashii web exclusives. August 2015’s offering is particularly special as it was the only female Rider of the show (Gaim Gaiden notwithstanding) – Kamen Rider Marika Peach Energy Arms. Don’t let the pink suit fool you – Yoko Minato is a hardened fighter quite unlike many of the other female Riders that have previously graced the show. The fact her actress Minami Tsukui also did most of her own stunts (in suit AND out) is just an added bonus.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms

Bandai Tamashii Nations seems to be doing its best to hold onto it as long as it can, but there aren't all that many Kamen Rider Gaim characters left to release in the S.H. Figuarts line. All the main characters will all be out by the end of the year, and from there it'll just be the case of the movie characters and alternate versions of already released ones (some being more important than others of course - here's looking at you Overlord Baron). However one of those variant suits surprisingly made it out before the last remnants of the main cast, which is pretty surprising when you consider that the suit only appeared in two episodes at the end of the show and then was never heard or seen from again. But at the same time, it isn't all that surprising when you consider that it's also one of the main four characters. After a few months break, the second Gaim release for 2015 is Kamen Rider Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms - the experimental and highly dangerous form Mitsuzane Kureshima takes in an attempt to defeat Kouta once and for all.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie Wars Full Throttle

The ending of a Kamen Rider series is often a sad thing, and although the following is usually enough to soften its passing there's always at least one thing to look forward to - the annual Movie Wars team up. This time Kamen Rider Gaim returns for its last hurrah alongside the currently airing Kamen Rider Drive for the predictably long-winded title Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie Wars Full Throttle. As usual the film is split up into three sections - individual Gaim and Drive components before the two come together for a crossover that incorporates elements from both's individual stories.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider Gaim Gaiden - Zangetsu & Baron

If there's one thing that both Toei and Bandai like doing it's making money. So if a particular series has proven especially popular and/or profitable, you can bet that the two will milk it for everything that it's worth. In terms of Kamen Rider shows you only have to look at the slew of Kamen Rider Den-O movies or the Kamen Rider W Returns Accel and Eternal movies to realise that. And now it seems fair to say that Kamen Rider Gaim officially falls under that category too. Though the series didn't break the overall ratings decline that has plagued both Kamen Rider and Super Sentai for many years now (although many will argue that those don't amount to all that much anymore), the series struck a chord with the older fanbase and this combined with good merchandise sales was enough for a Kamen Rider Gaim Gaiden V-cinema project to go ahead. This straight to DVD release is split into two side stories, with the first focusing on Kamen Rider Zangetsu and the second on Kamen Rider Baron. Along with it came a few new pieces of web exclusive merchandise, and more recently the announcement that a second release focusing on Kamen Riders Duke and Knuckle is in the works. Looks like Gaim has plenty of life in it yet.

Movie REVIEW: Kamen Rider Gaim: Great Soccer Battle! Golden Fruits Cup!

There's always been two types of Heisei era Kamen Rider summer movies - those set in parallel worlds separate from the main canon, and those that actually tie into the series. The pre-Kamen Rider Decade films mostly fell into the former category, while the post-Decade ones fell into the latter. Kamen Rider Wizard cleverly tried to avoid these categories with a film that had the show's fall into a parallel universe, but Kamen Rider Gaim took it even further with a parallel universe movie which tied into the show itself - twice! But that's not all there is to Kamen Rider Gaim: Great Soccer Battle! Golden Fruits Cup! - in the summer of 2014 Japan (along with the rest of the world) was firmly in the grips of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, prompting Gaim to do a very unlikely bit of cross-promotion. If you thought fruit-armour samurai was weird enough, this is a whole different ball game.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Duke Lemon Energy Arms

2014 had a lot of great S.H. Figuarts releases, but it was undoubtedly the year of Kamen Rider Gaim. Not just because it was the current Rider show for most of the year, but also because Bandai Tamashii Nations were able to put out a whopping THIRTEEN different Gaim figures in the space of only eight months. There's still plenty more to go, but the flow of releases has thinned somewhat with only three currently confirmed for 2015. But rather than focus on that, let's take a look at the final Gaim figure released last year - Kamen Rider Duke, aka Professor Ryoma Sengoku - inventor of the series' Drivers and all round mad scientist. Kamen Rider Duke was a Tamashii web exclusive release in December, and the second of the four "main" New Generation Riders to join the Figurarts line.

Toybox REVIEW: 66 Action Kamen Riders Wave 4

Bandai's brilliant 66 Action line has now stretched out into the likes of the No More anti-piracy campaign, Dragon Ball Z and (soon) Ultraman, but it probably wouldn't be where it is today without the success of the Kamen Rider figures it pumped out through the course of 2014. Rounding things off in December last year was wave four of the popular range of 66mm candy toys, adding Kamen Rider Drive Type Speed, Kamen Rider Gaim Kachidoki Arms, Kamen Rider Wizard Flame Style and Kamen Rider Faiz to the mix. That's a total of three new Riders to add to the ever growing collection, and yet another form for the lead Rider of 2013-2014.  

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Baron Lemon Energy Arms

Every year Bandai holds a Tamashii Nations event where they showcase the latest figures from the brand, from S.H. Figuarts to Chogokins, Robot Damashiis and more. But as well as showing off forthcoming releases (or in Bandai's case - simply teasing things that may never get released at all), these shows are also an opportunity for some limited edition event exclusives. Previous Figuarts exclusives have included Kamen Rider Joker and Kamen Rider Den-O Super Climax Form, but 2014 was the year of S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Baron Lemon Energy Arms. Making Kaito Kumon's mid-season upgrade from Kamen Rider Gaim came as a surprise to fans, as many were sure such a prominent suit would simply get the web exclusive treatment.

But no batted an eyelid, because usually these exclusives are later offered as usual on the Tamashii webshop. However unfortunately this year the exclusives were only made available later via lottery, causing a scramble to get these figures while you could and a speedy hike in value. If you already have one consider yourself lucky. If not, I am saddened for your wallet's loss...

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Bujin Gaim Blood Orange Arms

While it's true that most S.H. Figuarts deemed not worthy enough for mass retail end up on Bandai's own Tamashii Webshop, sometimes there are characters minor enough to go elsewhere for their release - a website that goes by the name of ToeiHero.net. Unfortunately, this is also a place many fans have said exclusives go to die, with afterthoughts like the ZERO Kamen Rider Fourze Zodiarts ending up on there to minimal fanfare. However every so often you'll get a gem among these limited exclusives, and the latest release is Kamen Rider Bujin Gaim Blood Orange Arms. The main villain from the movie Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle, this November 2014 release is just further proof that Bandai really are dedicated to giving fans as much Gaim as they possibly can while interest is still high.