Movie REVIEW: Shuriken Sentai Ninninger vs. ToQger

The annual Super Sentai Versus Series team up movie is more than just a tradition, it's an event. The fact they come around every year might mean that crossovers aren't all that scarce or special in the tokusatsu world, but they all act as an end point for two shows that have (hopefully) captured audiences for the past two years. For the the current team it may only be until they return next year for a second crossover, but for the returning one this truly could be the end so its always important to make it a good one. 2015's entry into the series is Shuriken Sentai Ninninger vs. ToQger: Ninja in Wonderland, bringing ninjas and trains together in a film full of flash and imagination.

Movie REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger Returns: Super ToQ #7 of Dreams

With most Super Sentai series ending on pretty conclusive notes, epilogue stories such as the annual V-cinema releases can often be pretty hit or miss. But while in previous years these may have felt like fun but often unneeded novelties, Toei’s recent offerings have really turned them into events of their own. First there was the parallel world craziness of Gobusters vs. Gobusters, and then Kyoryuger flung fans into the far future with a (somewhat) new team in 100 Years Later. Now it’s the turn of Ressha Sentai ToQger, who are doing perhaps a little bit of both. It’s not quite as far in the future, but it does mark the debut of a brand new team member! If you’re a fan of the colour purple or have been hoping for a complete ToQger rainbow, then Super ToQ #7 of Dreams is definitely something you might want to look into…

Movie REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger vs Kyoryuger

The beginning of a new year - and arguably the most important time for the Super Sentai franchise. A years' worth of adventures for one team reaches it's explosive conclusion while a brand new ones' begin (along with all the wonderful new toys that come with it). But before either of those happen, it's time for the annual versus series team up movie. Ressha Sentai ToQger vs. Kyoryuger sees the cast of Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger return for one last roar, teaming up with the ToQgers against a rather large story thread left hanging from their own show.

Movie REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger the Movie: Galaxy Line SOS

There aren't many places where you can call something only 30 minutes long, but every year the Super Sentai franchise manages to get away with it. Released as part of a cinematic summer double bill with the accompanying Kamen Rider movie, sadly Sentai always seems to get the short end of the stick while the Riders get the full blown movie treatment. In 2014 it was the turn of Ressha Sentai ToQger with Galaxy Line SOS, hitting the silver screen alongside Kamen Rider Gaim: Great Soccer Battle! Golden Fruits Cup!

Series REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger

As a tokusatsu fan there's nothing that quite makes me realise how fast a year goes by then when a currently airing series ends - especially in the case of Super Sentai. With the yearly switchover happening less than two months into the new year it's always a sign that the new year has properly kicked in, and this time it's the turn of the 38th entry in the franchise - Ressha Sentai ToQger. Following on from the successful (in terms of toy sales anyway) dinosaur-themed Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, ToQger takes on something very close to the hearts of the Japanese for it's motif - trains! However it's not just limited to this popular form of public transport, also taking on rainbows, light and imagination to form the core of what the show is all about. So not another dark Sentai show then.

Toybox REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger Minipla Hyper Ressha TeiOh

With 2014 quickly drawing to a close, the last of the Ressha Sentai ToQger toys are currently trickling out even though the show will have a month or so left in it next year. As far as the minipla line goes it has been a pretty good year for Super Sentai, although the rest of the toys and the show itself seem to have been met to a rather mixed reception from Western fans (that's a discussion for another review). Rounding off the line we have Hyper Ressha TeiOh - gigantic steam train that almost doubles as a mini-playset, offering compatibility with all the previous trains released in the line so far. Surely nothing could go wrong with a set that offers so much right?

Toybox REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger Minipla Safari GaOh

200 toy reviews already? Wow, I clearly need to find better things to spend my money on.

Jokes aside, I'm kind of glad that my 200th toy review got to be a Super Sentai minipla/candy toy set, as they've become a favourite of mine to do over the last few years. Sure I do other toylines and the review count is predominantly S.H. Figuarts these days, but English minipla reviews aren't all that common so I like to pretend they're something a bit more unique to this blog. Either that or I'm clearly not looking in the right places.

Anyway, what we have here is Safari GaOh, the movie exclusive mecha for Ressha Sentai ToQger's summer movie - Galaxy Line SOS. As is the case most (but not all) of the time, the movie exclusive is a remould of the series' core robot, with ToQOh's components decked out with animal faces and various other new bits and pieces - including a new head for the robot.

Toybox REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger Minipla Build DaiOh & Drill Ressha

After brief detour into the world of additional armaments, the Ressha Sentai ToQger minipla candy toy line returns with its third mecha. The team now has its sixth member in former Shadow Zaram who has now taken the name Akira Nijino. After seeing a rainbow he left the Shadow Line to become a Rainbow Line maintenance worker, eventually becoming the appropriately themed/coloured ToQ #6. So naturally an orange construction themed ranger needs an orange construction themed train, which Akira gets in the form of the Build Ressha - an impressive double-decker train able to transform into the giant robot Build DaiOh.

Toybox REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger Minipla Police, Fire & Shield Resshas

Auxiliary limbs and weaponry are pretty much a staple of Super Sentai robots these days, and being based around a whole fleet of trains Ressha Sentai ToQger is no exception. After being snubbed for the first two releases despite being one of the first Resshas introduced in the show, the Shield Ressha makes its grand debut in the line's third wave, accompanied by the more recent Police and Fire Resshas. Since these three tiny trains probably couldn't make up a wave on their own, it has also been padded out with a re-release of ToQOh.

Toybox REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger Minipla Diesel-Oh

It's quite possible that Ressha Sentai ToQger is going to be another Super Sentai series with lots of mecha. After all, it only took nine episodes for the team to receive their second set of trains that could form a giant robot - Diesel-Oh. Made up of the Diesel, Car Carrier and Tank Resshas, Diesel-Oh is a formidably powerful robot affectionately called "Ji-chan/Grandpa" by Right. And now it's joining Bandai's mini-pla candy toy line as the second wave for this 2014 Sentai! 

Toybox REVIEW: Ressha Sentai ToQger Minipla ToQOh

It's a brand new year (well, four months into), brand new Super Sentai series. And a brand new Sentai series naturally means a brand new selection of toys! So far Ressha Sentai ToQger's toyline has proven to be rather divisive, with many not a fan of the seemingly back to basics approach of the costumes and the main mecha itself - ToQOh. Personally I've loved the simple design of rainbow robot from the very beginning, and after the disappointment of last year's Kyoryuger offerings I was excited to see what 2014's mini-pla candy toys would have to offer. And thankfully, it seems elbows are back in fashion.

Movie REVIEW: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger vs. Go-Busters

With Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger having just drawn to a close, it was only a natural that the annual Super Sentai vs. movie would accompany it. However with Kyoryuger being the third dinosaur themed Sentai, Toei decided to do something special for this year's. Fully titled Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger vs. Go-Busters: The Great Dinosaur Battle! Farewell Our Eternal Friends, the movie brings back previous teams Zyuranger and Abaranger for an all-dinosaur themed rumble. But when this news broke, there was one question on most people's lips - where exactly did this leave the non-dino themed but part of the movie Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters?

First Impressions: Ressha Sentai ToQger

With Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger all said and done it's time to move on to a brand new year of Super Sentai. But how do you follow up such a popular motif like dinosaurs? With Japan's favourite mode of transportation of course! Hop aboard the imagination station with the train-themed Ressha Sentai ToQger (pronounced 'Tokkyuger'), a series which aims to appeal to the locomotive-obssesed collectors of Japan as well as kids.