In the last few years Bandai have cleverly begun to offer many of the Showa-era Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts as part of special two-packs with their bikes, giving collectors a second chance to pick up figures they might have missed while at the same time picking up both motorcycle and Rider in one fell swoop. However this marketing tactic didn’t begin with the Showa Riders, with the first Figuarts two pack instead being Kamen Rider Garren and Red Rhombus (and at mass release no less). Given that the other three Kamen Rider Blade Riders each received individual releases, this came across as a pretty odd decision met with woe by those who simply don’t have room for bikes to accompany to their figures. Now two years those people finally get their wish with the Kamen Rider Garren Broken Head Ver. – an individual ToeiHero.net release in a similar vain to last year’s Tamashii exclusive Kamen Rider Blade Broken Head variant.

With my tokusatsu viewing habits now seemingly influenced by whatever Figuart is due out next, my latest Kamen Rider  watch is one whose figure caused quite the storm both in Japan and with fans across the globe. Kamen Rider Blade is the fifth entry into Kamen Rider's Heisei era, and the 14th show in the franchise overall. It ran for 49 episodes between 2004 and 2005, along with a theatrical film titled Missing Ace , which served as an alternate ending to the series itself.