Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Faiz

Release Date: August 2023

RRP: 8800 yen

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Kamen Rider 555, and given the immense popularity of the series in Japan there was no way Toei and Bandai weren't going to make it a big occasion. On the live-action side of things next year will see the release of Kamen Rider 555 20th: Paradise Regained, a sequel film which will also debut a brand new form for its titular Rider - Next Faiz. Bandai Tamashii Nations are so on the ball with this that they've already announced an S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou release for next year, but before then they've also delivered a base form S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Faiz for fans to enjoy in the meantime. Another main Rider for the "true bone carving" series of figures, and one step closer to completing the first phase Heisei series lineup in the line too - with just Ryuki and Blade left to go.

Series REVIEW: Kamen Rider 555

The early Heisei era was a pretty grim time for Kamen Rider. Not in the sense of the franchise’s popularity, but in terms of the amount of death and destruction going on in them. Kuuga had the Grongi racking up enormous body counts on a weekly basis, Agito saw the Lords come up with new and grotesque ways to kill their victims and every Ryuki rider was at constant risk of being eaten by their own Contract monster. This then continued in 2003-2004 with Kamen Rider 555, the fourth entry in the show’s Heisei era and 13th series overall. It was written by tokusatsu veteran Toshiki Inoue, his second time as a Kamen Rider showrunner following his work on Kamen Rider Agito.