We’re heading to the CR to examine everyone’s favourite video-gaming doctor; S.H. Figuarts – Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 2!

Check out my video review below!

Hi guys, Sharp-O back once again with another Mint in Box and today we’re looking at the S.H. Figuarts release of Takeru Tenkuji, the man whose life shines bright: Kamen Rider Ghost Ore Damashii!

Ghost continues the Figuarts line’s shift to a more stream-line package format and as I’ve said previously, I love this as it’s more ergonomic and saves space for collectors who keep the packaging like me.

Inside the packaging you find the figure itself, an extra hood piece, three pairs of interchangeable hands and the Gan Gun Saber.

Also included within this release is Yurusen, the Ankh-like ghostly assistant to Takeru but without the charming anger issues and floofy hair. He comes in one piece, features a head-swivel and has a stand to help him float around Takeru.

Ore Damashii form, translates to ‘My Soul’ and basically means Takeru’s wearing a jacket made of HIS OWN SOUL and it looks fantastic! The slick black with orange highlights is totally my jam and his short sleeved hooded soul-jacket makes him look like a right brawler.

The spirit-hoodie, while looking amazing, is made of a hard rubber that severely hinders the poseability of the upper torso and, to a lesser extent, the shoulders and upper arms which is pretty disappointing.

I’m digging the inverse helmet design that has the compound element all over the face while the eyes are a glossy jet black, a big departure from the norm which lends to Ghost’s unique look. To change out the hood pieces, you just have to scalp poor Takeru by taking a chunk out of his skull, removing the down hood and slipping the up hood over his head and pegging it in.

The Ghost Driver is realised very nice though the handle doesn’t move but it does include a removable faceplate so you can see that monstrous cyclops face that the real Driver has so that’s a nice touch.

The interchangeable hands are swapped out as easily as most other Figuarts, but unfortunately the range of movement is pretty hindered by the silver cuffs, somewhat limiting the range of movement and, by extension, the overall poseability.

The Gan Gun Saber, or Eye Gun Saber, is a nicely rendered version of Ghost’s primary weapon and, in a break from the Figuarts standard of bundling two weapons for different modes and this actually transforms. It comes packed in blade mode but by splitting the blade, and pegging it back in reverse then tilting the hilt to put the weapon in gun mode. It’s a nice solution to a problem that people have hated about Figuarts for a long time.

I’m a little disappointed in Ghost Ore Damashii because while it’s a great looking figure, it’s mired by the same adherence to the suit design that makes it look great but, regardless of that fact, I do kinda recommend picking this guy up because the unpopularity of the Ghost series itself (and it’s baaaad) means that the Figuarts are pretty cheap and I’d say this guy is worth 24 quid of any Kamen Rider fans money just because of how he looks next to his compatriots.

As always, I’ve been Sharp-O, this has been the SH Figuarts Kamen Rider Ghost Ore Damashii and my life will burn bright on the next Mint in Box!

The Super Review Wars DX has begun and CollectionDX shall rain death upon you! Or reviews. Or just this one.

So yeah, here we have S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Black RX! For those of you who are more familiar with Saban’s 1990’s offerings, this was the Masked RiDER, the heroic prince Dex from the planet Edenoi!

Praise Ferbus, this packaging is fantastic. I love all the nice details here.

Out of the package, you can see that there is a WHOLE lot of great detail here, from the paint to the sculpt. There are also some gorgeous compound eyes on the head.

I also love how the toy has details the suit did, like wrinkles and zippers. It just makes it feel way more intense.

Speaking of intense, check out the articulation on this little fella.

He has double ball-jointed everything forever. If it should be possible to put a human into a pose, then this figure can do it. It’s just spectacular.

The Masked Rider also comes with all the accessories he could ever need, including six pairs of hands! He has fists, holding-things hands, posing hands, utility hands, splayed hands, and KARATE CHOP hands. He also comes with 2 versions of his Revolcane (or Electro Sabre, praise Ferbus). One version is metal-colored and the other is an opaque blue. That way you can mix and match the hilt and blades to create every possible scenario for slicing fools.

He also comes with an extra belt that the blue hilt attaches to so you can replicate whipping it out in public.

Just look at this, man.

I love this figure. If you’re a huge Kamen Rider or Saban’s Masked Rider fan (praise Ferbus), then you owe it to yourself to pick one of these up!

Also, please check out www.collectiondx.com and see where I normally post my reviews!

Until next time, mortals.

PRAISE FERBUS

Module Set 03 is possibly my overall favourite. Not only does it include two of my favourite modules, but the others are pretty awesome too! Let’s take a gander!

Chain Array is a right arm mounted spiked flail! It may be old fashioned but it gets the job done! The flail is attached to the arm via chain link and the spiked flail itself  is weighty enough to give the illusion of a 120kg flail. I really like that, despite how high-tech Fourze is, he sometimes just needs to twat someone in the face with a heavy metal object. This set also includes a brand new pair of hands just for this module.

Winch speaks for itself, it’s a powered winch that attaches to Fourze’s left arm. There’s no moving parts to this but you can swap out the Boost Hooker (Yeah, I laughed too) for another which has a malleable wire so you can get a great sense of motion with your poses. It’s not too long but being poseable is a big plus!

Module 17 (Flash, aaaaaaah) is included with Fourze’s motorcycle, the Machine Massigler, so we’ll move onto…

Shield, which is one of Fourze’s true defensive options. It’s designed after the Lockheed Martin X-33 and, despite it’s small size, is more than capable of fending off the most brutal assaults. In fact, one of the only times I remember it failing was when the Cancer Zodiarts (one of the lieutenants, dubbed Horoscopes) cleaved it in half with his powerful claw. It’s shuttle-like appearance makes this aesthetically perfect for Fourze and I really dig it!

Gatling is another in our sub-theme of “Fourze has awesome shit stuck to his legs” and it’s a GATLING GUN! It may be painted in a lovely blue but it’s packed full of DAKKA-DAKKA-DAKKA! Much like other modules, there are no moving parts present and that is a crying shame for this Module. A rotating barrel would have been great.

Finally, we come to Stealth! No, not the movie, the module! Based on the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, the Stealth module is a useless lump of plastic but is meant to allow Fourze to become invisible for 5 seconds once activated. Might sound very limited but it’s been very useful on a number of occasions.

Module Set 03 is my favourite set so far, with many of my favourite switches and lots of character! But we’re not done just yet!

Module Set 04 is the last of the mass release Module Sets, with the Module Set 05 being an online exclusive in Japan and fetching a high price on the secondary market! Set 04 has some of the weirder and more useless modules but let’s see what we got!

*BONK*

Hammer is a very basic addition to the arsenal and it looks like a squeaky hammer. That’s it. This is the weakest out of all the modules I’ve reviewed in my opinion. It is literally a lump of plastic with no character to it other than looking slightly like a squeaky hammer. Next…

Water, water, everywhere so let’s drink from my leg! The Water module adds a big tap (faucet to you yanks) to Fourze’s left leg to shoot intense jets of water. It’s silly looking but I actually like this compared to Hammer and it’s not completely static, with a rotating tap head.

Medical is just what every Kamen Rider needs, a first aid kit comprised of cosmic energy-infused medicine. No way that stuff could give you cancer or make you trip balls! The kit can be opened, revealing an assortment of medical equipment, with removable syringe, and a medical readout of the lid. It’s nice that they included that detail!

The Pen switch is a giant calligraphy brush. For his leg. Yes, that’s a brush leg AND THAT’S NOT CRAZY ENOUGH so the ink produces three-dimensional streaks of pure carbon that can act as improvised shields. It’s so cumbersome and silly in its concept that I can’t help but love it.

Wheel is our last module, and despite its misnomer (It has two wheels, not just one) is a Segway-looking travel module that gives Fourze an extra boost of speed without relying on the Machine Massigler. It’s especially useful indoors since it has no trouble riding on walls.

Module Set 04 is definitely the weirdest and weakest of the sets I’ve reviewed thus far but it’s not without it’s charm.

And I fear this is where we leave the manliest of men, Gentaro Kisaragi, as I am out of Kamen Rider Fourze toys to review. If nothing else, this has helped me go pack and watch the show again so I’m thankful for that and if you’re interested in getting in some Space Time yourself, head over to HobbyLink Japan, where you can find all the Modules Sets I’ve reviewed, as well as some other Fourze goodies!

I said I wasn’t done with Kamen Rider Fourze just yet and thanks to a HobbyLink Japan payload, I’ll be showcasing many of Fourze’s weapons and tools in his fight against the Zodiarts, all rendered in scale with S.H. Figuarts Fourze! Today, we’ll be embracing the gimmick of our youth and be looking at Modules Sets 01 and 02. All the modules mostly attach and remove in the same way as the ones included in the Base States release.

Module Set 01 fills out Fourze’s default astro switch loadout as well as add some new toys to the arsenal. Just like Fourze, these Module sets also include tiny little astro switches to add accuracy to Fourze’s belt while swapping modules and while that’s considerate of the designers, it’s an absolute ball ache to keep track of. I even lost a couple while taking photos, causing me 20 minutes of frantic searching for millimetre small transluscent plastic pieces!

Radar allows Fourze communication with his allies as well as used to detect enemies and lock onto them for a homing missle attack. The dish pivots on a hinge and the screen on the forearm is picked out with grey paint. Might have been nice for a little read out but it’s good enough.

Launcher is the final astro switch for Fourze’s default belt configuration, adding a massive missile battery to Fourze’s right leg. The missiles are removable but aren’t spring-loaded so they’re either just there or not. When Launcher is used with Radar, Fourze can execute a precise missile bombardment!

Magic Hand is similar to an SRMS (Shuttle Remote Manipulator System) used on space shuttles. This manipulator arm is highly articulated, with hinges and swivels all along its length, and can move in many different directions as well as open the claw at the end but this module is very heavy, causing strain on my particular figure so I recommend using a tamashii stage.

Lastly for Set 01 we have Camera. I can only think of one situation where this module was used in combat but I love how ludicrous it looks. This big VHS video camera attached to the arm of our hero is one of the sillier, but equally awesome, modules we’ll be looking at. The view finder is articulated to allow you to pose with Fourze’s head.

I think this set is a must-have if you’re a Fourze fan, since it includes the other two default switches as well as two iconic modules.

Module Set 02 is not to be outdone either, being bigger and boasting more bang for your buck! Unlike the Base States release and Module Set 01, this release DOES come with tamashii stage, emblazoned with the Kamen Rider Club logo! I love it but if that isn’t good enough, it also includes several more pieces to increase the size of the included armature for a very special reason!

Parachute is by far the largest module of any set! It’s connected to Fourze’s left arm and you have to plug a bunch of strands into the plastic canopy. The stage extends upwards to allow for this module to be deployed fully and while it looks very impressive, I don’t thing it’ll be getting much play on my shelf because of the space needed. Very fun though!

Chainsaw is a BONA FIDE CHAINSAW LEG! That’s awesome, no matter where you come from! This is the highlight of the set by far, featuring a fold down blade but you can also swap that, as well as the foot, for a more screen accurate look. This module is certainly a cut above the rest!

Hopping is another of the many silly modules that seem useless but end up providing some advantage. Unfortunately, this is a solid plastic piece with no spring gimmick at all, much to my disappointment. You can still get some funny pose out of it though!

We skip ahead to Module 14, since Modules 10, 11, and 12 are included in the Elek States release and 13 will be seen next time so here is Smoke! Smoke is another useless lump with no moving parts or real charm. In the show it would emit a smokescreen and I think being included with the massive Parachute made extras for Smoke and Hopping harder to justify, hence their rather anemic standard.

I think Module Set 02 is a harder sell and while I’m glad I have it, I got it for around £2 in HLJ’s clearance sale.

Both of these sets are great releases and while 02 might be harder to justify paying full price for, I’m sure you’ll be able to bag yourselves a bargain at this juncture! Keep your eyes in the sky because I’ll be back soon with more from our space-bound hero!

Kamen Rider Fourze is a tokusatsu show from 2011 that commemorates not only Kamen Rider’s 40th Anniversary (Four Zero, Four Ze, geddit?) and the 50th Anniversary of spaceflight. Written by Kazuki Nakashima (Gurren Lagann) and with creature designs by manga artist Kia Asamiya (Martian Successor Nadesico), Fourze is one of my top three Kamen Rider series for its aesthetic, its gimmicks, its characters, stories, drama, use of music, EVERYTHING comes together to create a wonderfu– You know what? I think I’ll save the gushing for Toku Tuesday (It’s coming back, don’t worry!) but suffice to say that I love this series and I’m going to show you why at a later date!

But first, a major rant! This is how I received my Kamen Rider Fouze S.H. Figuarts. In a GOD DAMN plastic baggy! I got it second hand from eBay but seriously? The seller didn’t even keep the tray but you know what REALLY grinds my gears?

He TORE the back of the packaging off and felt the need to include THAT! No packaging at all I could tolerate since it came with all the pieces but this is just… Weird. I mean, what kind of savage does this to their Figuarts? Who throws out the majority of the box and the plastic tray to keep the accessories in? If I ever meet the guy, I’mma rip his bloody ankles off!

Launching into the orbit of the man who will befriend everyone at Amanogawa High School, Gentaro Kisaragi’s youthful form is given a more stylised rendition in S.H. Figuarts, coming across smaller and more cartoonish than his predecessors but I kind of dig it. It gives him a more distinct profile against some of his fellow Kamen Riders! His brilliant white “Base States” is nicely highlighted with blacks, golds and silver, with distinctive colours for his Module ports on each limb. His astronaut theme is wholly original in the 40 years Kamen Rider has been around and they’ve nailed the look perfectly!

I’ll level with you, this mould is known to have issues with his hip joints, where the balljoints are far too tight. I was afraid to do this review because his legs would creak and take far too much effort and I was afraid of breaking something but thanks to a little surgery where I sanded down the housing for the balljoint (but the problem can also be fixed with some 100% silicone shock oil) he’s already for…

Uchuuuuuu…

KITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

His signature roll call! It’s Space Time! His joints only squeak a little now but they move freely and I don’t fear any breakages.

Given that this is my first Kamen Rider review, I thought I’d also highlight Fourze’s beautiful compound eyes. These are a mainstay of the Kamen Rider designs, tracing all the way back to the 70’s and Fourze’s are especially nice.

The Fourze Driver, Gen-chan’s transformation device and what allows him to access all his space-age gadgetry, is rendered in translucent blue plastic. Each of the SUPER TINY Astro Switches on his belt are removable and an absolute pain to lose so I suggest thickening the pegs just to keep them in place. All of the Astro Switches can be swapped out for others and one included with this set is the Drill Switch in it’s On position. This is an superfluous addition to the set, adding a detail that many fans have said they can do without. Having multiples of these tiny Switches with minute differences is just asking for them to be lost.

Fourze is light on extra hands, only coming with three pairs total but all match Fourze’s repertoire of moves. He has fists for punching Zodiarts and making buddies!

Slightly pointing fingers for switching powers and challenging fools!

And calm open hands that can comb his dome (like Gen-chan combs his pompadour) or looking shocked! All of the hands add a lot of variety to his posing but there’s a reason he’s light on hands and that’s because of his Modules!

Fourze comes with the Rocket and Drill Modules! Because of Fourze’s modular abilities, allowing you to swap out a forearm or lower leg for one of his unique weapons was some brilliant foresight on Bandai Japan’s part! Both Modules have some lovely panel-lining to them and come off very well. Probably would have liked a spinning drill-bit but it serves its purpose.

His included Modules allow you to recreate Gen-chan’s Base States “Limit Break” finisher, the Rider Rocket Drill Kick! Unfortunately, this release doesn’t include a tamashii stage so it’s lucky I got one some time ago!

*Explosion to be added later

I absolutely adore Kamen Rider Fourze! I could have gotten his Elek or Fire States some time ago because of how cheap they are but I wanted the Base States because this is how he spends the majority of the series. It’s a gloriously iconic look and despite all the trouble I’ve had with him, I love him and recommend picking up him or any of his other States if you’re a fan of the series!

But we’re not leaving Fourze’s orbit just yet as a payload from HobbyLink Japan arrives to boost Fourze’s armaments into the far reaches of space! Take my hand in friendship and we’ll go there together!

Yuri Petrov, child of a legendary hero and masked vigilante known as Lunatic is perfectly recreated in S.H. Figuarts in a very impressive release. The box itself is thick, indicating just how much stuff is packed into this release.

The packaging itself is wonderfully executed, matching the tone of the character while still following the same general aesthetic as other figures in this line. The back has lots of great images showing the figure off and even his animated civilian identity.

Straight out of the gate, Lunatic includes a Tamashii stage emblazoned with his name and alter ego. This is brilliant and it’s always nice to have a stage included with a Figuart and all the Tiger & Bunny figures include a personalised stage much like this one.

Lunatic himself comes straight out of the packaging looking spot on to his onscreen counterpart. His spindly physique is a far cry from the Sentai Figuarts I’ve reviewed before, being more slender and but the anime proportions work incredibly well to give this release exceptional poseability. One thing I marveled at was all the little details and accoutrements on the costume that I never really noticed on the show and Lunatic’s bizzare mask is beautifully bug-eyed! There’s also an alternate head for when he gets all righteous!

As with all S.H. Figuarts, the proof is in the accesories and, boy, does Lunatic come loaded! Along with fists, Lunatic comes with posing hands, trigger fingers, and two pairs of hands covered in translucent blue/green flames. One pair more suited towards combat poses and the other for intense intimidation. The flame effects are removable, maybe a little TOO removable since they like to crumble if mishandled, but it’s nice to have more alternative hands. He also comes with two versions his signature crossbow, one closed and the other for when he forms his flame into bolts. Both look freaking badass!

There’s actually a second tray of parts in this release, hence the thickness of the package (Ladies…) that includes his poncho/cloak. This iconic part of the Lunatic costume is rendered in hard plastic and attaches by clamshelling two halves over Lunatic’s shoulders. The back piece is universal but there are two front pieces, one for regular standing poses and the other for use with his crossbow or flame effect hands. The details are crisp and apart from one minor flaw where the gorgeous pearlescent white paint didn’t take on the back, it is a welcome inclusion.

Come, young hero…

…Let me see your idea of JUSTICE!

I was kindly loaned this figure to review by a friend whom I introduced to both Tiger & Bunny and to S.H. Figuarts. This was his first Figuart and was giddy when he came to show it off, so much so that he wanted me to review it so special thanks to Mitch for this opportunity!

Slow… Predictable…

You should be ashamed… But I will show you mercy…

Lunatic, as both an introduction to S.H. Figuarts and from my perspective as a fan of the line, is a fantastic figure to own. His articulation, the effect parts and accesories and the overall presentation makes this a superb example of the level of detail and love that S.H. Figuarts puts into their releases. If you’re a fan of the anime, or even just interested in awesome action figures, Lunatic is highly recommended!

HEAR THE VOICE OF THANATOS!

Might Morphin’ Black Ranger is an import of Mammoth Ranger, with a more western friendly box. No changes were made apart from this but its still a damn impressive release.

The box is actually nothing like the Japanese release, being a window box and being rather generic. Unlike the Kyoryu Red box, this doesn’t really have any outstanding features or aesthetic similarities to Mighty Morphin’ but it still works pretty well.

The Black Ranger’s accessories include the standard assortment of interchangeable hands (one of which is specifically for his roll-call pose), a folded Blade Blaster, a Thunder Slinger, his signature Power Axe and a couple others that you’re probably curious about but I’ll get to later.

Like all S.H. Figuarts, Black Ranger is articulated up the wazoo! Seriously, it has 4 points of wazoo articulation. From pulling off his roll-call pose or beating on baddies, you can pull off all sorts of great poses. If there’s one thing I had to complain about, it’s another leg issue that I don’t think is wide spread. The thigh moulding on the right side is a little off, meaning it’s not quite as uniform as I’d like but I can live with that.

Size-wise, Figuarts are a couple inches taller than Bandai of America’s recent 4″ action figures and look far less ‘roided up, making the Figuart far more accurate to his onscreen appearance.

Coming to the accessories, the Blade Blaster will spend its entire life in the holster on the Ranger’s belt and can’t be held easily. The Thunder Slinger (I had to wiki the name) is a holdover from the Japanese release of a weapon that I don’t recall the Rangers ever using but I’ll let it slide. What I won’t let slide is the fact that the Thunder Slinger doesn’t sit comfortably in any of the provided “holding things” hands. You’re staying in the tray!

Black Ranger’s signature weapon, the Power Axe, is perfectly replicated and looks absolutely fantastic! People have asked why I chose Black instead of the more popular Red, Green or White. The answer is simple, his helmet was always my favourite as a kid and his axe is FREAKIN’ BADASS! Swords, daggers and lances are cool but when you see a big meaty axe coming for your head, you move! It’s also a blaster! Unfortunately, it’s slightly inaccurate but there’s a reason for that.

With the releases of Black, Blue and Yellow, will come with remoulded versions of the Rangers’ signature weapons that can combine into the iconic Power Blaster. Black comes with Red and Blue’s components but I’m not sure which follow up will include Black’s axe in blaster mode.

As with my previous S.H. Figuart review, I am thoroughly impressed with this figure and highly recommend picking it up as either a stand alone, or as part of the Mighty Morphin’ team!

It’s great that Tamashii Nations and Bluefin Distribution are bringing more and more S.H. Figuarts over to the west. You can currently find most of the Mighty Morphin’ S.H. Figuarts over on Amazon UK and through other online retailers.