Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger - ZENKAI MAGINE!

Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger - Change Heroes Zenkai Magine - Bandai 2021

When I was lamenting over the lack of new Power Rangers seasons a few weeks ago (during my Armorsaur reviews), it made me wonder about the Super Sentai seasons that never make the jump to the US market after Hasbro slammed on the brakes back in 2020. And the funny thing is, when I started to to look at the six un-translated series since Dino Fury/Cosmic Fury, I realized I had purchased this toys years ago and promptly forgot about it. The 45th Super Sentai series from 2021-22 was Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger. Without any western-hemisphere version to help me fully understand the series, I am admittedly a bit confused. But I know that the main team is made up of one human and four kikainoids - mechanical humanoid aliens. Magine is the Pink Ranger of the team and the token female kikainoid. This figure is depicting the powered-up Zenkai Magine who transforms into Magine Dragon. She has an amazing design and I'm so glad I picked her up years ago. Let's check out Magine below!

Kamen Rider - CRANE ORPHNOCH!

Kamen Rider 555 - Rider Kaijin Series #05 - Crane Orphnoch - Bandai 2004

Kamen Rider 555 is the 13th installment in the Kamen Rider series from 2003. The villains of this series are the Orphnoch, a mutated evolution of zombie-like human monsters with animal or plant characteristics. Several of these Orphnochs retain their human morality and work to protect humanity. The Wolf, Horse, and Wildcat Orphnochs are the main characters of the series, but Crane is a major recurring "good" character with a seemingly massive fanbase (if the merchandise and subsequent CCG and videogame appearances is any indication). I've always been really drawn to the Kamen Rider monster aesthetic... especially when there is a strong animal theme. I bought this figure blindly back in 2004 and only worked to learn about her later. The Orphnochs have an added appeal of being a monochromatic gray/stone palette which looks awesome in group scenes. There are quite a few females represented, but Crane was always the standout to me. Let's check her out below!

Dark Knight Rises - CATWOMAN!

S.H.Figuarts - The Dark Knight Rises - Catwoman - Tamashii Nations/Bandai 2018

This figure sent me on a crazy internet-searching frenzy this week. When I was photographing this figure, I had the sudden realization that she looked exactly like Sarah Michelle Gellar. This idea got so implanted in my head that I couldn't unsee it and created the (fictional) idea that Gellar was possibly considered for the role before Hathaway was cast. We see a fair amount of toys that are based on pre-production design, so my theory had merit (in my mind). Alas, I was wrong and the likeness is just a coincidence. But, wow, there is a lot of fancasting out there for Gellar in the role of Catwoman. For a long time, this S.H.Figuarts figure from Bandai was the nicest DKR Catwoman out there. She has great textural details, excellent articulation, and perfect proportions. Plus she was the victim of some bizarre merchandising practices and was heavily clearanced at GameStop for $30. This purchase started my obsession Mafex, S.H.Figuarts, and Figma (which I had always avoided). Let's check out Catwoman below!

New Captain Scarlet - DESTINY ANGEL!

Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet - Destiny Angel - Bandai 2006

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons was a 1960's science fiction television show by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. The show featured their signature electronic marionette puppets and scale vehicle models. It was actually their 8th show in this "Supermarionation" style, but it stands out as one of fan favorites (along with Terrahawks, Thunderbirds, and Stingray). And like any successful product of yesteryear, Captain Scarlet got the reboot treatment in the early oughts. In 2005, New Captain Scarlet premiered on ITV in the UK and lasted for two seasons and 26 episodes. The big departure from the Gerry Anderson universe is that this series ditched the puppets for CGI animation. It wasn't a bad show, but a huge part of the property's appeal (for me at least) was those unique puppets. There's a new Destiny Angel figure coming from Big Chief Studios later this year and it inspired me to finally review this older toy. She's very well made and very playable. I only wish she was 1:18 scale like all the other Anderson figures.

Kamen Rider Agito - EL OF THE WATER!

Kamen Rider Agito - Soft Vinyl Figures - El of the Water - Bandai 2003

I bought this figure about 18 years ago when I was on a crazy Japanese Vinyl kick. Then just a couple years ago I photographed it for a review and quickly realized I had forgotten every bit of detail about this toy (other than that it was produced by Bandai). I had no frame of reference in my head and googling things like "shark woman bandai" returned zilch. Then tonight I researched hard (hours literally) and finally was able to identify her. In 2001 Kamen Rider Agito aired as the eleventh installment of the Kamen series. There were a lot of villains in this series including a troublesome trio called the El Lords. These three Lords controlled Water, Wind, and Ground. Technically El of the Water is a male entity and voiced by a male actor, but for the majority of her/his screen time in this series, they had possessed the 21 year old human character Masumi Sekiya. And while possessing Masumi, the El of the Water looked distinctly female. Something I love about Japanese villains on action television is the creative designs.

Stranger Things - ELEVEN!

Stranger Things: The Void Series - Season 3 -  Figure #1 Eleven - Bandai 2020

I just discovered that one of my favorite nephews has recently become a fan of Stranger Things. He's twelve and is often resistant to spooky things so this was a welcome surprise. For the holidays I bought him two Stranger Things graphic novels and gifted him a prized vintage vest from my closet that looks just like Will Byer's iconic outfit. I was thrilled to get him cool stuff for once. But what's most exciting is reliving my enjoyment of those initial seasons through his eyes. The show is a great mix of intrigue, suspense, horror, and comedy. All with a masterful ability to pull you into the environment of Hawkins, Indiana in the early 80s. As I get older, I find the setting of shows and movies to be one of the most important factors in my enjoyment. The setting has to be fully fleshed-out, unique, and adding something to the plot. And Stranger Things does it all perfectly. The 6" toy license appears to have recently shifted from McFarlane Toys to Bandai and this Season 3 Eleven is the first offering. Let's check her out below!

Miraculous Ladybug - MULTIMOUSE!

Miraculous Ladybug Action Figures: Wave 05 - Multimouse - Bandai 2019

Considering how many cool forms the main character in Miraculous, Marinette, has assumed, it's surprising there haven't been more interesting toys of her. We've seen rehashed Ladybug costumes, and a very cool Lady Noire, but there could have easily been a few fun Marinettes in each wave. It's amusing then that the very last figure produced in the Bandai line would be Multimouse, one of her more unique transformations. I'll be honest, I was never planning on getting this figure. I knew the line was ending and she would be hard to get. Plus I wasn't a huge fan of the gray and pink color scheme, especially when compared to the bright bold colors of the other figures. But, typical of most collectors, over time I began to covet this figure. Her "exclusivity" (meaning: final-wave poor distribution) only ramped up her appeal to me. I finally got her at a decent price right as the new Playmates line started seeing wide circulation. She's a great final addition to the old line. Let's check out Multimouse below!

Miraculous Ladybug - AQUABUG!

Miraculous Ladybug Action Figures: Wave 04 - AquaBug - Bandai 2018

With the first assortment of Miraculous figures from Playmates Toys finally hitting the shelves, I scrambled to get the last couple Bandai figures I never picked up (before they became impossible to get). Similar to any Batman or Spider-Man themed property, there is some version of Ladybug in every wave of Miraculous toys. She's the focal character so I totally get it, but I usually skip slight variations of a character I already have. When I first saw pics of this AquaBug figure, I wrote it off as just "Ladybug with blue hair" and didn't pay any attention. But a few years later I saw a pic of her and realized she had some interesting details. The most impressive part is that her costume is completely covered in a fishscale texture. It's only noticeable up close and Bandai could have been cheap and just re-used the smooth mold. Her hair gradient from light blue to pink also really stands out. In the packaging, the pink blends in with the background graphics, so seeing it in person was a nice surprise. Let's check out AquaBug below!

Digimon - LILIMON!

Bandai Spirits - Digimon Adventure Shodo Vol.3 - Lilimon - Bandai 2021

Digimon is a property that has always appealed to me, but similar to Pokemon, I actually find it overwhelming and confusing. However Digimon stood out because it had many more humanoid characters that I thought looked amazing. I especially love the flower-themed ladies (and, yes, I'm aware they are technically genderless). I was always bummed that there were never any true action figures of them, only glorified PVC figurines (that are inexplicably expensive on eBay). But now this new series of Digimon Shodo Adventure figures has given us a perfect Lilimon. She is truly amazing. Her sculpt is adorable, her small scale is fun, and her poseability is impressive. I only hope this line continues and gives us Rosemon and Lilamon so I can continue my action figure garden. Currently Lilimon will be joining a handful of Spiderwick Happy Meal toys and Perfuma, but I know Digimon Adventures Shodo could give me so many more. Fingers crossed! Let's check out Lilimon below!

Dragonball Evolution - BULMA!

Dragonball Evolution (The Movie) - Series 01 - Bulma - Bandai 2009

It seems like every time an anime series becomes a certified worldwide success, some genius decides to make a live action version which almost never holds up. Big ones that come to mind are The Last Airbender, Ghost in the Shell, and Alita: Battle Angel. These movies often have mixed reviews, but are usually far less successful than their source material. One of the most universally panned examples is Dragonball: Evolution from 2009 (with a dismal 15% on Rotten Tomatoes). I never saw the movie, but the consensus seems that the story was muddy, the characters weren't engaging, the CGI was inconsistent, and the movie overall was full of lame clichés. The reviews are very entertaining, and they actually make me want to watch it. Bandai had high hopes and pushed out a toy line in 2008 with both 6" and 3.75" figures. The sole female release was a 3.75" Bulma (played by Emmy Rossum). Bulma is the token female typically portrayed as a brilliant scientist and creator. Let's check her out below!

Kamer Rider - TACKLE!

Soul of Soft Vinyl - Figure #36 - Kamen Rider Stronger: Tackle - Bandai 2007

There are several Tokusatsu (aka Special Effects Filming) genres that dominate the pop culture landscape in Japan. Think of Kaiju (Godzilla), Super Sentai (Power Rangers), Ultraman, Metal Heroes (Beetleborgs), and of course Kamen Rider (Masked Rider). Kamen Rider was created by Shotaro Ishinomori (Power Rangers, Cyborg 009) in 1971 and features insect-themed cyborgs riding motorcycles and fighting against their creators (terrorist cells made up of former Nazis with group names like Shocker and Black Satan). The first female rider was "Electro-Wave Human Tackle" in the fifth series, Kamen Rider Stronger from 1975. Although never officially a "Rider," she had similar cyborg origins, she rode a bike, and she had an insect-themed (Ladybug) outfit. As a typical trope for female characters in genres like this, she was a love interest for the protagonist who eventually sacrificed her life to save a man. Plus her breast armor is typically awkward. She's a great example of the time. Let's check out Tackle below!

Kikaider - BIJINDER!

Soul of Soft Vinyl - Figure #15 - Kikaider 01: Bijinder (Bijinda) - Bandai 2005

Kikaider is Japanese television franchise from 1972 created by Shotaro Ishinomori, the creator of Super Sentai (Power Rangers) and Cyborg 009. The original series deals with an android named Kikaider created by a scientist to protect his family. I first became aware of the property when Bandai's Super Imaginative Chogokin toys were showing up in specialty shops in the late 90s. Funny thing was, this specific toyline was hyper-detailed and didn't really appeal to me, but the general character designs were weird are really unique and stuck with me. A few years later this Soul of Soft Vinyl figure was released in Japan and I knew I had to have it. Bijinder was an evil android from the second TV Series (Kikaider 01) in 1973 created to destroy Kikaider. She eventually became an ally who appeared in 17 episodes and also appeared in the early 2000's anime. A typical trope of early tokusatsu is female characters with weaponized breasts. And Bijinder's lasers are no exception. Let's check her out below!

Sentai Hero Series - LADIES OF MAGIRANGER!

Sentai Hero Series - Magi Pink, Magi Blue, and Magi Mother - Bandai 2005

Power Rangers Mystic Force was the 2006 iteration of the Power Rangers franchise and marked my first real fascination with the brand. Every season of Power Rangers had a theme - most of which honestly didn't interest me in the least: ninjas, space, etc. But the Mystic Force season featured a mythology theme and I loved it. The main females were the Pink Mystic Ranger (Fairy) and Blue Mystic Ranger (Mermaid). Even their Zord forms looked like vaguely feminine humanoids. I picked up several of the Bandai USA toys, but my favorite products were the Japanese Sentai Hero Series vinyl figures (released with the 2005 Magiranger series). They beat out the rest because this line included the White Mystic Ranger (Snow) that I don't believe was ever included in the American toylines. The Sentai Hero Series is a really fin and inexpensive line to collect. While not especially well articulated, they have decent, consistent sculpts and great character selection. Let's check out the Mystic Rangers below!

Cyborg 009 - FRANCOISE ARNOUL (Cyborg 003)!

Cyborg 009 - Zero Zero Number Box Three - Cyborg 003 - Bandai 2002

Shotaro Ishinomori is a prominent creator in Japanese culture and across the world. He is probably best known for creating the Super Sentai (aka Power Rangers) genre. But he is equally notable for various manga and anime properties, my favorite of which is Cyborg 009. Beginning as a manga series that ran from 1967-1981, it has spawned 7 animated movies, and 3 separate animated series. The story focuses on Joe Shimamura (aka Cyborg 009) who wakes up to find himself cybernetically enhanced and with only intermittent memories of his past. He meets all the other previous Cyborgs (numbers 001 through 008) and they all escape the facility that kidnapped and experimented on them. Each Cyborg has one unique ability, like flight, shapeshifting, telepathy, etc. The premise reminds me of other more modern properties that I've loved like Next Men and Gen13. Something I especially appreciate about Cyborg 009 is their matching uniforms that barely changed throughout their 56-year run.

Miraculous Ladybug - RENA ROUGE!

Miraculous Ladybug Action Figures: Wave 04 - Rena Rouge - Bandai 2018

I just made a new friend who works for Nickelodeon and it made me realize I never reviewed this amazing Rena Rouge figure. I know that Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is on Disney now. But I will always think of it as a Nickelodeon show. Rena Rouge is another akumatized version of Marinette's best friend, Alya. Earlier in the series, she had been tricked into becoming the villain, Lady Wi-Fi, but this time around she joins with the Kwami Trixx to become the fox-themed hero, Rena Rouge. In this identity, she assists her friends Ladybug and Cat Noir with her powers of illusion and trickery. I always love the eastern-inspired folklore of foxes as supernatural tricksters, and I'm super glad that the Miraculous toyline has given us two fox-themed ladies so far. I just love these bright, colorful action figures and I hope Bandai continues to produce more (even if they are impossible to get in the US). I'm only missing one character now (Multimouse) and I don't want the hunt to end! Let's check out Rena Rouge below!

Miraculous Ladybug - PUPPETEER!

Miraculous Ladybug Action Figures: Wave 03 - Puppeteer - Bandai 2018

I think it's super great when an obscure character is given the full action figure treatment. The Miraculous toy line from Bandai is full of fun, colorful, female-centric characters and is really unlike anything else on the market right now (it was similar to DC Superhero Girls, Mysticons, and WWE Superstars, but it appears all those other lines have failed). Miraculous has all but disappeared from US toy shelves, but there has been a steady flow of new releases in Europe (it's a French cartoon). I believe the Puppeteer only appeared in a single episode of the show as a child that Marinette was babysitting who gained powers and became the tantrum-driven villain for an episode. The fact that this character warranted an action figure speaks highly to the potential of this line. It's a pet peeve of mine when we just get endless redecos of the same main characters over and over. And while we still see some variation of Ladybug in each wave, the B and C-list characters are endlessly present. Let's check out Puppeteer below!

Miraculous Ladybug - QUEEN BEE!

Miraculous Ladybug Action Figures: Wave 04 - Queen Bee - Bandai 2018

I love Bumblebee-themed characters. I even did a week-long series of bee-lady reviews back in 2014 leading up to the release of Sweet Bee. There's something about the yellow and black color palette that I find very appealing (with the inexplicable exception of team colors in sports... on a jersey I hate this color combo). The occasional wings and stinger added to the look is just an added bonus. Something I find enjoyable about Miraculous is how the same human characters assume different costumed identities throughout the series. Chloe is Marinette's nemesis and has appeared in Ladybug's outfit, a color-swapped version named Anti-bug, then this Queen Bee costume (which I think is her most iconic look), followed by a color-swapped version Queen Wasp. Marinette's best friend, Alya, has been Lady Wi-Fi, Rena Rouge, and Rena Rage. And Marinette herself has been a number of characters, most notably Ladybug, Lady Noire, and Multimouse. I love this system. Let's check out Queen Bee below!

Miraculous Ladybug - VOLPINA!

Miraculous Ladybug Action Figures: Wave 03 - Volpina - Bandai 2018

Foxes are really intriguing animals to me. As a kid I was always excited to see them mysteriously slinking around our land, but there always seemed to be a certain mystery and intelligence surrounding them that I couldn't pinpoint. As a teenager I learned about how Japanese culture holds them in a similar regard and my overzealous childhood imagination suddenly seemed justified. The movie Pom Poko, the anime series Inu-Yasha, Sonic the Hedgehog, and the comic Skeleton Key were all a big part of my teenage years and they all featured foxes as shapeshifting or generally magical beings. (Plus a recent episode in the 1st season of Love, Death, & Robots featured a Huli Jung, which is an almost identical Chinese version of the Japanese Kitsune mythology). Long story short, I now had backup for my fox obsession. When I saw this character Volpina in Miraculous, I knew she had to have an eventual action figure. And luckily my premonition was correct, this Volpina is gorgeous. Let's check her out below!

Miraculous Ladybug - LADY NOIRE & MISTER BUG!

Miraculous Ladybug Action Figures: Wave 05 - Lady Noire & Mr. Bug - Bandai 2019

I love a good gender-swap, and I like it even better when it's true swap and two characters reverse their gender polarities. I don't know the exact storyline behind these costumes, but seeing Marinette in a cat outfit and Adrien in a ladybug getup makes me really happy.  Miraculous products have all but disappeared from the shelves in the US. The first two waves were available everywhere: Target, Walmart, Kmart, TRU, etc. But waves three, four, and now five seem to only be released in Europe (France, Germany, UK) and Russia. The crazy thing is that the show's popularity seems to be picking up lately. I've had multiple friends ask me where to get Miraculous toys, specifically because their kids have (recently) become huge fans. I hope the US toy industry takes note and they bring them back. I'll be spending the next few posts catching up on the backlog of figures I've acquired. It was really fun to finally open them all. Let's check out Lady Noir and Mister Bug below!

Power Rangers - DINO THUNDER YELLOW RANGER!

Power Rangers Legacy Collection S5 - Dino Thunder Yellow Ranger- Bandai 2019

I'm really rather sad that the Power Rangers Legacy collection from Bandai has come to a close so quickly. In three short years, we got 10 pretty awesome female rangers in this 6" scale. It's a shame because I was really looking forward to getting some of the villains as well (which were hinted at during convention presentations). But instead I'm left wondering if the new Lightning Collection from Hasbro will ever contain any female characters and how they might look. I'm sure we will likely see one at SDCC next month, but I don't consider it a good sign that everything shown so far has been a total boys club. Dino Thunder aired in the US in 2004, which was right around the time I started seriously collecting toys as an adult. I remember being a bit disappointed because there was only one female ranger in this iteration, but I did think it was kind of cool that she represented another pterosaur like MMPR Pink (although I remember buying a toy of her back then that came with a yellow raptor.. hmm). Let's check her out below!