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!

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.

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!

Kamen Rider - BEE WOMAN (HACHI ONNA)!

Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010 - Bandai 2010

I have a major obsession with female monsters (kaijin) in Japanese serial television programs.  Whether it's the newest incarnation of Power Rangers, Metal Heroes Series, Ultraman, or Masked Rider, the female villains are right up my alley.  There's just something about their theatrical presence, their formidable strengths, and their de-sexualized nature makes them awesome.  (I say desexualized because 90% of the Japanese pop culture properties I pay attention to are inundated with girls in bikinis).  I think the most successful Japanese action figures these days are high-end, super collectible, and super-articulated toys like Figma or S.H.Figuarts.  These companies produce all the major characters quickly and within a reasonable budget.  But sometime $40-80 bucks for a 6-7" action figure is not a feasible prospect.  That's where these amazing vinyl Super Sentai-type action figures come into play.  You can get the same detailed character selection, but at an extremely  low price.  Let's check out Bee Woman below!

Kamen Rider's Sinister Seawitch MEZOOL!

Kamen Rider OOO - Greeed Collection EX 04 - Mezool - Bandai 2011
 
Hot on the heels of the Octavia review earlier this week, comes another aquatic-themed lady with a killer design. (Get it? ..killer?)  Kamen Rider OOO is the 21st installment of Japan's famed Kamen Rider Series.  Kamen Rider had a brief run in the US as the translated series Masked Rider, but it didn't have the staying power of other Toei properties like Power Rangers.  I don't necessarily watch any of these series, but I am a huge fan of the costume and character design and I have a ton of figures to commemorate my obsession.  Mezool is one of my newer acquisitions but definitely one of my favorites. Who would have ever thought that having a freakin' Orca Whale on your head could make you look sinister??  I've seen hats at SeaWorld that are very similar to this, but somehow they don't have the same effect when I wear them.   This figure is in the style of the Kamen Hero and Sentai Hero Series.  They are 7" scale lightweight hollow vinyl figures with limited articulation (2-3 points), great sculpts, and a low price point.  I'm a big fan of this style and I wish we had something similar here in the US.  Let's check her out below!