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 fully movable figures from major Japanese toy retailer, Bandai.)
S.H.Figuarts is a series of roughly 14-centimeter-tall (5.5 in) fully movable figures from major Japanese toy maker, Bandai. The “S” and “H” in the name stand for “Simple Style” and “Heroic Action.” With the goal of depicting characters with realistic mobility, S.H.Figuarts uses the latest techniques and the immense skill of the figure designers Bandai is known for to combine a beautiful silhouette with movable poses that look as though they were taken straight from that character’s action scenes. It should be noted that the number of figures released in this series is over 250! Characters from popular series in a variety of genres have been made into figures, including those from the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai (aka Power Rangers) series in the special effects hero genre, and Sailor Moon, To Love-Ru, and Tiger & Bunny in the anime and manga genre.
An event showcasing new “S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Kabuto” titled “Tamashii Features Vol. 6 S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider” was held on July 12 at Bellesalle Akihabara in Tokyo. The main draw of the event was a display of Kamen Rider Kabuto made from a brand new flexible figure mold. The silhouettes and range of movement of the figures is determined by the base model incorporated inside, and the new figures from “S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Kabuto” was said to have a new base model... I really wanted to see it! After a video to open the event featuring Fumihiko Tachiki, who frequently narrates the Kamen Rider series of recent years, we were finally able to enter the venue!
There was even a display corner showing how S.H.Figuarts figures are developed, using the Kamen Rider Kabuto figures as examples. Panels and actual prototypes were displayed to show the development of the new base model.
There was also a corner featuring all the figures from the “S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider” series!
All I can say is that it was simply amazing to see.
Here is the S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Kabuto display corner. The walls surrounding this area were decorated with the figures using the new base models in poses from the Heisei Kamen Rider series. I was surprised by the amount of expressions displayed with the new base model!
Look at the main heroic pose from Kamen Rider Kabuto in this corner!
In addition to “S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Kabuto” featured in the event, a number of other new products were also introduced. Kamen Rider Black from the series of the same name, along with Black’s motorcycle Battle Hopper are set to be released in October. The figure of Kamen Rider Blade was released on Aug. 24, and his motorcycle Blue Spader will be released in November. Blade’s strongest form, Kamen Rider Blade King Form, is also currently available for pre-order (in Japan only, unfortunately), on the Tamashii Web Shop! The motorcycles used by Garren and Chalice are also set to be released soon.
Sample special effects parts of each variety––such as fire-related, explosion-related, and strike-related––were displayed alongside the figures. Once these parts are released, it will make for an even more powerful display.
I’m certain that S.H.Figuarts will continue to show us new products that are both appealing and surprising. Man, I can’t wait for the next surprise!
© Ishimori Production Inc. / Toei Co. Ltd. All rights reserved
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
