For years, Bandai has been turning Star Wars characters into samurai warriors in a wonderful line of figures called “Movie Realization.” More recently, but far more rarely, it’s been doing the same for Marvel with the “Manga Realization” line. The latest toy just got revealed, and it’s so ridiculous, I love it.
Whenever you think about Power Rangers, chances are you think about the American adaptation of the Japanese live-action kids series Super Sentai, a show about brightly colored spandex superheroes dramatically flipping away from pyrotechnics. But the toys based on the various TV series are just as important to the…
Just after 11 am on Saturday morning, I became the proud parent of my very first Tamagotchi, freshly hatched from its virtual egg. By yesterday afternoon it was dead; its passing a poignant reminder that the gadgets we adored as kids aren’t always as awesome 20 years later when we’re grownups.
Yesterday, Legendary unveiled the host of new Jaegers that will be the giant, metallic stars of Pacific Rim Uprising. Now we’ve got some official pictures of the toys that let us get up close and personal with the next iteration of badass, big-screen, monster-fighting mecha.
Usually, importing one of Figuarts well-sculpted, well-articulated action figures can be a costly endeavour—but the company’s upcoming Doctor Strange is actually making an official journey to western shelves... and he’s bringing a lot of giant plastic bits of fire with him.
Although the Power Rangers and Super Sentai franchises have been forever linked since Power Rangers began 24 years ago, the Western side of things has never had creative input on the making of the Japanese show—it has simply been left to create its own series out of Super Sentai footage. That’s changing this year.
Look, I’m not gonna say no to some new Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers action figures. But it kind of seems like a bad idea to package figures of the original TV show costume designs with their movie counterparts, mainly because they’re instant, undeniable proof of how much better the original suits were in comparison.
Shouldn’t he be like... Captain Japan? Naming conventions aside, the latest in Bandai’s line of Feudal Japanese takes on Western heroes might just be its best figure yet.
Good God. It’s beautiful. And expensive. But so, so beautiful.
Remember those Samurai-style Star Wars toys? Well, Bandai has also kicked off a Marvel-themed version, and the results are just as awesome.
Sadly Stay Puft probably doesn’t come with a ruined city to stomp about in, but this figure does look great as he gleefully parades through tiny plastic skyscrapers. All he needs are some tiny Ghostbusters to fight him off.
Remember that combining Toy Story robot figure that turned Woody and pals into a giant mecha? Well, not only is there a new one based on Buzz Lightyear—but the two mechs combine into one gigantic, unholy, completely awesome mess of Toy Story robot madness.
While they’re still not brilliant designs, the new suits in the Power Rangers reboot weirdly work way better as toys. Why? Because the toys don’t have that weird bowling-ball-esque texture, and the bright, shiny color actually makes them feel way more like Power Rangers.
It’s January, which means it’s already time for the merchandising market to start salivating over the next Marvel movie, Captain America: Civil War. Kicking of the proceedings in the battle for whether or not Team Cap or Team Iron Man gets to rummage through your wallet and make your earnings disappear is Bandai!
Well, to the point that they don’t get an angry letter from the Lego Group asking them what the hell they think they’re doing, that is. But this new line of miniature toys based on Akira Toriyama’s designs of some of anime’s most recognizable heroes do walk a pretty damn fine line.
Few people seem to remember, but the Gobots were actually the first transforming robot toys to hit North America. Hasbro’s Transformers eventually dominated the market once they arrived, but many of us still would rather have an F-15 fighter jet leading the good side, than a boring truck.
Last night we got to see a totally badass (and perhaps more than a little foolhardy) Stormtrooper go toe-to-toe with Finn in The Force Awakens’ latest TV spot. Suitably impressed by his slick baton moves? You’ll soon be able to own one as part of Bandai’s fantastic Star Wars figuarts range.
Tamashii Nation’s amazing Star Wars “movie realization” series, which takes the Galactic Empire’s most iconic designs and turns them into armor for classical Japanese samurai warriors, is absolutely fantastic—but it looks like their next addition to the line from the world of Marvel comic books. Behold, Spider-Samurai!
Okay, so we’ve not seen much of The Force Awakens’ Captain Phasma in action so far. But we know that a), she has amazing shiny armor, b) she’s played by Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, and c) she’s got a cool cape. In Star Wars, that’s more than enough badassery to earn you an action figure that looks awesome.
