Shinkenger S.H. Figuarts In America!

A rather surprising development: Bandai America decided to import the Shinkenger Figuarts to ride on the popularity of Power Rangers Samurai.



As pictured, the packaging remains largely the same (warning labels are pasted over the existing Japanese ones at the back) and English instructions are provided.

Currently, only the Red and Gold Rangers are available at Toys R Us with a retail price of US$34.99. They do not come with Kurokos since they do not exist in Samurai. It is unknown at this point of time whether the exclusive Blue, Green, Pink and Yellow Rangers would be made available as well.

Before this, American fans had to spend approximately US$60 to import one such Figuarts. This was something to rejoice for collectors on a budget.

Arrived: Deformeister Petit Super Sentai Legend Series

Pre-ordered this a couple of months back.



*Not Pictured: GoseiKnight*

Received the payment and shipping confirmation on Sep 17th, and shipped out on the 20th via SAL (with tracking). In other words, I totally didn't expect it to arrive so soon simply because I waited close to 5 weeks for my DX Dekaranger Robo from HobbyLink Japan (HLJ) using SAL as well. Hence, this was a pleasant surprise because it only took 9 days!

The parcel was well-packed and the item arrived in good condition, so I'm very satisfied with AmiAmi and its prompt service. At the moment, I have no intention of opening up them simply because I have no space to display them yet.

Ended up paying S$65.91 for this set of 10 after a nice 27% discount off the retail price, as well as 10% off the grand total after shipping. Double discounts for the win!

Pretty busy month of releases and there's more to come.

DX FuuraiMaru + Candy Key Series 03

Specially made the trip down to CSC since the DX FuuraiMaru has been out for a while.



Today was slightly less crowded; the same goes for Ng's Collections. When I stepped in, it's just the Auntie and the Uncle was nowhere in sight. Nothing much after one round of browsing; the shocking thing was probably the S$50 price tag of the DX FuuraiMaru...

Frankly, I was kinda disgusted at the pricing because Fujiya was selling it at S$38 online and even La Tendo (which is sometimes known for ridiculous pricing) was selling for S$44. So, I inquired the price with the Auntie and she quoted me S$45, saying it's the "Uncle's price". I sort of hesitated after hearing the price, but at the same time, I don't wish to ruin the years of relationship with the Uncle over a few dollars... Am I being too money-conscious?

So, I hanged around for a little while longer to wait for the Uncle. Somehow when he showed up, my mind decided to get it even though it's S$45. I went up to the Uncle and he exclaimed, "You haven't got this meh?" and went on to joke that since I'm so late in getting it he would charge me higher! Surprisingly, the Uncle quoted me S$40.00 which instantly put the Auntie to shame. She immediately responded with a shout to the Uncle about quoting me S$45 earlier on and now he's giving me another S$5 "discount" on top of it. Oh my!

That makes it two unhappy incidents in a row!

I could understand the Auntie's perspective to make the profit margin, but at the same time, she might want to learn how to be more tactful in retaining customers because of the increase in competitors. Having said that, Uncle has been kind enough all these years and I will continue to support him within my means.



Bought the Candy Key Series 03 at Toy Realm (Candy Toy Shop at Level 1) for S$24.00. Reasonable enough within the market price and it's imported from Hong Kong because Yamakawa is slow as usual.

Dollz Inc

Since I was in the area, I decided to drop by Dollz Inc at Wheelock Place since I haven't been visiting CSC either. Just so happened that Auntie was there, and she happened to ask me if I pre-ordered S.H. Figuarts GokaiPink already? I conveniently replied yes...

The conversation didn't end there, and now comes the most shocking part. She suddenly mentioned about the S.H. Figuarts ShinkenRed Kaoru Ver. (which I bought earlier) being quoted wrongly by their Japanese contact! In exact case, it should be around the price of S$99.90 as reflected on the other one for sale. The Auntie went further to elaborate that they explained to the Japanese contact that since it was sold, there was nothing they could do as well...

So I thought to myself, "Hmm... what's the implication that the Auntie was trying to draw anyway?" Could it be that the Auntie was a little sore about the mistake? Or was it a hint to remind me to patronise them more often since I kinda benefited from this incident? Oh well...

Then, she went on to ask about the DX Ranger Key Set 07 which they got in from Japan (Set 06 and 08 were sold). I probably stunned her when I said that I got all the 3 sets already. As the Bandai Asia stocks were not in yet, she immediately knew that I got the Japanese versions from either La Tendo or Robo Robo.

What an evening. The Auntie wondered why I did not wait on for the Bandai Asian versions which will cost around S$20-25, definitely cheaper than the Japanese versions. But I shocked her more when I replied that I ordered them from La Tendo because they are cheap - S$18 per set. At this moment, I really don't know how to work around the conversation up to this point which is why I was too blunt and honest.

"Oh, so you ordered them and not yet on hand?", she asked. I had to end the topic with, "Erm, I got them already last week..." effectively ending the whole conversation in silence.

I know I had to salvage the situation somehow, so I asked about the Gokaiger Gashapon Ranger Keys. Because the previous sets didn't sell, they stopped bringing in more from Japan plus they will be available locally later on. I went on to explain that the upcoming series will have more exclusive characters, so it might sell better as compared to the earlier sets (which the Red Rangers will all be available in Deluxe form).

Although I mentioned that I'm interested in the current Series 04 if the price remains around the same (S$55 per set), I could see that the Auntie was probably only half listening. Hmm, let's see how all this plays out in the future.

By the way, the currency exchange rate for Japanese Yen against the Singapore Dollar has become more and more unfavorable by the day due to the strengthening of the Japanese Yen. Therefore, the prices for the Japanese toys will be affected to a large extent. Expect any discrepancies to be carried over to the expense of the consumers - Bad Times for Collectors.

Takashimaya 15th Craziest Toy Sale (Day 8)

The ongoing sale continued to be pretty bland because there's no new stuff added to the current selection. Quite disappointing, I guess.

Speaking of which, the Deluxe Jungle Pride Megazord (@ S$23.00) was restocked and is probably the main reason why the RPM Megazords are not on clearance yet. There's just too many leftover stocks!

I also don't know why I just had to get something that sort of feeling. Hahah.



5" RPM Full Throttle Ranger Series Gold and Silver @ S$5.00 each. Actually, there's no other rangers available, so I only bought this pair.

Not sure if I should get the rest of the team because the Japanese S.H. Figuarts would be more superior if they moved on to Go-Onger in the future.

Power Rangers Samurai Toys In Full Launch

Power Rangers Samurai Toys are now available in all leading departmental stores.



Adding on to the initial post, the entire current 2011 toy line has been released locally.

4" Samurai Ranger Figures / S$17.95 each

Available in Red, Blue, Green, Gold including Mooger, Rita Repulsa and Deker.

I was quite surprised to see that we are finally getting villains again (none for Jungle Fury and RPM), especially Rita Repulsa which is highly sought after in the United States. Deker looks better in person than on photos because the paint used is exactly a silvery blend with white.

6" Switch Morphin Mega Rangers / S$29.95 each

Available in Red, Blue, Green and Gold.

10" Battlized Mega Ranger / S$24.95

Available in Red only.

6" Sword Morphin Samurai Rangers / S$29.95

Available in Red and Blue.

Shogun Battlized Ranger / S$49.95

10" Mega Ranger Fire with detachable armor pieces.

Deluxe Role-Play: Mega Blade / S$69.95

With electronic sounds.

The price is rather steep but I'm quite interested in this one because Bandai America has not made a decent weapon for a very long time. Not that I'm really into weapons but this one has a cool design; probably can wait for clearance.

Deluxe Samurai Clawzord / S$69.95

Combines with the DX Samurai Megazord to form the Claw Armor Megazord.

Takashimaya 15th Craziest Toy Sale (Day 4)

Updates on the new items:

[Power Rangers]

PR Jungle Fury DX Jungle Pride Megazord - SOLD OUT

PR RPM Repackaged Sentai Hero Figures - S$5.00 for 2
+ PR RPM Full Throttle Power Rangers - S$5.00 each

[Super Sentai]

Magiranger DX DialRod - SOLD OUT
Magiranger DX Magi Punch - S$15.00

Boukenger and GoGo Vehicle Set - S$5.00 each (Red, Black and Blue)

Spin Action Gekiranger - S$5.00 each (Red and Blue)

Go-Onger DX Toripter - S$20.00 (Price Increase)
Go-Onger DX JumboWhale - SOLD OUT
Go-Onger DX GoRoader GT - SOLD OUT
+ Go-Onger DX Birca - S$10.00
+ Go-Onger DX Jetras - S$5.00

Shinkenger SakanaMaru - ?
+ ShiShi Origami - ?
+ DX Kyouryuu Origami - ?

Goseiger GoseiMic - SOLD OUT
Goseiger DX LeonLaser - S$30.00
Goseiger DX GoseiWonder - S$25.00 (Price Decrease)
+ DX Landick Brother Set - S$10.00
+ DX Mystic Brother Set - S$20.00

Accurate as of 5:40pm

DX Ranger Key Sets 06-08

Nice! I didn't expect La Tendo to be this efficient because these were released in Japan only 1 week ago.



As pictured, Ranger Key Sets 06 to 08 are team releases of the recent 3 series which made sense since kids would be more likely to remember them. I like how the packaging is customised to reflect its original theme from their respective years, and not some recycled Gokaiger design.

Also, I know that a number of people has been complaining about the repeated releases of Go-OnRed, ShinkenRed and GoseiRed but I would like to point out that they are not exactly the same keys. The gold paint on the 3 Ranger Keys has been improved to provide a much better contrast in terms of details. This way, the whole team will also look more uniform and better together because of the new gold paint rather than with the old keys.

Having said, more DX Ranger Keys coming next month which would complete all 35 Red Rangers for Super Sentai.

Takashimaya 15th Craziest Toy Sale

Initially, I thought that there wouldn't be one this year since Takashimaya normally held it during July or August.



Anyway, the sale is on from 15 September to 02 October at the B2 Square.

Compared to the previous years, last year was probably the best and this year probably the worst. It's also interesting to note that the arrangement of toys are slightly different this time; the Sentai/PR toys are no longer at the same spot.

For Sentai/PR collectors, there weren't much bargain items to choose from (just like I expected) since a lot of stuff were cleared last year and during the Compass Point sale this year.

Nonetheless, these are some of the stuff that I saw:

[Power Rangers]

PR Jungle Fury DX Jungle Pride Megazord - S$23.00

PR RPM Repackaged Sentai Hero Figures - S$5.00 for 2

[Super Sentai]

Magiranger DX DialRod - S$10.00
Magiranger DX Magi Punch - S$15.00

Boukenger and GoGo Vehicle Set - S$5.00 each (Red, Black and Blue)

Spin Action Gekiranger - S$5.00 each (Red and Blue)

Go-Onger DX Toripter - S$10.00
Go-Onger DX JumboWhale - ?
Go-onger DX GoRoader GT - S$20.00

Shinkenger SakanaMaru - ?

Goseiger GoseiMic - S$15.00
Goseiger DX LeonLaser - S$30.00
Goseiger DX GoseiWonder - S$35.00

Accurate as of 1:50pm

Popular Appeal of Power Rangers Samurai Toys

Even though "Power Rangers Samurai" has yet to air on TV, kids are already attracted by the new toys on the shelves - A phenomenon that was absent in the previous few series in the franchise.



I dropped by Toys R Us (Tampines Mall) on my way back home and was very surprised to see that about 1/3 of the toys for Power Rangers Samurai is already sold! There were no more Deluxe Samurai Megazords and among the popular items were the Disc Cycles and 4" Mega Rangers.

Despite having no promotions to speak of yet and the expensive price tags, Power Rangers Samurai Toys can be regarded as an astonishing start compared to the failing series under Disney. Ironic isn't it?

Is it just because Shinkenger was a very good source material to base on? Or could it be that Saban (together with Bandai America) knows how to handle the franchise better?

All in all, it's good news that Power Rangers is gaining back some popularity.

Pre-Ordered S.H. Figuarts GokaiPink

Apparently, Bandai Asia has recognized the market demand for Tamashii Nations releases and will be making more web-exclusives more accessible to collectors in South Asia.

The S.H. Figuarts GokaiPink is the second exclusive Super Sentai Figuarts to be offered the special pre-order campaign.



Similarly, this campaign is available at the following local hobby stores - Ng's Collections, Robo Robo, La Tendo and Movie Replica. The pre-order ends 21 October 2011.

Originally, I wanted to pre-order it at Uncle Ng's since I was his regular customer. However, I was shocked when he put the price at S$70.00 instead of S$65.00. Hmm... business must be really bad for him to do this, so I headed over to La Tendo instead. S$5.00 is really a huge difference...

Hopefully, Bandai Asia will continue to provide us with more affordable web-exclusives from Japan, otherwise it's really burning holes in the pocket.

Power Rangers Samurai Toys Out In Singapore!

Who would have thought that Saban really meant it when he planned to launch the latest incarnation "Power Rangers Samurai" World-Wide through a series of aggressive marketing and promotional tools... and here we are!

Not quite sure as to when will the show start airing on Okto but Power Rangers Samurai Toys are now available in Toys 'R' Us stores! You can call it a sneak exclusive launch because the other departmental stores are still clearing Power Rangers RPM!



When the Samurai Toys first launched in UK and selected parts of Europe, fans were a little astounded to see that Bandai UK "conveniently" converted the US prices to British Pounds as if it's 1:1. In other words, a typical American is paying US$6.99 for the same figure which would cost GBP7.00 in UK.

Fear not, they are definitely not the worst! In this regard, Singapore certainly is worse-off in terms of inflation.

Anyway, a short introduction on the available merchandise:

4" Mega Ranger Figures - S$17.95 each

All 6 including Gold are available; and for the first time seeing the 4-inch figures, I can't help but wonder why do US toy companies scale down their toys so much? Compared to the usual 5.5-inch we have gotten all these years, well they are really puny. Doesn't make sense that the new 4-inch is more expensive than the 5.5-inch last year (S$16.95 each) right?

Battle Gear: Samuraizer, Spin Sword and Samurai Morpher - S$29.95 each

Both Morphers are released together but it doesn't really make much difference because they are both similar and cheap at the same time. You get no lights, just some generic sounds from pressing one functional button! That's it.

The Spin Sword is pretty decent, as reviewed and compared against the ShinkenMaru. You only get the Lion Disc for now; the other discs will be available later in the training set.

Disc Cycles with Figures - S$39.95 each

Again, all 4 colors are out so kids get to choose their favorite color. Get two if you want to combine with the DX Samurai Megazord for roller skating action! *Sarcastic*

Zord Vehicles with Figures - S$32.95 each

All 4 auxiliary Zords including the OctoZord are out, so you can combine into the Samurai Battle Cannon straight away! Gosh, the TigerZord looks especially cheap and the price tag is insane. Even some of the Japanese Shinkenger DX Origamis are cheaper.

Deluxe Megazords - S$69.95 each

Currently, only the DX Samurai Megazord is out. It doesn't look that bad in Megazord form but we have know for a while that the individual forms are quite disappointing.

That's all for now! Go Go Samurai!