Because I know you're wrong I went back and searched through the Gaim episodes to count Takatora's appearance as Melon and Melon Energy. And would you look at that, he barely makes 8 appearances as Melon Energy (the 8th time being when he's betrayed by the other Energy Riders and Micchy takes the lockseed) and 6 as classic Melon.

So much for "far far more". It is more, but not on the large scale you try to sell here. It's rather even IMO.

Here's the thing: They didn’t make it hard to get. Web-Exclusives are meant for the Japanese market only, they explicitly state that Web-Exclusives won't be sold overseas. We can only get them because middleman services exist.

For every Japanese collector it was as easy as going to Amazon to buy one of these, and that's the only thing Bandai cares about.

And for why the figure is a Web-Exclusive to begin with: Gaim has an onslaught of suits. Bandai had to make the decision early on which they would sell in stores. And when not even characters like Gridon, Kurokage or Bravo can be sold in stores it's pretty obvious that they wouldn’t sell a power-up for a secondary Rider in stores.

About the Kiva-La thing: I suspect this one lands in stores because cutesy females in armor with metal cleavage are easier to sell in Japan. Even people who have no idea about Kamen Rider might like the design enough to buy it.

But no matter how much you like Melon Energy, it's not the base form. And that's why it isn’t an odd choice for me.

Well, it's actually 9 episodes, and three movies (and the Gaiden), but you're absolutely right, and I stand corrected. I think all the times Mitchy also used the suit blurred in my mind and made me think Takatora used it more than he did. I think it's also because Takatora in the first arc was a much more minor character and when we started seeing more of him in the Yggdrassil arc he had already switched. My mistake.

That is something I didn't fully consider, and I'll concede that.

To clarify, I've...never actually said anything about how much I like Melon Energy or anything? Not that I couldn't, but it's not like I'm complaining about it being a web exclusive just because I like it or I think it's the base form, but because the way I see it (even putting aside this stuff with Takatora) it's a very important suit and leaving it as something of a side release is odd.

The other Armored Riders were never particularly important characters and they never really became main players. I mean, Kurokage was in a handful of episodes and then he died, while Gridon and Bravo stayed in the background for much of the series before the final stretch of the show. Zangetsu Shin was an upgrade form for not one but two of the main characters in Gaim, as well as the posterboy for the New Generation Riders. That second thing is what gets to me the most--the fact that the New Generation Riders had no representation whatsoever in the mass retail releases. That's the weirdest thing to me, and why I said it was a mistake to have it as a web exclusive. Honestly not even sure how I started an argument about the stuff with Takatora, but I did and that was my bad.

I just auto-assumed you like Melon Energy more because it's your favorite representation of the character :lol

But it's cool dude, I think we're on the same level now. And quite honestly something like Web-exclusive shouldn’t even be a thing outside of limited repaints because while not intended it does limit the options of people outside of Japan. Everybody should be able to get a Melon Energy Zangetsu and not pay 100 bucks for it.

In other news, Agito is starting to ship out and Shishioh has his gallery up:

http://shishioh-image.sakura.ne.jp/i...FORM/bnr-5.jpg

Goddam it's pretty. Can't wait to get mine.

What I'm a little bit sad about is that Tamashii isn’t re-releasing the Machine Tornador... that's one of my favorite bikes and I think it works well with the new Agito, but it's rather expensive now.

To be fair, I totally do. Regular Zangetsu Melon Arms is basically just Gaim Orange Arms with a different color scheme, a helmet I like less and a less iconic weapon. Melon Energy looks far more distinct, and, like with every Energy Rider, those soda eyes and armor are damn cool.

Everybody including Japanese collectors! Honestly the high price it fetches even in the Japanese aftermarket is I think a sign that it would have seen a lot of success as a retail release--not even popular designs released at retail like Kachidoki reach such heights. Even if it wasn't as much, the limited release was certainly restrictive even there. But oh well.

Anyway.

Agito looks great, as do all the Shinkocchou Seihou figures. Doesn't seem to come with much, but not having seen the show I'm not sure what he could have come with. Regardless it looks like a fantastic release.

I have one preordered, but I'm not getting it until like, November. So that's great. Then again hopefully by that time I'll have actually gotten to watching the show. Definitely looking good though.

His bike is his only accessory really. He uses no weapons in this mode, and there was no real iconic scene where he had to hold onto something.

The alternate head is the biggest factor here and probably the reason why he has "only" four pairs of hands.

And yes, watch Agito, it's a fantastic show.

So through my Marika taking a little longer to arrive than usual I discovered that the ever wonderful Nippon Yasan had actually changed half my outstanding orders to be for an address I haven't lived at for 2 years :/

Thank god I still live near enough to go and grab the parcel card. Would have noticed a lot sooner if they were like any other retailer and printed these addresses on their correspondence emails.

Wait, what? Didn’t that happen sometime before to someone around here? I remember reading something exactly like this like half a year ago. What the serious fuck NY.

So is your Marika already in the post-office too?

Yeah I just picked her up now. I was lucky because in a few days' time she would have been returned to the sender. I probably should have just checked sooner but after 2 years of the same address you just don't think to.

Well that's a relief... Jesus, these guys and their bullshit. I'm fairly certain this already happened at least once around here.

I can only remember that it happened to Den-O once with an HLJ order.