[MaskedRiderAsakura]

I've always wondered how Bandai could get around this issue with the Sentai figures.


Because you very much have this catch-22 where people won't buy the Sentai figures because they figure that the full team won't come out, yet the full team won't come out because the initial figures aren't selling. Kamen Rider gets around this because characters in Rider are more individualistic, while Sentai characters will always simply be a part of a larger whole. You have some people who are cool with just getting their favorite Rangers, or maybe just a Red + the sixth, but that's far from the norm.

As much as the Legacy line was kind of a crash and burn due to BoA's mistreatment of the line from the jump, maybe there's something that can be learned there. They were fully articulated Ranger figures being sold for $20 a piece. Much larger than SHFs too, but of course, totally lacking in accessories and the plastic quality was clearly not anywhere near as good. But with the Legacy line, it was A LOT more financially plausible for collectors to complete their teams. At $20 a piece, you're looking at $120 for a complete team, which is fairly doable for the average adult collector. I also look at SHFs from the past that were sold for a really low price point, like the Mario line or the recently released Kamen Rider Build.

Maybe they can do a "companion" line to the regular SHFiguarts line. A cheaper line with lower quality figures that Bandai can sell at a consistent $20-30 price point that's attractive to collectors. Not being part of the SHFiguarts line means that Tamashii Nations isn't held back by the expectations or higher standards of the regular SHF line, and would be more free to experiment within it. Similar to the Legacy line, but with a scale more in line with the SHF line, and with less boneheaded decisions. Then test the waters with smaller teams, like Abaranger or something. I think it could work. There's a market out there for 6-inch scale (roughly) articulated Sentai figures, but BoJ (justifiably) doesn't have enough faith in it and BoA keeps making dumb decisions that hurt any chance the line has of succeeding.

But who knows....maybe Hasbro will be the one to scratch that itch. Because if there's anything Hasbro knows how to do, it's market a line and produce a large quantity of budget yet decent figures in a short period of time.