[Tokumonkey]

So preorders for the Japanese release of Shouma are live now on Tokullectibles.

I don't recall Bandai ever taking this specific risk before, and they waited until the last possible minute to attempt it: they've feinted a few times at including a non-suit character from a show, but never the actor who plays the main rider of the currently-airing series.

I went and preordered it in a moment of voting with my wallet, despite the high price tag, which I suspect is likely due to wholly-new tooling. How well it sells will probably determine whether they'll produce Zeztz's human form, etc. Offering it at this moment, immediately following the end of a series, is interesting. If nothing else, most everybody who's watched the show knows whether they like it or not. Also interesting that the promo photos make it clear what the figure's proportions look like when standing next to Gavv Poppin' Gummy.

When I first looked at the replacement abdomen, I was struck by the absence of a belt. But - oh, yeah! - the whole point of Shouma's unique tops has been to disguise the belt, as the show's lore is that it's not a belt at all, but Shouma's cyborg second tummy. (Also, I realize they're spelling it "Shoma," but I just can't get behind the phonetics.)