#Bluefin Tamashii

[the-enzyme]

The rest of my “October” toy haul is here. Some, if not most of these were not released in October, but I had to wait until I could justify shipping most, since most are inexpensive prize figures, and it costs more to ship them by themselves, than the actual cost of the actual figure. DX The Sasuke S.H.Figurarts I got from Amzn, as the USA release of the figure so it’s got a big old Bluefin sticker on the back -- I got this one to unbox, but I was hoping he would be shipped in his brown Tamashii Nations shipper, but no... just dumb old Amzn shipping box. >_>;; The Japanese version was also disappointingly not shipped in his brown box, so I was really crossing my fingers this one would; I have gotten brown shippers from both Japanese retailers and Amzn, so I was super confident I would at least get one of them in brown-shipper. DX

From far left to right: MegaHouse Rukappu/Look Up Rebuild of Evangelion Kaworu Nagisa Non-Scale Pre-painted Figure; Takara Tomy A.R.T.S Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Yuryura Head Giyu Tomioka; MegaHouse Rukappu/Look Up NARUTO Shippuden Uchiha Sasuke & Itachi Non-Scale Pre-painted Figures (Reissues); Banpresto Naruto Shippuden Q Posket Uchiha Itachi A and B Non-Scale Prize Figures; Banpresto Naruto Effectreme Uchiha Sasuke Non-Scale Prize Figure; Banpresto BORUTO NARUTO Next Generations Vibration Stars Uchiha Sasuke Non-Scale Prize Figure; Tamashii Nations He Who Bears All The Hatred Uchiha Sasuke Non-Scale Action Figure; Kotobukiya Ocean Exploration Robot Denshitako No.3 [Aquarium Color Ver.] Non-Scale Pre-painted Figure.

I also got re-runs of Look Up Sasuke and Itachi, because the first releases for me where kind of not great condition -- the boxes I mean. These ones, the Sasuke one is immaculate. The Itachi one sadly, not so much; I’ll have to compare to the 1st releases to unbox one of each. The Kaworu version has lightly blushed cheeks, which is so incredibly adorable, I kind of wish Sasuke and Itachi also had blushing on them. I got doubles of all the Sasuke prize figures to unbox one, and the two versions of Itachi Q Posket, because those are super cute to me as well. I got a double of Sasuke A version Q Posket not too long ago, to unbox one, and I am super happy with how cute he is IRL, so much more so than in promos. I want to get a double of of Itachi A version as well, to unbox. Also, super happy with Giyu’s YuraYura figure, those are also super cute versions of characters I love (can’t wait for Eren’s vesion). Lastly, the Denshitako figure by Kotobukiya is beyond adorable IRL as well, I hope I am able to get one more of those future releases ones. The boxes are a bit big for what they are (the size of the figure plus two face plates), but they are super cute, nonetheless! I would have loved a smaller box to save tiny amount on shipping, but that’s because I’m stingy on shipping, and current world conditions are not helping me! Lol! (:

[fighterxaos]

Bandai Namco Acquires Bluefin; Bandai Namco Collectibles is Born

Bandai Namco Acquires Bluefin; #BandaiNamcoCollectibles is Born

Interesting news has broke online regarding Bluefin Corp, otherwise referred to as Bluefin Tamashii, the Japanese toy distributor. On Wednesday, Bandai Namco Holdings announced that they acquired an 80% controlling stake in Nippon Imports, LLC, the company that owns and operates Bluefin. Now, with this transaction Bandai Namco will establish a new subsidiary, Bandai Namco Collectiblesin October…

[pichingueros]

Imagenes promocionales de lo que seran las figuras de Pokemon de la línea S.H.Figuarts. 

[mysticdragon3md3]

Bluefin posted video of their booth at Toy Fair 2019.

[rcawilcox]

XXXG-01W WING GUNDAM #bandai #tamashiinations #tamashii #bandainamco #bluefin #gundam #winggundam #gundamuniverse #toy #actionfigures https://www.instagram.com/p/CH3YltSg9fw/?igshid=haa3rwts5bn3

[majingunplero]

Gunpla Builders Puerto Rico https://www.facebook.com/groups/717026358648416/ So happy these arrive!!! Thanks to USA Gundam Store!!! #usagundamstore #gunpla #amateurgunplabuilder #gundamuc #gundam #gunplabuilderspuertorico #gunplabuilder #bluefin #bluefinbrands #bandai #tamashiinations #tamashii #madeinjapan #usagundam @usagundam #usags #gunplabuocrew #gunplero #wearecollectors (at Puerto Rico) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TcU22Fy7x/?igshid=1712ipto2eryj

[tman978]

TMan’s FIG HUNT #4: White Marsh B&N and Target Goodies One doesn't just go to White Marsh without stopping in a couple of stores to look for Transformers and Marvel Legends and whatever else I can find like Neca and DC Multiverse.... which I didn't find any of the latter.

[tamapalace]

Bandai America Inc. Announces Company Will Merge with Bandai Namco Collectibles LLC to Become Bandai Namco Group

A big announcement that is going to take Bandai to the next level! Bandai America Inc. has just announced his week that they will be merging with Bandai Namco Collectibles LLC and become the Bandai Namco Group. Some might remember that toy giant Bandai merged with game publisher Namco back in 2005. Then in 2018 Bandai Spirits Co., Ltd. was established, merging the collectibles and model kits business from Bandai and Banpresto, a group company focusing on prize and lottery business, into into one company.

So what is this all about? Well Bandai Namco Holdings acquired Bluefin Distribution back in 2019, establishing a new subsidiary named Bandai Namco Collectibles LLC. Now, Bandai is announcing that the company will merge with Bandai Namco Collectibles LLC to become Bandai Namco Group. Both companies have always worked cohesively together, but the companies will now merge in a symbiotic way like never before.

"This company merger marks only the start of an exciting future for Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America as we continue to produce both existing and new products fans are hungry for," said Shu Takahara, COO of Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America Inc. "Joining forces will only make us more powerful as each company has unique strengths that will only accelerate with this union.”

"We're incredibly excited for this merger," said Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America Inc. CEO Steve Fujimura. "Working together will give us an opportunity to not only expand the breadth of products we can offer to our fans and consumers alike, but also tap into new audiences as well.”

This is the official start of the Bandai Namco Toys & Collectives America Inc. merger, working in unison to expand on their already well-received line of premium products and toys. The three brands will be working alongside each other at their new Irvine office in California.

With the merger comes a new mission:

Bandai Namco exists to share dreams, fun, and inspiration with people around the world. Connecting people and societies in the enjoyment of uniquely entertaining products and services, we’re working to create a brighter future for everyone.

Even more exciting, a new design concept and logo:

The new logo’s speech bubble motif, “Fukidashi” in Japanese, expresses the potential of the brand to connect with people around the world and inspire them with amazing ideas. The speech bubble also represents Japan’s manga culture that has become so popular everywhere. The logo stands for our determination to communicate with fans worldwide, to connect with our fans, and to create entertainment unique to Bandai Namco.

Lastly, social media handles have changed. @BluefinBrands will now be @BandaiCollect, and @BandaiAmerica will now be @Bandai_Play. Bandai Collect will continue to provide all the details on upcoming items on collectible brands such as Bandai Hobby, Tamashii Nations, MegaHouse, Storm Collectibles, Flame, Sen-Ti-Nel, and so many more. Bandai Play will keep you up to date on Anime Heroes, Dragon Stars, Tamagotchi, and other fun toys. You can check out the official press release here.

[hedorahtheblogmonster]

Just a head’s up, Bluefin Tamashii is doing some very rare outreach and are gaging fan interest in a 1998 Godzilla S.H. MonsterArts figure. Regardless of your opinions on the film, I think a quality figure for this Zilla is well overdue. Please like and retweet their post and let them know if you want a good figure of the black sheep of the Godzilla franchise.

I know I do!!

[fishbug]

Those samurai Star Wars figures but it's General Grievous and he's a Gashadokuro.

[batmannotes]

Tamashii Nations Batman 1989 S.H. Figuarts Action Figure

A new S.H.Figuarts from the 1989 worldwide hit film Batman! His eyes come to life with realistic coloring under a mask replicated with rubber like materials. The fabric cape comes with support rods to recreate Batmans impressive gliding poses.

Batman also comes with a wide range of extra parts including the Batarang. The set includes an optional head part, four left and five right hand parts, Grappler, Gauntlet, two Shurikens, a Batarang, two cape support rods.

Only product with affixed official Bluefin and Bandai Namco label has been thoroughly tested for safety and meets all North American consumer product safety regulations and entitles the purchaser to product support assistance

Preorder now at Amazon.

[bog-o-bones]

Kaiju Media Forecast 2020

The kaiju fandom has certainly seen a gigantic upswing in content since the last time I did one of these “year going forward” reviews. Let’s take a look at some of the major movies, events, merchandise and more that kaiju fans have to look forward to in the coming year!

Movies

Every year since at least 2013, the kaiju fandom has had one “tentpole” film event of the year, usually the most highly anticipated feature coming out that year that most media and merchandise hype will surround. This year’s choice is the latest (and possibly last?) of the Legendary MonsterVerse which just last year introduced us to the first American incarnations of Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. Later this year, the King of the Monsters will once again take on the King of Skull Island in a rematch nearly 60 years in the making with Godzilla vs. Kong. The only snippet of footage we’ve seen is featured in the screenshot above and recently leaked toy fair displays have quite a lot in store for the big crossover event of the MonsterVerse. Godzilla vs. Kong drops November 20th.

According to your definition, the first kaiju film of 2020 launched two weeks ago with Underwater. The Kristen Stewart-helmed deep-sea monster movie isn’t really making the splash it was looking for box office-wise and most people who have seen it say that it’s okay at worst. Regardless, if you like big monsters and quasi-Cloverfield type films, you can give it a shot in theaters now or in a few months when it hits home media.

Godzilla’s sole big screen appearance won’t just be limited to the big crossover with Kong as a snow-covered cameo role will land him a spot in the new Shinkalion movie. From a clip posted on Yahoo Japan (refresh the page if it doesn’t work) Godzilla briefly faces Hatsune Miku piloting a giant train-based mecha (I tried pinching myself, believe me) at the very end. This role is likely going to be very short but nonetheless, it’s always satisfying to see Godzilla pop up in the most unexpected places.

Again, stretching the definition of “kaiju” here, but also apparently the Monster Hunter movie still exists and is coming out later this year in September? I don’t know much about the franchise, but I do know it’s probably going to be butchered with a Paul W.S. Anderson directed schlock fest. Who knows, maybe the monster scenes will make up for it?

As is tradition, the Ultraman franchise hits us once again with an annual theatrical movie based off the previous year’s show. Ultraman Taiga The Movie: New Generation Climax will be out in March and judging by the title, will feature a climactic event featuring the New Generation assortment of Ultraman heroes. I still have yet to see Taiga but hopefully this provides a fun conclusion to the show.

Famed director Hideaki Anno returns to the world of his most famous creation with Evangelion 3.0+1.0, the highly anticipated final installment in the Rebuild series to be released this June. I have not seen any of the Rebuild movies myself but this is sure to be a wild and crazy ride for Evangelion fans.

Finally, the oddball of the bunch. Kadokawa rises from it’s dusty grave with a brand new monster film focused on the unproduced predecessor to Gamera: Nezura 1964. Featuring giant rat monsters and a cast comprised of many Daiei/Kadokawa favorites, it’ll be interesting to see if this film can capitalize on the recent kaiju craze and be successful enough to possibly give our old turtle friend the revival he truly deserves. Nezura 1964 is due out in December in Japan.

Television

Not much on the television docket this year. It’s far too early to speculate about Tsuburaya’s next Ultra series, leaving us with little to discuss. Studio Trigger is supposedly making some kind of new series related to it’s Gridman show from last year (another item I have yet to see). Titled SSSS.DYNAZENON, nobody knows when it’s due out so for all I know this could be a rather outdated entry.

What we do know for sure is coming is something not particularly kaiju but still related via the tokusatsu connection is the continuation of Kamen Rider Zero-One, the first Rider series in Japan’s newly named Reiwa period. This isn’t really related to the year 2020 but honestly I’d rather have something in this TV section to talk about than just the Gridman sequel.

Merchandise

Last year was one of the greatest years in the history of the American Ultraman fandom with the officially sanctioned releases of Ultra Q, Ultraman, Ultraseven, Ultraman Orb and Ultraman Geed to Blu-Ray in the West for the very first time. In this new year, Mill Creek will continue to satiate the needs of Western Ultra fans with releases of previously unseen-on-western-disc series Return of Ultraman, Ultraman Ace, Ultraman X, and the Ultraman Orb Origin Saga. A schedule flyer released online also teases many other entries in the franchise making the continuous release of these beloved shows a treat to look forward to. You can pre-order the four releases discussed above on Amazon.

American toy company Playmates acquired the license for the Godzilla vs. Kong toyline last year and in early January, a few figures from their non-film focused toylines showed up at Walmarts across the country. They’re uh...well, let’s be honest: they’re not great. Leaked images of the Godzilla vs. Kong toyline were also shared around social media but I’ll avoid talking about them here for spoiler purposes. Let’s just say the line is looking mighty juicy for kaiju fans and it will be interesting to see if they’re promoted come New York Toy Fair.

Bandai’s Movie Monsters Series line will likely continue to issue newly reissued/remolded monsters in the Godzilla line (as well as produce new figures for Godzilla vs. Kong) but coming out in March is a sight for sore eyes: a brand new sculpt of the 1995 Gamera design for the 25th anniversary of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. Hopefully a Super Gyaos is not far behind!

The S.H. MonsterArts line had a fairly predictable and underwhelming list of releases last year. Great figures for the most part, but obvious choices without much surprise. This being a movie year, I don’t expect much to change and we’ll likely see Godzilla vs. Kong figures soon enough. What is confirmed and releasing in May is their take on the Burning Godzilla design featured in Godzilla: King of the Monsters last year. Originally a Tamashii WebShop exclusive, it’s being released in America by Bluefin around June.

Media company SRS Cinema continues to throw unexpected independent kaiju films our way with releases of Deep Sea Monster Reigo and Deep Sea Monster Raiga last year on limited Blu-Ray and wide-release DVD. They’ll continue the assortment this year with Attack of the Giant Teacher and Raiga vs. Ohga. The films likely won’t be much to look at, but more independent kaiju films seeing a western release is never a bad thing. Here’s hoping Daikaiju Eiga G or Gehara see a release soon.

In an almost perfect repeat of Daiei and Toho’s box office bout sixty years ago, boutique label Arrow Video has reportedly secured the rights to the Gamera franchise and are planning a box set that could rival Criterion’s late 2019 release of the entire Showa Godzilla series. Arrow Video puts out sublime products and kaiju fans will likely want to keep their eyes peeled for this set, even if they’ve already secured Mill Creek’s rather dull bargain sets from years past.

While not on the docket for tie-ins to Godzilla vs. Kong (yet), NECA will likely be continuing to pump out new figures in their Classic Godzilla line. No brand new sculpts are known at the moment, but fans can look forward to a blue, poster-styled repaint of their KOTM Mothra figure and some reissues of their older molds in new box-styled, poster-featuring packaging. Some, like the 1985 Godzilla, might even feature newly molded details.

In rather shocking news, Media Blasters has seemingly propped one of its kaiju films up from the depths of licensing hell with an announcement of a Blu-Ray release of Gappa the Triphibian Monsters scheduled for a February release. The out-of-nowhere circumstances surrounding this release as well as a proclaimed inclusion of an “uncut” Japanese release (despite the International version containing more footage than the Japanese version) and Media Blasters rather spotty history regarding kaiju Blu-Rays should have folks taking this with a grain of salt until the actual discs are in collectors’ hands.

Events

As per usual, the kaiju fan’s Woodstock G-FEST will be continuing it’s annual celebration of all things giant monster from July 10-12 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, IL. No guest announcements at this time, but fans looking to go should register and book a hotel immediately as attendance will continue to spike and rooms in the convention’s hotel are already sold out.

As is tradition, the San Diego Comic Con will take place this summer a week after G-FEST is over and will likely bring with it new information on Godzilla vs. Kong and many other kaiju-related media. NECA will possibly show off new figures and we may even see some post-2020 information on the MonsterVerse.

Not necessarily guaranteed, but kaiju fans may also want to look out for this year’s New York ToyFair taking place in February. ToyFair has pretty much become the SDCC for toy collectors with many companies showing off their new products for the new year. Kaiju collectors will possibly get a glimpse at the Playmates Godzilla vs. Kong assortment as well as a few other possible surprise reveals from other companies like NECA or Diamond Select.

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2020 is looking to be a monstrous year for kaiju fans. Hopefully the fandom will enjoy everything to come from our favorite franchises.

Here’s to a happy 2020!

[fighterxaos]

Yesterday, Hero Club converged on Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station for Tamashii Nations 10th Anniversary World Tour: New York City! For those who may be unaware of the event, it is a two-day event showcasing upcoming products from Bandai’s sub-division Tamashii Nations. Tamashii Nations is known for its work with anime/manga and tokusatsu properties to create high-end collectible figurines, and accessories. In addition, Tamashii Nations has expanded its lines to include living individuals such as Michael Jackson, Bruce Lee, and WWE Superstars as well as characters from DC, Marvel, and Star Wars.

  The event is elaborately set-up to be like Japan’s own Tamashii Features events, or its Akiba Showroom. Dragon Ball is the focus point of the exhibit, as a balloon display for Shenron and the Dragon Balls hang over head. Furthermore, there is a large statue of S.H.Figuarts Super Saiyan Goku Awakening Edition on display, and an area for attendees to get pictures taken of them riding the Nimbus Cloud. There are at least eight to ten displays for Dragon Ball, consisting of S.H.Figuarts, S.H.Figuarts ZERO, Tamashii Buddies, and Absolute Chogokin figures. For the regular S.H.Figuarts a majority of them are separated into their individual series, and arcs. The new reveals are S.H.Figuarts for Kid Goku, Korin, Gotenks, Majin Vegeta, and Super Saiyan God Goku. Furthermore, almost every existing figure is on display with exclusion of Broly, and previously teased Champa and Vados. One of the best displays for the Dragon Ball S.H.Figuarts is the circular which attempts to show the evolution of the series as a whole.

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Yet, among the area set-up for Dragon Ball there are a few displays set-up to feature the event exclusive items one can purchase. Now, these items are limited to two per customer and have a limit on how much can be sold per day. The stock is incredible low too, so items tend to sell out within less than the first 90-minutes. The Saint Seiya Myth Appendix Gold Cloth set is out favorite display piece due to the fact it is paired with the Saint Myth Cloth Goddess Athena – Original Color Edition. Whereas, the other exclusives including S.H.Figuarts Kaio-Ken Goku are just shoved into one display case. The only things any of our staff managed to obtain was the limited-edition World Tour Tamashii Stages, and single Saint Myth Cloth Aries Cloth. Luckily, Bluefin Tamashii has a booth set-up with current items, as well as pre-sale items to buy such as Soul of Chogokin Daizyujin as its Power Rangers’ release, as well as the S.H.Figuarts for Street Fighter and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. Near the sale booths is a display promoting Premium Bandai’s launch for its North American website, showcasing items like S.H.MonsterArts Mothra Special Color Edition, S.H.Figuarts x Ultra-Act Ultraman Limiter Release Ver., and various Robot Damashii Gundam figures.

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Now, on one side of the hall is the anime and video game related section, and on the other is mostly live-action properties. However, somehow the S.H.MonsterArts Godzilla display managed to end up with anime stuff. In that section, there are two displays for the various Sailor Moon items, two displays for Naruto, and a Megaman display which is shared with Neon Genesis Evangelion. There is even displays for Kinnikuman and Street Fighter, but we unfortunately could not get close enough to snag photos of those displays at the time. In that section, the biggest standout was the preview for the Digivolving Spirits 01: WarGreymon; possibly a new line of Digivolution figures for Digimon. Furthermore, Tamashii Nations has a page on its website with a countdown clock that is winding down to the series’/ figure’ reveal in 26 days! We now, eagerly wait for further information on this item…

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Then as for the opposite side of the hall, it features the live-action properties as mentioned it earlier. There one can find a Power Rangers display for the Tamashii Buddies and Soul of Chogokin Megazord. Two other cases then feature the S.H.Figuarts WWE series, Marvel Cinematic Universe series, and various DC films (somehow we lost the pictures for the WWE & DC displays). The Meisho Movie/ Manga Realization series receives a lot of love at the event, as it seems to take up a solid third of this section. While we were examining the figures, we were often crowded by others just curious at this overly unique line of figures. Also on display is the upcoming releases for Chogokin R2-D2 and C-3P0. Among this area is another teaser/ prototype for Soul of Chogokin Gipsy Danger, along with promotional artwork for Pacific Rim: Uprising’s Gipsy Avenger.

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Now, after purchasing one’s items, and checking everything we really insist one should check out the “Try Me” booth. There anyone can get a feel for some S.H.Figuarts, and get to test out the Soul of Chogokin Megazord. Our staff really feel in love with that product, as it is a wonderful representation of the mecha. The last day for the World Tour is today, and we hope that those interesting in attending the event can get a chance to stop by. We also hope that this is not the last time New York is graced with an event like this from Tamashii Nations!

Tamashii Nations 10th Anniversary World Tour NYC

Yesterday, Hero Club converged on Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station for Tamashii Nations 10th Anniversary World Tour: New York City…

Tamashii Nations 10th Anniversary World Tour NYC Yesterday, Hero Club converged on Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station for Tamashii Nations 10th Anniversary World Tour: New York City…

[jokerxtreme36]

[X][X]

[mysticdragon3md3]

“Catch a sneak peek at Bandai’s newest brand – Bandai Premium USA – with a specially curated selection of ultra-exclusive products available for purchase. These limited-edition releases were, until now, available only to the Japanese market. “  at  Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2)

[tokupedia]

Good news! Valkyrie is going to officially be a Figuart!

Bad news, she is a Tamashii Web exclusive...but here’s hoping Team Rider at Bluefin Brands can hook us up with the figures in the coming months. 

After all, toy sales = more female Riders down the line in future shows according to the Toei and Bandai bigwigs. And we want the ladies to have a fair shot at belt powered butt kicking, so we all must do our part! 

Fingers crossed that we get her Lightning Hornet form later on!