Kamen Rider 1 Kamen Rider 1
Takeshi Hongo was a brilliant and athletically gifted young scientist. One day, while practicing on his motorcycle, Takeshi Hongo was suddenly ambushed by several mysterious female riders. A thick fog rolled in, and spider webs appeared, entangling Takeshi Hongo. He became immobile and then fainted.
When Hongo awoke, he found himself tied to an operating table. Several figures resembling surgical staff appeared before him, and he vaguely heard discussions about "Shocker" and cyborgs, but Takeshi Hongo fainted again. A week passed, and Takeshi Hongo's cyborg modification surgery was nearing completion, with only the final brain modification remaining. Suddenly, an instrument exploded, and everyone fled the operating room. Takeshi Hongo knew this was his chance to escape. With a surge of strength, he easily broke free from his sturdy restraints. Just as he was astonished by his newfound power, the door suddenly opened, revealing Takeshi Hongo's mentor, Dr. Midorikawa.
It turned out that Dr. Midorikawa, who had been missing for a long time, was also captured by Shocker to create cyborgs for them. The recent explosion was Dr. Midorikawa's doing. Dr. Midorikawa informed Hongo about Shocker's ambition to conquer the world, and the two decided to escape together. However, they were pursued by the Spider Man mutant. Takeshi Hongo even fell off a cliff. Just as the Spider Man mutant was about to harm Dr. Midorikawa, a green figure suddenly appeared on a distant cliff. He wore a windmill belt around his waist, and his scarf fluttered in the wind. He was Takeshi Hongo, transformed into "Kamen Rider" 1.
Personally, I haven't particularly pursued the Sofubi Kamen Rider series. After all, vintage, retro, and chibi-style (approximately three-head-tall) toys or figures aren't really my cup of tea. However, this Retro Sofubi EX series, presented in the original nine-head-tall proportion and based on the manga design by Sensei Shotaro Ishinomori from back in the day... I became utterly defenseless...
Kamen Rider 1 is already the second release in the series. The first release, Kikaider, was also acquired recently via Yahoo! Japan Auctions and is likely already en route...
Returning to this Kamen Rider 1, the main body's molded color from the neck down is primarily matte black and a near-fluorescent green. The head features clear parts for the compound eyes, and the helmet is painted in metallic dark green, giving it a full retro vibe. However, the belt's design is also similar to the original manga, so its appearance is relatively simple. The chest, gloves, and boots also feature shadow painting, and the flowing feel of the scarf is well-executed. In terms of appearance, it is indeed very eye-catching! The Takeshi Hongo head sculpt is excellent, and the key highlight is the recreation of the 'battle scars' from his surgery! Even more pleasing is that its proportion is similar to 1/6 scale, so there's no particular sense of incongruity when displayed alongside other RAH (Real Action Heroes) figures!
Aesthetically, it's impeccable! A must-have for veteran fans of Kamen Rider!
EXTRA...