Review: HG Kamen Rider Imagination 2

All this week, I'll be archiving the old Review Corner pages on the blog to make room and tidy up the new site. Chances are, you've read this before, but maybe you haven't read it in a long time, so why not read it again?

High Grade Gashapon: Kamen Rider Part Imagination 2
Your favorite Rider moments re-imagined as even cooler than before.

What it is: The second installment of Bandai's "High Grade Gashapon: Kamen Rider Imagination" series. There's 3 of them now, this was #2.

What's the deal: Inspired by the success of the HG Ultraman Imagination line, this series of Gashapon (200 Yen capsule toys that come out of gum ball-style machines) joined the already popular standard HG Kamen Rider, HG Kamen Rider Action Pose & HG Rider Machine Chronicle lines last year with a solid set featuring Kamen Rider 1, Kamen Rider 2, Kamen Rider X, Kamen Rider Ryuki & Kamen Rider Blade (all some of my most favorites) in re-imaginings of classic scenes featuring those characters. Now Part 2 follows up with Kamen Rider V3, Kamen Rider Stronger, Skyrider, Kamen Rider Agito & Kamen Rider Hibiki. As with the first set, the small but super-detailed dioramas depict famous Rider moments with a slight twist.

While not as radical in redesign as the S.I.C. toy series, the Imagination figures do add a little extra "oomph" by way of semi-clear plastic "effects" such as explosions, electricity, or wind, as well as creative sculpting with an extreme perspective to bring out the boldest aspects of the scene. For the most part, the characters all still look how they did on TV, although maybe a little bit more beefed up for added dynamism. Once again, the successful combination of 3 older Riders with 2 new guys has been used here, and based on feedback collected after the first set was released, each scene also features an enemy character as well as a Rider. In this case, it's Kamen Rider V3 vs. Gama-Boiler, Kamen Rider Stronger vs. Hundred-Eyed Titan, Skyrider vs. Kômorijin, Kamen Rider Agito vs. the El of Water, and Kamen Rider Hibiki vs. the massive Tsuchigumo of Yakushima. Regarding the latter, the enemy himself makes up the based on which Hibiki stands! Overall, a really good assortment.

Final Vent: I love a good Gashapon set, and this one delivers on all accounts. Despite the small scale, the detail is incredible, and while they don't so as much as say, Action Pose figures, they just look amazing, especially when viewed from the right angle as seen in the pics to the left. That, and Gama-Boiler getting punched into a wall is just cool.

Where to get it: It's an older set, so ebay will be your best bet. Anime Jungle & HJU used to carry it, but it's since gone out of stock at both. You should still be able to find the also-very-cool Part 3 at Anime Jungle though!

More Pics:







And there we go. There's just a couple more of these that I'd like to get up here, and then all future reviews will follow this format on the blog itself. It's just easier for me, and hopefully, easier for you too.

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