Medicom Toys 1/6 scale Kamen Rider Fourze 12-inch Figure plus Premium Club Module Set

The Kamen Rider Series (仮面ライダーシリーズ Kamen Raidā Shirīzu, translated as Masked Rider Series) is a metaseries of manga and tokusatsu television programs and films created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. The various Kamen Rider media generally feature a motorcycle-riding superhero with an insect motif who fights supervillains often referred to as kaijin (怪人). The franchise began in 1971 with the Kamen Rider television series which followed college student Takeshi Hongo and his quest to defeat the world-conquering Shocker organization. Over the years, the popularity of the franchise has grown and the original series has spawned many television and theatrical sequels. [source: wiki]

I grew up with the Kamen Riders from the Shōwa era (the original Masked Riders that resembled more of the insects) and have no inkling of the Kamen Riders from the Heisei era (the new riders from the year 2000 - Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki and the rest of the new generation Kamen Riders). They had deviated from the original insect theme which I thought was pretty cool and I didn't quite like the new designs.

The latest Kamen Rider Fourze premiered in late 2011 following the finale of KR OOO. The series has a spaceflight motif and is intended to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's and mankind's first flight into space as well as the 40th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series.

Kamen Rider Fourze (仮面ライダーフォーゼ Kamen Raidā Fōze) is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series, being the thirteenth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-second overall. It began airing on September 4, 2011. The show's catchphrase is "Switch on youth 'cause space on your hand!" (青春スイッチオンで宇宙キター！ Seishun suitchi on de uchū kitā!), referencing the Fourze Driver (フォーゼドライバー Fōze Doraibā) transformation belt which gets its various powers from devices called Astroswitches (アストロスイッチ Asutorosuitchi) to conjure attachments to Fourze's limbs. [source: wiki]

This was the PROJECT BM! No. 66 Kamen Rider Fourze Base States Action Figure, fashioned after a rocket. This is certainly one of those unique designs I've seen for an action figure. Talk about strange, this certainly takes the cake.

This would certainly qualify as a Japanese Rocketeer. To see the Disney version, check out my posts of the 1/6th scale ROCKETEER 12-inch action figure version 1.0 HERE and version 2.0 HERE with side-by-side comparisons HERE

As you probably can tell, I didn't get this Medicom Toys 1/6th scale Kamen Rider Fourze 12-inch Action Figure as I don't like it and I have lots of issues with Medicom Toys 12-inch figures. They are EXPENSIVE and certainly NOT value-for-money PLUS they have a tendency to disintegrate on you as they are made from "bio-degradable" materials. Their puny plastic bodies which are not even the right scale (NOT truly 1/6 but more of a 1/7) have been known to turn brittle and break apart over time. Costumes made from any other material other than cloth fabric have been known to disintegrate and peel over time and there is nothing you can do about it! Read my post "Hot Toy Collecting Tip #2: What to do about Cracking Rubber and Disintegrating Suits" and see for yourself (pictures posted there)

That's the weirdest looking utility belt I've ever seen ;p

With the various switches / gadgets for transforming

After Medicom Toys had released the PROJECT BM! No. 66 Kamen Rider Fourze Base States Action Figure, Medicom recently officially announced their latest Fourze Premium Club Exclusive – Project BM Kamen Rider Fourze Module Set. The first module set will include Switches 1-3, the Radar, Launcher, Rocket and Drill (with rock base) modules. Rocketman just got weirder!

The Radar, Launcher, Rocket and Drill (with rock base) modules from the "Premium Club Exclusive – Project BM Kamen Rider Fourze Module Set" can now be attached to Kamen Rider Fourze's limbs to turn him into a one-man Weapon of Mass Destruction!

The Japanese certainly have a way of designing something out of nothing and are pretty creative when it comes to finding ways to turn the obscure into possibilities. Scroll down to see what they are capable of thinking up haha

As you can see, each limb can become one of the items / gadgets on his utility belt: right arm Rocket, left arm radar, right leg Launcher and left leg Drill. Who needs Caterpillar or the military? Just call Kamen Rider Fourze

He's just a drill away haha

And he's Radar for anything ;p

Check out my Shōwa era 1/6th scale 12-inch Kamen Rider action figures HERE and the Kamen Rider the First and Next figures HERE (my 2008 top 4 toys) plus some of my Medicom action figures in my post "Medicom Madness", back when I still had faith in their products. But unfortunately, Medicom has failed in so many areas and some of the figures you see posted have not endured the test of time :(