Toy Review: R/D Kamen Rider W Cyclone Joker

The second part of my (just proclaimed) R/D week. Lets take a look on the mini half-boiled rider before its actual release in April. The R/D (Real Deform) Banpresto Kamen Rider W also has a humble number of accessories mainly two holding hands, his silver muffler and one hand for his signature saa omae no tsumi o kazero (Let's Count Your Sins). Double's muffler is made from a soft vinyl, the same material used for Banpresto's Sofubi. I like how it flows and how the folds and creases are molded. However, it takes a bit getting used to using this accessory since it is on a soft ball-jointed peg and doesn't swivel easily for different poses. If this warps differently, try using warm water or blow-dry this in low temperature so it wouldn't melt.

The hands are molded nicely with pointy knuckles sticking out. I would have guessed by now that a Hardboilder - Kamen Rider W's motorcycle, will be coming out soon and I hope these hold and snug well on the throttles.

R/D Kamen Rider W's paints apps are also comparable to S.H. Figuarts. Double continue to have the signature metallic green on the right side and matte black on the other half. More impressive is the Double Driver, the detail is almost perfect to a tee but the item that was missed was the slot for the Maximum Drive. It should be painted black. Even the silver line that divides both sides are clean and I don't see scratches or uneven vinyl cuts. If there is one QC issue, it is Cyclone's shoulder pad.  I think the metallic paint didn't stick well that's why it swirls on vinyl. But this is one minor complaint.There is no detail from the show character that was missed out.

The coup de grâce why it is wise to get this the miniature half and half rider is how the joints are perfectly hidden from view. Only when you bend the parts you will see how the extremities are mashed together to form the figure. Double seems to have a longer neck than OOOs, but when you tilt this, it doesn't seem to be that obvious.

Preparing R/D Kamen Rider Double in different positions is a walk in a park. He seems to enjoy fighting than just standing around. I wish it could have its own stand for those rider kick/Joker Extreme poses rather than using a Tamashii Stage Act 4 so it won't look too overwhelming. I wonder what would CJGX would look like in chibi mode? Wings and all...

In a nutshell here are my pros and cons. Cons: The paint apps are almost perfect except for the Cyclone's shoulder pads. Pros: Isn't 30 points of articulation enough for you for an item that is only worth less than 2000 yen? Wishlist: a equally suitable Hardboilder. :). One word to describe Banpresto's R/D Double - amazing. To be released this April so better check with your middlemen to pre-order one if you are a hard-boiled fan.  I know someone who would.