S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Amazon Neo (Amazon JP Edition) Gallery – Toku Toy Box Entry

"NEO"

It took Chihiro most of his life to discover what he truly was, an Amazon. But not just any, he was the son of Jin Takayam, Amazon Alpha. He was also the Point of Origin for an entirely new generation of Amazons, the source of their Lysogenic Cells. A threat to all of humanity and other Amazons, Chihiro wanted to do the right thing, he also wanted to live as close to a normal life as possible with Iyu. But fate wouldn't allow that. Ultimately, Chihiro came to blows with his long lost father Jin as well as Amazon Omega Haruka Mizusawa. While it would seem the fates wouldn't allow Chihiro to live his days in peace, or even as the hero he thought he wanted to be, he at least went out a fighter standing his ground against the odds. Today we take a look at the first figuart based on this chaotic & torn character, S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Amazon Neo (Amazon JP Edition)!

Packaging
As with the previously released Amazon Japan Exclusive versions of Amazon Alpha, Amazon Omega, and even the original Showa Amazon, Neo comes in a brown corrugated style cardboard box that mimics an Amazon shipper. This box is also a bit larger than the standard retail release of Neo thanks to the included recolored flame effects. The nature of this material makes the stock photos quite hard to see, but I still like the gimmick of the packaging itself.

Main Figures
I want to preface this by saying I was not initially sold on this figuart. I just didn't wow me in official photos the same way the first Alpha & Omega figures did. Neo's design in show is great, but the colors were always washed out by the filter. But I'm happy to report that in figure form, Neo is exquisite. The metallic blue paint on the body seriously pops and the red accent lines are just the perfect shade of blood red. The matte gray and metallic silver parts are great compliments to one another as well. The paint work is really just fantastic on this figure. Now how functionality?

Well, again, based on the official images I didn't expect much out of Neo. Both Alpha & Omega had things in their design that really bugged me. Things that neutered a bit of their articulation. And despite his bulky armored nature, Neo is a really free moving and well balanced figure. The ankles are unobstructed so you can get nice solid balance from them. Their forward motion is limited only by the bottom of the shin armor, but not terribly so. The knees are really perfect. Unlike with Omega where the leg fins limited the legs to 90 degree angles, Neo is free to move. Now I've never been a fan of the "old style" of drop down hips. I wasn't particularly excited for them with this figure because of how they break up the blue on the suit. But honestly they work really well here and don't detract from the figure nearly as much as I'd assumed they would.

At the waist we have an exquisite sculpt and paint hob for the new Neo Amazons Driver. The compound eye on it is just gorgeous, it's my favorite part. I am disappointed that the Amazons Injector isn't removable or functional but that's a minor gripe. Now Neo's core body is way better than I'd anticipated. The upper body is engineered in such a way that it allows you to arch the back up and lean him forward for really savage and animal like poses, though it does expose a gap on his back side when done. The arms are free of most obstruction thanks to some great shoulder pad design, swivel biceps, and rotating forearm guards. My only real gripe with the arms is that the fist pegs are a little tight, and the left arm which features the Neo Amazons Register has difficulty keep a flame effect on because of said Register.

My favorite part of the figure by far is the head. I always thought Neo's design was super interesting. As with all Amazons he's an organic creature, but his rider form encases him in technological armor. And if you seen the series it certainly plays into the inner demon part of his character. Suffice it to say the head communicates this better than any part of the figure as we can see his blood red compound eyes peeking out from behind the yellow visor, as well his jaw line. He looks like a caged beast, appropriately. I honestly can't get over how much better this figure is than I'd been expecting. It's just great all around.


Accessories
Neo comes with most everything in his repertoire:

2 - sets of extra hands. A bit on the lite side unfortunately. The included pairs give you two types of open hands, one set that looks a little more savage given Chihiro's nature. I am surprised not to see any "holding" hands for a future bike release or anything else. Most likely when Neo's Jungraider inevitably is released it will include the necessary hands.

1 - Amazon Injector. These seringe like items are used by Chihiro, and later Haruka, to activate their Neo Amazons Drivers. The one in the Driver is not removeable, and this accessory doesn't really serve much purpose to be perfectly honest. There isn't even a hand included that can hold it.

1 - Right Arm with Amazon Neo Blade. Rather than include the blade as a separate accessory that attaches to the arm itself, forgoing the difficulty of putting the grip in his hand. This forearm is actually pretty easy to replace and I appreciate this option rather than just a separate accessory.

1 - Set of Red Flame Effects. This set is a recolor of the popular Tamashii Flame Effects tailor made for Amazon Neo. Amazon JP versions of Alpha & Omega also included sets of flames. Alpha's were also red but with a white tint to them whereas Neo's have more of a pink tinge. Amazon Sigam as a Tamashii Web Exclusive also included flames colored purple.

Not too shabby. These Amazon JP editions always please me because of the flames effects.I would have liked more hands, but the biggest miss here is that there is no Neo Hook included. It's a minor weapon compared to the blade, but I'd like to think it will be included with any extra hands, whenever Neo's Jungraider comes along. The same happened with Omega's Jungraider actually, so I'm not too worried at this point.

Final Thoughts
Kamen Rider Amazons has really been such a commerical success for Bandai & Toei. At one time Akibaranger really was a great vehicle to push new products and the occasional boundary. But Amazons has succeeded in ways even that didn't. We've already gotten so many figuarts, DX belts, and other collectibles from this show that it really blows my mind. At this point I know the Amazon Origin forms are about the only things missing that could conceivably be made so I'm hoping we'll see them for Omega & Neo one day. Those and Mole's upgrade. For now though, I find S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Amazon Neo to be a pleasantly surprising addition to my collection.

Part 2
- Group shots
- Amazon Neo Blade

This figure looks amazing, I love the suit. I'll eventually get this.

Out of the 4 Amazons, Neo was my favorite suit.

Another incredible looking figure. If I'm able to I may pick it up (for a good price). Although one downside for me is the armblade, now this is just a problem I have with the idea in general, it always seems to limit the possibilities of the weapon and the usability of it

It's a really cool looking figure but the blatant lack of weapons made me skip it with no remorse. Including weapons of the base form with bikes or alt-forms to make them more attractive to buyers is just such a scumbag tactic.

See, this is a great looking figure as it was a great looking suit. My only issue is that it’s not Keanu Reeves.

I've never really been a big fan of the Neo design, so this figure really doesn't do much for me. The way the details have been preserved, especially in the head, is great, though. The lack of accessories is a lot less so. This version at least has the flame effects, but the standard release is fairly lacking.

I do like that design but, ugh, nothing relating to Amazonz excites me. Still the design is neat, and those photos are as top notch as ever.

Neo is a cool figure! His colors make him really stand out in my collection. I'm excited to have Haruka on the way.