S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Drive Type Special Gallery – Toku Toy Box Entry

"I've taken my sons' Drive back!!"

When facing off against the insurmountable Paradox Roidmude, a being who had even masqueraded as Shinnosuke Tomari's own son Eiji, a power from the future was needed. Modified to work for Shinnosuke, the Next/Special Shift Car would grant him the powers of the future Drive, his own son. Born out of necessity, in an attempt to stop Paradox from creating an eternal Global Freeze, Kamen Rider Drive Type Special arrives! A combination of Shinnosuke's own Type Speed and his sons un-corrupted Type Next, this form winds up being stronger than both. So let's take a look at how this powerful form works in figure form with S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Drive Type Special!

Packaging
Type Special comes in what you must know by now is totally standard packaing for Kamen Rider Drive releases. That slim style black box we've come to know and love over the last 3 years returns with stock photos of this new release to sell that sexy design even more. It also compliments Dark Drives' box very well.

Main Figure
I know what you're thinking. This figure is largely a repaint of a figure that was already largely a repaint itself. Dark Drive used the tried and true Drive Type Speed body as it's base, but applied several new parts including the Tire, Chest, head, and shoulders. Those differences along with it's new color scheme really made an eye-popping release. Drive Type Special is very much the same, even if like 90% of it is just Dark Drive.

Like I said, at a base level this is Drive Type Speed, just with a few additions. When you look at this figure you can see that the thighs, Driver, and arms from the bicep down are essentially unchanged from the obvious paint apps. Overall the paint apps on Type Special to me are a bit sharper than Dark Drive's. I do still wish wish the blue bits were a tad bit brighter and more electric. But the yellow sections are really fantastic. The Drive Driver has one new application in the form of the 'Type Special' logo on the belt readout. And I have to mention the Shift Cars on the right hip holster: Shift Speed, Wild, & Technic! Shift Cars have never been painted with incredible details in this line, but they always manage to get the job done and in this case these 3 really pop. I really love that Drive's 3 base forms are represented in the holster this go around.

Moving to the upper body, this torso is a total reuse of the parts created for Dark Drive, and it's painted the same way as well. The new addition here is the Type Special Tire. This tire is a bit more in line with a traditional Type Speed Tire, though it also reminds me a bit of Justice Hunter. Along with the torso come Dark Drive's shoulder pads and arms. The only difference with the arms being the new (again gorgeous) yellow accents as well as the Shift Car. While both Type Next & Type Special use the same Shift Car, it's flipped depending on which of them is using it. So the Next/Special Shift Car has been appropriately flipped over for this form.

Lastly we come to the new head for this release. When I look at Type Special's head, I feel as though we're looking at Dark Drive, with a layer of evil peeled off. Remember, even though Dark Drive is evil, it's only because those powers were stolen by Paradox. That form is identical to what Eiji Tomari used as the future Kamen Rider Drive. The Dark in the name is purely there for show. With Type Special, the design almost makes it feel like the true form of the future Drive has been unlocked and released from within. After all the transformation to achieve this form shows Shinnosuke's Type Speed standing beside Eiji's Type Next as they fuse together. And that Type Speed influence is very apparent in the new mouthplate and compound eyes, which I love the shade of yellow used for these. While we don't get a traditional Drive spoiler for the helmet, the way it separates out to the sides in points, is much more visually pleasing that Dark Drive's helmet peak.


Accessories
Sadly Type Special comes with next to nothing despite terribly easy repack potential:

4 - sets of hands. one set for holding swords, one set for holding guns. And 2 open palms. As you'll read below, there are no weapons included with which to make use of the holding things hands.

This form prominently uses, nearly immediately after it's debut, the Handle Sword. But as has become standard practice in such situations, one is not included with the figuart. These are just such simple and easy repacks of pre-exsting weapons. I just can't get over how Tamashii Nations won't include them. Due to this forms' special abilities it even has access to Chaser's Signal Axe, which is sadly also not included with the figure. I know I can just borrow the weapons from other figures, and this is nit-picky, but it bugs me he doesn't come with something.

Final Thoughts
Kamen Rider Drive has been a pretty wild ride of releases. At one time I never imagined Type Next or Type Special would be released. It's still quite shocking that 3 years after the release of the Surprise Future movie that both are featured in, both figuarts are in my collection. Drive is the ride that never really ends for figuarts. Though for now, it seems it has. Currently, there are no more future releases that have been teased or announced. Though admittedly, Tamashii Nations has done a fantastic job narrowing done what's missing to a select group of special forms and tangential riders. Honestly this is still one of the most complete lines of figuarts out there for a modern rider show. I will of course always hope for more. After all Super Dead Heat Mach, Jun, Lupin, Type Fruits, Type High Speed, Heart Speed/Wild/Tech, Kamen Rider 4, and a few more Roidmudes are really all we're missing now. Maybe one day.

For now though, I guess it's time to say, "Nice Drive!"

Part 2

This exists?!?! I haven't seen it anywhere, so many thanks for informing me of it's existence. I love the type special design, so I may actually pick this guy up.

Thanks for that amazing gallery.

I don't know about this one, I think Type Next looks better as a design and as a figure.

It's good that they released both of them though, and against better judgment, I do hope that they continue giving collectors the last few pieces they need for a (semi) complete Drive-collection.

I love that this actually looks like a Batman Beyond-ish futuristic version of an existing suit. Usually when there's a big time skip in Toku you don't really feel the difference (eg. Kyoryuger 100 Years Later)

Really great gallery. I know it's just another Type-Speed repaint and re-mold, but I really dig the tron lines on the undersheath. I think I like this one better than Dark.

Kind of bummed to find out no weapons though.

It's a repaint, but it's a dang good one.

Agreed. Maybe it's the colors that are throwing me off. Stood beside Type Next, Type Special just looks busy. The most interesting thing to me is the Shift Cars in the holder. I'm assuming they're removable? It'd be nice to pick those up without having to pick up all those Drive variants.

Best form ever and a great figure as well.