BANDAI official KAMEN RIDER toy information site

Hello everyone.
This is Funasen, in charge of CSM development.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the first episode of "MASKED RIDER BLADE" being broadcast! Happy anniversary!!!
Category 8 is interesting!!!
To commemorate this, pre-orders are now open for the CSM BLAYBACKLE, Rouse Absorber, and Bray Rouser!

We have also received an overwhelming response and are now accepting second orders (delivery in August).
thank you.


This is once again a very large product set! In today's blog, I would like to give you an overview of the whole set.

First···
< BLAYBACKLE >!!!
As I mentioned in a previous blog, all of the molds for MASKED RIDER BLADE toys no longer exist, so for this commercialization, all products will be produced using completely new designs and new molds.

However, the same size BLAYBACKLE was used in the film as in the DX version, so when creating the new one, we followed the same size as the DX version.
The size of the Rouse Cards is also DX size, just like the transformation scene in the movie.

As far as I can tell, there are three types of BLAYBACKLE in the film.
The first one shows only the buckle that Kenzaki is holding in his hand (from the scene where he puts the card in, holds it against his stomach, and wraps the belt around himself).
It is the same size as the DX version, but has different details.
The second is the moment when it turns up.
This uses a slightly modified DX BLAYBACKLE, so the details are almost the same as the DX version.
It seems that the toy itself, which has a mechanism that can actually turn up, was used to rotate the turn-up.
The third is the belt worn by KAMEN RIDER Blade after transformation.
The detail balance is different from the two above, and there is no (or can not be) a turn-up rotation mechanism.

This time, we will be commercializing a reproduction of the first design above.
Therefore, the card size is the same as the DX version.

As a toy, BLAYBACKLE is a simple device with only a rotation gimmick, but in fact, to realize that rotation gimmick, an extremely complex internal mechanism is required, and assembly is also much more difficult than with other HENSHIN BELT.
When converting it to CSM this time, I consulted with the design team about whether it could be simplified, but the original DX version, although complex, had a very logical design structure, so we decided to go ahead with the rotation gimmick with its original structure.

It has been rare to find an item that has a complex structure yet appears simple, but it remains simple from the player's perspective.
When we were making this CSM, we seriously considered how much new value we could add to this belt, and we arrived at the specifications that we have today.

First of all, the "belt on the left hip is separated"! This will result in the "belt appearance sound"!
In the movie, you insert a Rouse Card into BLAYBACKLE, which has no belt, and when you place it against your stomach, the belt on the left side of your hips will appear like a playing card. To recreate this, the belt on the left side of your hips is also removable.
When you attach the left waist belt part, a "belt appearance sound" will be heard.
Initially, I struggled to design a sound that would make the moment the Rouse Card was inserted, but the structure of the rotating plate meant that it would float completely in the air and rotate 360 degrees infinitely, and the device was too thin to physically fit a switch...
We also considered another method, such as having a small protrusion come out of the rotating plate when the card is inserted, which would press a switch on the main unit. However, this would have significantly ruined the appearance, and the rotation might be unstable, so it might not always be possible to reliably press the linked button, so we gave up on this idea.
Please understand that this is a limitation of the laws of physics.
However, the "belt appearance sound" that plays after the belt is attached to the left hip is correct in terms of the sequence, so the NARIKIRI play from the movie is faithfully reproduced.

Additionally, we will also be implementing a "transformation cancellation sound" this time. However, due to the structure described above, the transformation cannot be cancelled simply by removing the card. Therefore, the act of cancelling the transformation will be recreated as follows: "Pull the lever on the buckle to rotate the plate 180 degrees, then press the dialogue button on the top to activate the sound."​
If you press the button while pulling out the card, you can recreate the sequence without any awkwardness!


Next, we recorded the lines! Takayuki Tsubaki, who plays Kazuma Kenzaki, gave a passionate performance and recorded many memorable lines!
Part of the black design on the top side has been turned into a button, and each time you press it, a line of dialogue will be played in order.
We also conducted an interview, which you can check out at the link below.


This time, Tsubaki also appeared in the product promotional video, where she undertook her first "transformation" in a long while.
The transformation poses were really cool to see in person...! Please check this out too.


Also includes the familiar background music! All of the insert songs and representative background music from Blade's battle scenes are included.
The famous sound that everyone loves is also included. Part of the black design on the bottom is a button, and pressing it activates the sound.
Of course, we will also implement the BGM standby mode that has become a standard feature in recent CSMs!

And finally, the biggest attraction of this BLAYBACKLE is the Orichalcum Element Projection Gimmick!!


In creating this product, we thought that this was the thing that would give the greatest surprise to users, so we added a gimmick.
The projection gimmick was also incorporated into Faiz Gear and Kaixa Gear, but I believe that the Orichalcum Element is even more essential to KAMEN RIDER Blade's transformation.

Initially, we thought it might be possible to project from BLAYBACKLE itself, so we tried installing a lens and projection gimmick in the LED light-emitting part on the top right front. However, the depth of the buckle was narrow, and the number of lenses, LED specifications, and distance between the lenses and the projection film all ended up being insufficient.
And most importantly, if you project from BLAYBACKLE, the closer you get to the wall, the smaller the image gets, and by the time you reach the wall, it's only a few centimeters in size. I wondered if there was any point in doing this...

As a result, we decided to externalize the projector!
We considered the pros and cons of creating a completely original projector that does not appear in the film, but we thought that if we made it a generic design, it could be used in future products as well, so we decided to go ahead with this approach!
By externalizing it, we were able to fit an extremely powerful light source and multiple lenses inside, significantly improving the projector's performance.
Another benefit of externalization is that the size of the projected image does not change even if you get closer to the object you are projecting it onto.

By the way, if you compare the size of the projection with the built-in BLAYBACKLE and the projection with a projector, it looks like this.


Please be careful when running against a wall as you may crash into it and get injured!
If you're going to run, I recommend projecting yourself towards the white "Noren" curtain and running through it!


continue
<Rouse Absorber>!!!
Sorry, this post about BLAYBACKLE has gotten too long so I will explain it in more detail in a future blog.


lastly
<Blay Rouser & Rouse Card>!!!

The Bray Rouser has been enlarged as a CSM, and not only does it have a card scanning function, but the segment display has been expanded to four digits, making it look more realistic.
The newly added sound effect button is positioned so that it can be pressed naturally with the thumb of the left hand when holding the tray when unfolding it. The sound effects from this button are particularly memorable and essential in "MASKED RIDER BLADE."
We are currently developing the sound that is activated by scanning the card to reproduce the sound produced by the show as accurately as possible!
We will be releasing more details on this blog in the future, so stay tuned!

When it came to the Blay Rouser, I had a lot of trouble deciding on the size.
The size shown here is not the prop size used when in suit mode.
Looking at the reaction after the teaser announcement, we saw that many people were requesting the prop size, but this size setting was decided after careful consideration and verification from a comprehensive perspective of MASKED RIDER BLADE toys as a whole.
(※By the way, although many people misunderstand this, the Kaiser Blaygun is also smaller than the prop size!)

First of all, the size of the Rouse Cards is the same as the DX version.
In the video work, two types are used: the "DX version" size and the "Rouse Card Archives" size released by our card department. The card that goes into HENSHIN BELT is the DX version.
For other scenes, the archive size is used to improve the visual appearance.
If we were to make a Blay Rouser in prop size, it would end up being an Archives size card, but since the card inserted into the belt is DX size, the Rouse card would end up being two different sizes.
So why not just offer two different sizes? That was the option we considered.
However, when we tested the size of the red gun and golden sword that may possibly emerge in the future "someday tomorrow" if they were made in Archives size, we found that they would be so ridiculously large that they would be difficult to play with.
If that were the case, it would no longer be possible to separate transformation-type figures into DX size and weapon-type figures into Archives size, and things would become extremely complicated.
Based on the concept of MASKED RIDER BLADE toys, which is "linked to a wide variety of items centered around the Rouse Cards," we decided to proceed with product development by fixing the card size.
This is the same reason why the size of the CSM DEN-O BELT DEN-O BELT made the same as the DX version, to match the portable size of the Keitaros.

By the way, if the Blay Rouser were made into a prop-sized weapon, it would have the disadvantage that it would be too big and heavy, making it difficult to swing it around with one hand like in the movie, or to move around while hanging it from a holster.
The reason this is possible in the movie is because the Blay Rouser is made from a lightweight material.
As those familiar with special effects will know, there are two types of props: "close-up" props that can withstand close-up filming, and "action" props that are easier to move around in.
The suits used in superhero shows are even more simplified versions of these action suits. When swinging large swords, action props made of light materials are used.
The Bray Rouser has an integrated tray that does not deploy. On the other hand, the up version is well-made and the tray deploys.
The toy is not made of light materials and is packed with internal components, so it is inevitably heavy. One of the reasons for choosing this size was that I wanted to be able to use two swords like in the movie.

The card is DX size, so the size of the tray is the same as that of the DX Blazer, but the blade has been extended to match the detail balance to the prop.
The image below is of my colleague, Mr. K, holding the sword with the Diamante Edge attached. The total length is 800mm, so you can see that it is large enough to be a toy sword.

　

By the way, when the tray is unfolded with the Diamante Edge attached, it is almost the same length as the CSM Kaixa Blaygun.
Just like in the movie, the grip is long so that it can be held with both hands.



...This has gotten long, but that's all for today's blog.

We will be introducing specifications that have not yet been released in future blogs!


The next update is usually on Monday, but we made an emergency update today on Friday, so there will be a break next week on Monday, January 28th, and then on Monday, February 4th, 2019.
We look forward to seeing you again next time.

Well then!