Shodo Super 3.75″ Choudenshi Bioman
Originally airing in 1984 in Japan, Choudenshi Bioman tells the story of a team of 5 individuals who inherited the Bio Particles of their ancestors, allowing them to transform into the Biomen. Together, they battle the forces of Doctor Man and his Shin Teikoku Gear (New Empire Gear) army of cyborgs and androids.
Each figure does come with some paint apps (chests, badges and belt buckles) but you will have to apply stickers for their belts, glove and boot cuffs, likewise for their swords and guns.
Each figure stands roughly 4.25 inches tall.
Likewise, each also comes with the same accessories, namely their Bio Swords, both in sword and gun configuration, along with swappable holsters and a big sword.
Red 1 – Shirou Gou (Kenny in the local Philippine dubs), played by actor Ryosuke Sakamoto.
A space shuttle pilot, Gou is the leader of the Biomen team. His Bio Particles give him the unique ability to understand animals. I think he’s the only one who gets special abilities from his Bio Particles. The rest of the team doesn’t?
Green 2 – Shingo Takasugi (Sammy in the local Philippine dubs), played by actor Naoto Ota.
A race car driver, Shingo is the designated driver of the team’s land vehicle, the Bio Turbo. He is also the first Green Ranger to serve as second-in-command in any Super Sentai series.
Blue 3 – Ryuuta Nanbara (Frankie in the local Philippine dubs), played by actor Akito Osuga.
A water sports enthusiast, Ryuuta was once a teen delinquent before changing his ways.
Yellow 4 – Mika Koizumi (Casey in the local Philippine dubs), played by actress Yuki Yajima. After the character died in episode 10, Jun Yabuki became the new Yellow 4, played by actress Sumiko Tanaka.
Yellow 4 holds the distinction of being the first time a woman was ever cast as the Yellow Ranger in any Super Sentai series thus far.
The character Mika Koizumi would be killed off early in the series (episode 10), after being bombarded with Anti-Bio Particles from Mason’s Bio Killer Gun.
Supposedly, the behind-the-scenes reason was due to the difficulty the cast and crew had working with miss Yajima. She was fired and her character was killed off and laid to rest in full costume, with the death and funeral scenes shot using Yellow 4’s suit actor instead of being shot with Yuki Yajima. Miss Yajima then disappeared from the public eye after.
Jun Yabuki, the second Yellow 4, was an Olympic archer, so she comes with her Bio Bow accessory.
Pink 5 – Hikaru Katsuragi (Kimberly in the local Philippine dubs), played by actress Michiko Makino.
A flutist, Hikaru is a plays the flute to calm those around her. She is also a mistress of disguise and has a real soft spot for kids.
Choudenshi Bioman!
Swords
Bio Sword Gun mode
Bio Sword short sword mode.
Bio Big Arrow – the Bioman team’s combination attack
Overall, an amazing set! I’ve always wanted to have Bioman figures ever since I saw the show as a kid. Even though the figures here are smaller and lack the diecast parts of the vintage originals, this set still hits the spot since we get them all in one pack, and they have a lot detail with impresive articulation and they look great! The stickers are a bit annoying to place but at least not everything is a sticker and the important bits are printed on, so its all good.
Funfact: Haim Saban (creator of the Power Rangers brand) got his inspiration to adopt the Japanese Super Sentai series for the US market after watching an episode of Choudenshi Bioman while in Japan.
Funfact 2: Actor Mark Dacascos was cast as Red 1 (Biorythm Red) in the original pilot pitch by Saban for his “Bio-Man” adaptation. Sadly, the project was not picked up by the networks, which view importing international properties for television as a risky investment at the time. This was before the days of Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon.
Gold
