SOUCHAKU-HENSHIN KAMEN RIDER SERIES

SH Masked Rider Blade Series GD-68 Masked Rider Leangle (9/2004)

BLADE

MASKED RIDER

KUUGA

MASKED RIDER

AGITO

CLASSIC

MASKED RIDERS

MASKED RIDER

RYUKI

MASKED RIDER

FAIZ

MASKED RIDER

BLADE

MASKED RIDER LEANGLE

Bandai released GD-68 Masked Rider Leangle (Len-gale) in September 2004 along with GD-67 Masked Rider Chalice as followed up to the other two SH Blade Masked Riders, Blade and Garren, from the current Masked Rider Blade Series. Masked Rider Leangle was the fourth Rider to show up in the series. Leangle Change Buckle was actually constructed for the Undead using Category A Spider Undead, but Leangle Buckle after several change of hands ended up with a weak mind Mitsuki who then became possessed by Spider Undead. Since Blade, Garren and Chalice finally team up, I supposed they needed to add a new Rider so they can battle one another and have Rider that can kick Blade around. (That seem to be Blade's entire purpose on his own show thus far, a punching bag for the rest of the Riders). Since Leangle's power derived from Spider Undead, his head design took on spider theme and his card suit was, of course, the club. Leangle over all design reflected the story line and his suit was a little bit of Blade / Garren looks combined with a little of Chalice. The Rouser was on his stave weapon but the card box was on his belt like Chalice and the Change Buckle was change a little from Blade and Garren. 

Of the four Riders from Blade, Leangle probably even more unconventional than the other three. His body was mostly green color and very similar to Blade and Leangle but with gold armor instead of silver. Leangle has a staff weapon that also his Rouser. The weapon had two modes, retracted and extended with the ring open into the club clover. Bandai included both version of the weapons for SH Leangle.

Souchaku Henshin format was of course perfect match for the Blade series with its heavily armored body designs. One of the aspect that really set SH series apart from the regular plastic Masked Rider action-figures was the fact that the removable armor parts really gave the figures the realistic look with more of the man-in-armor appearance. SH version of Leangle, like Chalice, was very well sculpted, although the chest section seem a little too flat compare to the TV show. All the parts did fit well and snug to the core body. The joints were all nice and tight with good paint job. I have to say Bandai really have advanced the SH series quite a bit since the days of the SH Kuuga series.

Unmasked Mode

Like other SH Riders figures, the human body underneath can look out of proportion and was solely intended for display with the "cloth" (Rider's Armor) on. The core body was similar in style as the body used since the original Saint Seiya Cloth line, however for the 2004 SH line, Bandai had retooled the body to make it more modern. While the head still appear too small due to having to accommodate the mask, this removable "armor suit" however, was one of the aspect that drawn me to this line. The ability to "henshin" into the Rider form made these SH figure a lot like small version of Henshin Cyborg or the RAH costume hero.

The figure can be display with the "masked" removed and show a human head. The head was the same as Blade and Garren but with lighter hair color. This was the same "generic" head used for many of the SH figures.

Weapon Accessories

Masked Rider Leangle came with little miniature Club Rouse Cards (They were used in the story as a way to capture the monster and then power-up the Masked Riders). Leangle also came with his staff weapon in both retract and extend modes.