SOUCHAKU-HENSHIN KAMEN RIDER SERIES

SH KAMEN RIDER KABUTO SERIES GE-06 Masked Rider TheBee (4/2006)

MASKED RIDER

KUUGA

MASKED RIDER

AGITO

CLASSIC

MASKED RIDERS

MASKED RIDER

RYUKI

MASKED RIDER

FAIZ

MASKED RIDER

BLADE

MASKED RIDER

HIBIKI

MASKED RIDER

KABUTO

Kamen Rider TheBee - Rider Form

Bandai released Souchaku Henshin Masked Rider TheBee in April of 2006 as part of Kamen Rider Kabuto Series. The new series is returning to the modern Kamen Rider designs and theme after the huge departure with last year Hibiki series. Kamen Rider TheBee (or Zabee) is the second Riders to appear in Kabuto TV series. As his name suggest, TheBee has the bee design motif and theme. The Zector unit for TheBee is as expected a mechanical (but sentient) bee.  TheBee, unlike Kabuto, do not use henshin belt, instead the Bee Zector attaches itself to "Rider Bracer", a henshin bracelet that appear on the wrist before transformation.  TheBee has dual forms just like Kabuto - a bulky, rugged and heavily armored "Masked From" and the agile "Rider Form".  TheBee does not have weapon but the wearer of TheBee Zector is usually the commander of Zect elite troop unit known as "The Shadow" also the Bee Zector's tail stinger can be used as finishing move weapon call "Rider Sting" (a form of Rider Punch).  On the TV show, TheBee Zector get pass around to several people who use it to "henshin" (transform) into Masked Rider TheBee. TheBee, so far, is the only Masked Rider that operate directly under Zect command.

SH Kamen Rider TheBee uses all new core body designed specifically for the series (something that Bandai has been doing which is very nice since it does allow for better looking figure). The paint job is excellent on TheBee, the metallic gold finish look great on both the plastic and die-cast pieces. The armor pieces on TheBee fit nicely with the exception of the belt buckle tends to fall easily and is very frustrating when trying to pose the figure.

Kamen Rider TheBee - Masked Form

Kabuto series design element for Masked Rider is that the Riders have two distinct forms, the first mode when they first transform which is known as the "Masked Form".  The "Masked Form" is a bulky with heavy mechanical cocoon like appearance. This form is used mainly to withstand and fight off the initial onslaught of the Salis Worm Troopers (lower class peon-type Worms). When the Worm mutated to the higher level (by coming out of their carapace outer shell), the Rider then used the "Cast Off System" and the outer "Masked Form" shell then break apart and reveal the hidden more agile "Rider Form". While the Masked Mode is not very Kamen Rider-like, it is very nice alternate mechanical looking Kamen Riders and I really like the design theme of making the Riders a mechanical version of the Worms by having the Masked Rider also breaking out of the shell to reveal the speed-up form.  Masked Rider TheBee performs "Cast Off" by flipping the (Bee) Zector's wings which announce "Change Wasp" and the "Masked Form" armors break apart to reveal Rider Form.

SH TheBee Masked Form is very nice looking with full die-cast chest armors piece. The lower body shares the same armor set as the Rider Form, however the arms and hands have different design (actually the hands have to be swap). The arm armor pads unfortunately are not molded with die-cast but instead soft plastics. (probably to cut cost and for flexibility for posing). The Masked Form come with it's own Zector unit (bracelet piece) molded onto the left wrist. The armor pieces fit well overall but the chest piece do not close flush in the back. The belt buckle also fit poorly and tends to fall off easily (Bandai included two belt buckles, for the core body and for the dummy body).