Jet Icarus (Super mini-pla)

Chojin Sentai Jetman is a Super Sentai series from 1991 and is notable for being the season BEFORE the one used for Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. However, it certainly stands on its own as an exciting tribute to Science Ninja Team Gatchaman while incorporating all the Super Sentai hallmarks such as a giant combining robot.

This set has all five Jet Machines that combine to form the Icarus Haken (an homage to Gatchaman's God Phoenix) and the robot Jet Icarus who is armed with a variety of weapons.

I really enjoyed Jetman, it was a bit more mature (well as mature as show intended for children can be). The uniforms are cool, the villains are zany, there's an honest-to-goodness love triangle.

This Super mini-pla set is a lot of fun to build and combine into the various forms. It was not cheap but holds a high place in my Super Sentai collection.

(Jet Machines) (Icarus Haken) (Jet Icarus)

Live Boxer (Super mini-pla)

Live Boxer is the combined form of Bison Liner and Sai Fire. For the first half of the show Liveman was a three person Sentai team but then Black Bison and Green Sai (Rhino) joined the team with their ungulate truck themed vehicles.

(Bison Liner)(Sai Fire)(Live Boxer)(Super Live Robo)

Live Robo (Super mini-pla)

Choujuu Sentai Liveman was the 1988 Super Sentai series. The team is comprised of students from Academia Island who must defend the world from their former classmates who have joined Armed Brain Army Volt and want to wipe out the inferior minds of humanity (ie. everyone but them).

The outer box that houses all three Battle Machines.

Live Robo is made up of the Skymachine, Landmachine, and Aquamachine which were also known as Jet Falcon, Land Lion, and Aqua Dolphin. I've only watched the first bit of Liveman at this point but it's pretty entertaining and full of ridiculous 80's fashion and classic Super Sentai action.

Liveman are headquartered in an underwater base "Gran Tortoise" which launches the "Machine Buffalo" to carry the mecha into battle. These types of carrier mecha were much more common in earlier Sentai but eventually the mega mecha would be able to combine with the others for EVEN. BIGGER. 'BOTS.

Most Sentai stuff you get is either for the currently airing series or from the post-Zyuranger/Power Ranger era. I definitely appreciate that Super Mini-pla is going back further into Super Sentai history.

The box for each mecha is identical aside from the bottom caption box showing which one is inside.

Apparently the Super Mini-pla line is fastidiously recreating the original box design of the larger vintage toys. A neat idea but one that holds no actual nostalgia for me.

(Jet Falcon)(Land Lion)(Aqua Dolphin)(Live Robo)

Police Ressha & Fire Ressha plus Cho Cho Ressha Gattai Cho Cho ToQ-DaiOh (Mini-pla)

Here are two out of the final three support trains plus as a bonus the combined form of the major three mecha and all the other combinations I haven't featured yet. ToQger was a series I really enjoyed and I'm glad I was able to collect all but the Shield Ressha so easily.

Police Train.

Fire Train.

(Police Ressha)(Fire Ressha)(Mixed Combos)(Cho Cho ToQ-DaiOh)

Ressha Gattai Diesel-Oh (Mini-pla)

Diesel-Oh is the combined form of three of the support trains on Ressha Sentai ToQger.

At first the Tanker train and Car Carrier trains combine with ToQ-Oh as alternate hands but eventually ToQ-1 activates the aged Diesel train and the three unite to become Diesel-Oh, the second mecha used by the ToQgers.  The design is very industrial, almost steam-punk with lots of tubes and pistons.

(Diesel Ressha)(Tank Ressha)(Car Carrier Ressha)(Diesel-Oh)(Cho Ressha Gattai Cho ToQ-Oh)

Ressha Gattai ToQ-Oh (Mini-pla)

We're back with another Super Sentai Minipla wave. This time it's the main mecha from Ressha Sentai ToQger: ToQ-Oh.  The fact that this robot is made up of five trains means the construction process was pretty simple compared to other minipla I'll spotlight in the future but the simplicity of their design also means the articulation is pretty good.

ToQ-Oh's transformation involves the five trains pulling up alongside each other, attaching and then basically lurching up to standing Dracula style. The way the Red Ressha folds up in front can look...a bit more adult... than was intended if you pause at the right moment. I do love the doors wooshing open to reveal the face though. Sadly that level of engineering is a bit beyond these little models.

(Red Ressha)(Pink Ressha)(Green Ressha)(Yellow Ressha)(Blue Ressha)(ToQ-Oh)