SDCC 2016: Bandai Is All About The Superheroes

The biggest license at Bandai’s booth at San Diego Comic-Con was easily Power Rangers. Merchandise from the series took up the majority of the booth’s real estate. And, I have to tell you, it is a good time to be a Power Rangers fan!

While there were several items that limited in edition, the majority appeared to be open edition.

Nostalgia was the name of the game with these toys. Many of the placards read “Legacy” on them and harkened back to the first several seasons of the show.

Some of the toys on display will be exclusive to certain retailers, like Toys R’ Us or Walgreens. Those effected had the store’s emblem on the placard.

Real talk: I love Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir so much. But, the merchandise on display, for the most part, disappointed me. The quality reminded me of those Sailor Moon dolls from the 90’s. They just don’t look enough like the characters, especially Adrien (there is something about his eyes that is off, too). The two-pack that was SDCC-exclusive seemed much better in terms of matching the design.

The portion of the Miraculous toy selection that I liked a great deal was the plush assortment of Tikki and Plagg, the sidekicks /confidantes for Marinette and Adrien. I thought the pair were very cute and their size (6 inches tall) fit their characters nicely.

One of the big draws for Bandai’s booth was the corner of Gashapon machines filled with Dragon Ball Z mini-figures. Quite a few attendees were excited about their inclusion. I even witnessed a fan working all four machines at once! That is some dedication, right there.

Oh, did I mention there was giant plush of Tubbs the cat from Neko Atsume a.k.a. Kitty Collector? It wasn’t not for sale but visitors could pose with it and take pictures. Figures of the game’s lovable felines were also on display at the booth. Attendees had the opportunity to purchase a set of desktop figures starring some of the game’s stars.

I personally know several people who will be excited about this one: a prototype of Dark Souls III‘s Artorias the Abysswalker along with concept art for the Faraam Knight. Both characters will be part of Banpresto’s DXF Figure line.

What items are you excited about? Let us know in the comments!