This guy was announced at an event a while back, but we finally have an official announcement for the AZ-02EX2 Liger Zero Empire Spec. and man does it look gorgeous in these colors! This kit is a T-Spark / TTMall exclusive with pre-orders expected to open in September. Now, in the past, some TT Mall exclusives have appeared on the Kotobukiya US store, but I can't help but notice that this post distinctly mentions it being a domestic release, so we'll have to wait and see.

 We now have an official web page for the AZ-12 Geno Breaker, which as usual contains some lovely concept art of the kit, as well as insights into the 3D model! There's tons of additional photos to view. The kit is scheduled to release in March 2026 for 19,800 yen (tax included). Those who order through the Takara Tomy Mall before August 31st will receive five limited postcards. There's a couple of awesome videos for you to check out as well!

- Commercial

- Preview

 Takara Tomy has, without delay, announced the reveal of the Advanced Zi Geno Breaker, following right on the heels of the Geno Saurer's release! This teaser image references an old announcement in CoroCoro for the Tomy Geno Breaker, which is a fun detail.

 Though this is a Saurer with an extra weapons unit, TT has really gone out of their way to make this AZ Breaker something special. For starters, keen eyes may notice that it's modeled after Raven's Geno Breaker from the anime, complete with the white face covering and blue LED eyes. For those who aren't anime-focused, it comes with swappable parts to turn the face cover red and the black Free Round Shield segment to red. Like the old Tomy Breaker, it includes all the pieces you need to make a red AZ Geno Saurer.

 The Charged Particle Converter in the backpack spins. The Charged Particle Cannon and core glow red like the Geno Saurer. The arms connecting the Free Round Shield also have a unique piece that, when the shields are stationary at the sides, will actually make the X-Breakers move! It can be disconnected to allow free articulation of the arms for action poses. This is such a cool feature I didn't know I needed, but I'm excited about it. Hybridized articulation-motorization features like this are a dream. The Zoid is currently in the shooting process for its upcoming commercial, and pre-orders are expected to open August 6th!

- Preview Video

 So yesterday was the Shizuoka Hobby Show, a large event that almost all of the key Zoids companies exhibit at. T-Spark held their own booth as well, and Hobby Japan Web reported on some of the event's Zoids contents. Among the products announced was the AZ-12 Geno Breaker! What we've already seen from the Geno's motorization is quite impressive. This big boi is scheduled to open for pre-orders this summer.

 A new variant of Liger Zero is coming to the AZ line, the Liger Zero Empire! This tough-looking model looks surprisingly good in the Empire colors. Not much is known about how it's to be released yet, but AmiAmi has a few more photos.

 Takara Tomy has published their official web page for the AZ-11 Command Wolf, featuring concept art and an in-depth look at features and as well as additional photos. It's quite interesting that the concepts were done using OJR colors. Like the old Tomy Command Wolf, the head position can swap it between two speeds, tracking mode and walking mode. The motor has a molded-in Zoid Core, but this time around, no LEDs. The wolf comes with an adaptor that allows you to install it on one of the Liger stands (specifically mentions the AZ-01 Blade Liger, but I think they all might work? Maybe?) The wolf doesn't come with a stand of its own. This kit is scheduled to release late December for 9,350 yen (tax included). Also be sure to check out its awesome promo video!

- Preview Video

 A new medium sized Advanced Zi kit has been announced! The AZ-11 Command Wolf will be the next to receive AZ's glorious upgrade from wind-up to motorized, and this wolf strikes a particularly bitey appearance. Extra points for the silhouette being quite distinct from your typical Command Wolf. Pre-orders are expected to open in May!

 The AZ-10 Sea Panther has received its infodump, covering new additions to this unique Advanced Zi kit. Sea Panther wasn't an expected product to begin with, but they've carried on the gimmicks and concept of additional bonus pieces from the Molga. Not only can Sea Panther move forwards and backwards, but it also comes with an additional radar dish as well as brand new precision sensor parts that can be attached to the head to give it a more realistic hermit crab face. This is such a cool idea, and I love to see them delving back into the core animal motifs to get ideas for new design parts. In addition, it gets a very cool promo video. It made me nostalgic for Stompy Zoid's old CG videos.

 An interview by Hobby Watch was also posted. They discuss how Sea Panther was chosen for its unique movements, and how the initial promo received a shocking amount of support, surprising staff. The article also shows off its walking animations.

- Preview Video

 The Molga received its own review video, giving us a better look at the motorized movements and gimmicks. This kit is quite simple, so if you want a quick build, I'd recommend it.

- Preview Video

 The Advanced Zi section of the site has been updated to include a more up-to-date list of the current Zoids in the series, a text-only list, and a few fun facts. The page also includes limited editions and where they come from. Relevant pages have also been added or updated.

 In another big twist for the upcoming Zoids lines, Advanced Zi has announced its next kit, the Sea Panther! Now this is an interesting choice. Takara Tomy had commented about wanting to convert their old wind-up Zoids into motorized ones, and thus far, the Molga was our main example of that. Now a new wind-up kit is being transformed, and we can't wait to see more! The Sea Panther has been a long-requested kit by Mercy Rabbit, who reminded us of some Sea Panther promotional art they did back in the day. Tanimeso also showed off their Sea Panther Zi-girl promo art. The T-Spark Zone page mentioned earlier also shows off our first painted sample of the kit.

 Back in October we started seeing previews of the upcoming Advanced Zi Zoid, the Geno Saurer! This is the first antagonist Rex that strikes the classic horizontal pose, and the engineering on it is truly impressive, featuring legs that actually lean inwards and a walk cycle that improves even further on AZ's claw motions.

 The official product page has now launched, showing off tons of photos as well as nice clear concept art! The kit is already up for pre-order through various outlets, with an expected release date of Late July 2025 for 16,500 yen (tax included). For those, like me, who prefer ordering through Amazon JP it's worth noting that Takara Tomy products have, starting with the Saber Tiger Schwarz, started charging up-front for pre-orders instead of upon release. Be aware of this when placing your order. On the product page you can also see the unarmored version, with a new internal head design almost remminiscent of Rev Raptor!

 As per tradition, Hobby Watch held an interview with staff about the kit's production. They mention that Geno Saurer was decided for production after Deathy, and discuss all that went into its motorization. The kit has stationary arms this time, somewhat like a real rex and to an extent the anime. They instead opted for highly-articulated joints with a removable part that lets you connect them securely to the torso. Like Death Saurer, it'll include LEDs in the head for the eyes and Charged Particle Cannon. For those wondering, the particle pose is entirely manual this time around.

 When the AZ Liger Zero Phoenix released many people wished they could've bought the Phoenix separately for kitbashing purposes. So, when the Core Box later released with just the Liger Zero in the Republican Zero Phoenix-style colors, a few eyebrows were raised. As anticipated, TT has announced the release of the Phoenix Republic Ver., in colors styled to make the Liger Zero Phoenix Republic Ver. if combined with the Liger Zero Ray Greg Ver. from the Core Box. The kit is scheduled to release in late August 2025 as a TakaraTomy Mall Exclusive for 6,600 yen (tax included.) For overseas folks, you can use proxies like Rabbit Japan to buy, or can check out state-side stores like USAGS.

 There are a couple of important differences to note, however. First, the kit comes with the standard drone head style as well as a manned cockpit head, which means you can place a pilot figure inside! The Phoenix also includes adaptor parts to install it to the AZ-02 Liger Zero (white). However, the original Liger Zero kit lacks the modifications that were introduced in the later Liger Zero Phoenix kit, which are vital for the motorized wing movement. This means if using the Phoenix with the older white Zero, its wings won't move. The newly-released Liger Zero Ray Greg Ver. from the Core Box does indeed include these modifications, so the wings should work fine on that one.

 The AZ-07 Death Saurer started shipping out earlier this month, and people who pre-ordered should be receiving them soon! In the meantime, here are some videos that were released for the kit over the past few weeks. There's also an edited for tv commercial that we've already seen the contents of.

- Walking and Movement

- Zoiko Review Video

 Zoids Official posted a teaser image of the next new Zoid in the Advanced Zi series, the Geno Saurer! I'm excited to see how the proportions of this kit shake out, especially with seeing how high the AZ Death Saurer is able to stand compared to its normal posture. For now, many fans are wondering if it'll be the normal purple or the red Raven version, but given the reference (teaser on the left, anime screenshot on the right) I'm guessing we'll be starting with the classic purple.

 We have a new Review video for the AZ-01EX Blade Liger Leon Toros version! This is a painted sample painted over the blue AZ Bladey, but still highlights the lovely color seaparation that we can expect from this kit, with two tones of red. As a reminder, this is a Takara Tomy Mall exclusive, so you'll need a proxy service like Rabbit Japan to order. It's scheduled to be released in February 2025 for 11,000 Yen (roughly $76).

- Review Video

 Molga was first teased with this diorama image. Well, the kit has now officially been posted on TakaraTomy's website! (Does AZ not have a dedicated page on the TT website?) The page has a piece of concept art and goes over all the new features of this kit. Pre-orders are already up. The kit is scheduled to be released in February 2025 for a retail price of 4,950 yen (about $30 USD.)

 First and most noticeably is that the AZ-08 Molga comes with a brand new piece, the Jamming Horn. This is a part original to Advanced Zi. It is not seen in any other canon. The part itself is based on the osmeterium organs of swallowtail larvae, which release a foul-smelling chemical repellant to ward of predators. The kit also has a surprise motorized function: Forwards and backwards movement. A rotating gear on the back adds an extra detail during movement and the kit has all of the manual gimmicks expected of a Molga.

- Preview Video

 In a surprising turn of events, the first stand-alone recolor variant of the Advanced Zi line has been announced! It's Leon Toros' Blade Liger! This kit looks beautiful already, with a nice shade of red. It's scheduled for Late February 2025 for 11,000 yen. It's a Takara Tomy Mall exclusive, so as a reminder to everyone, you can order from the TT Mall through Buyee if you've got their Add To Buyee add on. Just navigate to the page and refresh while the add on is active.

 Finally, information about the upcoming Zoids Core Box has dropped! An article was posted by Tower Records, a popular store for Japanese media. The box is scheduled to release mid-to-late December for about 27,500 yen. It's available on Amazon JP as well. Don't forget to factor the AZ Death Saurer into your budget schedule, as it releases only a couple weeks before the Zoid Core box! So, without further ado, let's get into it!

 Zoids Official Fan Books Reprint: Volumes 1 ~ 4 are being reprinted as part of this box!

 Zoids OFB Volume 5! The original story published through CoroCoro and other media is being compiled into a new Zoids Official Fan Book volume 5, which is suggested to contain new information about the story that we've never seen before! It'll also include diorama style images to match the other Official Fan Books, such as this image which is a recreation of the events in the second Official Fan Book EX.

 AZ-02EX Liger Zero Ray Gregg Spec. (Republic Color): The kit being released with this Zoid Core Box is the blue Liger Zero piloted by Ray Gregg. For those who aren't familiar with the battle story, he was one of the most important characters of the NJR era (what this box is based on) and important to the story's conclusion. The kit will come in a blue color, while also including a Ray Gregg pilot figure.

 Panoramic Seismosaurus Poster: A poster originally released through CoroCoro is also being reprinted! It's a neat one to have. The poster is quite small height wise, but still neat. At least, if it's printed at the same size.

 Perfect Visual Clips: Are making a return! This was a DVD in the old Core Box containing commercials and promos. Now, NJR era commercials will be accessible through a code found in the box.

 Big Zoids Expo 2023 Archive Footage: Footage of the Big Zoids Expo will be released in a 3D AR-style format.

 The AZ-07 Death Saurer, which is closing pre-orders on the 9th* has received an updated commercial that uses the original Deathy's commercial audio! There was also an interview video which discusses the Zoid's development, echoing a lot of thoughts we saw in earlier interviews. The kit was also displayed in a diorama setting at the Shizuoka Hobby Show.

 * Pre-orders in Japan regularly close earlier than elsewhere, so don't worry about this.

- Updated CM

- Updated CM