NOTE - this is not a news posting, as nothing new is revealed here. This is just a monthly list of known information for the benefit of those collecting Japanese Transformers... and any errors or omissions are accidental, and corrections are appreciated.


These are TakaraTomy toys (and maybe some significant licensed items) currently known from official sources, scheduled for release in MAY in Japan, as well as in Asia (most JP toys are also released through Hasbro Hong Kong).

These monthly lists are archived on the Transformers Checklist here if you need to refer to a completed, more-accurate list later (if anything is found out later, these monthly lists won't be updated after their month ends).

Dates and details can change at any time - Approximate yen prices listed are just a rough guide to their retail price in Japan.
(posting corrections or additions are greatly appreciated - I will try to update as often as I can)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MAY

Kabaya D-Collection - Optimus, Megatron, Starscream (plus chase translucent versions) - May 19 (350yen EACH)

Transformers Adventure
TAV15 - Lockdown (grey redeco Animated DLX) - May 30 (3,500yen)
TAV16 - Bombshell (GEN Legends minor redeco?) - May 30 (1,300yen)
TAV17 - Shrapnel (GEN Legends minor redeco?) - May 30 (1,300yen)

Transformers Easy Dynamic Series
TED07 - Bumblebee (minor redeco RID One-Step) - May 30 (1,500yen)

Legends
LG-13 - Gen1 Megatron (Leader) - May 30 (7,000yen)

Masterpiece
MP-10 Convoy reissue - May 31 (20,000 yen)


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CONFIRMED FUTURE ITEMS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

JUNE

Unite Warriors
UW-01 - Superion boxset (Silverbolt, Firefly, Slingshot, Airraid, Skydive) - June 27 (14,000yen)

Transformers Adventure
TAV18 - Drift (RID Warrior - redeco?) - June (2,500yen)
-
TAV19 - Powerglide (GEN Legends redeco?) - June (1,300yen)
TAV20 - Adams (Cosmos) (GEN Legends redeco?) - June (1,300yen)
-
TAVVS03 - Strongarm Vs Snarl? (?????) - June (4,500yen)

Transformers Easy Dynamic Series
TED08 - Steeljaw (RID One-Step?) - June (1,500yen)
TED09 - Grimlock (RID One-Step?) - June (1,500yen)

Q-Transformers
QT-17 - (Gen1) Tracks (remould Crosshairs - Chevrolet Corvette C7) - June 27 (was March 21) (1000yen)
QT-21 (??) Skids (redeco Hound - blue Suzuki Hustler) - June 27 (1000yen)
QT-22 (??) Drift (remould Sunstreaker - white Mazda RX-7 FD3S) - June 27 (1000yen)


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

JULY

Masterpiece
MP-21G - Gen2 Gold Bumble - July 25 (5,000yen)

Adventure
- TAV21 (RID Big) Optimus Prime (new & electronic - it is not the Mega 1-step or transforming Titan) (July?)
- TAV22 (RID Warrior) Sideswipe (July 25th - 2500yen)
- TAV23 (RID Warrior) Jazz (July 25th - 2500yen)

Easy Dynamic
- TED10 (RID 1-step) Strongarm (July 25th - 1500yen)

Q-Transformers
- QT23 redeco Movie Optimus (in QT episode colours) (Mid July?)
- QT24 redeco Movie Bumblebee (in QT episode colours) (Mid July?)
- QT25 redeco Movie Lockdown (in QT episode colours) (Mid July?)

QT Crossovers
- QTC01 Hello Kitty (as an Optimus truck) (Mid July?)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AUGUST

MP-18B - Bluestreak - August 1 (8000yen)

Adventure
- TAV24 (RID Deployer) Micron Shooter Fracture & 2 Minicons (August 29th - 3200yen)
- TAV25 (GEN Legends) Runabout (redeco Blackjack) (August 29th - 1300yen)
- TAV26 (GEN Legends) Override (redeco Groove) (August 29th - 1300yen)

Easy Dynamic
- TED11 (RID 3-step) Steeljaw (August 29th - 3600yen)

Lost Age - Black Knight Optimus Prime (AD-31) - ToysRUs Excl - Aug 3 (8000yen)

Unite Warriors
UW-02 - Menasor boxset (Motormaster, Dragstrip, Breakdown, Deadend, Wildrider) - Aug 22 (14000yen)

Legends
LG-10 - Arcee (DLX GEN) - Aug (reissue)

Q-Transformers
- QT26 Shockwave/Laserwave? (Late August?)
- QT27 Soundwave (Late August?)
- QT28 Cliffjumper/Cliff? (redeco "G1" Bumblebee) (Late August?)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SEPTEMBER

MP-25 - Tracks - Sept 28 (7,000yen)

Adventure
- TAV27 (RID Deployer) Drift & 2 Minicons (September 19th - 3200yen)
- TAV28 (TFPrime DLX 2nd land version) Grand/Ground Vehicon General (redeco?) (September 19th - 2500yen)
- TAV29 (RID Warrior) Bumblebee Supreme mode (redeco?) (September 19th - 2500yen)

Adventure Verses 2-packs
- TAVVS04 (RID Warrior) Sideswipe (repack?) & Stepper (redeco Jazz?) (September 19th - 2500yen)

Easy Dynamic
- TED12 (RID 1-step) Thunderhoof (September 19th - 1500yen)

Ehobby excl - Unite Warriors Grand Scourge (redeco GEN Voy Optimus) - Sept (6500yen)

Q-Transformers
- QT29 Starscream (Late September?)
- QT30 Thundercracker (Late September?)
- QT31 Skywarp (Late September?)

QT Crossovers
- QTC02 Evangelion Transformers (3-pack) (Late September?)
(Unit 1 as purple Optimus truck, Unit 0 as yellow Optimus truck, Unit 2 as red Optimus truck)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hasbro Hong Kong/Asia

MP-12 Lambor (reissue) - September

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

OCTOBER

MP-26 - Road Rage (remoulded Tracks) (October)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

UNKNOWN DATE (at time of posting)

Legends
- LG-14 Leader Ultra Magnus (June-August?)

Unite Warriors
Devastator

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
.
.

 

I've already got Lockdown paid for. I wish they'd put out pictures of some of these figures before AE closes the preorders. I'd get the Insecticons, but I'm not paying $16 a pop for them when I can hope HLJ puts them back up for $9. I want Lockdown to have his minions.

Thanks as always!

Edit: have we seen pics of Adventure Powerglide and Cosmos yet?

 

Very handy. Bookmarking this for future reference.

Wish they'd post pics of Cosmos and Powerglide already. Cosmos is already bought, but I'd at least like to get an idea of what to expect.

 

Yeah this can come in handy as a general Japanese Transformer "in stock/preorder" type thread and reminder of release time frames.

Not yet, no. I don't think we'll see pics for another couple weeks, once the next round of Japanese toy mag scans start showing up online.

 

Cool, I forgot about the Kabaya D-Collection stuff. Any lists for the Kotobukiya D-style kits?

 

Lovely number of stuff spread out over the next couple of months n the year. Looking forward mostly to Unite Warriors and MPs...strangely I do not see a listing for UW Defensor...?

 

They seem to be leaving a lot of these reveals lately to just a month before their release, through the Japanese collector magazines... so people are resorting to pre-ordering them before we know what they actually look like.

The list only has confirmed items, so that it helps people budget ahead for items that are definitely coming. I don't want to include speculated items, as it could get messy and it could lead to disappointment later if something doesn't happen.

I'm looking to include the more significant licensed items, but release dates are often harder to find for them than the TakaraTomy toys. So at the moment the priority is with the TT toys, and any licensed items I can verify with a release date.

 

Legends UM can't be june, we haven't see a preorder for him yet?

 

The entire post shows up on the front page, any way to fix that?

 

LG14 - Ultra Magnus - Transformers Transformers Legends Imports

September, according to bbts...

 

Now give us legit pictures of Legends Leader UM already  

 

Is MP-18B a Hasbro Asia release, or Takara? I thought it was the former...

 

Yeah, that seems more likely. Though I'm not counting NA preorders as actual preorders, these days BBTS and TFS put up preorders as soon as the first rumors start. Japanese etailers at least wait for the solicitation.

 

So far, we've only seen it listed as a limited japanese release. Every single NA retailer and many Asian retailers opened preorders which we took to mean it was a Hasbro Asia release, but there has been no confirmation. I talked to Tony Chi and he couldn't get any reliable info.

 

So no news on the supposed G1 Encore Dinobots or Trypticon reissues then?

 

Oh yeah, I remember now. I think I got that in my head since the reason US retailers have POs is because they will probably be getting them from other Asian distros not in Japan since he is limited to 2000pcs there. Thanks for the mental refresh.  

 

It's not been officially confirmed, but that's been the assumption given the whole "2000" number and multiple retailers having plenty of preorder stock available, as well as how previous exclusive MPs (Sunstorm, I think Tigertrack and Silverstreak?) were available in Asia.

They've been rumored, but I don't believe from Takara. Given the previous rumor and the other reissue rumors that have come true or appear to be down the road (Coneheads, Astrotrain/Blitzwing, Blaster/Perceptor), it would appear any Dinobots and Trypticon would come via Hasbro as well.

 

I was going by the pre-order dates (of May) noted on this TFW news topic, which is why I guessed the following month, as that is often the time-frame. It's still only an estimate, until an actual release date is noted from an official or reliable source.
After having monthly releases of Legends toys for the first 12, I also didn't think that we'd have several months gap between each one now. But I guess they are bigger toys, and the Japanese versions are usually a few months behind the Hasbro versions.

I didn't see this one yet as I don't often look at BBTS for release dates, as they usually have a 2-4 week delay to get their Japanese toys into America and in stock, so I'd only use them as a rough guide as well. As such I might change the estimated release date to August for Ultra Magnus.

I was not intending for these monthly listings to be treated as news, or be front-paged in any form, let alone completely.  
I was surprised to see it on the front page at all, as I've been posting these monthly lists here for a while now, and they don't contain anything new... it's just a compilation of information that I got mostly from this site anyway.
If the board staff feel that it counts as news, I think it could be trimmed down to just the May items... as anything beyond that is less accurate and will be posted in the next month's listing anyway.
I also want to make sure that people don't think that I'm claiming to be an authority on the Japanese Transformers or have any inside knowledge about what's coming... I just archive info found on fansites and online stores, and compile it onto the monthly listing, so if any dates or names are wrong, I'm only going on what I saw or estimated from those sources. And anything I'm not sure about, I have a question mark next to it.

(I only paste a copy of the monthly listing from my site for the benefit of fans here collecting Japanese Transformers, who need to keep track of all the release dates and items... it was never intended to be a news item on the front-page, which is why I post them in the Toy Discussion section.)

 

Should I begin to be concerned by the lack of any Takara Unite Warriors Defensor news? Or just still too early for it to show up on lists?

 

Looks like Devastator is next for Unite Warriors in Japan, slotted in before Defensor, who was out by Hasbro before Devastator.
Maybe TakaraTomy are just stalling for time to get a Deluxe Motorcycle mold for Groove... if the rumors of Technobots from Hasbro by the end of the year are true (which I would hope has Afterburner included).