Takara Tomy’s mecha anime franchise about transforming trains is getting a new season — and it’s not Transformers.
Starting in 2015 with the release of the Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion toy line, the Shinkalion series will continue with the newest entry, Shinkalion Change the World. This will be the third entry in the series, focusing on giant transforming robots known as Shinkalions. Able to transform into “shinkansen” bullet trains, Shinkalions are used to investigate mysterious events and confront giant opponents.
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Shinkalion Changing the World continues Takara’s Mecha train line
Announced on December 26, 2023, Shinkalion Change the World is being handled by Signal.MD and Production IG, along with Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, the former will handle the CG animation . These studios and creative staff mark a departure from previous anime in the series produced by studio OLM.
The specific release date of the new anime has not yet been revealed, and neither has the general direction of the series. However, the announcement of Shinkalion Change the World was accompanied by a series teaser video featuring two boys witnessing the arrival of a mysterious train, and this vehicle may be the series’ titular Shinkalion movie.
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Shinkalion is one of Takara Tomy’s transforming robot brands
As previously noted, Shinkalion began operations in 2015, with the toy line initially being a spin-off of Tomy’s Plarail line of realistic train toys. The series was adapted into an anime in 2018, with the second season of the television series titled Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Z. It is notable for its crossovers with many other series, including the Godzilla series and the dark mecha deconstruction of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Of course, this isn’t the only mecha or transforming robot series under the Takara Tomy umbrella. Takara specifically handles the Transformers toy and media franchise in Japan, making the company the Japanese equivalent of Hasbro. The Brave/Yuusha series is more aimed at children in terms of robots in disguise, and it even recycles the designs of notable Transformers models. In contrast, Dennō Bōkenki Webdiver explores similar concepts in cyberspace, with these robots also represented through a toy line. Unfortunately, it’s unknown when the Shinkalion Change the World toy might hit shelves in Japan.
Source: Natalie.mu
