The transformation item Twin Brace from the 12th Super Sentai series "Choujuu Sentai Liveman" will be released as a role-playing toy for adults, "MEMORIAL EDITION". Pre-orders will start on Monday, June 30, 2025 at 4:00 pm on Premium Bandai.
The set includes a left arm brace, a right arm brace, and 5 hero panels. Based on the twin braces used by the five Livemen in the series, this "MEMORIAL EDITION" version is equipped with LED lighting, infrared communication functionality, a high-performance speaker, and other features, and is larger in size for adults to enjoy.
Liveman transforms by aligning the left and right breaths, but the DX version at the time activated the gimmick with the magnetic force of the magnets. Therefore, it would not activate in the transformation pose as in the movie, so to solve this, this product uses infrared transmission and reception. With the latest technology, the gimmick can be activated in the pose as in the movie.
In addition, two full-color LEDs have been added to the left arm bracelet, recreating the image of light converging on the left and right bracelets. The transformation sound can be switched from the normal version to a different version, and two types of soundtracks (theme song "Choujuu Sentai Liveman" (TV size), in-movie BGM "There are 5 Livemen!") and sound effects (brace attachment sound, attack sound, special move sound, Live Robo sortie sound, etc.) are also included.
The hero panel on the right arm bracelet can be replaced. The DX version had two additional member panels available for mail order, but this product comes with five panels from the start. In addition, the frame surrounding the light-emitting part, which was clear orange in the original product, has been changed to colorless clear to match the movie. The light-emitting part was clear red in both the original product and the movie, but even if the light-emitting color was changed for each character, the internal LED would pick up the clear red color due to the structure, so the light-emitting part is colorless clear, and a metallic red part is placed underneath it to surround the LED placed in the center, so that while it looks clear red, the light-emitting color does not pick up the molded color. The paint is also reproduced as closely as possible to the specifications in the movie.
Finally, we asked the development staff of Bandai's Toy Division to tell us about the development process and selling points of this product (titles omitted in the text).
Developer: We have commercialized Super Sentai roleplay toys aimed at adults, but we have not released any products for the Showa era works. So we thought we would like to release Showa era Super Sentai transformation items in 2025, when the Super Sentai series celebrates its 50th anniversary. We have received many requests for commercialization among the many works, and we chose "Choju Sentai Liveman" as the first product because of the track record of SMP Live Robo. The transformation scene accompanied by Yano Tatsumi's background music is memorable, and the characters and robots are also attractive.
-What part did you pay particular attention to?
Developer: This time, the point was, "I want to transform in the same pose as in the movie." The previous twin bracelets were a gimmick that used magnets, and the sound and light would only come out if the pose was different from the one in the movie. Also, the transformation sound was an electronic sound that was different from the one in the movie, so the challenge was to "make the transformation pose and sound exactly like in the movie." To achieve this, we adopted infrared communication and equipped the right arm bracelet with an EL gimmick, so that the transformation sound would come out in the same pose as in the movie. To play this gimmick and sound clearly, we increased the volume of the speaker by the same amount as at the time, and added two LEDs to the left arm bracelet for light-up effects. As a result, the volume is now satisfying even for adults to wear.
How did you decide on the audio to be recorded?
Developer: There are various patterns for the transformation sound, so we carefully selected them. We included the bank transformation sound with a close-up of the Twin Brace and the shortened version of the transformation sound. The shortened version is a performance in which the whole body is enveloped in light as the character transforms, and we included it because it was used frequently in the movie. We also included the sound of the arms turning during the transformation pose. We also included the transformation sound from the V-Cinema "Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger VS Super Sentai." At the time, it was rare to see a guest appearance by a senior hero from many years ago, so it was quite striking. The sound from that time was a different transformation sound from the original, but it was a very cool sound, so we recorded it as a special sound unique to the "MEMORIAL EDITION." As for
the sound effects other than the transformation sound, we had a hard time deciding because there are so many memorable sound effects in the movie. First of all, the jump sound after the introduction and when attacking, and the attack sound of the personal weapon. For Red Falcon, the attack sound of the Falcon Break special move will play, and for Green Rhino, the attack sound of the Rhino Cutter will play. In addition, if you press a button, the attack sound of the Triple Bazooka or the Bi-Motion Buster will play. Also, from episode 30, when the number of Livemen becomes five, the sound of the Twin Brace appearing on Tetsuya and Junichi's arms, the sound of the Livelaster being summoned, and other sounds are included. In the main three-person mode, the Live Robo appears, and in the two-additional mode, the Live Boxer appears. Two memorable background music tracks from Liveman are also included.
--Please tell us about your future prospects.
Developer: We tried to pack as much as we could into this Twin Bracelet that we couldn't do back then. The Showa era roleplay toys were made in a time when IC chips had not yet been miniaturized, so the voices were different from those in the show, so we think that releasing a remake product made with modern technology is very meaningful. If many people enjoy this product, we think it will expand the possibilities for items from the next Showa era. Thank you for your support.
Twin Breath -MEMORIAL EDITION-
- Set contents: Twin bracelet ... 1, left arm bracelet ... 1, right arm bracelet ... 1, hero panel ... 5
- Publisher: Bandai
- Price: 15,400 yen (tax included)
- Order period: June 30th (Mon) - September 7th (Sun), 2025
- Expected delivery date: January 2026
*The image is of a prototype under development and may differ slightly from the actual product.
(C) Toei