Jimmy Yu's TOP TOYS OF 2025
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #10: China LCDX Spider-Man Series
JIMMY YU: Every trip to China, I look for unique locally licensed products from IPs I enjoy. My favorite has to be the Spider Mech—I found out it’s an official design from the comic, and I don’t think it’s been produced for any other market.
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #9: Bandai SMP Kit Crayon Sinchan Action Kamen
JIMMY YU: As a Kamen Rider fan, this fictional character from Shinchan’s TV world ticks all the boxes.
This was gifted to me by my friends at Bandai when I visited them in Shanghai. I built it during my trip to Bandung and was super impressed by the experience. He’s very posable, with tons of additional expressions and hands. Unfortunately, I don’t remember where I stored the box, so this is the only picture I have of him.
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #8: Super7 Phantom Starkiller and Count Draco
JIMMY YU: Phantom Starkiller was one of those love-at-first-sight designs, and I even asked a friend to help me get it when it was first released, but we weren’t successful. I later found out about Count Draco by chance. Ironically, after freeing them from their plastic prison, I ended up liking the Count more.
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #7: Blokees The Mandalorian
JIMMY YU: The moment the Pandora’s box opened… I’ve always loved sci-fi and space, but avoided Star Wars because I knew how deep the rabbit hole went. All that restraint disappeared the moment I bought one blind box and rationalised that if I got duplicates, I could give them to my sons… it was a trap!
I rewatched The Mandalorian with them, which branched out into all the other series and movies, and I found myself enjoying Star Wars through their eyes.
This is the way.
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #6: Auldey Transformers
JIMMY YU: Another cautionary blind box tale… I was in China, and these were everywhere. Out of curiosity, I picked up one box because it was just so heavy, and we wanted to know why. That single decision led me to spend the rest of my trip going around different malls, weighing boxes with my hands.
FYI, my hands are not a very good scale. I’m very impressed with the quality and articulation for the price. This is, in my opinion, how a toy should be… cheap and good.
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #5: Kenner Marvel Super Heroes
JIMMY YU: Classic Marvel and Kenner toys are what I grew up with, so when they’re put together, it feels personal. My absolute favourite was their Sentinel, and since they were on clearance, I got like five of them…
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #4: Hasbro Venomversus
JIMMY YU: This was in the same vein as the Kenner Marvel line. I’ve been reading the Venomverse comics, and the toys have that toy-like aesthetic I really enjoy. Their accessories make mix-and-matching tons of fun.
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #3: Super7 Mars Attack
JIMMY YU: Space is another soft spot of mine… and Martians are a no-brainer.
I’ve actually had this for a very long time, but the packaging was too beautiful to open. I got the glow-in-the-dark version in December and decided to open all of them.
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #2: Sodo Gavv Series
JIMMY YU: Japanese live-action never ceases to amaze. This Kamen Rider is snack-themed, with forms based on potato chips, marshmallows, chocolate, cake—well, you get the idea. Yet the story involves turning humans into ingredients for dark, addictive treats made for monsters.
TOP TOY OF 2025 - #1: Retro Star Wars Collection
JIMMY YU: I’ve never been a big Star Wars fan—or so I tell myself. The truth is, that’s just denial. I bought the Kenner Mandalorian and Boba Fett ages ago when they were on sale and told myself I’d sell them in the future.
They say the truth will set you free, but in my case, the truth became a big hole to fill… much like the Sarlacc Pit that swallowed Boba Fett.
People watch the show and then buy the toys, but I watch the show because I like the toys. I’ve since caught up with every Star Wars series available on Disney Plus.
TOYSREVIL: How have your collecting habits or focus changed, since you first begun? How did you begin?
JIMMY YU: I started like any kid in the ’80s—watching cartoons and getting toys. Growing up in Hong Kong, I was surrounded by a vibrant toy culture where they were everywhere.
As toys became more sophisticated, I moved into higher-end models with more detail and articulation. In my 20s and 30s, I got serious about Gundam modeling—modding, detailing, and entering competitions—until it started to feel like a yearly exam, cramming in details just to feel done.
JIMMY YU: Then came the statue phase, especially Bowen Marvel, before I circled back to vintage toys. I used my Gunpla skills to restore them, which I found really therapeutic.
These days I focus on SODO Kamen Rider candy toys: great sculpts, huge lineups, even for forms that appear for minutes—I just have to paint them. I’ve gravitated toward smaller, more toyetic pieces and away from super-detailed, expensive collectibles.
Toys now are how I reconnect with my inner child and cope with adulthood—fun, affordable, and imagination-driven. I “play” by repainting and taking photos, and yes, I watch shows because I like the toys, not the other way around. Best part: I get to share this with my kids.
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