Microman 2008-Present

Microman has an endearing legacy spanning over 50 years. That isn't by accident. The makers of these toys gave us hours upon hours of playtime, imagination building and fun, even spawning notable parallel lines of toys, such as the Mego Micronauts line. The original line wound down in 1983-1984 and bred the world famous Transformers, ending a decade of excellence, but ultimately fading out of favor.

We got two main periods of resurgance: the 1998-2000 period and the 2003-2007 period. The 1998-2000 period gave us the Magne and LED power line, and of course the nostalgic and often amazing Replica line which reintroduced to the world the vintage style figures with some brilliant new color combinations. Both were relatively successful, but once again, fan interest eventually waned and the two new lines came to an end.

The 2003-2007 period saw the expansive and diverse Microworld experience, with subcategories like Micro Action featuring other franchises liscensed to Takara; the Kiguru Microman Series feturing some beloved Kaiju/ Microman figure combos; and the versatile Material Force line catering to DIY figure builders.

We can easily say these later period figure lines were successful, and proudly continued on the tradition of the Microman experience heading into the 2000s. However, there hasn't really been a deep series produced since 2008, and we can only guess if there will be.

However, the franchise hasn't completely faded out, with several official and/or liscensed products made since. This section will be a work in progress as more information is gathered on recent lines. For now, I will show what figures I am aware of with any biographical data I may have at hand.

TakaraTomy Legacy Soul Microman

Perhaps most exciting is the new line of vintage style Command figures released under the banner 'Legacy Soul' by Takara Tomy for their T-Spark series. Produced and released so far is the Command 1 set, with Command 2 and 3 to follow. Also slated for release is a set of Acroyear II and an articularted Robotman!

These figures are created from completely new molds, and so have some differences, including extra articulation, a different sleeve cuff, a slightly modified sarcophagus and a slightly sturdier physique.

Below is a look at a set from an auction. Early reports tell of a breakage issue with the thigh articulation, which is concerning given the state of modern plastics manufacturing in the toy world, but hopefully it will be adressed.

3A String Divers

Here is a basic roundup from A.I.: 3A String Divers are a 1:12 scale (approx. 6-inch) action figure line designed by artist Ashley Wood, blending Microman/Micronauts aesthetics with modern design. Released around 2014-2017 in collaboration with Takara Japan, these fully articulated, "sub-microscopic" themed figures feature removable armor. Theme: A "renegade team" designed to protect the universe at a sub-microscopic level, often blending sci-fi themes with string theory.

• Key Details of 3A String Divers:
• Scale: 1:12 scale (approx. 6 inches)
• Design: Ashley Wood
• Origin: A collaboration with Takara Japan, inspired by 1970s Micronauts/Microman figures.

The line eventually dropped the Microman logo and decided to stand as its own line, however, it decidely kept the Micro aesthetic. A new design named 'Quantum Ranger' was produced which is clearly a nod to both Microman Hoodman and Micronauts Galactic Defender, though this figure needs a stand to display due to the weight of the head piece.

Perfect Effect PE PD-01 ROBOT V2 & STAR PILOT Diaclone

Perfect was a small indie toy company that existed for a time. I don't have much information about them, but one of the jewels of their line was the Robotman tribute figure, which sat larger than Takara's vintage mini Robotman figures, but had the look of a more modern mech style bot, with great articulation and functionality. It's chest canopy reveals a Diaclone sized Star Pilot, and it becomes evident that the designers of this figure meant to slot in nicely with Takara's Diaclone reboot series, as it has the same cross functionality and aesthetic.

In another nod to Microman via Transformers, Perfect Effect also reimagined the Microx and MicroCasette toys from the late Microchange Series, some of which as we know, reemrged as Transformer toys.

LED Strap M10x Series by Sen-ti-nel, 2015

From an AI description: Sen-Ti-Nel (or Sentinel International) is a Hong Kong-based toy company, established in 2008, specializing in high-end, detailed action figures, mecha, and collectibles. Known for exceptional articulation and quality, they produce popular lines like "Fighting Armor" (Marvel), "SV-Action" (Spider-Verse), and various anime-based robots.

Sen-ti-nal liscensed the M10x Microman from Takara to produce (for some reason) 4 figures based on the barefoot Microman from 1974, each with a new sculpt and a strap that I guess you hang from a purse or rear view mirror for some reason. Personally, I don't get. The sculpt is rough, with the hands being clumpy approximations and a smooth and practically featureless head sculpt. That being said, the actual card is attractive and harkens actually to the vintage Micronauts look. The figures stand at 5", 1.5" taller than a standard Microman.

Sunny - Rescue Keeper

Produced in 2013, this interesting one-off was produced by Ikki comics, and was tied to the Manga series by Taiyo Matsumoto. Three issues were produced, each with it's own toy, and issue three came with the Sunny variation of a Rescue Team figure. Though liscensed by Takara under the Microman banner, Sunny is not tied to the official canon, and therefore is designated simply "Sunny". The figure was apparently created from a brand new mold.

MicroArts Kantai Collection