Since 1984, “Thomas & Friends” has been entertaining children and adults worldwide. But it actually goes farther than that, with the “The Train Picture Book” (original title: “The RailwaySeries” which was published in 1945 by Reverend Wilbert Audrey of England. A puppet show using a gauge 1 model train was broadcasted in the UK and feature trains on the railroad in the fictitious island of Sodor.
With a total of 24 series produced, the British children’s television series, is currently owned by HIT Entertainment (a subsidiary of Mattel) with “Thomas & Friends” being used as the official title since 2003.
Meanwhile, in Japan, the series would air on Fuji TV in 1990 using the title “Kikanshya Thomas” (Thomas the Tank Engine) and by 1998, a mini theme park “Thomas Land” opened in Fuji Q Highland (near Mt. Fuji) and is still there to this very day.
By 2008, the series went to TV Tokyo and by 2012 to NHK E-Tele, where it’s currently shown today with its 25th series (the English title is “Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go” which began in 2021 and is a reboot of the series in 2D animation) and a 26th season is underway. It’s important to note that in Japan, the title stays the same, but every year is a new season.
In Japan, the series is dubbed in Japanese and for the license in Asia, major toy company Takara Tomy owns the license to the series. And Takara Tomy would release Thomas-related Plarail from 1992-2002 (at the time there was no numbering system). The numbering system which begins with a “T” would be incorporated from 2003-2012 (I call this time the creepy “Thomas & Friends” plarail).
But from 2012 and present, the “Thomas & Friends” Plarail would now be in blue boxes and featured a CG illustration of the character and would incorporate the “TS” numbering system. In 2023, both “Thomas & Friends” featuring the CG character rendition and the “GOGO Thomas” featuring the 2D animated characters via Plarail are sold. But in Japan, most people use the word “Kikensha Thomas” to describe the series.
Which now leads to my review of the Plarail TS-12 – Plarail Kenji (Thomas & Friends).
Kenji is a shinkansen (high speed bullet train) which arrives in Sodor and is curious about the world outside of Japan. As TS-12, he replaces the character Rosie.
The train features three cars which can easily be connected and disconnected, has two speeds and will need a single AA battery to power up the train (or it can be hand-rolled without a battery).
As a fan of shinkansen, I really wanted Kenji for its silver exterior and the purple with front blue windows. And for its face, thank goodness it’s not creepy like the older Thomas plararil releases.
First observations, the metallic silver is awesome! It looks so cool and I love the detail on the bottom in purple and also on top. Like the molded open windows and for the most part, this is a wonderful looking train. But with that being said, while it comes with three cars, some collectors may find it lacking because usually there was some gimmick or extra character for the other two cars included.
But it’s important for people to remember, a shinkansen is not the same as a steam engine, diesel locomotive train which pulls cargo or passenger cars. It’s electric that utilizes a pantograph and it goes over 200 km/h. Kenji is a passenger train built for speed.
The roof area shows the two-speed switch. One is normal, one is high speed and the other switch is to turn it off.
For those not familiar with Plarail, you will need a Phillips screwdriver to remove the battery compartment and add a double AA battery. Having a screw in the battery compartment is for safety reason (don’t want young kids putting the batteries in their mouth and choking on the battery).
Front car features the rubber treads to make the vehicle move.
Kids can sleep better knowing that Kenji’s face is not creepy like older Thomas Plarail. No stickers applied to the face or body which is a positive!
I absolutely like Plarail TS-12 – Plarail Kenji. Cool and sleek and while it may not have two cars that can hold things or are special characters, it doesn’t always need to be.
Kenji is a shinkansen and having a Kikansha Thomas character who is a speedy shinkansen, is a worth addition to any Thomas or plarail fan’s collection!
