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EZ Collection

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EZ Collection (EZコレクション Ījī Korekushon) is the TakaraTomy counterpart to the Legends Class and Cyberverse sublines, a series of smaller transforming toys. These releases are sometimes identical to Hasbro versions, and sometimes slightly-tweaked or altogether new decos. So far, there have been no molds unique to EZ Collection.

EZ Collection began as a subline of several larger franchises, though starting in 2013 some release were functionally sold as part of their own toyline under the branding. However, it continued to be part of the "main" toyline for each year up through Adventure, when it finally ended in 2016. While more toys of the type would be released in Japan in the following years (imported and adapted from Hasbro releases), the EZ Collection branding was no more.

It's important to note that not every toy released by Takara that used a Hasbro Legends class/Cyberverse/etc mold is an EZ Collection toy. Notably, the Henkei! Henkei! three-packs of Legends-class molds lack the title, as do the Goradora components from Go! despite being the Cyberverse Abominus molds.

Contents

Transformers: Galaxy Force

Like its Hasbro counterpart, EZ Collection got its start in Galaxy Force, Takara's version of Cybertron. However, its range of products was considerably smaller, consisting of a whopping three molds.

For the regular retail releases, the toys were packaged on the same blister cards as their Hasbro counterparts, only with the addition of Japanese legal text and a Japanese insert in the plastic bubble.

Wave 1 Multipacks
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"EZ Collection Clear Set" Galaxy Convoy
Lucky Draw Magazine exclusives

Transformers (2007)

For the 2007 movie toyline, EZ Collection toys were distributed via TakaraTomy's subsidiary Subarudo. The normal retail releases were identical to their Hasbro counterparts (Ratchet was only available as the less movie-accurate "off-color" variant), and sold in blind-packed packaging, but thankfully didn't include shortpacked or chase figures.

Regular releases
  • Megatron
  • Optimus Prime
  • Ratchet
  • Exclusives
  • Bumblebee Metallic Ver.
    (pack-in with the movie DVD, exclusive to Tsutaya Records stores)
  • First Impact Bumblebee was identical to the single EZ Collection figure, but came in Hasbro packaging.

    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

    For Revenge, Takara massively expanded the lineup, and continued to blind-pack most of their EZ Collection toys. However, the toys engineered to combine into Devastator were released on regular blister cards, with a later release of a Devastator redeco in a multi-pack.

    By and large, the regular retail toys are identical to their Hasbro releases, but there are a few exclusive decos scattered here and there.

    EZ Collection Vol. 1 (June 27, 2009) EZ Collection Vol. 2 (December 26, 2009) EZ Collection Devastator (July 23, 2009) Devastator "Origin Color" Set (March 20, 2010)
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    Devastator "Origin Color" Set


    Exclusives
    DVD/Blu-ray freebies (December 18, 2009) Amazon Japan Lawson (October 16, 2009) Toys"R"Us
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    Amazon Japan exclusive Infiltrator Soundwave
    Transformers Celebration 0530 Multiple outlets
    The Celebration 0530 Optimus Prime was identical to the single EZ Collection figure, but came in Hasbro packaging. The Deluxe figures in the Lawson 2-packs are the same as their single Japanese and American releases: the EZ Collection figures were originally shown in stock photos with new paint details, but later, in-hand samples revealed they were the same as their Hasbro counterparts. Lawson later sold the EZ Collection figures separately.

    Transformers Animated

    With the switchover to Transformers Animated, Takara continued to put out these toys in blind-packs. However, a distinct lack of mold variety meant that half of each assortment was made up of Revenge of the Fallen molds, with a few new decos thrown in. The Animated toys in the first assortment were identical to their Hasbro Animated multi-pack releases.

    Despite having only four Animated molds to work with, Takara went nuts with store-exclusive campaign item redecoes of them... helped by one of them being Starscream, who had his clone army as easy go-tos.

    EZ Collection Vol. 3 (April 24, 2010)
    EZ Collection Vol. 4 (July 24, 2010)
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    Bumblebee Elite Guard Version
    Exclusives
    Wave 1 (April 24, 2010) Wave 2 (May ?? 2010) Wave 3 (July 24, 2010)
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    Starscream Clone Black Version, a "new" "character" (?)
    Wave 4 (August 6, 2010) Wave 5 (October 11, 2010)

    Autobot Alliance

    Takara's Autobot Alliance series, their version of Hasbro's 2010 Transformers line, mixed another round of Revenge molds with two of the new non-combining Constructicon molds developed for this series.

    EZ Collection Vol. 5 (October 23, 2010)


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    Delivery Mudflap

    Transformers Chronicle

    The blind packs were again rebranded, this time under the short-lived Transformers Chronicle line... where they made up the overwhelming majority of the line. The first volume was a mix of characters from Generation 1 and Revenge of the Fallen, while the second was entirely Generation 1 characters, though the Collection 2 Convoy and Megatron toys were in Generation 2-inspired decos.

    EZ Collection 01 (July 16, 2011)
    EZ Collection 02 (December 17, 2011)


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    Collection 02 Megatron

    EZ Collection Real

    EZ Collection Real was a small EZ series released under the TakaraTomy A.R.T.S label, which featured 6 Movie and Revenge of the Fallen molds, each available in two different paintjobs: "Real" (the regular version) and a metallic redeco.

    Ez Collection Real (July 2011)

    Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Prime

    Takara ditched the blind-packed boxes for their Prime toyline, going with blister cards for the individual releases, and standard window-boxes for the larger vehicles. These toys are identical to their Hasbro counterparts, with the exception of the last-wave multi-packs.

    Wave 1 (March 31, 2012)
    Wave 2 (April 28, 2012) Wave 3 (May 26, 2012)
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    EZ-SP2 Decepticon Set
    Wave 4 (June 30, 2012) Wave 5 (July 28, 2012) Wave 6 (October 27, 2012) Wave 7 (November 24, 2012)

    Transformers: EZ Collection Gum

    This brief line of candy toys added a tiny piece of candy-coated gum to the boxes to avoid certain sales taxes. The toys themselves are generally the same deco as in the second series of Chronicle, except this time these are made from shiny metallic plastic and paint.

    Wave 1 (July 30, 2012)


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    Hot Rodimus (and gum)

    Transformers: EZ Collection

    This phase of EZ Collection, while released during the same time as the Go! toyline, is not branded as part of it. Instead, it was released as its own toyline and features a mix of Prime and Generation 1 characters, once again on blister cards.

    Wave 1 (April 27, 2013)
    Wave 2 (October 26, 2013) Canceled figures
    Beachcomber and Turbo Cycle were originally slated to be released alongside Soundwave and Jet Vehicon, with Turbo Cycle sporting the ID number EG09, Beachcomber sporting the ID number EG10, Soundwave sporting the ID number EG11 and Jet Vehicon sporting the ID number EG12, but were ultimately never released.

    EZ Collection Gum (2014)

    Another new release of the EZ Collection Gum line produced under the "TakaraTomy A.R.T.S" name, this one is once again a round of Fallen molds, despite the age of the toys (and the existence of at least a few updated iterations of the molds), with generally minor deco changes from the various previous versions.

    Wave 1 (November 10, 2014)
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    A slightly different Optimus. Whee.

    Adventure

    For Takara's Adventure toyline (their version of Hasbro's 2015 Robots in Disguise), the main-line EZ figures were released in a series of multipacks. Meanwhile, a number of stores got exclusive campaign item redecos of the various molds.

    Wave 10 (December 19, 2015)
    Wave 15 (May 28, 2016)
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    Clampdown
    Exclusives
    Toys"R"Us TV Magazine Multiple outlets
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    Strongarm Clear Ver.
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