Editing Transforming Bullet Train Robot Shinkalion

[[File:Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|E5 Trainspotting.]]
'''''Transforming Bullet Train Robot Shinkalion''''' (新幹線変形ロボ シンカリオン ''Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion'') is a non-''Transformers'' toy franchise created by [[TakaraTomy]] in association with the {{w|Japanese Railways Group}} in 2015. A spin-off of TakaraTomy's long-running {{w|Plarail}} model train franchise, ''Shinkalion'' focuses on giant robots that transform into real-life {{w|Shinkansen}} bullet trains.

''Shinkalion'' received an anime adaptation that ran from January 2018 to June 2019, focused on kid hero Hayato Hayasugi and his Shinkalion mech ''E5 Hayabusa'', with the aid of the "Shinkansen Ultra Evolution Institute" and his fellow pre-teen mech pilots, battling giant monstrous beings created from inanimate objects by the mysterious "Black Shinkansen". Inspired by classic mecha anime such as [[Brave (franchise)|''Brave'']] and ''{{w|Hikarian}}'', the ''Shinkalion'' anime was ''enormously'' popular in Japan, receiving critical acclaim and great financial success, with a feature film that guest-starred [[Evangelion Unit-01|Shinji Ikari]], {{w|Hatsune Miku}}, and [[Godzilla]]. (Yes, really.) A sequel anime, ''Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion Z'', aired from April 2021 to March 2022. A new anime series, ''Shinkalion: Change the World'', premiered in April 2024.

==Shinkalion and Transformers==
In April 2020, the ''Shinkalion'' arcade game ''[https://www.takaratomy-arts.co.jp/specials/shinkalion/ Get the Card! Super Shinka Battle]'' was relaunched as ''[[Toy Clash! Roboca Battle]]'', a three-way crossover between ''Shinkalion'', fellow TakaraTomy changey-bot toyline ''[[Tomica#Tomica Bond Combination Earth Granner|Tomica Bond Combination Earth Granner]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (franchise)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'', which ran until May 2021.

The transformation scheme and engineering of the ''[[Bot Shots (toyline)|Bot Shots]]'' Blitz Shots would see re-use in [[2024]] in the ''Transforming Bullet Train Robot Shinkalion: Change the World'' toyline, although these releases are not branded as ''Bot Shots/BeCool'' and lack the rotating drum gimmick in their chest.

==Notes==
* If you're confused about why an action show focused on trains, of all things, would be so popular, remember that rail-fandom (and public rail travel in general) is ''huge'' in Japan, in contrast to the [[United Kingdom]] where it's a niche hobby for weirdos and the [[United States of America|United States]] where it basically doesn't exist (outside of ''Thomas the Tank Engine''); hence the existence of [[Raiden]], [[Sixliner]], [[Rail Racer (RID)|JRX]] and... well, ''Shinkalion''.

==See also==
* [[Brave (franchise)|''Brave'']]
* ''[[Tomica#Tomica Bond Combination Earth Granner|Tomica Bond Combination Earth Granner]]''

==External links==
* ''{{w|Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion}}'' at Wikipedia
* [[wikia:shinkalion:Shinkalion Wiki|Shinkalion Wiki]] at Fandom

[[Category:Japanese franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]
[[Category:Other TakaraTomy properties]]