To the surprise of millions of Joshi card collectors around the world, in October 2023 BBM announced a surprise Joshi card set to be released later that year. This is not a “full” card set and does not replace the annual Spring release, but rather an expansion to the 2023 set. The checklist is very limited compared to the regular set, with only 47 different wrestler base cards. The set was released on December 25th and quickly sold out at retail, as BBM Joshi sets tend to do. The big selling point for this set (and probably why it exists) is BBM has autograph cards of KAIRI (Kairi Sane aka Kairi Hojo), Hikaru Shida, Riho, and Sareee as well as the last signed cards of the recently retired Saki Akai. So its a very stacked set.

The structure for 2023 BBM Women’s Pro Wrestling Special Card Set Ambitious!! is dramatically different from the usual release. First of all, the boxes do not contain packs of cards. Every box has this configuration:

• 47 Base Cards (a full set of base cards)
• 8 Special Cards

For the eight special cards, the cards included could be any of the other cards available in the set. Here is the breakdown of what every box has:

• 2 Autograph Cards
• 1 Additional “Hit” (could be an additional autograph card, a Cheki, or a /50 pink foil card)
• 1 Acrylic Card
• 4 of any combination of – SP Cards, Secret Cards, Silver Paper Cards, and Inserts Cards (both regular and serial numbered)

There are pros and cons of this setup. First, the main “con” is that if you buy multiple boxes, you are guaranteed to get a duplicate of every base card. Getting duplicates is never fun, as most don’t have a lot of value so fans that already have one complete set just have another one. This means the only “excitement” of opening any boxes are the eight special cards as the bulk of the box contents is already known. Other negatives about the release is the price (about $115 retail) and the fact every box only has two guaranteed autographs which is lower than any other BBM Joshi release ever made.

It is not all bad though! One benefit of having a small checklist is the chances are pulling a good autograph are much higher. There is very little “fluff” here as the set is full of the biggest stars (not in Stardom) and all the rookies that debuted since the last set. I opened four boxes and in those I got a total of two Ram Kaicho autographs, a Hikaru Shida low serial autograph, a Saori Anou low serial autograph, plus a Cheki and from looking at other breaks these results weren’t that unusual. Also, the low serial numbered insert cards (to both /40 and /20) are a fun surprise and a quick way to boost the value of the box, as its been a long time since BBM had non-autograph serial numbered cards in their Joshi set.

For fans of Joshi cards, I can 100% recommend buying a box. Getting a complete base set in one box is nice if you are only buying one, the autograph checklist is killer, and the low serial base cards are a fun surprise. My recommendation does go down if buying multiple boxes as the duplication can be frustrating and the price is high, so just keep that in mind if you are going to get more than one.

Here is the full checklist, translated from BBM’s website:

Base Cards (47 + 5 Secret Variations)

Red = Rookie Card
Blue = Tag Team Card
Green = Legend
* = Wrestler also has a “secret” alternative version of their base card

Wrestlers also have a Pink Foil (Printed) Autograph Card, limited to 50 each

1. Saki Akai
2. Saori Anou
3. Yuki Arai  *
4. Maki Itoh
5. Tomoka Inaba
6. KAIRI
7. Yuki Kamifuku
8. Yuka Sakazaki
9. Sareee *
10. Hikaru Shida *
11. Suzume
12. Mei Suruga
13. Rika Tatsumi
14. Arisa Nakajima
15. Shoko Nakajima
16. Hikari Noa ＊
17. Hyper Misao
18. Mizuki
19. Miyu Yamashita
20. YuuRI
21. Raku
22. Ram Kaicho
23. Riho ＊
24. Miu Watanabe
25. Kyoraku Kyomei (Hyper Misao and Shoko Nakajima)
26. Daisy Monkey (Arisu Endo and Suzume)
27. Up Up Girls (Miu Watanabe, Shino Suzuki, Raku, and Hikari Noa)
28. Inaba Sisters (Tomoka and Azusa)
29. 1111 (Misa Kagura and Sumika Yanagawa)
30. Cutie Suzuki
31. Megumi Kudo
32. Yasha Kurenai
33. Villainous Alliance (Dump Matsumoto and Crane Yu)
146. Azusa Inaba
147. Wakana Uehara
148. Runa Okubo
149. Haru Kazashiro
150. Sunny
151. Shino Suzuki
152. Nonoka Seto
153. ZONES
154. Kizuna Tanaka
155. Chi Chi
156. Toga
157. HIMAWARI
158. Honoka
159. Riara

Special Cards

Insert Card – also a special /40 and /20 version of each card

SP01.  Saki Akai
SP02.  Saori Anou
SP03.  Yuki Arai
SP04.  Tomoka Inaba
SP05.  KAIRI
SP06.  Yuki Kamifuku
SP07.  Sareee
SP08.  Hikaru Shida
SP09.  Suzume
SP10.  Mei Suruga
SP11.  Rika Tatsumi
SP12.  Hikari Noa
SP13.  Mizuki
SP14.  YuuRI
SP15.  Ram Kaicho
SP16.  Riho
SP17.  Miu Watanabe

Acrylic Card

A01. Saori Anou
A02. Yuki Arai
A03. KAIRI
A04. Sareee
A05. Hikaru Shida
A06. Arisa Nakajima
A07. Mizuki
A08. Ram Kaicho
A09. Riho

Silver Paper Secret Card

EX1.  Hikaru Shida
EX2.  Ram Kaicho

Base Autographs

The first number is the serial number for the wrestler’s base autograph, the second number is for the wrestler’s secret autograph (if applicable), and the third number is the serial number for their Cheki autograph (if applicable).

Saki Akai    /100,  —,  /10
Saori Anou     /100,  —,  /10
Yuki Arai     /100,  /35,  /10
Maki Itoh    /100,  —,  —
Tomoka Inaba    /100,  —,  /10
KAIRI    /100,  —,  —
Yuki Kamifuku    /100,  —,  /10
Yuka Sakazaki    /100,  —,  —
Sareee    /100,  /35,  /10
Hikaru Shida    /100,  /35,  /10
Suzume    /100,  —,  /10
Mei Suruga    /70,  —,  /10
Rika Tatsumi    /100,  —,  /10
Arisa Nakajima    /100,  —,  /10
Shoko Nakajima    /100,  —,  /10
Hikari Noa    /100,  /35,  /10
Hyper Misao    /100,  —,  /10
Mizuki    /100,  —,  /10
Miyu Yamashita    /100,  —,  /10
YuuRI    /100,  —,  —
Raku    /100,  —,  /10
Ram Kaicho    /100,  —,  /10
Riho    /100,  /35,  /10
Miu Watanabe    /100,  —,  /10
Kyoraku Kyomei     /100,  —,  —
Daisy Monkey    /100,  —,  /10
Up Up Girls    /100,  —,  —
Inaba Sisters     /100,  —,  —
1111    /100,  —,  /10
Cutie Suzuki    /100,  —,  —
Megumi Kudo    /100,  —,  —
Yasha Kurenai    /100,  —,  —
Villainous Alliance    /100,  —,  —
Azusa Inaba    /100,  —,  /10
Wakana Uehara    /100,  —,  /10
Runa Okubo    /100,  —,  /10
Haru Kazashiro    /100,  —,  /10
Sunny    /100,  —,  /10
Shino Suzuki    /100,  —,  /10
Nonoka Seto    /100,  —,  /10
ZONES    /100,  —,  /10
Kizuna Tanaka    /100,  —,  /10
Chi Chi    /100,  —,  /10
Toga    /100,  —,  /10
HIMAWARI    /100,  —,  /10
Honoka    /100,  —,  /10
Riara    /100,  —,  /10

Insert Autographs

Saki Akai   /100
Saori Anou   /60
Yuki Arai   /60
Tomoka Inaba   /10
KAIRI   /30
Yuki Kamifuku   /60
Sareee   /60
Hikaru Shida   /60
Suzume   /60
Suruga Mei   /60
Rika Tatsumi   /60
Hikari Noa   /60
Mizuki   /60
YuuRI   /60
Ram Kaicho   /60
Riho   /60
Miu Watanabe   /60

Silver Paper Secret Autographs

Hikaru Shida   /30
Ram Kaicho   /30

Super Secret Autographs

Saori Anou   /5
Yuki Arai   /5
KAIRI   /5
Sareee   /5
Riho   /5
Megumi Kudo   /30

Below are scans of many of the cards available in the set!

Base Cards (in order):

Super Secret Autographs:

The post 2023 BBM Women’s Pro Wrestling Ambitious!! Checklist appeared first on Joshi City.

Of all the wrestling card releases, the BBM women’s set (formally called True Heart) is my favorite. Not just because I am a fan of Joshi wrestling, although that is clearly a factor, but because of how in-depth it is and the wrestlers put a lot of effort into their signatures. No quick squiggly line autographs here, as they really go all out to make them unique, with some adding extra text or pictures within their signature. It is truly a unique set and the time the wrestlers put into their cards is appreciated.

This year, every box of BBM Women’s Wrestling Cards 2022 has four autographs, with the possibility of getting a fifth autograph in the form of a Cheki. This is a great value for only ~$80, which was the retail price of the box. The BBM Joshi card releases always sell out at retail within a week as it is both popular and limited, so its definitely one you want to pre-order if you are interested. Like last year, the 2022 set has a wide variety of autograph types – regular, secret, insert, silver insert, super secret, and Chekis. Not all wrestlers of course have an autograph in each variation, so be sure to check out the full checklist below to see what your favorite wrestler has. Some bad news – the following wrestlers have a base card but no autograph cards: ASUKA, Riko Kaiju, Emi Sakura, Nanae Takahashi, Arisa Nakajima, Rina Yamashita, Yoshiko, and Lulu Pencil. Most of these wrestlers are affiliated (officially or loosely) with SEAdLINNNG so not sure what happened there, while some may have been in the United States when the cards were signed. Its disappointing, but with the pandemic still raging some issues were bound to arise and overall its an impressive autograph checklist. Wrestlers from Tokyo Joshi Pro, Ice Ribbon, Diana, OZ Academy, Gatoh Move, JUST TAP OUT, Marvelous, PURE-J, Sendai Girls’, and WAVE all are represented in this set (along with various Freelancers), with the only exclusion being Stardom as they have not been part of the BBM Joshi card sets since 2012.

Speaking of the pandemic, one other side effect is all the cards have sticker autographs again this year. BBM addressed this and acknowledged this is not their preference – they prefer on-card autographs. But with COVID restrictions, shows getting cancelled, wrestlers being quarantined, etc. if they did on-card autographs it is likely even more wrestlers would have been missing. I prefer on-card autographs like everyone else, but under these conditions I understand, and at least the wrestlers were really good at staying on the sticker as the stickers were quite large. Overall, it is a very impressive set with a great value, I loved opening every box I did and wish I had even more to open. Highly recommended for any Joshi fan, even if you are not a big card collector the autographs are really fun and you are bound to find something you will enjoy.

Without further ado, the full checklist!

Base Cards (138 + 17 Secret Variations)

Red = Rookie Card
Blue = Tag Team Card
Green = Ring Announcer Card
* = Wrestler also has a “secret” alternative version of their base card

1. Haruka Aikawa
2. Yuki Aino
3. Itsuki Aoki
4. Saki Akai
5. AKARI
6. AKINO
7. Asahi
8. Aja Kong
9. ASUKA
10. Saori Anou * 
11. Rina Amikura
12. Yuki Arai  * 
13. Nao Ishikawa
14. Maki Itoh * 
15. Kyoko Inoue
16. Takumi Iroha * 
17. Mika Iwata
18. Haruka Umesaki * 
19. Arisu Endo
20. Yumi Ohka
21. Chie Ozora
22. Yurika Oka
23. Maika Ozaki
24. Mayumi Ozaki
25. Sayaka Obihiro
26. Riko Kaiju
27. KAORU
28. Nao Kakuta
29. KAZUKI
30. Sonoko Kato
31. Rin Kadokura
32. Kanon
33. Yuki Kamifuku
34. Riko Kawahata
35. Kiku
36. Sakura Hirota
37. Kyusei Ninja Ranmaru
38. Tokiko Kirihara
39. Mahiro Kiryu
40. Tsubasa Kuragaki
41. Crea
42. Chie Koishikawa
43. Marika Kobashi
44. Yuka Sakazaki
45. SAKI
46. Saki-sama
47. Emi Sakura
48. Yuko Sakurai
49. Ayame Sasamura
50. Ayako Sato
51. Sayaka
52. Sayuri
53. Saran
54. Hikaru Shida * 
55. Hikari Shimizu
56. Suzu Suzuki
57. Suzume * 
58. Mei Suruga * 
59. Kakeru Sekiguchi
60. Risa Sera
61. Miyuki Takase * 
62. Nanae Takahashi
63. DASH Chisako
64. Rika Tatsumi * 
65. Momo Tani
66. Dump Matsumoto
67. Cherry
68. Deborah K
69. Nodoka Tenma
70. Totoro Satsuki
71. Kaya Toribami
72. Arisa Nakajima
73. Shoko Nakajima
74. Chikayo Nagashima
75. Hanako Nakamori
76. NATSUMI
77. Nanami
78. Haruna Neko
79. Hikari Noa * 
80. Nagisa Nozaki * 
81. Hyper Misao
82. Hibiscus Mii
83. Chihiro Hashimoto * 
84. Momoka Hanazono
85. Banny Oikawa
86. Pom Harajuku
87. Tsukushi Haruka
88. HARUKAZE
89. Moeka Kasuga
90. Hiragi Kurumi
91. Akane Fujita
92. Tsukasa Fujimoto
93. Ai Houzan
94. Ibuki Hoshi
95. Hamuko Hoshi
96. Tae Honma
97. Misaki Maeda
98. Makoto * 
99. Yuki Mashiro
100. Kaho Matsushita
101. Hiroyo Matsumoto
102. Miyako Matsumoto
103. Madeline * 
104. Yuna Manase
105. Manami
106. Maria
107. Miss Mongol
108. Mizuki
109. Ryo Mizunami
110. Yuna Mizumori
111. Mochi Miyagi
112. Yuki Miyazaki
113. Moka Miyamoto
114. Miyu
115. Mei Saint-Michel
116. May Lee
117. Mio Momono
118. Yappy
119. Yu Yamagata
120. Miyu Yamashita
121. Rina Yamashita
122. Yuu
123. YuuRI
124. Maya Yukihi
125. Yoshiko
126. Kaori Yoneyama
127. Rydeen Hagane
128. Raku
129. Ram Kaicho * 
130. Lulu Pencil
131. Leon * 
132. Tomoko Watanabe
133. Miu Watanabe
134. Magical Sugar Rabbits
135. Chiharu
136. Ai Hara
137. Sayuri Namba
138. Aya Mochizuki/Kidomaru

Insert Cards (9)

SP1. Saki Akai
SP2. Saori Anou
SP3. Yuki Arai
SP4. Mika Iwata
SP5. Haruka Umesaki
SP6. Rin Kadokura
SP7. Hikaru Shida
SP8. Ryo Mizunami
SP9. Maya Yukihi

Base Autograph Cards  (130)

Haruka Aikawa   /105
Yuki Aino  /105
Itsuki Aoki  /105
Saki Akai  /105
AKARI  /105
AKINO  /105
Asahi   /105
Aja Kong  /105
Saori Anou  /90
Rina Amikura  /105
Yuki Arai  /90
Nao Ishikawa  /105
Maki Itoh  /105
Kyoko Inoue  /105
Takumi Iroha  /105
Mika Iwata  /105
Haruka Umesaki  /105
Arisu Endo  /105
Yumi Ohka  /105
Chie Ozora  /105
Yurika Oka  /105
Maika Ozaki  /105
Mayumi Ozaki  /104
Sayaka Obihiro  /105
KAORU  /105
Nao Kakuta  /105
KAZUKI   /105
Sonoko Kato  /105
Rin Kadokura   /105
Kanon   /105
Yuki Kamifuku   /105
Riko Kawahata   /105
Kiku  /105
Sakura Hirota   /105
Kyusei Ninja Ranmaru   /105
Tokiko Kirihara   /105
Mahiro Kiryu   /105
Tsubasa Kuragaki  /105
Crea  /105
Chie Koishikawa  /105
Marika Kobashi  /105
Yuka Sakazaki  /105
SAKI  /105
Saki-sama  /105
Yuko Sakurai   /105
Ayame Sasamura   /105
Ayako Sato   /105
Sayaka  /105
Sayuri  /105
Saran  /105
Hikaru Shida   /105
Hikari Shimizu  /105
Suzu Suzuki  /105
Suzume  /105
Mei Suruga  /105
Kakeru Sekiguchi  /105
Risa Sera   /105
Miyuki Takase   /105
DASH Chisako    /105
Rika Tatsumi    /105
Momo Tani    /105
Dump Matsumoto    /105
Cherry    /105
Deborah K    /105
Nodoka Tenma     /105
Totoro Satsuki    /105
Kaya Toribami    /105
Shoko Nakajima    /105
Chikayo Nagashima    /105
Hanako Nakamori    /105
NATSUMI    /105
Nanami    /105
Haruna Neko    /105
Hikari Noa    /105
Nagisa Nozaki    /105
Hyper Misao    /105
Hibiscus Mii    /105
Chihiro Hashimoto  /105
Momoka Hanazono   /105
Banny Oikawa   /105
Pom Harajuku   /105
Tsukushi Haruka   /105
HARUKAZE  /105
Moeka Kasuga   /105
Hiragi Kurumi   /105
Akane Fujita   /105
Tsukasa Fujimoto   /105
Ai Houzan   /105
Ibuki Hoshi   /105
Hamuko Hoshi   /105
Tae Honma   /105
Misaki Maeda   /105
Makoto   /105
Yuki Mashiro   /105
Kaho Matsushita   /105
Hiroyo Matsumoto  /105
Miyako Matsumoto   /104
Madeline  /105
Yuna Manase  /105
Manami  /105
Maria   /104
Miss Mongol   /105
Mizuki  /105
Ryo Mizunami  /105
Yuna Mizumori   /104
Mochi Miyagi   /105
Yuki Miyazaki   /105
Moka Miyamoto   /105
Miyu   /104
Mei Saint-Michel   /105
May Lee    /104
Mio Momono    /104
Yappy   /104
Yu Yamagata   /105
Miyu Yamashita   /105
Yuu   /105
YuuRI   /105
Maya Yukihi   /105
Kaori Yoneyama   /105
Rydeen Hagane   /105
Raku   /105
Ram Kaicho   /105
Leon   /105
Tomoko Watanabe   /105
Miu Watanabe   /105
Magical Sugar Rabbits   /105
Chiharu   /105
Ai Hara   /105
Sayuri Namba   /105
Aya Mochizuki/Kidomaru   /105

Secret Autograph Cards  (16)

Saori Anou   /90
Yuki Arai   /45
Maki Itoh   /105
Takumi Iroha   /90
Haruka Umesaki   /75
Suzume   /105
Mei Suruga    /90
Miyuki Takase   /90
Rika Tatsumi   /105
Hikari Noa   /103
Nagisa Nozaki   /90
Chihiro Hashimoto    /90
Makoto    /90
Madeline   /90
Ram Kaicho   /90
Leon   /90

Super Secret Autograph Cards  (3)

Yuki Arai   /30
Tsuruhime (Hikaru Shida)   /30
Ram Kaicho   /30

Insert Autograph Cards  (17)

Insert Autographs generally come in two variations – a “normal” version and a “silver” version. The first serial number given is for the normal version, the second is for the silver version.

Saki Akai   /65   /40
Saori Anou   /30   /30
Yuki Arai    (no regular version)   /40
Mika Iwata   /60   /30
Haruka Umesaki   /45   /30
Rin Kadokura   /60   /30
Hikaru Shida   /60   /30
Ryo Mizunami   /60   /30
Maya Yukihi   /60   /30

Cheki (Polaroid) Autographs  (68)

Chekis are Polaroid photographs taken of the wrestler, that the wrestler then signs/decorates. All wrestlers have /10, however as each one is an actual photo, every Cheki is unique. Some collectors have reported pulling cards not listed below from packs – this list is from BBM’s official card checklist however it is possible it is incomplete.

Yuki Aino
Saki Akai
Saori Anou
Rina Amikura
Yuki Arai
Maki Itoh
Mika Iwata
Haruka Umesaki
Haruka Umesaki (plain clothes)
Arisu Endo
Chie Ozora
Yurika Oka
Nao Kakuta
KAZUKI
Kanon
Yuki Kamifuku
Riko Kawahata
Mahiro Kiryu
Crea
Marika Kobashi
Yuka Sakazaki
SAKI
Yuko Sakurai
Hikari Shida
Hikari Shimizu
Suzu Suzuki
Suzume
Kakeru Sekiguchi
Risa Sera
DASH Chisako
Rika Tatsumi
Momo Tani
Nodoka Tenma
Kaya Toribami
Hanako Nakamori
Haruna Neko
Hikari Noa
Hyper Misao
Chihiro Hashimoto
Pom Harajuku
HARUKAZE
Moeka Kasuga
Hiragi Kurumi
Akane Fujita
Makoto
Hiroyo Matsumoto
Miyako Matsumoto
Madeline
Madeline (plain clothes)
Yuna Manase
Manami
Mizuki
Ryo Mizunami
Mochi Miyagi
Moka Miyamoto
Miyu Yamashita
Yuu
Maya Yukihi
Kaori Yoneyama
Rydeen Hagane
Raku
Ram Kaicho
Leon
Miu Watanabe
Chiharu
Ai Hara
Sayuri Namba
Aya Mochizuki/Kidomaru

BBM Women’s Wrestling Cards 2022 Scans

Below I have scanned all the base cards, insert cards, and provide examples of the autograph cards from the set.

Base Cards (#1 to #138)

“Secret” Alternative Version Base Cards

Insert Cards

Example of Base Autograph Cards

Example of Secret Autograph Cards

Example of Insert Autograph Cards (/60 and /30)

Super Secret Autograph Cards

Example of Signed Chekis

The post BBM Women’s Wrestling Cards 2022 Checklist and Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Card Set: 2013 BBM True Heart
Release Date: Early 2013
Base Cards in Set: 117 Regular Cards
Cost per Box: 8,400 Yen
Where to Purchase: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, Ebay, etc.)

After a big 2012, the True Heart series took a hit in 2013. Stardom officially left the True Heart series in 2013, meaning some of the most popular wrestlers were no longer available. While we are used to that now in 2020, at the time it was an issue as previously the True Heart set always had the country’s biggest Joshi stars. The set also did not have any ‘special’ cards outside of Cheki cards, as there were no kiss cards or other memorabilia cards.

The other issue with the set depends on personal tastes, but in my opinion (and many others) both the base cards and autograph cards are a drop down in design quality. The base cards are very busy, as can be seen below, and the autograph cards are very plain looking. This has led to the cards not being very popular as the designs were much better prior to 2013 and after 2014 (which also didn’t have a great design). The main perk of this set is it does include some wrestlers popular today, including Kana and Hikaru Shida, and has the first official trading card of Mia Yim. Otherwise, its a pretty skippable set compared to the ones around it. Here is the card checklist:

Red = Hall of Fame (for Retiring Wrestlers)
Blue = Story Fact (Gravure Modeling Photos)
Green = Checklist

Here are scans of the complete base set, in order:

An example of the autograph cards in the set:

And finally, an example of the Cheki cards:

The post 2013 BBM True Heart Joshi Card Set Checklist and Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Card Set: 2012 BBM True Heart
Release Date: Early 2012
Base Cards in Set: 117 Regular Cards
Cost per Box: 8,400 Yen
Where to Purchase: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, Ebay, etc.)

2012 is a special year for BBM True Heart, as it was the last year that Stardom participated in the set. Starting in 2013, Stardom started releasing their own cards (at least through 2019) and no longer were included in True Heart, which hurt the product a bit as Stardom was (and still is) one of the most popular Joshi promotions in Japan. 2012 also includes the last signed card of Bull Nakano, making it truly a special set. Because of this, the signed cards from 2012 can go for a lot of money, with the most popular autograph cards sometimes selling for between $300 and $500 each. Needless to say, its a popular set.

BBM didn’t go too far outside the box in 2012, as they went with the standard base card, autograph card, or Cheki cards for fans to pull. The autograph cards do not have a set serial number but tend to be between 80 and 100 per card for most of the set. Some wrestlers have at least three cards in the set between their different gimmicks and tag team cards, including Misaki Ohata, Kana, and Ayumi Kurihara. Here is the card checklist:

Red = Hall of Fame (for Retiring Wrestlers)
Blue = Tag Teams

Here are scans of the complete base set, in order:

An example of the autograph cards in the set:

And finally, a couple of the Cheki cards:

The post 2012 BBM True Heart Joshi Card Set Checklist and Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Card Set: 2017 BBM True Heart
Release Date: Early 2017
Base Cards in Set: 135 Regular Cards
Cost per Box: 8,000 Yen
Where to Purchase: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, Ebay, etc.)

In 2017, True Heart had perhaps one of the “simplest” sets in the history of the series. There are no kiss cards, memorabilia cards, or low serial number regular autograph cards which they had experimented with in the past. They did have Cheki autograph cards however, which are a nice inclusion and give hardcore fans something to chase since they are rare and serial numbered to 10 or less. A Cheki is a Polaroid picture that is signed by the wrestler, making them really 1/1 as every Cheki is different as they are each a different real-life picture.

For newer fans, 2017 is a fun set as it has early cards of some popular wrestlers today. Wrestlers that at the time were still early in their careers but hadn’t fully blossomed (such as Sareee, Yuka Sakazaki, Riho, Konami, and ASUKA) are all sought-after cards to collect in the current Joshi card scene. 2017 also has the first card of Hana Kimura, who tragically passed away in 2020 right as her popularity was peaking. The set desperately needs something extra for fans to hope to pull as they are busting open packs as there are few surprises, but with the inclusion of younger stars there is still some interest in 2017 boxes among current fans. Here is the card checklist:

Red = Hall of Fame (for Retiring Wrestlers)
Blue = Tag Teams

Here are scans of the complete base set, in order:

An example of the 2017 BBM True Heart Autograph cards:

And finally, a couple examples of the 2017 BBM True Heart Cheki cards:

The post 2017 BBM True Heart Joshi Card Set Checklist and Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Card Set: 2006 BBM True Heart
Release Date: Early 2006
Base Cards in Set: 108 Regular Cards + 9 Subset Cards
Cost per Box: 8,400 Yen
Where to Purchase: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, Ebay, etc.)

2006 mimicked the 2005 set in a lot of ways, including the number of cards in the base set as well as having nine “Catch the Rainbow” subset cards. Also like 2005, the front of the card shows most of the wrestlers in casual attire and the back shows the wrestler in-action in the ring.  This year, the front of the card has the wrestler’s stats (birthday, height, weight, etc.) and the back of the card has a brief paragraph about the wrestler.

The base set is 108 cards, plus nine cards in the “Catch the Rainbow” subset. In addition, all the wrestlers in the regular base set have autograph cards (with the exception of Mirai as she passed away before the set was made). The autograph cards have a wide range of how many were made per wrestler, and are not the standard /90 to /100 that we see in more modern sets. Like in 2005, 2006 was still in the “dark ages” of Joshi Puroresu, after AJW and GAEA Japan both closed and in general Joshi had fallen out of mainstream wrestling in Japan. Still, a lot of wrestlers in the set are well known by fans today as there is a nice combination of veterans and young wrestlers that later turned into stars. Beyond the “Catch the Rainbow” subset, the base set also includes the inserts “Thank you for the Memories” (for Mirai, who had passed away), “Forever” (for retiring wrestlers), “in Another Situation”, and “Ladies on Film” to give the cards some variety. The Catch the Rainbow subset has two card versions: a regular Silver version and a Gold version that is serial numbered to 200.

The card set also has other special inserts, including Kiss Cards and Costume Cards. There are a total of six Kiss Cards and two Memorabilia cards in the set, however I have not been able to find a full listing for which wrestlers are featured. If I find additional information on other special cards I will update this page.

Here is the card checklist:

Red = Thank you for the Memories
Blue = Forever (for Retiring Wrestlers)
Green = in Another Situation
Orange = Ladies on Film
Magenta = Catch the Rainbow
Dark Purple? = Kiss Card

Here are scans of the complete base set and Catch the Rainbow subset, in order:

Here is a sample of the autograph cards in the set:

To show the different “Catch the Rainbow” cards, here is the front and back of both versions:

And finally, here is Kana’s Kiss Card:

The post 2006 BBM True Heart Joshi Card Set Checklist and Review appeared first on Joshi City.

 

Card Set: 2020 BBM True Heart
Release Date: February 2020
Base Cards in Set: 165 Regular Cards + 9 “Special” Cards
Autograph Cards: Regular, Special, and Chekis
Packs Per Box: 20
Cards Per Pack: 6
Autographs Per Box: Five, with a chance of an additional Cheki Autograph
Where to Purchase: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, Ebay, etc.)

Every year, the card set I look forward to more than any other is BBM True Heart. 2020 was no exception, and the card design for this year’s set being my favorite yet. To say the wrestler list is comprehensive would be an understatement, as they really dug deep into Joshi indies to get every wrestler they could. Stardom is missing of course since they (in theory) do their own card set, but all other Joshi wrestlers are represented. As is always the case, boxes quickly sold out and by the second week after release were already very difficult to find for retail price – it is a very popular card set.

This year, the base set has 165 regular cards and 9 “Special” cards, which is a second card for a wrestler with a different look. Some wrestlers such as Saki Akai and Maya Yukihi actually have three cards. Every card in the set has a corresponding autograph card, with the base autograph cards generally serial numbered from between /90 to /100 per card. For the “Special” autograph cards, only /50 of each were created, making them a more rare pull. On top of the base autograph cards and “Special” autograph cards, also randomly inserted into packs were Cheki autographs. Numbered to only /10, a Cheki is basically just a Polaroid picture of the wrestler that is then signed, so every Cheki is unique. Every full box of True Heart contained five autograph cards, with a chance of pulling a Cheki autograph to make it a total of six per box. Finally (another type of autograph card!), some stores in Japan were given what are generally called “Shop Exclusive” (or something similar) autograph cards, which include an extra message on the front and are not serial numbered. It is unknown how many of the Shop Exclusive autograph cards exist or how many wrestlers signed them, but they are the hardest type of autograph to find for any given wrestler. With a deep roster, a great design, and some amazing autograph cards, this set is a must-have for collectors of Joshi cards. Here is the full card list:

Red = “Special” Card

Scans of the base set, in order:

Examples of the base autograph cards:

Examples of the “Special” autograph cards:

Examples of the “Shop Exclusive” autograph cards:

The post 2020 BBM True Heart Joshi Card Set Checklist and Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Card Set: 2005 BBM True Heart
Release Date: Early 2005
Base Cards in Set: 108 Regular Cards + 9 Subset Cards
Cost per Box: Unknown
Where to Purchase: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, Ebay, etc.)

Even though I was not able to find a picture of the box for 2005 BBM True Heart, and thus couldn’t confirm the price of the box, I was able to track down a complete set plus some autograph cards so I have enough information to do a proper checklist and review. Like other years of True Heart, 2005 BBM True Heart uses good card stock and different pictures on each side of the card which is always a plus. The front of the card shows most of the wrestlers in casual attire and the back shows the wrestler in-action in the ring.  The front also has a full list of all the promotions included in the set in the tiniest font known to man, while the back has the traditional stats and career summary for the wrestler.

The base set is 108 cards, plus nine cards in the “Catch the Rainbow” subset. In addition, all the wrestlers in the set have autograph cards. The autograph cards have a wide range of how many were made per wrestler, and are not the standard /90 to /100 that we see in more modern sets. The autograph cards do have the BBM stamp and are serial numbered however, to ensure authenticity. There were also a small number of “costume” cards as well, but I have been unable to find a listing of all the wrestlers with costume cards. 2005 is in a lot of ways the climax of the “dark ages” of Joshi Puroresu, after AJW and GAEA Japan both closed that year and in general Joshi had fallen out of mainstream wrestling in Japan. Still, a lot of wrestlers in the set are well known by fans today as there is a nice combination of veterans and young wrestlers that later turned into stars. Beyond the “Catch the Rainbow” subset, the base set also includes the inserts “Ladies on Film,” “Farewell”, and “Precious Memories” to give the cards some variety. Here is the full checklist:

Red = Ladies on Film
Blue = Farewell (for Retiring Wrestlers)
Green = Precious Memories
Magenta = Catch the Rainbow

Here are scans of the base set, in order:

And finally, here is a sample of the autograph cards in the set:

The post 2005 BBM True Heart Joshi Card Set Checklist and Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Card Set: BBM Ayumi Kurihara Memorial ~Thank you for Everything~
Release Date: 2013
Number of Cards in Set: 25 base cards, 9 special cards, and 12 autograph cards
Cost per Set: ¥4,200
Where to Purchase: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, Ebay, etc.)

Not many Joshi wrestlers have had an entire card set released solely for them, in fact I think Ayumi Kurihara may have been the first. Only 3,000 sets were released, and I think it is safe to assume they did not sell very well as they are still available in 2020 below their retail value. The timing was rough, as in 2013 Joshi was still recovering in popularity and it was not very popular yet in Western circles, which is where a lot of card collectors reside. Even though Ayumi Kurihara was a great wrestler, she never reached the popularity of modern Stardom wrestlers, or wrestlers such as Kana and Mio Shirai during her time period. That doesn’t mean its a bad set, but it certainly wasn’t a popular card set as Joshi boxes are normally hard to find and this box set is not.

The box contains 27 cards: 25 base cards, 1 SP card, and 1 autograph card. The 25 base cards are the same in every box, and show Ayumi Kurihara throughout her career with both personal pictures and wrestling accomplishments. For the special card, there are nine different options and are mostly individual photos of Ayumi in various attires. Finally, one autograph card is included. The autograph cards range from being serial numbered from 200 to 300, with the autograph card being inserted randomly. Half the autograph cards one can pull are individual signatures with just Ayumi Kurihara, while the other half are dual signed cards with her various tag team partners. The variety here is great, but with only one autograph per box, it discourages fans from buying multiple boxes as its possible to get the exact same cards in each box. The box set is a must-buy for fans of Ayumi Kurihara as the base set is quality, but due to the cost and card number it may be a hard sell to just casual Joshi card collectors. Here is the full checklist of the set:

Base Card Checklist:

Special Foil Card and Autograph Card Checklist (one of each per box):

Red = Special Card
Blue = Autograph Card

Here is the full card set, in order:

Finally, a sample of the Special Card and Autograph Card:

The post BBM Ayumi Kurihara Memorial Card Set Checklist and Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Card Set: AJW Athena: The Spirits of Lady’s Sports Card Set
Release Date: 2000
Number of Cards in Set: 63 Cards
Cost per Set: ¥5,000
Where to Purchase: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, Ebay, etc.)

As is usually the case with older card sets, there is not a lot of information available online for this set, but this is an incredibly unique product from All Japan Women. It was sold as a complete set, no packs or random cards like autographs, every sold set had the exact same cards. Not only does the set come with the 63 cards, but it also includes a card divider (?) and an official card holder! Seen here:

Red = Premium Foil Card
Blue = Facsimile Signature Card
Green = Clear File Card

Here is the full card set, in order:

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