Vinyl Chloride Spirits Full Color SD Gundam Vol. 1

"What the hell is a vinyl chloride spirit"? I hear you grumble. Well, in this case it seems to be a messed up translation or play on words of "PVC Soul", a series of self-published books related to anime figurines, also known in Japanese as Doujinshi or Doujin for short. The author of this tome - going by the alias of Jadou - apparently has written several such books in the past and now the turn has come to the adorable SD Gundam Full Color family of figures. This self-published book is not released through a traditional publisher but you would be hard-pressed to spot a difference in quality - the most obvious telltale sign is the lack of barcodes, logotypes or other such formalized jargon. The book was released through the recurring Comic Market convention that takes place in Tokyo. More specifically it took place at the 102nd instance on August 12, 2023. At the time of writing this review the next event will be Comic Market 106 (typically shortened to Comiket 106 or simply C106) and it kicks off on August 16. The place seems to have had some incredible crowds in the past and looks like a bit of a nightmare to attend in person but if you are up for it, it should be a real spectacle. :)

Below are a couple of links for further reading:

A history of the Comiket-phenomenon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comiket
Official page of C102: https://www.comiket.co.jp/info-a/TAFO/C102TAFO/cmkfor_ticket.html
The author's own old-style website: https://jadou.sakura.ne.jp/


This book is the first in a series of three different titles and a rather heavy tome containing a total of 156 numbered pages and has a stylish wrap-around cover with a nice glossy finish. The binding is similar to other Japanese hobby books that you may have come across. It is very tightly bound and it will refuse to lie flat on a table unless it is closed.


The book is split up into three chapters each covering roughly 20 waves of figures. Here we see part of the author's foreword on the left and the chapter 1 introduction page. I skimmed through the foreword using google translate and it feels mostly like placeholder text written for the sake of having a foreword. It is mostly the author lamenting the lack of a seminal bible for such an important figure series - that once sold over 100 million units - but is now an antique. In his words, a baby that was born after the SD-series ended will now be a fully grown adult.


Next follows a chapter introduction segment that also gives a quick summary of all the figures contained within each wave. Each figure is numbered here although numbering wasn't technically introduced from the start. We use a similar system here on the blog page basically numbering the early sets from right to left based on how they are listed in the booklets. Exceptions are made for volumes 10 and 17 that are two sets completely made up of reissues.


The final part of the chapter introduction displays miniature images of the Gashapon machine cover mounts, you can't really see anything much on these images, we will return to this topic in a separate book review shortly. On the righthand page there you can see the introduction of volume 1 which starts of with a little generic text blurb and a picture of the booklet front- and back-sides. The begins the meat of the book which presents each individual figure with one photo from the front and one from the back, at a slight angle to better show off the features on the sides. The figures are not shown disassembled into components.


As you can see the pattern continues forward, volume 2 follows immediately after volume 1 and so on. Here and there little blurbs and "tips" are inserted into leftover areas on the pages discussing various gimmicks or tidbits of information surrounding the figures. Seen here on the left for example the discussion is focused on reprinting of SD figures, something that was typically never done. With the exception of the two Best-of sets mentioned earlier (Stage 10 and 17) almost every wave was printed and distributed only once, much like how figures are still released today. On a comparative note, many of the current-day Mobile Suit Ensemble sets have enjoyed a second print-run but Converge figures have been reissued (as "Revives") on very few occasions (not counting the recycling of older figures into new versions that is).


Another way to fill up gaps in the presentation is to include mini-dioramas often involving multiple figures. While the layouting is sometimes a little messy the overall presentation feels very much like a fully commercial product that you would expect to see issued by any of the larger publishers.


Here the author discusses how to spot the difference between the original RX-78-2 Gundam figure from volume 1 and its reappearance in the volume 10 Best Selection wave.


The Zeta Gundam and its Waverider form figure were designed to use each others accessories and so the book takes its time to show a couple of extra panels in situations like this.


Here the author discusses the fact that some sets actually feature different print runs of the mini-booklets with minor differences and the sweet hell of deciding whether to attempt to collect them as well. Personally I was not aware of this before reading the book and feel content enough not to consider it further... :)


Another neat little stand-off between Londo Bell and Char's new forces from the rejuvenated Neo Zeon faction. That Alpha Azieru figure is really wimpy looking, too bad it didn't make it into the larger DX series.


Chapter 2 covers the middle of the SD Full Color life-span. The figures from this era tend to be the most readily available on the secondary market in my own not so scientific observations. I would be really interested to learn about the size of each production-run, I have a sneaking suspicion that the figures from the lates 20s and early 30s very produced in larger numbers than the others due to how often I encounter them but I have nothing to back that statement up.


Here the author is discussing the popularity of certain mobile suits and ranks them based on how many times they have been issued in the SD Full Color series. Unsurprisingly, the RX-78 sits in a class of itself. Practically every early set would contain a new form of this iconic suit and it remained a constant even in the later era of the series.


Mobile Fighter G Gundam mini-diorama time. The Death Army Gundam Heads are cool modular figures that can actually be extended into even longer necks but for that to happen you first need to get hold of more than one figure and good luck with that!


The Adzam mobile armour with its Adzam Leader drone is actually compatible with Gashapon capsules to imprison the RX-78. Unfortunately in all my time collecting these figures I have never come across a single SD Full Color capsule but I am sure there are some of them out there somewhere.


The late era SD Full Color series was dominated by the advent of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and the Cosmic Era figures become very numerous in the series later years. Unfortunately that same era has been really dead on the collecting front for the past 20 years now.


The third and last chapter covers the last third of the Full Color saga up to its final sixty-third stage, an impressive feat indeed. I always thought it was strange that Bandai didn't at least keep the series going to a round or at least even number like Stage 64.


Here we see some of the various features of the Zaku Tank from Stage 51. Its rear platform is even compatible with the tiny mini-figures from the DX era (or the larger spaceship playsets).


While the SD Full Color series was concluded with Stage 63 there is also an official SP set that came out at the end to promote the Bonds of the Battlefield arcade game. I have never come across any of these figures or its booklet but as you can see they are a collection of older figures brought back to life with some slight paint modifications.


The last page of the book collects the 17 miniature Mechanic File-sheets that accompany some select figures in the sunset stage of the SD Full Color era. I'll close off this mini-review by stating that this is the best SD Gundam Full Color file I have come across out there and it is a lovely piece of nostalgia for the right-minded person. I see this volume coning and going in the Mandarake shop from time to time, expect to pay maybe 1500-2000 yen or so to get your hands on a copy.

SD Revival Part 2 : Gundam Superior Define

A couple of weeks ago we saw the introduction of a new capsule toy series in the cherished super deformed format called Capsule Index. The first wave is a 4-figure set of pre-painted figurines in a size that appears to be roughly similar to the Senshi Forte height but with the twist of them being in static poses (separate post here). I'm looking forward to their introduction and just hope it won't be too difficult to find them.

Well, Bandai's Shokugan division doesn't want to miss out on the fun and have decided to launch a super-deformed series of their own, with the catchy twist "Superior Define" to the name. However, their idea about how things should be done is completely different.


At first glance this looks like an offspring from the Gundam Artifact mini-model kit line. The announcement features no photographs showing how the figures will be delivered but I guess they will come on single colour-sprues in yellow-beige colour similar to the Artifact line (perhaps there will be a hidden secondary colour variation as well). I presume the figures will have to be built and they look to follow the same design philosophy as Capsule Index in that they will come in static poses, perhaps offering some limited amount of articulation.

The first set features the following mobile suits:

1. XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero (Endless Waltz)
2. Musha Seita Gundam Kirinji Special Edition
3. GF13-017NJII God Gundam
4. RX-124 Gundam TR-6 [Woundwort]
5. MSM-03C Hygogg

As an aside, I find it interesting that a Hyper Mode God Gundam is up for release August in the Mobile Suit Ensemble line but there it goes under the PC alternate name "Burning Gundam"...)


To further aggravate consumers the figures will be released together with a set of twelve different metallic stickers in a style that somewhat resembles the old SD trading card game format. It is not immediately clear how these will be packaged together, presumably each figure will come with a single random sticker. 5 figures and 12 cards is a weird ratio however, I think it lends further proof to the theory that each figure will come in two colour forms (let's say a solid and a translucent colour variant for example) and perhaps the set will also include a secret sixth figure?

I think I will be sticking to Capsule Index myself thank you very much but I would consider picking up the stickers on the secondary market if they will be traded there separately. Superior Define will hit the stores in August and each figure has an MSRP of 500 yen (550 incl. VAT).

Gundam Converge SP 10 : Impulse Gundam Silhouette Set

It has been out now for a couple of months, released back in January with a price tag of ¥4900 (¥5390 incl. VAT) the price has been steadily climbing on the secondary market. The last item I saw sold on Mandarake was already up at ¥7000. This isn't just organic market value increases as their overall prices have gone up significantly for many categories of collectable toys in the last couple of years.


The Impulse Gundam set is a bit of an odd release. If you are a Converge veteran you remember the SP-series of releases from the era before the #Sharp reboot in 2016. Apart from the occasional promotional release the SP-series was the first and only premium alternative to the retail single-figure releases and would contain a pair of rival mobile suits such as the Sinanju vs the Unicorn, Zeta vs The-O or even Exia vs. the Union Flag. The last release -SP 08- came out at the tail-end of the first generation of Converge-figures and was then replaced by bigger and/or fancier box-sets from the EX- and CORE-series.

After an eight-year hiatus the SP-brand was brought back just in time for SEED Freedom with a triple-pack that reissues the two older SP 08-figures bundled with the #Sharp version of the Freedom Gundam. SP 10 however, is the first entry in the series that is not based on the old Converge-anatomy and instead features completely new sculpts and uses base-plates instead of the old transparent supports that clip to the ankles on the older figures. This entire paragraph is a very longwinded way of saying that this should really have been marketed as a CORE product. :)


Anyway, branding be damned, what we have inside the (rather flimsy) box is a set of compartmentalized plastic bags with an extra layer of bubble-wrap for protection. The use of white cardboard sheets to help protect delicate parts from warping doesn't work very well when each compartment is twice as high as the piece of cardboard, and as a result this doesn't offer much protection at all. It is just Bandai doing Bandai things I suppose.



ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam


This set is focused all around the incredibly bland Impulse Gundam design, which recycles the concept of the very popular Strike Gundam once again in the SEED Destiny show. Destiny was full of lazy rehashes on the original series but this one feels particularly uninspired to me. The Converge figure on the other hand feels very inspired and is looking really sharp with nice paint applications all around. There is something new about the eyes, they really glow with a bright green light when you look at it. The main gimmick of the Impulse is that it can transform into various forms suspiciously similar to the three forms of the Strike Gundam. Thanks to the colour of its armour shifting along with each forms Bandai couldn't just toss in a couple of option parts and instead went the extra mile to provide us with three distinctly coloured figures which is of course the main appeal of the set. Each form looks quite different and sports its own unique colour scheme. let's go through them below.





ZGMF-X56S/α Force Impulse Gundam


We'll start with the Force Impulse form which utilizes a flight pack veeeerry similar to the Aile Striker pack used by the Strike Gundam. You just remove the tiny blue backpack on the Impulse Gundam and put the Force Silhouette Pack in its place. There are no special gimmicks of the flight pack as such, the horizontal stabilizers do not move but the vertical thrusters can be adjusted up and down. The two beam saber hilts are not intended to be removed (and there are also no beam saber accessories for the figure).


As you can see, the Impulse Gundam figures are very traditional Converge figures with only a few pieces requiring assembly. The flight pack comes folded up and needs a bit of repositioning to get the thrusters in the correct position, assembly instructions are provided online in the form of a pdf-document that you can find by following the link printed on the box cover. The figure comes armed with its standard MA-BAR72 beam rifle, in fact each figure gets its own copy of the rifle so you don't need to decide who is going to use it.


Since the 2016 Converge reboot which also increased the standardized box-size the figures have also grown larger. The new Impulse Gundam however doesn't really align to the #Sharp aesthetic all that well, the figure is taller and slimmer, the head is proportionally smaller and the wings are longer. Here it stands next to the #Sharp Aile Strike Gundam from Converge from 2020 and the difference is very notable. I am not a fan of Bandai constantly messing with the relative sizes of Converge figures; the first generation figures upheld a standard and now the figures are just all over the place.


The Force Impulse also made it into Mobile Suit Ensemble Part 24 released in April 2023 (has it really been two years already?). The Ensemble Impulse shares some of the features (or in my opinion problems) of the Converge Impulse; smaller head, taller body and proportions that don't align with the average Ensemble figure.






ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse Gundam


Next up is the close-combat form of the Impulse; when donning its beta Sword Silhouette-pack the Phase Shift Armor turns red instead of blue (except the feet that turn black for some reason. Don't sweat the details here -rule of cool applies). I always liked this mode the most because of its colours (we really don't need more white and blue Gundams in any franchise at this point). When presented with its two anti-ship rifles secured to the Sword Silhouette backpack the figure looks weirdly narrow for some reason, especially when compared to the older #Sharp-era figures that tend to have broader looking shoulders and a wider stance of the legs. I think the red beam boomerang-assembly on the back could also have benefitted from being a bit wider. The two swords are attached to the backpack with eight-shaped connector pieces that allow all sorts of rotation to take place and also consequently make it harder to align the them symmetrically so have fun with that.


Besides the standardized beam rifle and a smaller version of the shield the Sword Impulse gets a number of different variants of its two Excalibur-swords. Besides two powered down pieces intended for backpack use only we also have a pair with hands molded directly onto them as well as the signature ambidextrous form where the two combine but attaches to the right hand only.


Excalibur-blades equipped for single-handed use. The narrow shape of the figure leaves little room for interesting swinging poses, perhaps if the sculpt of the arms had been extended outward a little we could have seen more freedom of movement.


This awkward dual-handed pose with the two swords combined is actually suggested in the assembly instruction booklet. Of course in their photo the angle chosen from slightly above made it look more convincing. It would of course be impossible for a Converge figure to wield a dual handed accessory without including customized-arms specifically for such use but Converge figures have never been about striking fancy poses and so this is the functionality on offer based on the overall Converge anatomy.


Personally I prefer this relaxed pose with the blade casually held to the back. I wouldn't want to go into combat with such an unwieldy weapon and as the saying goes; never bring a dual-handed blade to a beam rifle fight. Notice how the handle that the figure holds on to is painted metallic grey, I guess this is a manufacturing compromise rather than what it is actually supposed to look like and it comes off a bit odd with the other handle painted white. Still, this looks really cool. :)






ZGMF-X56S/γ Blast Impulse Gundam


Third and last form included in this set is the long-range fire-support form that dons the Blast Silhouette Pack that changes the suit's colour scheme to green. The two Kerberos-type beam cannons are the stars of the shows here and have been attractively and competently painted in white, black, green and an orangey-type red (someone looked at the Buster Gundam and felt very inspired). The overall weapon design is a bit quirky like something out of F91 but I really dig this livery and I don't understand why there aren't more green Gundams around as they tend to look great.


Parts-wise we recognize the beam rifle and the small shield from earlier; the large Blast Silhouette Pack takes up the most space but hold on, what is that thing; a spear with a beam effect part on top of it? This really goes counter to the long-range concept of the design. If you have to fend of enemies from your artillery deployment zone with a stick you are doing something wrong.


The two M2000F Kerberos long range beam cannons sit on similar eight-shaped connecting pieces as the swords on the Sword Impulse Gundam and this allows you to swing them forward in a way underneath the arms. Again the limitations of the standardized Converge anatomy present obvious issues with striking a cool pose but hey, at least the novelty works.


Each Kerberos cannon sports a quadruple FMF39 missile launcher at the rear end and these can swing forward to spray the enemy with a lethal dose of AGM141 Firefly guided missiles. It seems a little inconvenient not to have all weapons face the same direction so you have to plan ahead before letting loose. Everything is so much easier when you can animate things in 2D isn't it?


I didn't even remember seeing the Blast Impulse swinging a beam javelin around in Destiny but you have the option of replacing its vanilla beam rifle with a cool looking accessory featuring a transparent effect part so of course I hurried to make use of it. All things considered the Blast Impulse style is all over the place but the figure turned out great I think.






MVF-X08 Eclipse Gundam


Just a quick note also to mention that the Silhouette Packs were designed to be compatible with the number Eclipse Gundam (figure number 300 from Converge #26). Personally I don't think this makes sense at all, the mobile suits are completely different designs and look nothing like each other, this is akin to putting the Sazabi's funnel packs on a GM. Personally I think the entire Eclipse Gundam design does not look like it would belong in the Cosmic Era timeline in the first place but that is just a personal preference. I certainly won't be picking up a second pack and a couple of extra Eclipse figures just to have each of these modes represented in the collection.




Conclusion

Wrapping things up I would begin to say that Converge seems to have lost a bit of steam in recent months but the releases that do make it to the shelves are generally very pleasant and this is certainly no exception. If you can stomach the price there is a lot to like in this package and it is not like we are drowning in new Converge releases to purchase either. I am starting to feel a bit concerned about the slowdown that has hit both Converge and Ensemble, do you think we will make it to volume #30? In either series?