Gashapon HG EX Mobile Armor Selection (Clear Color Version)

The Mobile Armor Selection series accompanies the HG Gashapon figure series and only really saw two sets released in 1999 and 2000 respectively. The first set also got this variant release in clear plastic as a special gimmick. The figures in this set correspond exactly to the Mobile Armor Selection Part 1 but have been re-moulded in single colour translucent plastic. As such I think they offer limited value to collectors unless you happen to be big on translucent figures in particular and their general rarity is also reflected in their price on the secondary market these days. I picked this set up just to review it and it cost ¥2500 which is a little bit higher than the standard colour versions but hardly anything that will break your bank.


The blind box design is also carried over from the Mobile Armor Part 1 but with an alternate colour scheme. Notice the promotional blurb for the fourth set of the old Gundam War collectible card game on the backside there. If you are interested, you can read more about the regular colour figures from Part 1 in the old review here: LINK


Each figure comes in a couple of plastic bags and requires a little bit of assembly. The plastic material is similar to the soft PVC used for the regular colour figures and as such you can expect a little bit of bending here and there, especially on thinner components. Each figure also comes with accompanying mobile suits or vehicles in corresponding scale. While the Gashapon HG figure series is not a strict to-scale series most figures are somewhere around an approximate 1:280 size meaning they are larger than the Gsight figures for example yet smaller than the more common 1:220 scale used in figures such as Assault Kingdom and Universal Unit. The mobile armours depicted here are much larger and so are massively shrunk down and not to scale with each other either.



MAN-08 Elmeth (translucent green ver.)


I'm not going to discuss these figures at length, there generally isn't a whole lot to say about them. I've propped up all the figures you see in these images atop of various bases primarily from the Assault Kingdom figure line - the Mobile Armor Selection figures do not come with any bases at all. The awesome size of the Elmeth is indicated by the inclusion of a really tiny little Gelgoog figure (would be nice if it was moulded in red plastic) and it also comes bundled with one of its own remote bit-type Psycommu weapons. The Elmeth carries twelve of these and while that may have been a bit much I think Bandai should have included at least 3-4 of them for added playability and not just one.






MA-08 Big Zam (translucent green ver.)


The Byg Zam figure is the only one in this set that will put up some resistance while you try to figure out exactly how the legs and feet should attach to give it a stable pose. In part that is the fault of the original Byg Zam design which is rather top-heavy and not ideal for a plastic figure. The figure is complemented by a little green Core Booster spacecraft.






MA-05 Bigro (translucent green ver.)


The last green figure in the set is that wonderful Bigro mobile armour that marries a rather menacing looking body with a dumb set of grappling claws which I am sure are of immense use in long-range space combat. This mobile armour is one of the smaller on display here and its companion green RX-78-2 Gundam figure is quite similar in size to a Gundam Collection 1:400 scale figure which made the regular colour figure an interesting addition to that crew.






MA-04X Zakrello (translucent yellow ver.)


We are switching things up with some bright yellow making this the most tasty looking gummy candy wanna-be of the lot. The two bladed arms are as you can see a bit warped but other than that the sculpts are of really good quality with quite a lot of detail - that is not necessarily showing up that well in these photographs. The Zakrello is joined by the Gundam G-Sky variant which is also nearing the 1:400 scale.






MAM-07 Grublo (translucent red ver.)


Our last figure here is also my favourite; the clawed underwater menace known as the Grublo. One of the cool aspects of the Grublo's look is that its two arms look an awful lot like ship propellers when stowed underneath the hull, however actual propulsion comes from hydrojet thrusters located in the main body. The arms are held in place wit two sturdy pegs when not in use but can swing forward roughly 180 degrees but not move sideways. Another unlucky RX-78-2 Gundam figure in roughly 1:400 scale is included this time red and armed with a beam saber. Again, this Grublo figure is definitely a contender for use together with the Gundam Collection figurines.






Conclusion

As you can see this set is a pure novelty item and really gimmicky in nature. There is really no reason to seek these figures out if you are looking to expand your collection of Gundam-themed figures. The regular-coloured figures on the other hand are in my opinion a much better purchase, especially if you are looking to add some additional mobile armor options to a 1:400 figure collection.

Bandai Build Model Mobile Suit Gundam vol. 3

We are powering through with the third and last review of the Build Model Gundam figure sets in this somewhat bare-bones entry. The series was a short-lived experiment of eraser-style Gundam-themed figurines released in three waves during 2015. Volume one was out in January, volume two in June and volume three concluded the saga and finished off all further hope with the final five figures released in October. This is a Shokugan type release which means you will get the legendary Gundam Converge-type chewing gum inside each box, and the figures are fairly similar in size, typically coming in around four to five centimetres in height.




11 : RX-78-2 Gundam


The RX-78 again... really? Yep, here is your second chance to own the most iconic figure in the series I suppose. I have to say the Build Model Gundam figures are rather attractive in spite of their rubbery and slightly warped appearance, with their little scratches and white-out stress marks on their bodies. Absolutely adorable.


Unlike the first two volumes in this series Bandai ditched the concept of chucking most of the weapons in a box of their own, this Gundam figure comes with a new weapon - the beam saber - as well as a shield directly out of the box. You can attach the shield to either the elbow or the backpack. There is also a storage point on the backskirt which really only fits the bazooka from the first set of figures.


The Gundam is the only repeat figure in this series and while it might seem a bit excessive in such a small line-up there is a reason for this as will soon become evident. The beam rifle-wielding figure seen here is from BMG volume one.


I haven't really covered the anatomy of the Build Model Gundam figures simply because I have no desire to pick mine apart, but here is an image I lifted from the Bandai Shokugan site that gives a better insight into the typical anatomy of a BMG-figure. Rather than relying on painting, a technique similar to that of regular model kits is also applied here with differently dyed components assembled together to form an attractive whole.





12 : RX-77-2 Guncannon


The other Project V units are up next, starting with the Guncannon. It is another solid design with the same type of articulation as found in the Gundam figure; arms swing at the shoulder, hands swivel in their sockets, the head tilts from side to side and the torso can twist at the waist. Naturally, the compact design of the SD-format limits available posing options but it is a nice touch nevertheless.


The Guncannon may come with only a beam rifle but notice what a nice sculpt it is, there is even a little yellow piece inserted into the targeting scope for added pizazz, not bad for a 400 yen figure. It would have been nice to get a white option part to allow the suit to equip rocket launchers in place of the beam cannons for some added variation and force building options. I kind of wish I had picked up a couple more of this figure back when they were easily available.




13 : RX-75 Guntank


The Guntank is next and it of course has a decidedly different build anatomy to it. Still, you get a little bit of articulation in the heads and arms and the figure has some crisp detail on areas like the tracks and wheels, not bad at all. There are no accessories for this figure of course, so we'll keep this entry short and carry on to the next.





14 : G-Fighter and Shield


Four out of five figures in this set fit straight into the hangar of the White Base. Our last member is the awkward G-Fighter which we coincidentally also recently saw in the latest wave of Mobile Suit Ensemble. The BMG-version is a bit stumpy but has a decent size to it and lots of colours in all the right places and so it fits in nicely with the other figures of the line. It kind of looks liked a perched up sparrow sitting outside the window wanting to get inside.


You may have noticed the amusing product description on the box "G-Fighter and Shield" seems oddly specific, especially since the Gundam figure in this set already comes with a shield of its own. The reason of course is that you need two shields to construct something like the G-Armor. Hold on a second, what do I mean by construct? Well, the Bandai designers decided to o a bit crazy with this last volume of BMG, check out this promotional image:


The conversion features of the G-Fighter figure actually caught me off guard and I didn't even consider this to be a thing back when I purchased the figures. Had I taken a little bit more interest in things back then I should have been buying up a large complement of figures to parts-swap and combine into the various modes you see on display here, the G-Sky, the G-Bull and the large G-Armor.

At the time of posting this review I only have one spare Gundam and one spare G-Fighter figure, I'd require a couple more to be able to build the rest of these as well. I might come back to this review at a later date if I manage to source the missing figures because there is no way I will attempt to reassemble the same figures back and forth to display all the available modes but you get the idea anyway. I was really surprised by the effort that went into this but honestly I kind of would have preferred a couple of extra mobile suit choices instead. :)




15 : MS-05B Zaku I


Right then, the last slot in the history of BMG belongs to the Principality of Zeon and it is the Zaku I that gets the honours of closing out the series (if a bit prematurely). The figure is a worthy send off I think - it even comes armed with a bazooka straight out of the box. This is a welcome change from all the unarmed Zaku I figures out there relying on tackling their enemies in omni-directional space combat. It would have been cool to get a left hand holding a knuckle shield as an option part but other than that I have no complaints.






Before we wrap up, here is a quick look of the E.F.S.F. and the Principality of Zeon teams that you get out of BMG. The coverage is pretty good for U.C.0079, the most obvious omissions are the Gelgoog, Ball and Gyan as well as a mass-production version of the Z'Gok. Beyond that it could have been nice to see the Gogg and Zock as well as a Core Booster but the line is pretty well stocked as is. I think it is great that they didn't bother with tossing in random mobile suits from other timelines such as the Wing Gundam or the Unicorn. This is not a big line-up but everything comes together nicely.









Conclusion

In closing then, Build Model Gundam is one of those short-lived mutations hatched from Bandai's urge to constantly reinvent and recycle its access to the Mobile Suit Gundam brand - desperately attempting to lure the fickle consumers back for another pull. While the series can definitely be skipped as a curious anomaly the figures are not without merit and could well capture the eye of collectors with a thing for kawaiii-style figurines. In 2026 it is a bit of a moot point however, as the figures are few and seldom seen on the secondary market; don't fret about it and focus on one of your mainstay collections instead would be my verdict.