Mobile Suit Ensemble EX 06B : GN-0000+GNR-010/XN 00 XN Raiser

We recently looked at the Ensemble EX 06A figure, which is also an advanced Mobile Suit Gundam 00 design. Both figures were released through the Premium Bandai program in July 2018, with this figure coming in at a price of ¥3240, slightly more expensive than the 00 Qan[T] Full Saber was. I picked mine up from Mandarake just a few days after its release and ended up paying ¥4000 for it.

The box for the 00 XN raiser is very attractive and full colour. It gives you a clear idea of what you are purchasing and what alternative configurations are available for this figure.

The box is absolutely loaded with parts bags but thankfully there is also a folded up instruction leaflet included. I did have some minor issues following these instructions by the way. Some parts were a bit tricky to identify because they looked white on paper but were black in reality and so on.

Just look at all these components. This is gonna get messy! We'll work through the various suggested combinations as offered up by the instruction sheet.


GN-0000 00 Gundam

Let's just start by taking a quick look on the basic 00 Gundam figure. It is pretty much exactly the same figure as featured in the Mobile Suit Ensemble volume 02 line-up from April last year.

This box also includes the 0 Raiser figure as well as the 00 Gundam specific bonus parts from that volume's equipment set (the expressive open hands and the GN Sword III).

With all these parts you are able to build the same basic 00 Gundam variations as per the regular figure. You can equip it with a pair of GN Sword II or the GN Sword III as well as combining it with the 0 Raiser.

The above image shows the new 00 Gundam + 0 Raiser from EX06B on the left and the retail 00 Gundam + 0 Raiser from Ensemble volume 2 on the right. As you can see, even the colours are almost exactly the same. I should also point out that the two 0 Raiser figures are sitting on a pair of custom bases made from Assault Kingdom figure bases, they fit perfectly onto them.


GN021XN XN Unit

Right, with that out of the way, it is time to look at what is actually new with this figure. The first thing we will look at is the XN Unit, which I do not really know anything about except that it can be plugged into either the 00 Gundam or the 0 Raiser. It is basically a kind of backpack thingy holding two large GN Buster III Swords and some sub-arms.

I am not familiar with the lore in Mobile Suit Gundam 00V from where this thing apparently hails, so I'm not sure if this XN Unit is supposed to be able to operate standalone. It sure looks sleek and menacing though.

The Ensemble version of the XN Unit is also very large. Just look at how it dwarves the 00 Gundam which is supposed to wear it as a backpack. Ah yes, speaking about that...


GN-0000/XN XN 00 Gundam

After taking the XN Unit apart and reassembling it in a slightly different combination we instead get it as a backpack support unit for the 00 Gundam. This is really my least favourite thing coming out of the EX06B box. The proportion of this thing compared to the mobile suit itself seems a bit off. I ended up google this thing to make sure that I had actually understood the assembly instructions correctly. While the instructions are quite detailed some of the images aren't the most clear.

Just look at those large Buster Swords dangling down the figure's back. You'd really not want to try posing the XN 00 Gundam without an action base as it would look a bit silly.


GN Buster Sword III

As mentioned earlier the two blades on the XN Unit can combine into two, and with some minor parts swapping you can make the 00 Gundam figure hold this combined sword as any other weapon.

While this super sword is pretty cool it is not that easy to pose. The weapon is rather cumbersome and will quickly get stuck on the figure's other extremities. The large pegs and pegholes also do it no favours from an aesthetic perspective. Some effect parts might have livened things up a bit but there are no such things in the box.


GNR-010/XN XN Raiser

Ok, so here is where I find this set is beginning to get really interesting. You can strip down both the XN Unit and then also the 0 Raiser and reassemble the two into a formidable support craft; the XN Raiser.

This craft looks really awesome; easily the most beautiful thing to come out of this box. The parts also stick together quite well. Some Gashapon figures tend to be very fiddly and come apart easily but this figure feels pretty solid.

Unfortunately the stand included with the 00 XN Raiser is not able to accommodate the XN Raiser. We had the same problem with the 0 Raiser in Mobile Suit Ensemble 02; the figure was pretty nice but the base was not really intended for it. Here I am again employing an Assault Kingdom base which is sturdy enough to hold this large figure and also allows for some dynamic posing.

The XN Raiser is huuuuuge. Once I put it together I didn't want to take it apart again but there was one more mode I had to cover in this review.


GN-0000+GNR-010/XN 00 XN Raiser

Here is where we go all-in. Time to reassemble the XN Raiser one more time and rearrange its configuration into stowed mode. We then plonk it onto the back of the 00 Gundam to form the 00 XN Raiser. Now we have almost all the new stuff hanging on the back of the figure.

As you can see this mode is a bit ludicrous on a tiny Gashapon figure. The XN Raiser components are much larger than the 00 Gundam itself and the whole thing looks pretty dumb. Still I can appreciate all the engineering effort that went into creating this figure.

With all these modes available I am still on the fence about how I should pose this figure. I do like the XN Raiser the best, but building it renders the basic 00 Gundam figure useless. At the moment I am keeping it in the 00 XN Raiser configuration, with a pair of GN Sword II:s tacked on to it for good measure. I have a feeling though that over time I will revert back to the XN Raiser because of its attractiveness.


00 Gundam Family

Let's finish off with a couple of family photos. First up is the 00 Gundam in its various MS Ensemble forms. We have the basic 00 Gundam and 0 raiser from volume 02, the same two figures in Trans-Am colours from MSE Part 2.5, an 00 Raiser combo (which is just a second set of the 00 Gundam and the 0 raiser from volume 02 combined together) and lastly now also the 00 XN Raiser.

And here at the end we have the two Ensemble 00 Anniversary figures together; the 00 Qan[T] Full Saber (EX06A) with the 00 XN Raiser (EX06B). The Qan[T] really has got the XN Raiser beat when it comes to cool looking effect parts.


Conclusion

If you enjoy messing with the Mobile Suit Ensemble figures you are really getting a lot to play with in this box. The fact that you are getting two basic figures (the 00 Gundam and the 0 Raiser) as well as a whole boatload of new gear to mix and match with them means you can get a lot of entertainment out of the box. Both of the EX06 figures are great but where the Qan[T] might have the 00 XN Raiser beat for appearance the latter is definitely more fun to play around with. I can definitely recommend both figures to MS Ensemble collectors. Each offers a pretty decent bang for your buck priced as they are around ¥3000-4000 (especially when you consider the prices of the other Ensemble EX figures out there). MS Ensemble is not a cheap figure line so these two feel like good starting points if you want to venture out of the basic ¥500 figure range.

Gundam Converge EX 23 : MSN-06S Sinanju (Full Weapon Set)

The updated Sinanju is the latest in a now long string of Converge EX figures. Released on the 20th of August it appeared more or less at the same time as yet another of the Unicorn this time in Full Armor mode and released in the CORE line. While the FA Unicorn is a premium release the Sinanju made it to retail and comes with a suggested price of ¥2200. This seems a bit high since I was able to pick mine up for a mere ¥1500 only a few days after its release.

It is really nice to see fancy full-colour artwork on the box after too many black and white or gray Premium Bandai releases. Still the standard Converge mobile suit specs are nowhere to be found on the box - I feel a little sad that they have omitted them from the design.

The box comes loaded with two bags, one for the mobile suit itself and its most basic of accessories. A second bag is loaded with extra weapons and a propped up action base. It looks almost as if the figure was planned for a standard release when you remove the accessory bag. One thing that speaks against that though is the fact that the optional "floating feet" are included in the primary bag while the beam rifle is not.

Another odd thing is our old friend the transparent support piece that clips around the figure's ankles. These don't belong in the rebooted Converge era. We have seen some of these inconsistencies with Converge before, perhaps this is an older design that has been sitting around biding its time while the reboot of the figure line was taking place. Still, it shouldn't be that hard to drill a hole in a foot and supply a standard Converge black action base so it remains a bit of mystery to me.

Whatever the case for FusionWork's design decisions the figure is here, alive and kicking. And boy is it a fresh take on the older design. When I first spotted the "ankle clip" in the box I wondered if we were getting a reissued old Sinanju with some extra gear but fear not, the design is much revamped from the ground and up. And like some of the other rebooted figures the Sinanju is now allowed to become more tree-dimensional, weapons, boosters etc. tend to be larger and the sculpt more refined.

Modular weapons and accessories are a theme with the new Sinanju.

The original Converge Sinanju figure was pretty badass itself, one of the few basic figures to feature detailed paint applications for its beautiful sleeves and chest armor. The new figure has been refined even further in this regard; especially the shield looks really sharp now.

The Sinanju equipped with its standard beam rifle. Compared below to the original figure from volume 4 (released in September 2011).

The new beam rifle has been engineered to come apart and allow for the launcher to be fitted underneath the barrel. It is a neat trick but it means more parts for you to manage. Personally I would have preferred a separate one-piece rifle with the launcher part of the mold, I can't imagine it would have been more expensive to produce and it would have given the Sinanju an option to dual wield rifles as well. : )

The new Sinanju figure is a blessing for those who have been unable to grab the old Sinanju from the SP 02 twin set released in 2012.

Overall the new weapons for the Sinanju are bigger and more potent looking than those that came with previous versions of the figure. This is a trend we have been seeing with several of the redesigned figures (and the general figures have larger boxes to allow for such excesses nowadays too). The wing-like thrusters on its back have also been allowed to grow giving it a more balanced look.

Alright, so far, everything has been modernizations and updates of what we have seen before. But here come the new goodies; a pair of sleek looking rocket bazookas, both ready to be equipped with a simple change of the right hand. None of the Sinanju's weapons are molded straight onto its hands and this is something I wish held true for more Converge figures.

The Sinanju figure finally offers both beam sabers and beam axes.

Another impressive feat is the Sinanju's new beam weaponry. Finally some awesome looking blades to wield! And not one, not two, but four beam weapons molded in striking translucent yellow with dark gray or red handles. This is something the Mobile Suit Ensemble figures can only dream about with their pathetic transparent beam sabers and heat hawks.

The two beam axes can also be wielded as part of the shield but it doesn't work well unless the figure sits on its new floating base.

Apart from all its smoking hot weapons options the Sinanju now also comes with a nice transparent stand, allowing it to dangle its alternative feet in relative comfort. Still, the figure doesn't really sit that securely on the stand, the peg hole in its crotch area is only a couple of millimeters deep. This is the best way to pose the figure if you are planning to attach those beam axes to the shield which otherwise will be difficult to pose while the figure is standing on a flat surface.

Overall I think the new Sinanju is pretty much a given in any Converge collection. Collectors who have been struggling for a Sinanju (which had been out of market for almost six years until now) now has a very serviceable and fairly priced figure to fill that hole and all its extra gear means you might see some optional use for its unused weapons. The new sculpt and colours are also clear improvements over the original figure, which was one of the early generation figures to be released in Converge.

Also expect to see more of the Sinanju (or at least half of it) when it returns as part of the updated Neo Zeong to be released in CORE colouring around the start of next year...

Mobile Suit Ensemble EX 06A : GNT-0000/FS 00 Qan[T] Full Saber

The Mobile Suit Gundam 00 television series premiered in 2007 and for some reason Bandai have been busy celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2018. The occasion has been marked also in the release schedules of some of the smaller figure series. We've seen a fancy four-pack of Celestial Being mobile suits in Converge and a reissue of the Ptolemaios mobile suit carrier in the adorable little Cosmo Fleet series. Mobile Suit Ensemble also joins in on the fun with not one but two different special EX releases.

In this review we will take a look at the first of the two; the Qan[T] Full Saber, which is an evolution of the previously released Qan[T] figure from MS Ensemble volume 05. Available through the P-Bandai program the figure was initially sold for ¥2916 and released in late July. I picked up my figure for ¥3000 on the secondary market shortly thereafter.

The box is full of plastic bags with small pieces, many on tiny Gashapon style sprues. It all looks a bit confusing right out of the box.

As you can see there is a lot going on here, for what would normally be a ¥500 capsule figure. Luckily we get a very detailed instruction leaflet which is desperately needed to get this stuff done right.


Basic Figure

Before we start on the path of outrageous weaponry let's just begin by appreciating the overall look of the basic mobile suit figure itself. The 00 Qan[T] is one of the more attractive MS Ensemble figures with a very vivid appearance enhanced especially by the translucent cyan colour parts.

While the Ensemble figures are all snap-fit I do recommend a bit of glue underneath the transparent parts that go on the legs, since they can fall out of their sockets once you start messing with the leg articulation. And speaking of articulation you can get an idea of what the figure can do out of these pictures. While the figure has a number of joints the stubby arms and wings mean you can only go so far with bends and twists.


Mode 1 - Weapons stowed

Here's a look at the mobile suit with all its weapons in carry configuration. The backpack with its GN Drive is attached and connected to it are two large weapons that look very bulky on a compact figure such as this one. The Qan[T] does look a lot sleeker in its normal fullsize proportions.

Equipped on the left shoulder is the GN Shield which is similar to the shield on the regular Qan[T] figure (see below). On the right shoulder we instead have the very large GN Sword IV which also features three GN Gunblades attached to it. These three GN Blades look very much oversized on a figure this scale but you can always leave any of them out if they are too much of an eyesore.

Here we see the regular Qan[T] figure from volume 05 next to the Full Saber version. I'm not terribly familiar with this mobile suit so I couldn't really say if the varying sizes of the GN Shield is a matter of actual mobile suit design or if the GN Sword on the capsule version Qan[T] simply had to be shortened due to capsule size restrictions (which is of course the most probable reason).


Mode 2 - Big-A**e GN Sword IV (Full Saber Mode)

While you might be forgiven for thinking the entire bulk attached to the Qan[T]'s two shoulders are defensive contraptions he's got news for you. The right shoulder removes to form the bulky GN Sword IV in Full Saber Mode; a huge triangular sword comprised of the main blade and the three GN Gunblades (each a cross between guns and daggers if such a thing could be imagined).

Although bulky you can get a decent range of poses out of this cumbersome blade. Most of the time though it looks like the mobile suit will just cut its own arm off courtesy of those smaller blades that are all over the place. You'll probably want to remove the blade attached to the centerpiece while the two attached to the lower part of the sword give it a nice look.

The big unsightly hole in the hilt is a bit of a bummer, but this is what the Ensemble figures are all about, and you can always attach something even weirder to cover it up...


Mode 3 - Puny GN Gunblades

The three mentioned GN Gunblades of course come apart from the GN Sword IV and can each be wielded in either of the figure's two weapons holding hands. The Full Saber Qan[T] actually comes with a total of three pairs of hands, which is very generous for an Ensemble figure. Two open expressive hands, two weapons holding hands and two clenched fists.

There's not a whole lot to say about the GN Gunblades. With all the stuff going on on this busy design you can hardly even spot them when equipped. Also the compact shape of the figure does them no extra favours; the handles are huge and the blades themselves look so tiny. On to the next...


Mode 4 - GN Sword IV (Saber Mode)

The terminology surrounding all the different weapon variations on the Qan[T] borders on what I am prepared to take in, but as I understand it this is the "basic" Saber Mode of the GN Sword IV. Basically you leave the hilt section with its attached Gunblades on the shoulder and remove the centerline blade to form a nice and clean looking saber.

This sword is a bit more elegant looking than the Full Saber variation and gives the figure a more clean appearance. Here you see it battle the regular Qan[T] which has equipped the GN Sword V, why the basic Qan[T] has a later generation sword I'll never know...


Mode 5 - Swiss Army Knife

Although not showcased on the box or mentioned in the build instructions, the Qant[T] Full Saber also comes with its own GN Sword V. The sword features a blue hilt instead of dark gray as on the regular Qan[T] figure. Here I have equipped it in the figure's right hand while the Full Saber GN Sword IV sits attached to the shoulder above it. However, the weird stuff is now taking place on the left hand side.

Ah yes, the left hand now equips what I believe is an alternate version of that same GN Sword V. We've taken the fancy green parts from the GN Shield and instead attached them to a slightly different version of the GN Sword V to form this bizarre yet awesome piece of gear that I think is the GN Sword V + GN Bits Buster Sword configuration... Just give me a heat saber and a machine gun already... :)

The Qan[T] Full Saber is a rare mobile suit choice and I can only think of one other appearance that it has made in figure form; the rather spectacular Gundam Converge CORE 005 release from January 2016. That figure comes armed with the GN Sword V while storing the GN Sword IV and GN Shield on its shoulders.

While the MS Ensemble figure is rather pretty to look at the Converge figure has got it beat with fancier colour applications (save for the translucent bits on the legs) as well as unit markings (however non-canon they might be, as CORE figures often tend to be).

Overall I really do enjoy the MS Ensemble version of the Qan[T] Full Saber and I think it is a nice purchase for your MS Ensemble collection. While at 3000 yen it is a bit pricey it is nowhere near as bad as some of the other Ensemble EX figures so this is a good place to start if you want something fancy and freely customizable as a centerpiece in your Ensemble collection.