SD Gashapon Senshi Forte EX 04 : MSN-04II Nightingale

The Nightingale has to be one of the most bizarre looking mobile suits in the U.C.timeline. And the fact that it also steals the spotlight from the instant classic Sazabi design is even more weird. And while the Sazabi can be seen as a figure or model kit in just about any scale the Nightingale has to make do with much less exposure. We actually had a compact version released in Gundam Converge about a year and half ago and it also featured in the brief Mini Kit Collection series in 2016 but these are the only appearances as far as I am aware of. Now Gashapon Senshi Forte joins in on the fun with its own ultra-compact take on the design.

The Senshi Forte Nightingale is a Premium Bandai figure and was released tis May with a price tag of ¥3000 or ten times the price of your average Senshi Forte figure. While it may seem strange that Bandai are doing the Nightingale rather than the evergreen Sazabi this can be explained by the already strong line-up of mobile suits from the Beltorchika's Children/Hathaway's Flash alternative timeline. The Nightingale joins a pair of Geara Dogas and also sees opponents from the E.F.S.F. like the Gustav Karl, Hi-Nu Gundam and Penelope and Mufti terrorist suits like the Xi Gundam and Messer.

Apart from being an obscure rival to the Sazabi the fact that we rarely see the Nightingale is likely related to the outlandish and over the top visual style of the design itself. This mobile suit simply bulges and points in every direction at once. Taking such a messy design and then compacting it further into Super Deformed format is a real challenge for the engineers.

As you can see the box is loaded with weird looking and very detailed parts mostly molded in soft and bendy plastic which gives the figure good survivability. An easy to follow instruction leaflet in the box greatly aids in assembling the machine.

The pictures speak for themselves. This mobile suit looks like none other. While it has several common traits with the Sazabi the concept is just sooo outlandish and weird looking. It is not an unattractive figure, but I can't really say that I am a big fan of the design. Even the Sazabi itself suddenly seems functional and economical design in comparison.

Armament options for the Nightingale.

The figure retains the standard Senshi Forte articulation which amounts to legs and arms attached to ball joints as well as a couple of extra elbow joints for the arms. The head also has a ball joint of its own and the torso and hands can twist. Due to the very cumbersome SD format though, there is not much articulation to be had, there is just huge armor parts getting in the way for much of the moment. No action base is provided with the figure but it features a standard peg hole which is compatible with the stands that come with the regular Senshi Forte figures.

Gashapon Senshi Forte Nightingale (left) together with the Gundam Converge Nightingale (EX14, released February 2017).

The figure comes with two sets of hands; one open and one holding hand for each arm respectively. The weapons can be wielded in either hand but the shield can only be pegged onto the right arm. The booster fuel tanks can be removed as well as the eight tiny little funnel weapons that are pegged into the over dimensioned shoulder pads. The figure also sports two tiny sub arms that are attached just beneath the front skirt where each can wiggle to the left and right.

The Nightingale duelling with the Hi-Nu Gundam which is a regular size Senshi Forte capsule figure.

From an anesthetic point of view I think the Senshi Forte design is miles better than the recent Gundam Converge figure. The SF figure looks more balanced and deadly compared to the Converge figure which was just a big bloated mess.

The Nightingale posing with the Senshi Forte Psyco Gundam (left) and Senshi Forte Queen Mansa (right),

The Nightingale follows two larger Senshi Forte EX figures but does a good job of looking awesome nonetheless. If you are a hardcore Senshi Forte collector you'll want to get this figure simply because it is a real eye catcher although the price and difficulty in obtaining it makes it something easily passable for the more casual SD figure fans out there.