Banpresto Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Figure Keyholder 2

There is certainly no shortage of super deformed figures from the Cosmic Era timeline. SEED was still fresh back when the SD Gundam Full Color and Full Color Custom series were around and kicking and so these have a wealth of figures on hand. Once you go beyond these sets however the supply begins to runs dry. The Gundam Collection 1:400 Gashapons are also a great source of figures and the 1:285 Gashapon HG series is pretty well stocked too but these are all ancient by now. So, yours truly is trawling through keyring figures at this point just to get a bit of a Cosmic Era fix.

Banpresto is a major player in display figures of all sizes and they have pumped out a considerably amount of Gundam themed keyring figurines. Apart from super deformed figures such as the ones we will look at today they also release realistically proportioned mobile suits in both static and dynamic poses, often featuring really rare custom machines, MSV's or odd colour choices. While they can be hard to obtain these days, and pricey unless you go straight to the source (read: order from Japan) they are still an alternative for mixing things up in your collection or just getting that hard to find mobile suit for your line-up.

The Gundam SEED Figure Keyholder 2 set is unsurprisingly the second set in a line of keyring figures following the release of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED which premiered back in late 2002. This set contains five different figures released in 2003 and all the figures in this set have the Banpresto identifier 31439 on their respective cards. Being keyring figures they will have metal screws or rings inserted into their heads or backpacks which will of course leave holes in said locations. Buyers beware.
      

GAT-X105+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Gundam

Let's start with the Aile Strike Gundam which will be a good example of what to expect from this figure series. As you examine the pictures below you will begin to quickly draw a number of conclusions. One of the first realizations is that the figures feature really detailed paint applications. Study those eyes carefully. The paint apps are also vivid on the figure's back, something Bandai often skips on even on contemporary Gashapons. I guess that Banpresto has a different policy about how they expect their figures to be viewed. I guess these keyring figures are intended to be hanging from a backpack and dangling freely.

The second big feature of these figures is of course less impressive. It is the dreaded use of soft plastic which leads to exceptionally sturdy figures but that you can expect to see a lot of bent V-fins, gunbarrels etc. You will also note that sometimes keyring figures are sculpted in dynamic poses not intended for standing on a flat surface. The Aile Strike Gundam for example holds its beam rifle really low and the fins of the Aile Striker pack also reach beyond the heels of the feet leading to a very awkward pose. In general some of these keyring figures will work better than others.

Here is a size comparison with a classic SD Full Color Aile Strike, a Gashapon Warrior NEXT figure which is almost the same size though the proportions differ a bit, and a modern Gashapon Senshi Forte Aile Strike on the right.
   

GAT-X102 Duel Gundam (Assault Shroud)

With the Aile Strike Gundam being such a popular figure represented in so many places it may make little sense to check it out as a weird keyring figure. There are however more interesting mobile suits available in the keyring domain, such as this Assault Shroud Duel Gundam for example.

The Duel stands upright and as such works better as a stand-in in your average SD figure line-up. You can still see some annoying bent components here and there but overall it works much better than the Aile Strike and the paint scheme is superb. When was the last time you saw beam sabers painted in a different colour on a super deformed figure for example?

The Duel Gundam and its Assault Shroud version popped up a couple of time in the SD Gundam Full Color and Full Color Custom series but then there was radio silence between 2006 and 2019 until the regular Duel Gundam made an appearance in Gashapon Senshi Forte 08. Thus figure is a good way of injecting the Duel into a collection of Gashapon Warrior NEXT or DASH figures.
   

GAT-X105+AQM/E-X03 Launcher Strike Gundam

This set comes with one additional variation of the Strike Gundam, carrying the large Hyper Impulse Cannon as well as a mixed weapons attachment on its right shoulder. This is quite a rare form of the Strike that rarely manages to make it into figure form.

Notice the bright colour applications that bring out the various components of the Launcher Strike module clearly and also the many fine details on the components themselves. You can forget about seeing such detail even on modern figures like the Mobile Suit Ensemble series. The pose of the figure is a bit unfortunate since the cannon is held at an angle that makes the figure lean a bit backwards but you could always solve this quite elegantly with a small base.

The Launcher Strike Gundam was last seen in super deformed Gashapon form in 2006. I guess the closest we come after that is the Gundam Converge Perfect Strike figure from 2016 (not pictured here). To the right in this comparison shot is a Gashapon HG MS figure also from 2003.
   

ZGMF-1017 GINN

The Z.A.F.T. workhorse GINN (or Mobile GINN as they like to brand it in Japan) is the Cosmic Era equivalent of the Universal Century Zaku II. Although in my mind its appearance is closer to the Gelgoog. Never mind the stupid idea of introducing the actual Zaku II in to the Cosmic Era as the ZAKU Warrior, seriously who thought that was a brilliant idea? Sure, the design turned out great but it still can't touch the beauty of the GINN as far as I am concerned.

I can't quite put my finger on it but there is something off about the GINN figure in this set. Its proportions make it look a bit too slender and anemic for my taste. The paint apps are great though, as evident on the helmet and backpack for example. The pose is again messed up a bit by the machine gun sticking out just a few millimeters too far. Putting the figure on a base could solve that of course.

As much as I adore the GINN in all its forms this figure really cannot stand up to the figures next to it in this line-up. Both the SD Gundam Full Color figure on the left and the superb Gashapon Senshi Forte figure on the right have it beat in overall appearance and shape, although they cannot match the detailed paintwork.
   

ZGMF-515 CGUE

The last figure in this set is the leg up from the GINN; the much improved replacement CGUE. However, this fine beast was in turn overshadowed by the GuAIZ and only saw limited production. In figure form things are equally bad and this is a pretty rare sight in any scale or shape.

Well, with those large and thin fins you know it will be the Aile Strike Gundam all over again, that messed up bent fin is a bit painful to look at. The overall pose fares better as its Vulcan equipped shield is held well above foot height. There are many nicely painted details here but as a whole the mobile suit has a pretty discrete colour scheme to begin with.

My the quest to build a full Z.A.F.T. flightline has moved one step further thanks to the CGUE figure although we still don't have anything sizeable enough for the AMF-101 DINN. While I haven't fully explored the entire SEED Keyholder figure range just yet I am yet to find a DINN (or GuAIZ for that matter) in the line-up which is a bit sad.

Work on a full G-project line-up also continues; now we are a couple of steps closer. The Blitz, Aegis and Aile Strike in this photo are from a different Banpresto range of prize figures while the Buster and the Duel are from Gashapon Senshi Forte.
   

Conclusion

I can appreciate that keyring figures aren't going to be to everyone's liking but to me they are a great way of expanding on the collection especially as far as filling out gaps where Bandai are never going to bother to anyway. This particular set comes from Mandarake and set me back only ¥700 and so was a no-brainer. As with many of the older figures, they are cheap to obtain but hard to find.