I've been working on the Ensemble Leopard/Airmaster kit for a while now and just needed something simple to go in between. So here is a Classic SD Full Color set of figures from April 2005. At this point in time this long running series was nearing the end of its life having reached a respectable count in the 360's already. As with many of the later sets availability is a bit scarce when you compare it to the heyday of the Full Color Saga which would be somewhere around Stages 20-30 in my opinion.
Stage 56 is a seven figure set with no special surprises, hidden gimmicks, alternative figures or other tired sales strategies. Just seven random figures to collect from tiny ¥100 capsules. It must have been fun to have the opportunity to collect these figures straight from Gacha vending machines on your way home from school. I would have poured a majority of my pocket money into figures such as these I am sure. :)
Most of the figures in this set have a few articulation points , usually in one or both arms, but the Full Color era figures are quite statue-like when compared to their modern cousins, which usually means that they stick together well (although sometimes pegs do need to be cut down to fit properly into their slots).
Review Update: I finally got my hands on the two Mechanic File cards that come bundled with the RX-78 and Zaku figure respectively. The carda are one-sided and about the same size as the booklet.360 : ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam
The set opens with an unusually bland looking Destiny Gundam figure. This is actually the first time it appeared in the Full Color series. The first Gundam SEED Destiny-themed figures hit SD Full Color in Stage 52 but the earlier sets feature the first generation of Gundams seen in that show such as the Impulse Gundam and the three units stolen by Serpent Tail.
This version of the Destiny has its weapons stowed on the backpack rack. It also features clenched fists which means it is not able to equip gear from any other figure either.
Posing together with some differently geared up Destiny Gundam figures. The figure on the left is armed with both the sword and the launcher (from Stage 59). The two figures on the right come from the SD Full Color Custom range and are armed with rifle and shield (FCC volume 03) and sword and shield (FCC volume 11) respectively.361 : MVF-M11C Murasame
SEED Destiny was a pretty miserable show. The story was all over the place and the new group of characters so flimsy that they had to bring in the old team from SEED to recover the train before it went completely off the rails. For every decent episode there is half a dozen bad. But there are sparkles of hope littered around the disaster zone and a couple of nice new mobile suit designs are hiding in the background (have you spotted the blue Raider yet?). The Union of Orb for example got a really nice evolution of their Astray fleet in the transforming Murasame specification. Unfortunately they didn't amount to much more than target practice just like all the other wasted designs in that show.
It is not easy to do a complex design like the Murasame full justice in such a tiny format, but I think overall the result here is fine. As usual when it comes to SD figures all the make-up sits on the front side and as a result the backside is all white but that is par for the course for most SD figurines anyway. There are no transformation gimmicks here, instead it returns in mobile armor mode in Stage 58. That volume also features Waltfeld's yellow machine (in both modes) which is for some reason not included here.
The Murasame together with its forbearer the M1 Astray (Stage 43) and the MSV Astray Blue Frame (Stage 55) and Red Frame (Stage 54).
The ORB-01 Akatsuki leads a group of Murasames from the Takemikazuchi as they get ready to repel the Z.A.F.T. invaders.362 : ZGMF-1000/A1 Gunner ZAKU Warrior (Lunamaria Custom)
Lunamaria Hawke eventually got her hands on the Impulse Gundam but she is most closely associated with her red painted Gunner ZAKU Warrior. And for good reason too I might say, because unlike that derivative Gundam design the Warrior has a really fresh feel to it, even when it is recycling a classic design.
The SD representation of the Warrior is exemplary. it has everything I expect from a good SD figure; lots of colour (also on the backside), a highly detailed sculpt and just enough painted detail to make it look interesting. it comes armed with the Gunner-type Wizard Pack only. I would have liked it if Bandai had also made a red ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior figure but it was not to be (you can find such figures in other Gashapon series however).363 : ZGMF-1000/A1 Gunner ZAKU Warrior
The ZAKU series mobile suits from SEED Destiny was a great looking design but I still think that as a whole the authors should have refrained from stealing so blatantly from the Universal Century. Doing so also put an end to an amazing series of mobile suits of GINNs, CGUEs and GuAIZs. At least the different types and colours of Destiny's ZAKUs were kind of impressive. When the terrible DOM Troopers with their stupid Jet Stream Attack were introduced I just wanted the whole thing to end...
Derivative or not, the SD interpretation of SEED Destiny's ZAKU certainly looks like it means business and I really like the green colour pattern with its little standout patches of white and orange. The attention to detail on the shoulder shield enhances the appearance even further.
The Gunner ZAKU Warrior is a gear variation of the basic ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior which you can see here armed with a machine gun and an axe (released in Stage 52). The two figures are basically interchangeable.364 : GW-9800 Gundam Airmaster
Next up we have a machine from the After War Gundam X series. These have been appearing sporadically. Stage 38 started with the Double X and the G-Falcon, the Gundam X and its GX-Bit followed in Stage 55 and apart from this Airmaster there is also the Leopard Destroy in Stage 57. You can also find the X-Divider and the Virsago Chest Break in SD Full Color Custom and SD Gundam Bind but that is pretty much it.
The Gundam Airmaster is certainly an unusual figure. The only other appearance that I know of is as a properly scaled version in the Gashapon HG line from 1996. That figure looks a bit rough by today's standards. The SD figure comes with two swiveling arms, each wielding a beam rifle.
The Airmaster appears really tiny when teamed up with its friends. Seen here from left to right we have the Gundam X and GX-Bit (both from Stage 55), the Double X from Stage 38 and the Airmaster.365 : MS-06F Zaku II + SD Mechanic File Card
Nearing the end now and here we have a couple of throwbacks to the Mobile Suit Gundam series, a Zaku II and the Gundam itself. These two figures are come with SD Mechanic File collector cards. These are just small paper sheets of the same type as the booklet (the card would be tucked inside the booklet) except they are aligned vertically instead of horizontally. Each card contains a small image of the SD figure and a little bit of technical data (in Japanese of course). I'm not sure if these were intended to promote one of the many SD-themed console games released over the years but I don't see any obvious hints. These cards were not included with my first full set purchase which was a bit of a bummer but two years later I managed to hunt them down.
Let's return to talking about the actual Zaku II figure again. This is a neat looking classic type figure with the arms stretched out in front holding a Zaku Machine Gun. On the back we have storage options for a Zaku Bazooka, due to the figure's pose you cannot equip it as an optional gear. The handles on the bazooka reflect this as the accessory wouldn't really fit into any figure's hand unless you modify it.
As you can see here the Zaku II figure from this set sits at the lower end of the SD figure scale as far as size is concerned. When it comes to colour accuracy though, it is instead one of the better ones.366 : RX-78-2 Gundam + FF-X7 Core Fighter + SD Mechanic File Card
At the tail end of this stage we find an RX-78 added almost as an afterthought and sparring partner for the Zaku II figure. This is actually not the first time this has happened. Stage 39 saw an unlucky Gundam pushed to the jumbo slot of a set fronted by a Launcher Strike Gundam and it happened again in Stage 40 where it lost out to the Braw-Bro. At least this time he is bringing some fire support.
I dunno... this is a really ho-hum Gundam design. We have had a number of beam rifle + shield combos already but I wonder why this figure has a peg hole on the back skirt. You would kind of expect the figure to also include a Hyper Bazooka much like the Zaku figure in this set came with one. But fear not, we get a useless all-red Core Fighter instead.
Yeah, that Core Fighter kind of takes the cake. There have been several nicely painted Core Fighter Gashapons released over the years but this red dummy will only be useful on a shooting range for target practice. I guess if you were really desperate you could paint it up since it does fit the standardized SD Full Color bases but then again you may as well pick up another figure in its place instead.
Joining up with some of the other designs from the G-P.A.R.T.S. family. Yeah, did you notice the nicely painted Core Fighter sitting at the front of that G-Armor on the left? Why Bandai didn't put in the effort to spend some paint on this lone Core Fighter boggles the mind. Actually it doesn't; the reason is spelled G-M.A.R.G.I.N.Conclusion
Stage 56 is a pretty average set with a decent enough mobile suit selection although I can't see anything particularly important to look out for here. It serves well as a collection builder though and I always appreciate a set that has a decent number of army builders in there but that is a bit of a moot point now some fifteen years later.
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