Volume 23 is the penultimate retail release of the Gashapon Warrior NEXT series and appeared in October 2014 shortly before the introduction of the Gashapon Warrior DASH. The major difference between NEXT and DASH figures is that the latter feature jointed elbows and tend to be slightly larger, more in tune the Senshi Forte figures. The NEXT figures can be a bit tricky to source these days but tend to be moderately priced.
This set includes seven different figures but it appears that two of the figures may have been sold as A and B variants making them slightly rarer. I have been sold both six-figure sets and seven figure sets so I cannot confirm that this was the distribution model (and Bandai despises sellers offering anything but random Gashapon machine sales anyway so they wouldn't want us to know). The last set I picked up was last year and it was priced at ¥1200.
01 : YG-111 Gundam G-Self (BPAM-02 Space Pack)
You can tell that Reconguista in G was the hotness of the day because the set features the enigmatic G-Self machine as its main face, here with the light blue thruster pack for use in space and built by the Amerian Army. Presumably they are also the manufacturers of this blue shield type. It is a great looking figure with a lot of attention to detail in the sculpt and colouring.
Except the aforementioned shield the machine is also armed with one of the two beam rifles used throughout its career, I am still not up to the lore of the series so I couldn't tell you which one it is.
The G-Self returns in NEXT 24 equipped with the Atmospheric flight pack. Also notice the different beam rifle and shield accessories. A lot of effort was clearly spent on this figure.
The G-self posing with its namesakes from Gundam Converge and Mobile Suit Ensemble, all of which are really good looking figure. It would be nice to see this figure line extended with a couple of additional machines in the future.
02 : MSAM-YM03 Montero
Next up is an exclusive for the Gashapon Warrior NEXT brand, the grim looking Montero which gives me Iron Blooded Orphans Gjallarhorn vibes. It features shoulder-mounted wings for atmospheric flight and two sets of missile pods on its hips reminiscent of some of the Jegan and GM designs.
The figure features two weapon options, a rugged-looking beam rifle and a double Beam Javelin similar to the ones deployed by the Strike Freedom Gundam or the curved Naginata used by the Gelgoog. The javelin is made up of two identical parts which can also double as individual handheld Beam Sabers. This seems like a typical item to go missing on second-hand figures so pay extra attention when shopping for one.
A total of four Reconguista in G designs are shared between NEXT volumes 23 and 24. Beside the G-Self and the Montero we also have the interestingly coloured G-Arcane. I suppose you could enlist the GH-001 Grimoire from Converge as well since it is rather compact for a Converge figure but definitely larger than the NEXT machines.
03 : GN-001 Gundam Exia (GN Sword)
Next up we turn our attention to Celestial Being and their Exia workhorse machine. The NEXT figure range went all backwards featuring the Qan[T] in wave 02 and the 00 Gundam in volume 14 but at least the Exia made it before the series closed. Sadly none of the Exia's companions made it to the series.
The first variant of the Exia is armed with the large GN Sword which has some really nice paint applications on its forearm shield although the blade itself looks a bit dull. The blade can be folded away by altering the position of it.
Here the Exia poses with a Trans-Am 00 Gundam (NEXT Real Type Color volume 2), the Qan[T] and a regular colour 00 Gundam from the slightly larger Gashapon Warrior DASH series (notice the elbow joints).
04 : GN-001 Gundam Exia (GN Long and Short Blade)
The B-variant of the Exia is unchanged save for the different weapons loadout. As stylishly painted as it is I don't think it quite reaches the level of the G-Self.
The B-type Exia comes with the two differently sized beam sabers with a nice red effect to them. The shield that clips on to the underarm also looks great. You can mix and match the accessories from the two figures as you see fit.
05 : GNX-Y901TW Susanowo
Here we have another NEXT exclusive and it is a real challenger for the figure designers to work with. We rarely see the sleek designs from Mobile Suit Gundam 00 in the Shokugan and Gashapon range and when we do it is typically the tried and tested Celestial Being designs. Converge featured the Union Flag II in its introductory set in 2010 and that was apparently enough for the designers to avoid anything not Celestial Being since then. Mobile Suit Ensemble was brave enough to tackle the Over Flag only last year but beyond that you have to look to a couple of special sets released in the 1:400 and Gashapon HG lines the last of which came out in 2010. As for the Susanovo's predecessor the Masurao you need to go to the Robot Spirits line where it was released in 2009.
The Susanowo figure comes armed with two beam-tipped metal blades, the Shiranui and the Uryu. Pay attention to the power cable accessory that attaches to the back of the figure's head, a part that looks very likely to go missing.
06 : MSM-04N Agguguy
Next, NEXT 23 dips into the familiar Universal Century era to dig up another rare design, the Agguguy that belongs to the Juaggu and Acguy family. While not as obscure as some of the previous figures we don't find a whole lot of them in figure form either. The NEXT depiction is dominated by four very long Heat Rods that extend from its stumpy hands. The figure is also very attractively painted with great attention to detail.
It would have been nice to get some optional Iron Nail claw equipment for army building variations but at least the Heat Rods can be moved about on their tiny ball joints for some interesting poses.
07 : G87 Luna Tank
Towards the end of the NEXT series it became commonplace for Bandai to select a vehicle or other non-mobile suit object for the last slot of the retail sets. The weirdest of these choices has to be the Zeonic Luna Tank, a figure that you will never see anywhere else period. :) The design stems from the MSV-R family and is described as a defensive weapon placed on the Moon's surface to protect the Granada base. The machine features tank-style treads and is armed with several turrets of Mega-Particle Guns. The machine is roughly 25 meters tall which can be compared to 28 meters of the The-O or 30 meters for the Perfect Zeong.
While the Luna Tank features no specific accessories it comes with the standardized vehicle action base shared by all such figures in the NEXT series. While it seems more reasonable to deploy it on the ground the stand can be freely used by any NEXT figure and so is a nice bonus.
Conclusion
Volume 23 features several interesting and rarely seen mobile suits although most of them are on the esoteric side. The set is perfect for people who want as eclectic a collection as possible but is perhaps of limited interest to collectors centered on the Universal Century era.
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