The early days of the NEXT era series of SD Gashapon are characterized by smaller sets of figures typically pitting rivals against each other. Many of the first waves feature two pairs of antagonists and then a completely random suit in the fifth slot. NEXT Part 03 captures this perfectly with two very iconic sets of rivals and an oddball choice for dessert.
You rarely see NEXT figures on the online secondary market. I think your best bet is to scour Gashapon-themed shops... on location in the countries where they were marketed. So, good luck with that. This particular set was purchased for ¥1000 in 2020 which stays true to the original ¥200 prices when the figures appeared in Gashapon machines in July 2011.
01 : RX-93 Nu Gundam
The Nu Gundam might not be what gets my heart thump faster but as a true evergreen you know it has to be in here. You have to really think for a second to come up with a figure series where it was not featured. The NEXT version looks decent enough with some nice Amuro logos and sharp looking eyes. The funnels on the other hand look a little boring and practically scream for some additional detail.
You sometimes see multiple versions of Nu figures with different gear options but this was not seen until later in the series. The figure comes with the typical curved beam saber and a shield with a nice big logo on it, as well as two optional funnel packs so that you can go for the classic single funnel pack look if you so prefer.
Like some of the other figures in this set this Nu figure was reissued in the special Forever Enemies set in 2015. The two are as you can see very similar to each other, the colour temperature on the black/dark blue and yellow/orange details are slightly different but not really worthy of attention.
02 : MSN-04 Sazabi
You know the next face is going to be the Sazabi and a really eager one at that. The way it is wielding that beam saber you can tell it is spoiling for a fight. It has a decent number of detail markings as well, especially the logo on the shield. It looks like someone was asleep at the machine the day my figure was passing through it because the G-Clef marking on the front skirt is upside down... I have no idea how common this is, but the figure in the booklet appears to have it on correctly. It could just be that the figure in the booklet is a computer mock-up of course...
Just like the Nu you are all set up for a saber fight here. In spite of several special figure sets in the NEXT range Bandai never made a Nu or Sazabi with any of their other iconic weapons.
Would you look at that! The Forever Enemies reissue also as the messed up marking. This makes me believe the error is consistent along the entire line and that no one bothered to correct it. Do you have either of these figures and if so, how did they turn out? :)
03 : RX-0 Unicorn Gundam (Unicorn Mode)
The next battle pair comes from Unicorn. First up is the titular machine in its Destroy Mode variation with a really unique loadout combination. The figure sports some nice red detail on the front torso and arms but is of course very white on the backside. The backpack is really smart looking however with its two white beam saber hilts. Notice also how V-fins typically only get painted on the side facing the front.
This Unicorn has a strange combo of beam saber and dual Beam Gatling. While this gear combo might be a little off-putting at first, rest assured that you have many more options out there as you can see below. Notice how only the left arm is equipped to carry a Beam Gatling so you wouldn't be able to grab two figures and flaunt a pair without modifying the figure itself.
There are loads of Unicorn Gundams in the NEXT range - here I have chosen three of them. First we have the Destroy Mode figure with a typical Beam Rifle + Shield combo. This figure was first released in NEXT02 but the one seen above is the "Version 2" from NEXT 12. Over on the right we have a Full Armor Unicorn with a Beam Bazooka and double shields. You also have Base Jabbers in NEXT that carry even more weapons so there is a lot to pick and choose from here. Notice how the NEXT 03 figure only has a red square painted at the front of its skirt where the two later figures have even more detail on the skirt armor.
04 : MSN-06S Sinanju
The Unicorn in NEXT 02 faced off against the Kshatriya and here it gets to try on the Sinanju. The very first Gashapon Sinanju in SD form I might add. A Sinanju which also happens to have very decorative markings in black and gold, the sleeves look lavishly decadent even. Things are less impressive on the flipside however, the backside is all red and those booster tanks could really have done with some white colour.
The Sinanju figure is the one to break the saber trend present in this wave, opting instead for its trusty beam rifle. It does have a saber option however as we shall see.
That's right, the Sinanju returns in NEXT 07 armed with a massive and brightly coloured beam saber. The figure you see here however is from the Forever Enemies reissue set. The Unicorn figure above is not present there, as the Sinanju was battling against the Full Armor Unicorn in that set.
05 : Gundlander
Coming in at the end without a sparring partner is the SD character Gundlander figure. It apparently has a series of its own but I can't say I know anything about it. While I am not really a fan of these crossover character designs I can't deny that the figure is really cool and has tons of charm. Just like in the early Senshi Forte sets you will find character figures sprinkled among the figures in the NEXT line. There are also a couple of really pricey NEXT SAGA boxsets with (what I assume to be) rivals and beasts for them to fight.
The Gundlander has a traditional sword and dragon-faced shield and also sports a blue cape that plugs into a piece of armor worn on the back. I have noticed that this cape doesn't like to remain in place and have considered gluing it in place.
The Gundlander figure was apparently popular enough to be revisited twice. A Real Type Color version was released in April 2015 (in the third such set) and as a clear color figure in the NEXT Premier 01 box set (December 2012) where it really sticks out among the other Stardust Memory and Advance of Zeta themed figures. I forgot to flip the horns down on that figure by the way, it was just the way the head came out of the box.
Conclusion
NEXT 03 is full of high-profile suits and should be a real treat for the budget-minded or more casual collectors out there. While we are already drowning in Nu Gundam, Sazabi and Unicorn figures the Sinanju is slightly more rare with appearances only in NEXT and once in DASH 08 and is perhaps the most enticing figure of the lot.
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