Gundam Converge CORE 040 : The Return of Johnny Ridden

Over the last couple of years the Converge design team has begun drawing more and more figure ideas from more peripheral entries into the Gundam canon. We've seen figures based on mobile suit variations, computer games and comic books. The Return of Johnny Ridden set follows a string of similar releases centred around Char, Anavel Gato and Shin Matsunaga. The source material is drawn from a long running manga series called MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden which began its published life in the Gundam Ace magazine in April 2010. Books have been published by Kadokawa Comics and the 26th and final issue came out in September last year. If you trawl around the Internet you may stumble on ongoing works to translate the books to English to reach an international audience.


The back of the box features short specifications written for each of the mobile suits included in the set. Somehow I misplaced or accidentally deleted the photos showing the plastic bags but the figures come wrapped in the typical packaging we are used to from previous releases. Each main figure comes in a larger compartmentalized bag and some of its accessories spill over into a smaller bag.


Review update: I found the photos of the component bags and the larger bubble wrap bag, I knew they were lying around somewhere...


MS-14J/BR Gelgoog Vertex Testarossa (Johnny Ridden use)


I'll preface the review by mentioning that while I have the Japanese editions in the bookshelf I haven't begun to decipher them yet so I can't offer any particular insights into this strange set of modified High Mobility Gelgoogs. The Vertex is a bit of an anachronism. Its roots are in the High Mobility Gelgoog which debuted in the One Year War coupled with heavy shoulder binders from the MS-14J ReGelgu which of course was fielded by Neo Zeon forces in the Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ which means it is more than ten years old at this point. I don't know the specific circumstances of why you would want to base something on the Gelgoog in U.C. 0090 especially when a Gelgoog featured in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was considered a curious antique. Anyway, it is a really attractive figure although I would personally have been more interested in Ridden's actual MS-14B High Mobility Type from the war.


All Vertex Gelgoogs in this set have the same basic gear; a beam rifle, a spicy blue beam naginata (which you have to assemble from a sprue) and a traditional Gelgoog-type shield. None of the figures use these weapons as their primary configurations but it is great that Bandai included them here. Notice the beam rifle which looks rather similar to the one used by the Gerbera-Tetra, this weapon is unique to Ridden's machine but all gear is of course interchangeable.


Optional weapon configurations using the more traditional weapons loadouts. The naginata is equipped by inserting each part into the hand from different directions so if you push one piece a little too deep it will boot out the other half. Overall I found the naginatas a bit frustrating, they do not like to stay in place when you handle the figure. My advice would be to use some sort of adhesive to keep them in place. The early #Sharp Gelgoogs do not come with naginatas but the later releases (e.g. one in the Trail of the Red Comet pack CORE022) use a single piece with hand directly attached to the weapon which I think works better.


The Converge #Sharp Gelgoog sizes are all over the place. Seen here from left to right are the MS-14S Gelgoog (Converge #08, released in October 2017), the MS-14Jg Jaeger (Converge #22, November 2022) and the new Gelgoog Vertex.






MS-14J/BR Gelgoog Vertex Curenos (Uma Lightning use)


Now, with the remaining two figures things start to go a bit out there. I have to confess that when I first saw the promotional shots of this set I was not entirely convinced. The colour choices and designs looked very cartoony and not at all as gritty and serious as the previous Zeon-themed releases. The Vertex Curenos (or Kyanos as it is referred to in the Gundam Battle Operation 2 game) is flown by Zeon ace pilot Uma Lightning and sports this enormous melee weapon which is apparently a GVC Beam Bayonet. The weapon has a large yellow blade at its tip when in use and it seems strange that this component is not included here, it would have made the weapon look a bit more interesting. Right now, he is basically carrying around a crooked pole. I am also not a fan of these oversized Converge weapons that seem to have become a norm in the Converge #Sharp line at this point. The figures are already deformed so it makes sense to also alter the dimensions of their accessories to something that better matches the figure I think.


We have the same basic weapon options here as on the other two figures. I find it ironic that Bandai decided to spend resources on a blue beam naginata instead of an effect part for the Curenos' main weapon but we all know it is a question of costs at this point. Perhaps in 2028 when the inevitable CORE Special Marking reissue version is released this can be looked into.


I am really glad that the traditional weapon options were also included for this figure, I will be displaying mine with either the rifle and naginata plus the shield for sure. There is just something comforting about the Gelgoog's beautiful shield and it would be a shame to miss it. :) Notice by the way the different head sculpt for this model, the Curenos has an Earth Federation-style front camera below the commander antenna.






MS-14J/BR Gelgoog Vertex Xanthos (Jacobius Node use)


Ok... here is where things get a bit much for me. Remember when you were a kid and played with Lego? Choosing which awesome pieces to select for your design never crossed your mind, you just kept adding more and more cool things to the design until it looked something like this. The Xanthos starts out really nicely with an interesting and unusual golden brown colour scheme but then it just goes off the rails. Enormous launcher style weapon? Check. Another beam rifle on the shoulder? Check. Solid Snake-style headgear on top of the monoeye camera? Definitely! Hey, we are out of black booster tanks... never mind, just use those blue ones. This thing is a mess.


Besides the beam rifle, naginata and shield we saw on the other two figures the designers saw it fit to include an unaltered Gelgoog head if you are not quite ready for Splinter Cell Gundam just yet. The unique weapon for the Xanthos is the GVX Hyper Mega Launcher, a weapon concept we first saw on the MSZ-006 Z Gundam. The booster fuel tanks are not only in a different colour but are a new sculpt as well. The designers paid attention to the details when putting together these figures. I only glanced in a few of the Kadokawa books but they typically feature very detailed drawings of prototype mobile suits and I would imagine they had a lot of lore to build from.


Making use of the traditional Gelgoog head and optional weapons suite. I feel tempted to hide away that large Mega Launcher accessory in the box never for it to see daylight again but I am sure some people will really like it.






Conclusion

All in all, not a bad set, but perhaps not as interesting as the previous Zeon ace packs we have seen before. As I mentioned above I would have preferred if a Johnny Ridden-themed set had been grounded in U.C. 0079 rather than this outlandish stuff. I imagine it was difficult to come up with a set of 4-5 figures based on Ridden alone, the Shin Matsunaga-set was really thin in that department. Better then I think to do a Zeon Aces pack with just the most iconic machine of each pilot, e.g. Gabby Hazard, Ridden, Uma Lightning and Dozle Zabi. Perhaps Bandai have something similar in mind already, that Zaku II Fs in the Matsunaga pack just must be pointing in the direction of the Zabi family I think.

Gundam Converge SB 04 : Nikaya

The Converge Space Battleship side series has been plodding slowly along for the past couple of years with a single release per year, usually around the summer or autumn. In 2024 however Bandai are stepping up the pace with a total of three separate releases, but before you get all too excited two of the three are revisiting old ships and taking them for another spin. The fourth brand new sculpt - the Archangel - is scheduled for release in October but before that we have a reissue of the White Base in slightly new colours coming out in September and the Nikaya, object of today's review, which is a retake on the Argama-class carrier.


The Nikaya is one of a few named Argama-class Assault Carriers and has its origin in the long-running Manga series MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden which premiered in 2010, so this is a real latecomer seeing as the original Argama was introduced in 1985 in the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam anime. Personally I really enjoy seeing existing mobile suit and vehicles introduced into new settings and storylines, the more colour schemes and unit insignias the better. As a figure collector it is of course never as exciting to see a rehash of something you bought last year but this is a really harsh reality in the current market.


Like the other Space Battleships before it, the Nikaya is a Premium Bandai exclusive and launched with a price tag of ¥4500 and was delivered in March 2024. It was released in tandem with the Johnny Ridden Gelgoog-set and as such has received a completely new size of packaging. I don't know if the new box is intended to ease shipping and handling of the two figures. P-Bandai figures usually come in oversized outer cardboard boxes anyway but I suspect the reason is purely logistical.


The parts included here follow the Converge SB tradition; hard plastic helps components retain their shape but also make the figure that much more delicate. I was surprised to see that this is not a simple repaint, there are actually some modifications to the sculpt as well, changes that started with the Pegasus III entry into the class. More on that in a second.


Walk-around of the ship. My main complaint with the Space Battleship series is that it has only featured ships of a similar type and colour scheme. The Nikaya at least changes things up a bit with the bolder colour scheme and looks much better than I expected. There are some issues with the aft fins being bent inward. I am not sure if these fins are supposed to be movable, they don't appear to be however and I dare not put that much pressure to them to find out.


Much of the pant applications are seen from above and even below. As usual, the boring black base does not allow for any dynamic poses and there are no peg-holes on the underside, a slight oversight I think since you could do so many interesting pictures if the base was compatible with say Assault Kingdom bases for example. I suspect that Bandai omitted such for fear that careless display may break the model and better safe than sorry when it comes to customer complaints.


The appearance of the battle bridge has been redesigned, the basic shape is different and it now also includes a pair of extra side-antennas which give me distinct Archangel-vibes.


According to the Gundam Wiki, following the Pegasus III ships of the class no longer feature the rotating habitation blocks so I guess these should always be locked in place for the Nikaya. Still, Bandai included the option part, probably since it is already available, so you can decided which mode to go for yourself. Notice also the exposed Mega Particle Cannons hanging out of the yellow side compartments.


Side-by-side with the original SB02 Argama. The Nikaya may not be as famous but I think she looks much better. Notice the revised design of the battle bridge and its antennas.


All the previous space battleships can be stored in the boxes they came in (the Nahel Argama required removal of some of its fins), so how about the latest entry? Well, the figure does fit inside the box but that is a pretty close call; I wouldn't place anything else on top of it.

So, is it worth spending the necessary amount of money to include the Nikaya in your collection? Considering its obscure origin and the fact that there already is a Converge Argama-class out there I can understand the hesitation, the two figures aren't that different after all. It is a fine entry into the line but perhaps not as crucial as some of the other things you are already considering so I wouldn't worry too much about skipping it.

Gashapon HG Mobile Suit Selection 26

Gashapon figures will soon be considered vintage, surely? Supply is definitely beginning to dry up on the secondary markets but you do come across unopened sets such as this one every now and then. They don't appear to be highly sought after, prices in Japan are usually somewhere around ¥1500-2500 depending on the rarity. I picked up a full set this year for ¥1800 over at Mandarake. Volume 26 was released in what I like to think of as the golden era of Gundam Gashapon around 2003 to 2005. This particular set came out in March 2003 and as such is the second set to feature contemporary designs from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.


While the capsules are not seen here (these are very hard to find) the figures inside come wrapped in two layers of plastic bags. One inner bag contains a subset of the components with the rest wrapped around outside it and everything covered by the outer bag. As usual these figures can be divided up into more individual parts, this just shows what they look like coming straight out of the packaging.



GAT-X105+AQM/E-X02 Sword Strike Gundam


The mobile suits chosen for this set are grouped as three rival pairs. The first duel takes place between the Sword Striker equipped Strike Gundam versus the Aegis. This figure is one of those quirky dramatic pose-pieces that can look really good in the right situation and really awkward when not. It is an interesting pose but I tend to favour a traditional standing pose myself. At the same time, no matter how advanced an action figure gets, they can't replicate such tight bends and twists so I guess there is a place for statue-type figures such as this one. Notice the highly unusual support piece. While transparent supporting blocks are used here and there this figure also has a black circle with two pegs that slot into the clear block for additional support, it looks a bit weird.






GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam


The Aegis takes on a bit of a defensive stance here, it seems like that beam rifle is at severe risk of being cut in half by the Sword Strike. The design of this mobile suit is quite complex and cheap Gashapon figures with less moving parts can benefit greatly from this compare to more elaborate figures like Mobile Suit Ensemble or Universal Unit, which would likely have pieces falling off constantly. It has a decent paint job as well, capturing most of the important detail. The Aegis has a strange mobile armour mode where it resembles a giant claw, too bad there are no small Gashapon or Shokugan figures that represent it. Sure, Bandai's Robot Spirits figure can pull it off but I would have preferred a cheap figure which is not transforming, the HG Gashapon DX or Mecha Selection series would have suited it well.).






RX-78-2 Gundam


The next duel takes place between Amuro and Char and it looks like Amuro has just received a kick to the chest or at least attempts to defend against one. The Gundam has an unusual pose backing up with its shield unprepared while trying to get in a shot with the rifle. This figure comes with an optional right hand which further highlights Amuro being caught off guard. A traditional Gashapon HG stand is also provided as this figure is intended to be in a flying pose and has no means of standing up without one.






MS-06S Zaku II (Char's Custom)


Char is of course coming at Amuro kicking and screaming in his little Custom Zaku. This particular Zaku II is touted as a multi-action figure and sports some additional articulation but it isn't that interesting. You can see the strange diagonal cut in the torso there to allow the upper body to twist and the right leg has a swivelling joint to allow different bends at the knee. The plastic material used is a bit bendy and the knee joint didn't cooperate with me so I didn't force it but I suspect you can get a semi-decent kicking motion out of it. What is more strange is that the Zaku supports the standard HG MS action base but doesn't come with one, the base you see in these photos is borrowed from another figure. You can get the figure to stand unaided but it looks quite awkward and sort of misses out on a lot of the posability the figure was intended for.


I can't see exactly how the designers intended to pose the two figures together, but I guess you would have the Zaku attack from below. Here I put both figures on a base of their own and it still only comes off as mildly uninspired. This pair is the least interesting out of this set in my opinion. Fortunately, there are plenty of other Gundams and Zakus in the Gashapon HG series to choose from.






MS-07B Gouf


The final duo is the most unusual and also tightly knit-together pair of the set - they practically share a miniature-diorama together. There are a handful of figures in the Gashapon HG series that come with scenic detail and here we have a Gouf engaged in some close combat urban fighting. I don't know what is up with the material chosen for this figure but it has a rather rubbery feel to it and the joints are extremely tight.

When the figure arrived the right arm was not fully inserted into its socket, the left hand was inserted at a 180 degree angle and the tubes on the sides of the torso were not plugged into the torso. Amending these issues was quite scary as it felt like I was only moments from ripping the plastic instead of getting the pegs out of and then back into their slots correctly. In the end I prevailed and the figure looks quite alright but the diorama really needs the second half to work.


This Gouf is slightly smaller than the other ones produced in the Gashapon HG series, a few of which can be seen here. Notice the weathered look given to this figure to go better with the rest of the warzone diorama. Below you can also see that the figure has no problems to stand up on its own.






RGM-79 GM


The last mobile suit isn't really a suit but what is left of one, presumably following its unfortunate encounter with the Gouf. It has lost both legs and the right arm is severed at the elbow. The armour is banged up and bullet-ridden and has come to rest half inside a multi-story building. A few years ago Bandai did a one-off set of destroyed mobile suits and this would have fit right in with them. I think it looks fantastic but like the Gouf above it doesn't really match the size of the other GMs released in this figure series. That is the Gashapon capsule-size limitation at work.


Both the GM itself and its right arm can be removed from the diorama base if you want to use it for something else (I didn't attempt to remove the arm as once again this peg hole is really tight and there is risk of damaging the figure in the process). You can also see how the two diorama bases go together. It looks pretty neat although I take some issue with the different base colours and the painted line on the street doesn't line up perfectly but what the hell, it is a cheap Gashapon thing. This experiment is the only combination piece involving two figures in the entire Gashapon HG line.






Conclusion

All in all, this is a neat set if not too particularly interesting. You are mainly buying this set for that mini-diorama. While these are the only available sculpts of the Aegis and Sword Strike Gundam they do return in the special 10-figure SEED Best Selection that released in February 2004, so if those are what you are after consider getting them there.