Gundam Converge CORE 043 : Last Shooting Set

Looking back at Bandai's premium Converge range for 2024 we have a mix of modified figures with new colours and accessories (the Zeon ace packs), repackaged and reintroduced old SP-kits such as the Strike Gundam Full Weapon set and the Astray double pack, a repackaged Byg-Zam and a couple of space battleships. I'm not sure which category I should throw this set in, but probably the one with the Zeon aces - basically we have two retail figures given the "special marking" treatment and it also has a couple of new components. Released through the P-Bandai program in August 2024 it had an original price of ¥3600 plus tax. I had hesitated for a long time over getting this pack or not, but I decided to grab one for the benefit of the blog (I guess you can always justify your poor decisions somehow).


The box I received was a little bit banged up and the lid very loose in one corner. I didn't think much about it at the time but we shall get back to this further down in the review (uh, oh... foreshadowing detected).


The figures come in two sets of bags. The main components are stuffed inside a bubble bag which unfolds into multiple classic Converge plastic bags and a Zeong figure wrapped entirely in an additional layer of bubble. The base and tall stand are wrapped inside a separate triangle-shaped cardboard shell to keep it from harm.


The figures are typical Converge-products with only a few new components specifically for this set. Most has been recycled from one of the later RX-78 sculpts and the Converge Plus-based Perfect Zeong (minus the legs and the Plamo Kyoshiro weapon).



RX-78-2 Gundam (Last Shooting ver.)


The Gundam figure is based on the sculpt used in Converge #22 but has entirely different colours and a couple of printed markings to make it seem a bit more exclusive than it really is - opinions are usually divided on if these bring any additional value or not. At least it makes my job as a reviewer easier to roll out the comparison photos and tell figures apart from each other. We of course also have a clear base for the figures in this release to make them stand out even more against the retail black-base figures. I wish they would have just chosen one standard and then stuck to it. Notice the optional peg that slots into the rear armour. It allows you to store the shield on the figure's back, you can also choose to remove the peg entirely but will be left with a gaping hole in its armour.


Two beautiful translucent beam sabers are included with the figure - these always come in handy and can be repurposed for many of the other Converge figures. Handsize does matter however so whether they are compatible with your particular figure of choice will depend. Notice the gaping hole in the left arm where the shield is normally attached when equipped. The comparison photo shows another recent RX-78 equipped with beam sabers, the Origin version from Converge #26. The latter figure even has removable saber hilts on its backpack, a feature that is not implemented here.


The two included bazookas are also a carry-over from the Converge #22 figure and allow you to display the figure in the Final Battle mode. The bottom image shows the original (almost vintage at this point) Final Decisive Battle Spec. Gundam from Converge volume 4, released in September 2011 (left), the troubled Converge #22 figure from November 2021 (centre) and the CORE figure on the right. Notice how pretty much every colour has been altered between the two latter figures, just for the hell of it, it seems.






MSN-02 Zeong (Last Shooting ver.)


Our new version of the Zeong is the third variant released over the past four years. This means that the designers went out of their way to make this figure different by altering the colour palette again and slapping some random bogus markings all over its body. Other than that, it is still the same old #Sharp Zeong which all things considered is a really good implementation of this design in my opinion.


The original Converge Plus version of the Zeong did not come with Psycommu hands (because Bandai hadn't yet introduced the separate Equipment Pack set into the Converge-line) so this is currently your only option of getting them apart from buying the even pricier Plamo Kyoshiro-figure set which is currently about 50% more expensive. As you can see from the images above the figure can pose just fine without the clumsy supports pieces but if you intend to display it over an extended period of time they are there to prevent the arms from gradually drooping and bending out of shape. There is a bit of work needed to align everything properly, for me personally I won't bother with the extended arms and just chuck these components back into the box again.


Side-by-side with the original Converge Plus-version of the Zeong (released January 2021) and the Perfect Zeong from CORE 031 (released in October 2022) which can also transform back into the exact same Zeong mode as the other two figures. I think that the Perfect Zeong-figure has the best colour scheme but my copy is so shoddy that I cannot recommend it.





Last Shooting Scene


Right, onto the main gimmick then! First we will transform the Gundam into its famous final pose, you replace the left arm with the shoulder stump and remove the head and that's that, a feature carried straight over from the previous Converge #22 figure, seen here on the left. Everything had been going well so far, but here is where I ran into an issue and my mood began to sour...


I assembled the diorama stand and looked at it thinking, "Hey, how exactly is the Zeong's head going to attach to this base?". I went back and looked at the box cover and only then I noticed that the long piece making up the stand was broken off. Sure enough, an additional five centimetres or so had been severed but the cut was so clean that it looked like the tip of the base was some sort of peg. I found the offending section and glued it back in place, you can see it lying on top of the box there on the right.


The stand is in fact so tall that it practically touches both the top and bottom edges of the box when stored in its plastic bag making it very susceptible to damage. Perhaps the piece broke during its travel to me from Japan, or perhaps someone pre-ordered it from P-Bandai, noticed it was broken and sold it off to Mandarake who didn't notice the state of this piece either. While I was suckered into taking the biggest loss I would like to reward the Bandai product team with an equally massive L for this poor packaging decision. Perhaps the box could have been a couple of centimetres taller?


Anyway, here is the stupid thing shoddily glued back for a demonstration of the Last Shooting gimmick. I didn't manage to line everything up neatly enough but I was beyond caring at this point. I think you get the idea.




Conclusion

I guess when it comes to recycling your figures and luring customers to buy them all over again this is a fairly novel concept even though the execution comes off as a bit flawed. I can imagine some Converge collectors will be a bit frustrated with the height of this thing and finding a suitable place for it in their displays. Still, the package does contain two good looking basic versions of the RX-78 and the Zeong, both with some option gear, and as such there is still some value to be found in here. And on the flipside, if you already happen to own these figures I see no reason to throw away money on this set.

Bandai Mobile Suit Gundam 30th Anniversary Okawara's Origin

As per a recent request we'll take a closer look at one of the special 30th anniversary Gashapon sets that Bandai released in 2009. The figures are based on famous designer Okawara Kunio's original mobile suit designs and some of the figures have literally been sculpted in very peculiar ways to follow the perspectives seen on the original drawings. These figures are pretty hard to find and I had to use some secondary sources to dig up a couple more facts. For example, the Gundam Ace Magazine logo at the bottom of the booklet threw me off a bit leading me to believe this may have been some kind of cross-promotional release but it looks to be nothing more than a simple advert, stating that the magazine releases on the 26th of every month.


I bought these items second hand back in 2019 and as you can see I don't have any parts of the original packaging included. According to Hobbylink Japan the figures were released as regular Gashapon capsule toys sold eight to a box. The release date is June 2009 for the first wave, while this second release most likely followed in the autumn of that same year.


This parts explosion shot reveals that we are mainly dealing with rigid figures that have shaped pegs designed to pose arms and legs in a very specific way. Thin of these figures as little statuettes with zero play value.


Each figure comes with a tiny little Okawara Kunio memorial plaque that can stand upright at a slight tilt. You can bet that these will be missing on a lot of second-hand figures out there so pay special attention when hunting if this is a concern of yours.



MS-06F Zaku II


This set is very Zeon-heavy, since the RX-78 and the Guncannon were featured in the first wave. I find it refreshing that there wasn't a repeat Gundam thrown in here for the sake of it, which is often the case. Anyway, this Zaku figure quickly shows what is so odd about this figure series. Although tiny these Gashapon are painted to a very nice standard featuring highlights and shading as well as special markings, something very unusual for tiny PVC minis. In contrast, the back of the figure is almost entirely monotone which looks really odd but I guess with the idea of you viewing the figure straight on from the front this was not going to be a problem.


Size and colour comparison with a Zaku II from the Ichiban Kuji one-shot "Solid Essence Collection" from 2020 and a STANDart 1/220 scale Zaku F2 Type. These figures don't really match any other figure series out there although you could potentially press a few of them into service in a diorama with smaller 1/280 or 1/300 Gashapon figures.






MS-07B Gouf


Up next is my favourite figure from this set, a Heat Rod-swinging Gouf in a great looking pose. The only complaint is the left foot resting atop a cloud-like white little stand but you should be able to work him into a diorama setting really nicely. Notice all the highlights painstakingly applied to the heat rod, this is really nice for a Gashapon.






RX-75 Guntank


This figure set has been doing great so far but here is where it all falls off a cliff. The idea of creating these peculiar messed-up perspective designs doesn't work at all in my opinion. if you really wanted to highlight the look of the original paintings maybe Bandai should have released these as flat rubber keyring mascots or acrylic sheets. Or why not, you know just let the figure keep its realistic proportions and put this neat paintjob on top. It doesn't help that it sits elevated from the ground on this blue mini-dais. I don't like this miniature at all.






HT-01B Magella Attack


The Magella Attack Tank unfortunately suffers from the same issues as the Guntank, this one looks like it has driven halfway into a swamp and got stuck. What a shame since the paintjob is so vibrant and colourful. Oh well, at least it save me the trouble of trying to find more units to squad-build because these things are really hard to find.






So there you have it folks, a short review today but there isn't really a whole lot to say about these minis or things to compare them to. I am still missing a couple of the first wave which includes the RX-78, Guncannon, Char's Zaku II and cursiously a Zaku I. There is also a third wave of repeats of the Gundam, Gouf and two Zaku IIs that stand on large rectangular white bases. I have them around here somewhere and they will eventually find there way on here but those are just more of the same basically.

Mobile Suit Ensemble Part 28

Here is finally the overdue review of the most recent of the Ensemble retail sets, officially the 28th wave. the wave has a couple of months under its belt already, being released back in November 2024. This set is of the larger 6-figure variety but I don't know the exact figure distribution in the larger 10-pack boxes. I have seen some box openings heavily slanted towards the Strike Freedom and its accessory which isn't really a surprise.


The packaging variations continue with both boxed and capsuled figures out there. It seems lately there is also a third category that has crept into the mix; we now have these bagged figures that are presumably sold through the Premium Bandai online store? The fact that the boxes are full of disclaimer text in various languages lead me to believe they might be intended for export through the foreign P-Bandai programs while the bagged up figures maybe are only intended for the Japanese market but I really don't have any idea.



185 : ZGMF/A-262B Strike Freedom Gundam Type II


The big thing in this set is the Strike Freedom upgrade for its SEED Freedom revival and I am starting to get a bit tired of seeing it by now. I'm sure this is a popular pick with collectors though and the figure is really neat, but since we have seen both the Freedom and the Strike Freedom in Ensemble already it is hard for me to work up that much excitement over it. While I don't show it here, you can swivel its wings into full spread and the hip-mounted railguns can swing up and extend but it is a bit messy to deal with as parts often like to fall off.


I mentioned in the recent Converge #26 review that there appear to have been changes made in the manufacturing process with a new focus on more hard plastic components; now we are seeing the same in Ensemble. After the "soft" era with some really dodgy figures (Hello Immortal Justice and Windam) we are seeing more ABS use in Part 28. You may have noticed also that the mini-sprues with all the joints and inner components have been slightly redesigned again. The outer frame of the section that contains the back of the torso now has a slightly more rounded shape but all the components themselves are still the same as in the previous waves. This Freedom figure has a gimmicky golden brown set of joints which is a neat touch that we have seen before and that was also used to great effect in Gashapon Senshi Forte.


Side-by-side with the old premium X20A Strike Freedom figure (EX 31, released in September 2021). The new figure's proportions have been altered somewhat just like we have seen with some of the other recent Ensemble figures (the Impulse Gundam comes to mind) giving it a sleeker and taller appearance. The EX figure of course has the retail figure soundly beaten when it comes to the size of the wings, but with Ensemble figures having standardized torsos I guess you could hand them over to the new figure if you wanted to.






186 : MDE262S Proud Defender


Yeah, not much to say here, on its own there is not a lot here. This pack is just as unexciting as its counterparts in Gundam Converge, Gframe and Mobility Joint Gundam. On a technical note, the joints that attach the wings to the mid-section are really thin and frail and were a bit of a mess to assemble and I nearly cracked on of them so take extra care when building this thing and make good use of the assembly instructions that Bandai upload to youtube nowadays.


Here we can see another recent change in the Ensemble line. The capsule type has been changed and the classic pastel see-through light red, blue, yellow, green and clear colours that were always used are now replaced by nearly opaque capsules in new colours. The Proud Defender comes in this dark red type, the Freedom itself in yellow, Guel's Dilanza sits in an orange capsule while the mass production type comes in black. The Gelgoog comes in dark green and the equipment set finally sits in a violet capsule. One of the things Bandai has not seen fit to improve are the terrible figure stands and there is no stand option at all included with the Proud Defender, nor is it compatible with any as it lacks any peg holes or slots.



185+186 : ZGMF/A-262PD-P Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam


Your are of course intended to swap out the tiny Freedom wings on the Strike Freedom with this huge set and while it always looks impressive the novelty is beginning to fade at this point. Still, this is a natural and obvious accessory for the Strike Freedom Type II and certainly a nice little earner for Bandai as the Freedom family is a real evergreen in both model kit- and figure sales.


The two outer white wings and the centre gold wing on each side unfold separately but they can be a bit fiddly to manipulate. You can also swing the wings backward but without a sturdy base you won't be displaying the figure like that. I didn't try putting the figure on the default Ensemble base to see if it could handle that load but I would feel a bit sceptical of such an arrangement as the base is inherently unstable to say the least.


Side-by-side with the recent Converge Mighty Freedom which is constructed by combining figures 291 and 292, both released in Converge #25 in May last year. The Converge figure by the way is out now as a Converge Revive in a pearl metallic colour variation. Below you can see the Mighty Freedom slotting in between its two supposed successors; the Immortal Justice from Ensemble Part 26 and the Rising Freedom from Part 27.






187 : MS-14S Gelgoog (Char's Custom)


Turning our eyes to the Universal Century for a brief moment we have a really important addition of the mighty Zeon Gelgoog, something I had been hoping for, for a while now. I find it a bit unfortunate that we only get Char's custom red suit, this figure should have been offered in two colour variants and I think it is a bit unfortunate that it got to share set with the Dilanza which is also a two-colour offering. It would have been better to see the mass-production type Gelgoog here and offer Char's Gelgoog as a premium figure because I highly doubt Bandai will come back to this wave and create a Part 28.5 colour variation because none of the other figure lend themselves well to that. :/


The Gelgoog comes with its default equipment which includes a beam rifle and the classic shield, painted to a nice standard. We also have a really large weapon rack for the backpack which has some additional uses as can be seen below. Notice that the white Beam Naginata handle you saw on the photos above are not included with the figure itself but can be found int he Equipment Pack. Notice that the shield does not just slot into the elbow peg hole but is in fact hand held which opens up some interesting posing options.


One of the basic gimmicks of the Gelgoog figure is the weapon rack at the back that allows you to store the Beam Naginata handle and shield on there when not in use. Personally, I don't think it works because the shield ends up sticking out too far. I feel it would have worked better to have the shield sit on a peg that could slot directly into the figure's back without need for that rack in the first place but you can do it however you please, so that is cool.






188 : MD-0032G Guel's Dilanza


When this wave was announced I was excited to see yet another mobile suit from Witch of Mercury join the ranks. It is not that I am a huge fan of the series itself (I still haven't watched it) but I can't stand when we just get the hero figure and then Bandai quickly moves on to something else and we end up with a long line of different takes on a white Gundam figures that don't have anything in common besides the name. The Dilanza itself is a really beefy design, it kind of resembles the Zaku III or the Gustav Karl and sadly the Ensemble rendition isn't as massive but it is still a decent looking figure. There is something strange and insect-like influence going on with its face and I think the various plumes and v-fin look a bit goofy but the lower body with its interesting foot design is much better. But what is going on with its weapon? Keep reading...


Yeah, so while opening up the packaging and preparing the component shots I accidentally didn't see the clear plastic tip of the Dilanza's spear and threw it in the garbage... Components usually sit one by one in the different compartments and in this case it shared space with the shaft of the spear and so I simply didn't notice it remained inside the emptied bag. For the rest of the review you will see this figure armed with an axe until my replacement figure arrives and I can update the photos...






189 : MD-0031 Dilanza


Onto the mass production variant then, in toothpaste turquoise colour. it has a bit of a cartoony look but I dig it, except for the bendy antenna that for some reason is not part of the ABS hard plastic revolution I just praised at the beginning of the review. The base figure is the same as the purple version save for the different adornments on top of its head. Other differences include the different shoulder armour, lack of stubby wings at the back and it being equipped with a rifle instead of a melee weapon.


One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that the circular thrusters on the back of the feet are quite loose and like to fall out fairly easily. I would recommend gluing these in place since they are quite small and easy to lose.


We have a decent line-up of Witch of Mercury suits in Ensemble at this point and I would love for this series to go on. Haven't seen any announcement for Part 29 yet, Bandai are currently busy reissuing older sets, with waves 9, 10 and 11 returning to the shelves this winter. Something tells me it will be focusing on GQuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuX but we shall see. Seen here from left to right in top row: Gundam Aerial (Part 23), Aerial Rebuild (Part 25) and Gundam Calibarn (EX version). Bottom row: The two Dilanzas from Part 28 and the Gundam Schwarzette from Part 27.


The Dilanza is the army-builder of this set and doesn't disappoint in that regard. I just hope that the Gelgoog will also be allowed to shine in mass-production form sometime in the future. :)






190 : Equipment Set for Wave 28


The equipment set lastly is split up into three groups of gear. We have extra weapons for the Strike Freedom, an option for the Gelgoog and some additional gear for the Dilanzas.


I was going to post some pictures of the Strike Freedom equipping the various beam saber options or the wrist mounted shield. However, those golden hands have a really tight grip on those beam rifles, I can't get them out unless resorting to using some kind of tool and I would be afraid to maybe damage the components. My advice is, choose weapon option before you start sticking the rifle grips in because they really like to stay there. It is more or less the same story with the shield; you have to peel off that thin red piece and replace it with the full shield. Again I was worried I might actually damage the thin red component so you'll just have to imagine what it looks like I guess.


The Gelgoog gets its classic dual-blade Beam Naginata which can also be operated as a single-bladed beam saber. The handle can be stored at the back of the figure when not in use. I wish Bandai would have produced this component in yellow translucent plastic however.


The Dilanza gets four different types of accessories that help you mix and match figures when assembling a full unit but really are intended to convert the figure into the custom unit piloted by Lauda Neill, the MD-0031L. I just like to spread the gear out across my platoon. The L-type Dilanza has a different type of circular shoulder shields and a slightly different backpack with a little fin on top of it. the head antenna is replaced with a Samurai-style dual V-fin (looks more like a U-fin actually) and the main weapon is a giant axe.






Conclusion

In closing I really like the new direction taken with the stiffer ABS material that takes care of some of the main gripes I had with the previous waves. I also find the mobile suit selection excellent although I have a feeling a lot of people probably might not care for the Witch of Mercury suits that much. I do get a little worried that we don't see many news in Ensemble. Besides the heavy reissuing of old waves and a couple of really premium priced EX figures from last year there is only one announced set on the horizon, slated for shipment in July - the special Requiem for a Vengeance 5-figure set that come with individual figure numbers and surprisingly no dedicated equipment set. Is this an indication of further set development or the beginning of the end?