We are continuing on directly from the first instalment of this series and part 2 promises more of the same. While I don't know the exact release date it wouldn't surprise me if the two Endless Waltz keyring sets were actually released in parallel all those years ago back in 1998.
The count has been upped in wave two from six to seven different figures for a total unlucky set of thirteen keyring mascots to collect. This seems like an odd number to settle on and so perhaps this was not a dual release after all? The set includes the remaining Gundam Pilots including a special appearance by Zechs Marquise - oh I'm sorry Preventer Wind - and an extra Wing Gundam figure returning from the first set, presumably to boost the visibility of the set.
After you untie the plastic string that attaches the figure to the product cardboard sheet you can unfold it to display its two sides like so. The main Banpresto identifier number of the set is 75559 which is also part of the entire barcode.
XXXG-00W0 Gundam Wing Zero (EW) (clear wings ver.)
We'll start with the odd one out, which is of course the Wing Zero figure which is the only one to not include a matching pilot in the set. This is basically a rehash of the Wing Zero from wave one, repainted in metallic grey rather than white and the wings are entirely sculpted in clear plastic. As with the other keyring figures they are primarily not intended to stand on a surface but dangle from your bag of choice, and as such its feet are not flat and the wings extend underneath the body. The material used is soft PVC and so you will see the occasional bent components varying from figure to figure. below you can see both the standard white Wing Zero as well as the Heero Yuy pilot figure from wave one.
XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell (EW)
Banpresto saved the Deathscythe for wave two to be used as the main eyecatcher on the mini-sheet and for good reason. Not only is this one of the evergreen figures that people seem to enjoy but it also has a really good and striking paintjob. Some will be put off by the cartoon-type eyes used on the figures in this set (and like I mentioned in the part one review, it is strange to combine this style with actual pilot figures) but it is otherwise a really solid design that also benefits from being able to stand upright without issue.
XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam
Altron comes in here as the last of the five OG mobile suits doing its peculiar Dragon Fang attack. The pose is a bit wild but the detail is really on point both in sculpt and paintjob. Altron has a very interesting colour scheme but its weapons are a bit too goofy for my taste, I would have preferred seeing a more traditionally equipped figure with gear suitable for long-range combat. It is another well-made figure however, and it also stands firmly on solid ground.
OZ-00MS2B Tallgeese III
Banpresto decided to toss in the third version of the Tallgeese into the set, I guess Zechs is an ally now. The TIII is a very white design and so the figure comes off looking a bit plain compared to the others with more elaborate paint schemes but the areas where blue and red are present look more interesting. Notice the ugly hole drilled through the side of the head. The other figures will have the hole for the keyring drilled top down but the thin ridge on the figure's head required another solution. It is amazing how Bandai has produced millions of cool figures only to drill holes in them and attach them to a stupid keyring. Someone should have come up with a better solution that doesn't damage the figures itself.
Duo Maxwell
Right, that's all the mobile suits included in wave two. We also get three pilots for the newcomers, that is everyone except the Wing Zero. Duo here has a fairly good likeness to him (or your average record shop clerk) and has a simple but clean paintjob. The keyring figures are proportioned in Chibi-fashion and so their balance suffers from large heads and small feet. It is generally possible to have the pilot figures stand unaided but the smallest vibration tends to topple them. I've glued my pilot figures to small clear bases for additional support.
Chang Wufei
Just like Trowa Barton from wave one, Wufei appears in the atrocious Mariemaia Army boyscout uniform. The designers decided to give him a large saber to make him more interesting (that is his only memorable character trait after all) but the choice is strange given that none of the other figures are carrying any weapons.
Preventer Wind
I was overjoyed to get a little figure of Zechs even if only as his Preventer Wind alias. Again I think it is strange that he is depicted in a flight suit unlike the other characters but at least it looks very cool. In general, I wish there were more figures of Gundam characters in their combat gear available (from all series and in all scales).
Gundam-W Endless Waltz 1 + 2
So, here are all the mobile suits and pilots from the two sets combined. In spite of minor niggles that I mentioned earlier everyone fits together really nicely and make for a really good display. You would of course want to address the holes in their heads, filling them up with something like green stuff and painting it over to make it less distracting but I still think you can show off the figures as is, especially if you reserve a space higher up on the shelf.
Conclusion
Due to the general issues with drilling holes into perfectly good models keyring figures are a bit of an acquired taste. However, there are many interesting mobile suits and characters that are simply not possible to find as regular Gashapon or Shokugan and it can be an interesting way to boost the range of your collection. The main problem with keyring figures is that they are typically really hard to find on the secondary market, regardless of set, although prices tend to be quite reasonable.
As for these sets in particular, I really wish that Banpresto had made a companion set of OG New Mobile Report Gundam Wing characters and suits. Miniatures of Treize, Zechs, Relena and Lady Une together with the earlier Tallgeese, Epyon and maybe an Aries or Leo would have been so much fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment