Bandai Spirits Ichiban Kuji Mobile Suit Gundam Witch of Mercury Vol. 3 - Blessings to You Last One Prize

The Ichiban Kuji lottery and its prize figures pop up here on the blog every now and then and this time we are looking at Witch of Mercury volume 3, subtitled "Blessings to You" which premiered in October 2024. Prize items are sorted from the most premium category A and downwards - in this set it goes to category F but the exact number of classes varies from release to release. This review covers the "Last One version" special item which is an alternate design of the A-prize; kind of like a "chase piece" but it is not a secret item and it has its own box cover. You can see the full range of prizes from this particular set on the official website.


If you are familiar with Kuji boxes this one will feel no different; the cardboard is a bit rough and much of the text and numbering is standardized across all releases of a set, be they figurines, acrylic trinkets, posters or so on. Products belonging to this wave are identifiable by the code 64667 on the backside of the cover.


The unnecessarily large box holds the figures in sandwiched blister packaging with plenty of air on all sides. Good for the figures sure, but I don't see why they could not have been securely packaged in smaller box with a bit of stiff cardboard protection. This type of packaging can make sense when you want to showcase the actual figure without having to open the box but this one is closed on all sides so it comes off as a bit of wasted space.


The base is attractively painted in three different colours and is free from pegs or peg holes which means it can pull double duty as basis for a lot of custom displays. The top section has plenty of space, measuring roughly 14 by 8 centimetres.


Well isn't this just adorable, Suletta and Miorine hand in hand and lost in thoughts. The A-prize figure has them grinning from ear to ear but this version is a little more muted which I like better. The great thing about these figures is that they come without any connector pegs, you can just place them next to each other and they'll stay there. The sculpting style and paintjob reminds a lot of the Banpresto Spirits figures we have seen over the past years and is of a good standard. I rarely have any issues with figures of this type.


Size-comparison with a somewhat larger Miorine figure from the Bandai Spirits/Banpresto claw machine prize figure-range from 2023 (right) and the very close in scale MegaHouse G.E.M. Series Miorine figure from last year (left).


One of the best gimmicks of this figure set is how flexible it is. The base is large enough that you could display a character with a larger mobile suit figure or model kit next to it. I don't have any Gundam Aerial bigger than the Ensemble figure so the Gundam Universe Leo will have to step in to represent larger figures like Robot Spirits or MSIA. It is funny that there are so many large and extravagant Gundam character sculpts in strange dynamic poses when all I would really prefer would be a figure in pilot suit prepared for display next to a mobile suit of your own choice.

Bandai Spirits-Ichiban Kuji Solid Essence Collection Vol. 1

Today we are taking a look at an Ichiban Kuji lottery prize figurine set which released in the M.S. Conclusion Vol.1 wave. They are manufactured by Bandai under the Bandai Spirits imprint which recently replaced the Banpresto brand. Lottery tickets were made available in the summer of 2020 (apparently from June 20 according to what I have seen online). Tickets were priced at ¥950 and the prize range includes various gimmicky items such as A4-size document files with motives from Char's Counterattack and smaller hand towels with Gundam line-art on them. The main prize (level A) is a 16cm tall RX-93 Nu Gundam which is significantly larger than the figures we are taking a look at here.


The Solid Essence range of figures follow a kind of Gashapon distribution model with six different figures all packaged in the same type of box. I picked these up over a six month period and the individual prices for each figure varied between ¥800 and ¥1500 for the revealed figures and ¥2500 for the secret item. Amusingly, the highest prized regular was the Acguy, a mobile suit that has achieved a bizarre level of cult status.


Each figure comes packaged in a multi-section plastic bag of the type commonly used for Gashapon and Shokugan figures. This helps keeping their stylish paint detail fresh until you begin abusing them.


Parts-wise the figures typically come with a loose head and arms giving you the most basic of articulation options. The Acguy is an exception of course with its peculiar anatomy. Each figure also comes with a large circular base which thankfully is not needed to display them.




RX-78-2 Gundam


The RX-78 figure has a very original television series feel about it, except for the myriad of creative markings and symbols scattered across all sides of the figure. The face also has a lot of detail but that is about as much play value you can get out of it. The figures in this set would work really well in dioramas were you need something parked in a hangar or in the background on your base. The fact that the figures do not feature any accessories (except for the Gouf which has its built in whip) reinforces this characteristic.






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


Char's Zaku does not feature as crazy many markings as the Gundam but has different shades of red and pink instead. The strange colour gradient on its legs almost shifts into blue on the lower legs. The backside of the figure by contrast looks a bit bare, now that the eye has gotten used to all the little details everywhere.






MS-06F Zaku II


The mass-production type Zaku clearly displays the odd colouring choice of working with various tones of green on the arms and legs. The closer you get to the center of the torso, the more traditional the colours get. I think this is the one of all the figures in this set that most closely resembles the typical Real Type-designs we have seen in other figure sets. The figure looks a little naked without weapons but I am really enjoying the design.






MS-07B Gouf


The Gouf might just be the best looking suit of this lot with a colour scheme that gives it a more weathered look (sharply contrasted by its crisp factory fresh white markings).






MSM-04 Acguy


The adorable little Acguy doesn't even reach the shoulders of the other figures but makes up for it in style. The warm reddish brown colour coupled with the same weathered look and clear stylish markings as the Gouf really makes it stand out in any line-up.






RX-78-2 Gundam (Real Type Color)


As you might expect, the secret figure is a re-colored variation on the RX-78. And with the Zeonic suits given the Real Type Color treatment it seems only logical to have the green Gundam join in as well. However, I think this figure is drawing very close towards bluish-gray rather than moss green. Several figures in this set have some really exotic palette choices.






Size wise the Solid Essence Collection figures slot in somewhere between the Gashapon HG and the various 1:220 series, at roughly 1:250 scale. This means that they match pretty much nothing else out there save for a couple of really obscure figure sets (the Banpresto MTSS selection comes to mind).




(M.S.) Conclusion

Overall, this is a nice and unique looking figure collection but it won't necessarily display all that well with your other figurines - making it rather pointless to hunt them out. It has now been almost two years since their release and I would wager the chances of seeing an extension of the line-up as extremely slim but I guess one can always secretly hope for a Real Type Color Gelgoog or Dom somewhere down the line.