SD Gundam Impact 02

Today we are going to take a quick look at a novelty for the blog; a set of tiny Gashapon figures from the SD Gundam Impact range. Impact was a very short lived series, producing only five sets of a total of 36 figures released between October 2008 and April 2009. SD Gundam Impact volume 2 was released in November of 2008 and the figures originally sold for ¥100 which was then par for the course for the earlier SD Gundam Full Color and Full Color Custom series.


The set is comprised of seven different figures from wildly different timelines. It is worth pointing out that there is not a single Universal Century mobile suit in this set.


The Impact figures are some of the smallest Gundam Gashapon figures and come in tiny little plastic bags held in random capsules. I purchased a complete set from a vendor in Bangkok's Chinatown paying 500 baht for the lot.


All the SD Impact figures feature a few components only, and in cases where the arms or other parts come off, they normally sit on shaped pegs leaving the figures with pretty much zero articulation.



08 : XXXG-01W Wing Gundam


First out is the Wing Gundam as seen in the original television show. This figure is a good example of what the Impact series is all about. Notice how the figure has a somewhat decent colour application on its chest, face and weapons but that nearly everything else is left unpainted white. Next, notice also how the figure is actually hovering above the ground as exhaust spew out of its backpack and forming a base for the figure to stand upon. The closer you look the more detail you will find in the sculpt but the figure is still pretty uninspiring as is.



09 : OZ-00MS Tallgeese


The rival Tallgeese mobile suit also comes off as very white although in its case it is more closer to the actual design. The tiny proportions make it somewhat comical the way the beam saber is dangerously close to cutting the dober gun in half. Again a dynamic flying pose but also pretty hard to work up much interest in the figure.



10 : ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice Gundam


The Infinite Justice is one of the more interesting figures in this lot thanks to its striking colour scheme. Here the effect part (that also doubles as an action base) stands out clearly against the base red of the figure which improves the look a bit and the pose is also quite good. I get the feeling these figures could look really awesome with detailed paint applications.



11 : Musha Gundam Mk-II


It took me quite some time to identify this figure, which is featured in one of the many SD Gundam computer and console games; SD Warring States Legend: Group of the Seven Warriors Chapter. The design is loosely based on the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II from the Zeta Gundam show. This figure does not have a dynamic pose but just look at all the detail on its backpack. The basic blue and gold colour scheme isn't that bad but I'd really like to see this figure fully painted.


I don't know much about Musha Gundam evolution but above are a couple of related designs; the original Musha Gundam in Gundam Converge size (EX 05, released May 2015), Musha Gundam Mk-II from Senshi Forte volume 01 (January 2017) and the SD Impact Musha II.



13 : GN-007 Arios Gundam


The Arios Gundam is the follow up to the equally orange-coloured Kyrios from Mobile Suit Gundam 00. This figure looks very basic and suffers from a complete lack of colour on its back, which looks really odd. Certainly one of the less three dimensional and uninteresting figures of this set. A shame since the Arios Gundam is very rarely seen as a figure.



12 : GN-008 Seravee Gundam


The Arios is followed by another Celestial Being design, the Seravee which is for all intents and purposes as souped up Gundam Virtue. It features an unusually detailed backside for an Impact figure but the figure is pretty uninspiring overall anyway.



14 : Knight Gundam


The last figure in the set; the Knight Gundam features an action pose without the use of effect parts. This is I think the best way to do the static Impact figures - the effect part bases merely seem to clog up the overall look. The Knight Gundam has many nice sculpt details and a nicely flowing cape. Easily one of the more interesting figures in the set.


Above you can see the SD Impact Gundam next to some more modern designs which clearly illustrate the ongoing scale and power creep in the Gashapon toys (that goes for Shokugan too I might add). Left to right: Knight Gundam from SD Impact 02 together with a Knight Unicorn Gundam (SD Gundam Warrior NEXT 19, April 2014), another Knight Gundam (Senshi Forte 04, September 2017) and the Knight Gundam from Converge EX06 (May 2015).

All in all, the SD Impact figures aren't a lot to write home about, but they are not entirely without charm. With so many more interesting figures out there though, it is no surprise that Bandai turned their back on Impact after only six months. These are novelty items for completist collectors only, although you can sometimes see them pop up among regular SD Gundam Full Color figures in second hand lots.

Gundam Converge EX 21 : FA-010S Full Armor ZZ Gundam

The Full Armor ZZ Gundam is the latest in a growing range of Converge EX-figures. The EX-line premiered in December 2013 with the Kshatriya. 2014 saw a further two releases, 2015 featured four (five if you count the red and blue colour variations of the Hummingbird), 2016 deployed six and last year there were also six EX releases. 2018 thus far seems to follow this new pace with three releases during the first half of the year.

The FA ZZ Gundam will also be followed by the FA-010A FAZZ colour conversion later this May. The latter will be a Premium Bandai Converge CORE release with a price tag of ¥2300. The standard Full Armor ZZ Gundam is a regular retail item though, with a suggested sales price of ¥2300 as well. I picked mine up from Mandarake where it is currently sold at a price of ¥1800.

This slightly lower price of an EX figure can perhaps be explained by the tiny box the figure is delivered in. It is not much larger than your average Converge figure box, which is a real departure from the usual EX-products. Notice also the somewhat lazy box art where the back cover just features a couple of pictures, devoid of the usual brief mobile suit technical specification. On the front side we read that the figure is transformable, but the Converge figure features no such technology so this text might be a bit misleading.

As tiny as the box may be though, it is jam-packed with a lot of small pieces in a total of three plastic bags, as well as featuring a tiny instruction booklet and the old blue chewing gum.

If you have built the Assault Kingdom Full Armor Gundam you will be familiar with some of the design concepts here. The Converge figure feels a bit more solidly designed as it was a pain in the neck to pose the Assault Kingdom figure without uncoupling the beam cannon from either the backpack or the arm.

You can display the Full Armor ZZ in two modes. In the basic mode it is armed only with its signature double barrel beam rifle, which pegs into a slot on the right arm. It is not possible to attach it to the left arm however, and it also cannot be attached to the optional right arm with the trigger finger (used in conjunction with the heavy Beam Cannon). If you look carefully on the front cover you can see that the figure can wield both weapons since it is not using the arm not intended for holding the beam cannon which dangles in mid-air.

While putting the FA ZZ together I noticed it is liberally sprinkled with paint smudges here and there. This is not something I am used to from Converge figures and it certainly does not reinforce the use of an "EX" tag. Notice also how the feet have trouble touching the ground. Pretty poor show overall.

The main feature of the FA ZZ is of course when it is loaded with the massive Beam Cannon. This weapon is attached to the backpack as well as to the right hand, and the belt feeding uh... (power? ammunition? E-pacs?) whatever it feeds should also be plugged into the left side of the Beam Cannon and into a hole on the optional back-skirt piece included with the figure.

Let me just say that putting this figure together was very frustrating as all these connection points need to sit at very precise angles to prevent them from popping out. It doesn't help that many of the joints are very loose on the FA ZZ, the arms and backpack in particular are very prone to falling out of their sockets. I'd consider gluing the "ammo belt" into the back skirt but the other pieces you really don't want to lock into position.

Converge ZZ Gundam family: MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam (Converge vol. 12, October 2013), MSZ-010S Enhanced ZZ Gundam (Converge #09, January 2018) and the FA-010S Full Armor ZZ Gundam (EX 21, February 2018).

The Converge ZZ Gundam family has certainly developed into more spectacular and imposing looking figures. While I kind of miss the simplicity of the early figures there is no question that the refined sculpts and more detailed paint applications are a significant improvement on the new figures. Now they just need to get the quality up a few notches as well.

The Full Armor ZZ is getting ready to face off against the Queen Mansa, review coming soon... : )

Overall the Full Armor ZZ Gundam is a beautiful but fiddly figure. There are however a bit too many imperfections (at least on the figure I own) which bring down the overall impression. Honestly, I don't really look forward to doing this assembly process one more time with the FA-010A FAZZ, but there is no question that these two figures will look gorgeous in your Converge collection.

Gundam Converge : GN-005 Gundam Virtue

2018 marks the ten year anniversary of the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 timeline and Bandai is marking the occasion by releasing some special figures (and no doubt model kits as well). Gundam Converge is being blessed with two releases, first we have the odd one out Gundam Virtue which is on review here, the second is a pricey CORE boxset which reissues all four Celestial Being figures that have come out during the Converge Reboot phase over the past years. Those figures carry special markings and gimmicks and will be looked at in more detail once I manage to secure a set.

On display today is the strange release that is the Gundam Virtue. The figure was sold as a Premium Bandai item priced at a whopping ¥2160, which is four times the price of your average Converge figure. And as we shall see, this is rather ludicruous. Right now the figure stands alone outside of the regular Converge series; it is not a basic figure, not a CORE refinement, not part of an SP or EX-set and kind of exists almost like a promo item.

Once the box is opened we are treated to a fairly standard Converge figure, hardly warranting n oversize box. My guess is that the Virtue is being produced in significantly smaller numbers than the Exia, Dynames and Kyrios, and that Bandai compensates by fleecing the completist collectors out there.

As you can see from the parts count, this is hardly riveting. We don't even geta hand separated from the GN Bazooka which is a common feature on many of the new Converge figures. A rather poor show.

The figure itself looks rather nice. Once you get around the fact that it has no face (OMG, what happened to your face?) it looks pretty menacing. The detail is fine but nothing special and certainly not warranting any special release. Notice also that the action base is transparent rather than the typical opaque black which is featured by the other figures to make sure it doesn't fit in with them... how did anyone think this was a good idea?

The articulation is your bog standard Converge, the head can move but it is locked in pace by the constraints of the mobile suit's body, the arms move and are rather loose, the Bazooka arm on my figure even has a tendency to fall down due to the weight of the weapon. The two GN Cannons hanging over the shoulders can also rotate on their pegs.

The main purpose of the Converge Virtue figure is apparently to complete the line-up of the Celestial Being mobile suits. For a figure four times as pricey as your average figure it does a pretty poor job at standing out any other way, even the box art is ugly and they didn't even bother to print the mobile suit statistics on the backside which is just lazy.

The odd choice of action base means that the Virtue displays better with its brethren once the base is removed.

 All in all the Converge Gundam Virtue figure is a decent entry into the series and a good alternative if you don't feel like shelling out double for the CORE 00 box set. It is definitely overpriced and undersupplied for what it is. It is hard to shake the feeling of being ripped off as this would have made an excellent basic figure.

SD Gashapon Warrior DASH 01

Today we are doing another Gashapon review and I have selected the first set of the somewhat short SD Gashapon Warrior DASH figure series. Volume one premiered in June 2015 as random Gashapon capsule toys selling at ¥300, a mark-up of ¥100 compared to the NEXT figures they replace.

So, what are we getting for the 50% price increase? Well, I kind of think of DASH as a stepping stone or an intermediary evolutionary step between the SD Warrior NEXT and Senshi Forte figure series. The main difference between DASH and NEXT is that the DASH figures are slightly larger and feature enhanced elbow joints.

Since I purchased this set second-hand (paying 650 THB for the full set) all the figures were already assembled by the previous owner. I didn't fancy pulling the figures apart so to give an idea of the anatomy of the DASH figures the below picture of a Crossbone Vanguard Den'an Zon (from DASH vol. 06) will give you a fair idea of what to expect in your average DASH figure.

As you can seem the legs typically consist of a single piece snapped into the lower torso although the very last DASH set revised this by introducing a new skeletal T-shaped piece now found in Senshi Forte figures. The arms are typically made up of a shoulder part and a lower arm and these are connected by standardized joints that you have to snap together. Heads usually sit on a kind of ball joint. All in all, assembly can be a bit fiddly at times and figures can sometimes be plagued by loose fitting extremities and equipment.

Volume 1 contains five different figures, as shown here. Each figure is numbered within the specific set from 01 to 05. These numbers are not continuous so the first figure in DASH volume 02 will again start with number 01 and so on.

There is also an interesting discrepancy between the little Gashapon booklet included with each figure and the promotional poster stuck on the capsule vending machines; the sequence of the figures differs somewhat. On the promotional material the God Gundam and Master Gundam are clearly numbered as figures 01 and 02, while in the Gashapon booklet they are listed as numbers three and four. The reason for this is unclear.

I should also point out that this exact set is also available in translucent colours going under a "Clear Ver." moniker. Those figures were limited exclusives made available during the Art Of Gundam event which took place in Tokyo in July 2015.
   

01 : GF13-017NJII God Gundam

So, the honors of opening the DASH series appears to go to the God Gundam even when the RX-78 Gundam is featured in the very same set (I am still not convinced this is how it is intended but whatever). The figure features no optional parts or features, the field emitters are fully extended although we don't get any fancy energy ring to go with them. The right hand has a nice shiny colour (not sure which of the many fighting techniques it represents) and an interesting sculpt. The lack of interesting accessories is a common thing with the G Gundam figures and makes the figure slightly less interesting in my opinion.
   

02 : GF13-001NHII Master Gundam

It is fitting that the next figures is the rival Master Gundam with its immediately recognizable and attractive black, red and blue colour scheme. Again the figure features no accessories and comes with the same type of shiny burning hand as the God Gundam which does seem a bit lazy.

The wing binders on the Master Gundam attach to the back with circular pegs so it is possible to extend the wings to create some variations in the look of the figure.
   

03 : RX-78-2 Gundam

Next up is the granddaddy Gundam figure which comes armed with a beam saber and a shield. As you can see from the images the saber is made from soft and bendy plastic (like the rest of the figure) so you are bound to get warped components like these from time to time. The Gundam figure comes with two hands able to hold any standard type weapon which also tends to be the norm for this type of figures. It is a solid design and the RX-78's slender body type always makes it one of the more poseable mobile suits.
   

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

It comes as no surprise of course that the Gundam is followed by Char's Zaku II. The DASH version of this mobile suit comes armed with a bazooka only, and just like the RX-78 they avoided the machine gun, perhaps to spice things up a little. It is a little bit sad that they never made a green army builder type figure which could for example have benefitted from said machine gun.

The DASH version of the Zaku II also features decent articulation as it is not too bulky in its design. And like some other versions of this mobile suit the DASH Zaku II figure also has a movable monoeye.
   

05 : FA-178 Full Armor Gundam Mk-II

The really big novelty in this set is the last figure; the -to me- previously unheard of Full Armor Mark 2. Featured as one of the Z Gundam MSV designs this is a really unusual mobile suit and I absolutely love getting rare figures such as this one into the collection. It would be great to see it in Converge also although it isn't really that different from the Thunderbolt FA-78. As a figure though, this one doesn't do that much, like many Full Armor Gundam figures it carries nothing in its hands which means it becomes a bit static.
   

Conclusion

Overall DASH volume 01 is a really good set and a nice starting point for the DASH collection. The G Gundam universe was also expanded by one of the limited (and expensive) DASH Premiere sets which add the Devil Gundam with a Gundam Head and also Nobel Gundam and Fuunsaiki into the mix. However, there are no further mobile suits from the UC 0079 timeline in the DASH series which is a bit of a disappointment the closest figure would be the Zudah from MS IGLOO. With the DASH series featuring only eight regular sets and mobile suit choices coming from all over the place this is a general thing to keep in mind if you want to collect these miniatures.