Mobile Suit Ensemble EX 39 : XM-X1 Crossbone Gundam X-1 Full Cloth

I have been burning through Ensemble EX figures lately and today the turn has come to the recently released Crossbone X-1 in its Full Cloth configuration. This was a Premium Bandai release that delivered to customers in July 2022 and it came with a price tag of ¥5500. Not as steep as some of the EX figures out there but still ten times the price you would pay for the retail figure. So far this figure is hovering around the ¥6000 mark on the secondary market and so hasn't seen any nasty price-hike thus far.


Good looking box there, still haven't figured out why we have both the classical Bandai logotype and the new ugly Bandai Namco one on there. As far as I understand it, this is a software division so maybe it is some sort of cross-promotion to have different divisions get in on the fun of funding these products? If anyone has any insights I'd be curious to know.


The box contents honestly aren't as overwhelming as the EX-releases tend to be. We have six bags in here where a typical figure would have three.


Once you look into the components you will quickly see that there are a lot of option parts in here. Plenty of nice translucent red components are also included.


The style of this review will be a little bit different because what we are looking at is basically a regular Ensemble figure with a boatload of accessories. Figures like these tend to give me a lot of headache because ultimately I will select a configuration and then never bother with the other gear options again. I prefer multiple gear choices for mass-production type figures and for signature machines like this one (or the dreaded Gundam Converge Anchor) to stick to one main gimmick but this is subject to taste of course.


On the left we have the new EX39 figure and on the right the basic XM-X1 Crossbone X-1 figure from Mobile Suit Ensemble Part 20. As you can see, these are the same with a slight colour change in the black areas but this might just be a manufacturing variation rather than intention.


This should give you a better idea of all the funky gear choices that come with the Full Cloth figure. Some of these weapons are modular as well, giving you multiple little accessories to keep from disappearing.


You are not going to see every gear option in use in this review, because they require quite a bit of parts swapping. Here is the most obvious example. You get two different skirt components. One is the standard Ensemble skirt and the other has optional front skirts that let you either swivel the front sides of the skirts forward (which is an interesting concept for Ensemble figure articulation but also flimsy) as well as having these optional claw-style weapons shoot out from there. These claws are made from softer plastic and come with two special stands to help keep them upright, firmly in the uninspiring style of Ensemble bases being completely horizontal, not encouraging any dynamic posing whatsoever.


This figure gets really busy with all the weird stuff going on. You have multiple knuckle-style choices where the wrist guard on the back of the arms can be handheld and used to wield different types of melee weapons. Notice also the two bladed weapons that can shoot out from the underside of the feet. I am assuming that these are the primary reason for Bandai designing the optional skirt armor with loose front skirts to allow for a forward facing kick. The chain-linked weapon you see here in the right hand also has one of those clear stands we saw earlier but I can't imagine why anyone would want to display a figure like that.


I much prefer a good old saber and beam shield look than all the weird Ninja-style shenanigans going on with the Crossbone figures. By the way, notice the optional open face plate here (which could have benefitted from some painting but I am afraid I will mess it up) as well as the different head which features an antenna on the left side. Notice also the weird hooked shield attached to the left arm which features two positions for the hook; extended as here, or retracted.


The Full Cloth figure has these strange fanged skulls hanging from its shoulder armor and they are designed to be removed and linked up to handlebars that lets the figure wield them. These are extremely flimsy and not only will the teeth fall out very easily, the whole skulls tend to come off the shoulder if you touch them because the beg that attaches them there is very small. The big blade looks really nice though and comes with two differently sized beam emitters up front. Notice also the different torso armors with different insignia, you can either use the skull and crossbones or this more stylized shield in red and gold.


Here the large beam saber uses the bigger beam emitter up front. The length is the same but this one wraps around the edge in an attempt to link it with the saw-tooth sides of the blade. It looks a little bit funky because you can see through the component and so I prefer the smaller saber tip. The beam shield itself can either be attached to the back of the arm or wielded n hand using a special grip-component.


Like most EX-figures the Full Cloth figure comes with a unique stand designed specifically for it. Tis one is pretty simple and mainly focuses on giving support for all those chain-style weapons shooting out in front of it. And as usual, I never bother with these.


Here is the main selling point of the figure, the blue and red cloak armor attached. The rear sections have a ball joint-attachment to a larger black frame that helps keep lock in place with the figure's back and the X-shaped Core Fighter is then attached to this frame rather than the figure's backside directly. As already mentioned, the skulls attached to the sides of the shoulders are kind of loose and you will not get a whole lot of interesting articulation out of this mode, especially if you want to mess around with those large accessories. Notice also the different frontal armor that sits on top of the cockpit, yet another parts swap accessory.


The Converge Full Cloth figure (EX 25, released in January 2019) is a worthy competitor to the more recent Ensemble figure and features more paint applications at the expense of less accessories. Still, Ensemble cannot even begin to try to compete with Converge which now features a crazy range of Crossbone-figures (including the X-0 Ghost, X-3, Phantom and Phantom V2 and the Anchor and several army builder types of the Crossbone Vanguard).


Posing together with the regular X-1 and the X-2 from the Mobile Suit Ensemble Part 20 wave, released in February this year. Coming in at 500 yen these figures also feature capes as accessories and so I got two of each of those retail figures.




Conclusion

Overall the Full Cloth figure is a well-executed design but hardly the most exciting EX-offering to be found in the Ensemble family. Unless you are a real X-1 fan the retail figures should serve you more than well and you won't be missing much if you save up this money for the benefit of something more interesting. I doubt we will see the more extravagantly silver-, green- or orange-painted cousins of this figure in Ensemble form but you never know.

Banpresto Mech Saga Figure DX : MA-08 Big-Zam

Today we are doing something different again. We're checking out a claw machine prize figure of the ol' Byg-Zam/Big-Zam (whichever you fancy) mobile armor. The Mech Saga figure series was manufactured by Banpresto between 2014 and 2015 and saw a total of five four-figure waves and this extra large DX-figure from 2014. Judging from its barcode this would most likely have appeared in between waves 2 and 3. We don't have any other of these figures on the blog yet because I haven't actually gone around to unboxing them yet.


The box does a really good job of telling what is to be found inside. Besides the Banpresto logo also notice the commonly seen Craneking and JAMMA logos on the front and top of the box respectively. The sides also have the typical circular perforations for a claw machine to grab hold off but this box is still unharmed, and was probably purchased off the shelf in a specialized shop somewhere. You can see the Mech Saga figures on the secondary market from time to time, a set of four usually goes for around ¥2000 and this DX figure should be around there as well.


The figure is protected by additional sturdy brown cardboard inside the outer box but these ziplock bags are definitely not original. Prize figures of this type usually come in large compartmentalized and sealed plastic bags similar to the ones used by Gundam Converge and similar figures.


Here are all the parts laid out. Everything has that nice feel of big, soft and chunky plastic. This is not a flimsy Ensemble figure that will fall apart if you look at it. Just jam the various components into their respective sockets and you are good to go.


One thing I have never quite grasped about prize figures is that even though they are large and often well painted they aren't necessarily pricey at all, unless they happen to be very popular. I have to assume these are made in very large quantities compared to the usual Shokugan and Gashapon figures we look at here but I still don't get how that market works. What I can see however, is that this is a very detailed and well-sculpted figure with a lot of care taken to give it a faithful representation. The different green colours used may not be entirely show accurate but looks very nice. As for articulation there is none, but you can rotate the legs inside their round sockets.


Although this figure doesn't follow the deformed standard of Converge or Ensemble figures it can still be an interesting alternative for those wanting a large and intimidating Big-Zam to go with the mobile suits. Here it poses with the latest RX-78 from Converge line (the one with those terrible feet that just keeps toppling over...). While the art style isn't exactly comparable the sturdy soft plastic look definitely goes well with Converge figures.


Digging out my other Big-Zam figures for this shot was the most entertaining part of doing this review. I might go back in the future and revisit this review if I ever get around to actually feature the smaller Mech Saga Figures on the blog. Meanwhile, here the DX figure towers above the following from left to right: A very top-heavy Big-Zam from the SD Full Color DX line (also comes with a tiny Dozle Zabi figurine), the Zabi family's personal Byg-Zam from the Gashapon HG Mecha Selection line (Part 3 released in 2002), a stubby and articulated figure from the Gashapon Warrior NEXT Premier line (from the 4th box-set released in December 2014), a tiny SD Full Color figure from Stage 9 (released in June 1999) and the imho awful looking and janky Converge EX figure from March 2020.

Mobile Suit Ensemble EX 36 : Gundam GP02A & Xamel

Now here is something special, for those who want a bit of extra flair to the Ensemble line-up. Are you bored of winged mobile suits with psycho-babble Newtype-theory attached to them? Do you think swords and machines are a stupid combo? I'm all aboard, give me something a little bit more grounded like say... a nuclear bazooka and a hovering artillery piece.


The GP02A/Xamel pair belongs to the recent Stardust Memory-themed releases that we have seen all across Bandai's figure lines. The duo is of course a Premium Bandai-thing only and shipped to customers in May 2022. Price of admission: ¥8800. I have only seen a handful on the secondary market so far. The box is quite large and we are getting into bigger suit territory here. A small drop however compared to the two upcoming Stardust Memory mobile armors I imagine. Both the Neue Ziel and the Dendrobium are coming in September and cost ¥14300 each on pre-order, I don't want to see the price tags on those once they hit the marketplace...


The box comes with a cardboard divider neatly separating the bags for the two mobile suits. Still, there is an awful lot of bags in there.


Oh dear, that is a lot of parts... Surprisingly, the majority of components belong to the GP02A. I would have imagined the Xamel to be quite the more spectacular build but this seems to prove me wrong. The components are "colour coded" in this image so that the parts beneath the grey components belong to the Gundam and the remaining 40% or so to the Xamel (not including the clear base that also goes with the GP02A).



RX-78GP02 Gundam GP02A "Physalis"


Speaking of grey, let's just address this thing first. For some reason, the designers have decided to give the Physalis a nice if unusual light grey base colour. While the GP02 can fluctuate somewhat between white and grey between different releases I don't remember ever seeing it this grey, even though I kind of like it. Usually when you see grey Gundams in Gashapon releases they are being re-released as "real color" or other gimmicks. Having said that, the Ultimate Operation GP03 Stamen is also real heavy with the grey colour and I like it a lot better than just flat boring white like on say the Gundam Converge version. The Physalis has quite a lot of painted areas on it though so it doesn't really need this treatment but I guess it is a bit of variation that will ultimately come down to preference.


There are a lot of interesting things going on with the GP02A build. The figure has an unusually high parts-count for its legs and feet to bring out all that nice red and black detail which nearly disappears under the bulky armor sections. The two large shoulder binders have a bit of articulation going on. Two smaller thrusters (black colour) hide inside the binders and can be folded out, but can be a bit of a pain to dig out so I didn't bother here. Yet another pair of thrusters is supposed to sit on the backside of the binders. Bandai being Bandai included those parts but made them have peg holes for kit customization purposes rather than fit the actual thrusters. Kind of lame but par for the course for Ensemble (although I did have to double check the manual when writing up this section to make sure I didn't miss something...).


We only get a singlepair of holding hands. It is rare to see expressive hands in Ensemble although Senshi Forte is still doing them regularly. There is however a really good range of accessories for the figure. Apart from the expected nuclear bazooka and fancy shield we get a different kind of bazooka, a beautiful beam saber with translucent plastic and two sets of multiple rocket launchers.


The AE/ZIM.G-BAZ-0186-A Atomic Bazooka fits either in hand or attached to the backpack-mounted frame for an over-the-shoulder pose. Can't help but think that building an enormous Gundam and giving it a single-use nuclear weapon isn't the most cost-effective approach by far, even in the Gundam universe... O.M.N.I. did it better when they swarmed the Z.A.F.T. colonies with old mobile armors carrying nukes and had the beefy Gundams on shepherding duty.


Just like its bigger brother the Physalis can store the barrel of the bazooka inside the shield (which is a convenient way of losing both in a frantic battle). Then old GP02A will have to resort to bullrushing the E.F.S.F. fleet just like Gadem tried out the Holdo Maneuver on the RX-78 in his Zaku I...


We also get this optional weapon and I must confess I have not managed to identify it at all. I suppose it may be a (much needed) beam bazooka from some Gundam console game I have never heard of? It functions much the same as the nuclear bazooka as far as accessories go.


If you want to do a handsfree approach you have two frame sockets to load up both weapons on the back.


One of the reasons that the Physalis has so many components is the MLRS system. Almost half the parts for the GP02A are just mini-sprues with these things on them. While they are quite nifty and can also be opened and closed you will have to fiddle quite a bit to get all of them properly aligned and in the end I think they are just a wee bit larger than what looks practical. I suspect most collectors will go for the bazooka... The Multiple Launch Rocket System-carrying GP02A apparently also wields a BOWA XBR-M-82-05H Beam Rifle in another Gundam-themed game where it appears. This is the same rifle that comes with the GP01 and so it would have been nice to get a spare in this box although you can always borrow it from that figure.


As always the engineers have worked out a completely unique stand for the Physalis which lets it dangle his feet in mid air but not much else. Individual supports are provided for the shoulder binders that will be a pain to line up for anyone willing, as well as a little pedestal for the hefty shield (have fun attaching the arm and lining everything up perfectly for this combo to work).



YMS-16M Xamel


The mobile suit that made me fawn all over this expensive box set was the Xamel. In part because it is a really cool design, and in part because I was curious how it would translate into an Ensemble figure. It does have some semblance of being a typical Ensemble figure but with a whole lot of custom components and added twists to fit its unique physique. While it was fun building it it really walks that edge between Gashapon and model kit. What is not so impressive is a lot of ugly nub marks front and center all over its head and face, this should have been designed a bit better methinks.


Unlike the GP02A there isn't a whole lot to this figure. The arms and legs are articulated but you will not get much posing out of its lower body. The main gimmick is how its 68 cm artillery cannon swings into place and the angle can then be adjusted. I do think they nailed its proportions even though the figure as such is a little smaller than I had expected it to be.


Here the bad guys pose with the retail average size GP01 "Zephyranthes" from Ensemble Part 21. While the two suits are certainly bulky they aren't that much larger than the basic figure. And yes, the nuclear bazooka on my figure is a little bit bendy and hence looks like it could be used to fire around corners... Underneath is a pair of 1/400 scale figures for comparison to get a feel for the suit's actual proportions and size difference.


While the Xamel is a really exotic design there are a surprising number of figures available for it. From left to right here we have the SD Full Color figure from Stage 22 (released in January 2001), the 1/400 figure (Gundam Collection DX3, 2005), the slightly larger Gashapon HG Mecha Selection version with a dirty wash from 2002 and the new Ensemble version. I must say I love the bulky style of the Ensemble figure and its little SD brother compared to the more show-accurate to-scale versions in the center. I think you could easily pose the Ensemble Xamel with your Converge figures in case Bandai hasn't got a figure planned for us there.



Conclusion

In summary this twin-pack is great and gives us two brutal-looking and not overly complex figures for the Ensemble family. The main problem here is of course the price. You had to be quite insane to spend the ¥8800 that Bandai were asking for it and I can tell you that it has sailed comfortably into the five figure-range on the secondary market since then. Mandarake are currently offering the pair for ¥13000 if you can stomach it, otherwise maybe pray for a possible and slightly cheaper Converge release.

Gundam Collection : Dengeki Hobby MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type

I just added a new item to the Gundam Collection 1/400 check list and figured it could be a good idea to write a few lines about it. This figure has been patiently waiting in its bag for almost 20 years and finally got to taken out on a spin. The 1/400 figure line started its life in 2002 and Bandai and Dengeki Hobby Magazine of course took the opportunity for a bit of cross-promotion. This figure was a promotional item for the September 2002 issue which I do not have at hand as I have not yet began fetishizing over hobby magazines. :)


The main purpose of me doing this review is to aid 1/400 collectors in recognizing its packaging, as it is quite unspectacular and easy to miss. Got to love that fear of missing out-hyperbole written on the packaging. I don't think FOMO was really a thing back then, limited edition seemed to be more trendy as far as I can recall. Some of the rare Gundam Collection figures are really pricy these days but this item does not appear to hold much value and I picked one up for a mere ¥200.


The figure is made up of these three pieces. The right arm has a shaped peg and so is not intended to swivel, which is typically (though not always) a mainstay gimmick in the series. Not also the completely unique take on a base which has no underfoot peg, but rather the feet are slid into position. I wonder if this was made so to avoid ugly see through effects in the foot since the material is transparent. The base is labelled MS-06R-1A Zaku II and has a "Z1" identifier. There are no other markings underneath it as it is clearly not intended to be compatible with the 1/400 game system.


While I am not really a fan of clear color figures there is no denying that this one upholds the fine sculpting standard of the regular 1/400 line. Thanks to its large feet you will also have no trouble displaying it without its stand.


This figure interestingly seems to be a completely unique sculpt. I may have missed kinship with one of the many Zaku II figures available in the Gundam Collection catalogue but it sure does not match either of the other two High Mobility Type Zakus available. The figure also appears to be a bit larger than the standard figures, so if you wanted to grab one and repaint into your favourite ace pilot keep that in mind.

Who's next?

We have to talk about the yen. If you like yours truly have been taking advantage recently of the slumping rate of the Japanese currency there is always an unfortunate entity on the other side who will experience the exact opposite effect. In my case that would typically be Mandarake but in this case we are talking Bandai's Gashapon division. With the advent of ephemeral social media we don't get a whole lot of updates on the Bandai Gashapon blog but here is an interesting read where the development lead lays out some interesting facts - regarding how they have been hit by the recent industrial apocalypse that is riding across the world right now.

As usual, trying to decipher Japanese with an online tool is like trying to understand fully the ravings of a mad man but although the machine translation becomes very verbose and sometimes disjointed I find it is usually worth skimming through for the interesting bits. As so I have left the text coming out of the translator intact, the highlights and colouring are the writer's own (and help draw attention to several interesting bits). The original text is published here.

While this text concerns itself with the Gashapon side of things - for us this translates to Mobile Suit Ensemble and Gashapon Warrior Senshi Forte - you can be sure that the Shokugan division (Gundam Converge, Gframe and Mobility Joint Gundam) are sweating through a very similar situation and all of them are competing for that lonely crumpled bill at the bottom of your wallet...


So there you have it. I considered putting in some poignant remarks in between but you know what; Bandai doesn't concern itself with input from outside Japan anyway and so why waste your time? Everything will be hand-waived with the "oh we mass-produce these things and so your input is not that helpful, just continue to pre-order our stuff, thank you". At least this time around the people who pre-ordered the summer's Ensemble EX items unexpectedly insured themselves for the failing currency. :)