Gundam Converge #17

You may have seen me ranting and raving from time to time here on the blog about how it feels that figure quality keeps dropping while at the same time figures get more and more expensive. As Bandai have moved away from prepainted figures towards half-baked model kit-style minis with standardized part, accessories or even figures spread out over multiple boxes and so on. I do harp on Converge every time they do yet another CORE reissue but the line is without a doubt the finest and most exciting Gundam figure series out there on the shelves today. And while other figure lines struggle Converge seems to be standing tall and continues to offer more and more elaborate and over the top designs even in its base figure assortment.

Converge #17 was released in early December 2019 and may well be one of the most complex volumes ever produced. The set features not one but three overblown and parts-heavy figures while at the same time keeping the bar high for the remaining six. This set was a real joy to finally get my hands on.
   

218 : GX-9901-DX Gundam Double X

We already saw a couple of After War Gundam X figures during 2019 and here comes the Double X pretty much staggered in between its two Mobile Suit Ensemble releases in 2018 and 2020. This appears to be the last Converge figure from the series for quite some time, seems the G-Falcon and Gundam Ashtaron will not be getting any love this time around.

The Double X is looking really striking and perhaps a bit busy with all the stuff that is going on. The Satellite Cannons are fully deployed together with the reflector panels on the arms and legs, displaying shiny golden panels. I would have liked to see some black detail also on the Buster Rifle but it should be relatively easy to modify it in that regard. Notice that the Satellite Cannons plug into both the backpack and the shoulders looking the arms of the figure in place, so the limited articulation in this figure is all for naught.

There are so many components for the Double X that FusionWorks saw it fit to squeeze in two parts bags into the box, a feat they also repeated for the Silver Bullet Suppressor and Cluster Gundam figures. Impressive stuff.

The old Converge Double X from 2014 is a tad bit smaller than the new figure and is more or less outclassed by it. Still it is great that the old sculpt shows the Satellite Cannons stowed on the back and the reflector panels closed, while at the same time a shield and rifle are being carried as the main equipment.

Line up of the Gundam X, the X-Divider and the Double X; all from the Converge 2019 reinterpretations. Too bad Bandai and FusionWorks do not continue to focus on more mobile suits from this era, there are many unsung machines that could do with some figurine love.

   

219 : ARX-014S Silver Bullet Suppressor

Here we have the first fresh face for Converge in this set; in fact this is the very first time the Suppressor appears in any figure form. It is one of the many competent and realistic looking designs from the Unicorn era and made its first appearance in Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative in 2018. The base design looks very menacing and reminds me of a cross between a Zeta Plus and the Unicorn Banshee.

Just look at all that crazy detail. Normally you do not need to engage in any detective work when assembling a Converge figure but this figure left me scratching my head quite a bit. I ended up going online to figure out just what the deal was with the crane assembly on its rear skirt.

The Suppressor figure is one of those over the top designs that must be an absolute nightmare for the Converge designers to wrap their heads around. Still they took it on unfazed and it left us with a lot of parts that you will probably end up losing over time unless you consider a drip of super glue here and there.

The Suppressor is an impressive evolution of the original ARX-014 Silver Bullet figure from 2014. Notice also the super deformed Silver Bullet released in the Gashapon Warrior NEXT series, also in 2014.

The Converge Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative collection is coming along nicely. I wonder if we will also get an updated Narrative version Dijeh or perhaps one of the updated Geara Zulus. My absolute dream would be the RAS-96 Anksha though that will never happen...

   

220 : RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1 "Alex"

Next up we have the good ol' Alex from the hard-hitting 0080 War in the Pocket miniseries. It feels a bit weird to state this but without a doubt this is the least refined figure in Converge #17. Not exactly a fitting fate for such an iconic figure and one which has been due for a proper release ever since the rather lackluster appearance it first made in 2012.

Perhaps I am being a bit harsh here, I mean it is a nicely sculpted figure and there are a lot of nice painted details on the figure but it just lacks that extra oomph that we saw in the previous two. Care was given to paint the exhausts on the leg thrusters but the backpack is all white, there are two little red specks on the figure's armored knees, but the iconic orange triangle emblem on the shoulder should really have been in place. Not to mention the large "Alex" style decal on the shield. The head also looks awfully white in general.

As far as accessories go we are back in traditional Gundam Converge territory again. A rifle and a shield is pretty much par for the course. This is another slight against the Alex as it really should have got at least one arm-mounted Gatling Cannon as an optional part (and preferably both). I imagine that the Alex is simply picking up the tab for the extravagance in the other figures that are part of this set which is a bit of a raw deal. Maybe Bandai and FW can do it justice in some Realtype reissue set further down the line.

Quite a bit of size difference between the old Converge number 42 Alex and the updated design. While the new design and paintjob is clearly better I still think the figure deserved a bit more. Notice the deployed Gatling on the old figure, the only gear option it got. Man, what does FusionWorks have against the Alex, their Ultimate Operation 1:220 Alex figure is my all time favourite depiction of this machine. Let's just move on...
   

221 : MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai

The Alex has been paired up with the second new mobile suit type in this set; the compact and sturdy looking Zaku II Kai. This Zaku II evolution does everything right, giving the suit an even more menacing and advanced look and feel, and the little colour changes also help to make it more interesting looking.

Check out that nice and shiny backpack. Oh if only the Alex could have gotten some of that luster as well. FusionWorks really nailed the look of this figure completely.

While the Zaku Kai is rather limited in its gear choices I can sort of forgive it because they bothered to paint up the blade on the Heat Hawk. Notice how half of the handle is molded directly onto the figure's right hand. This is the first time I've seen something like this in a Converge figure and while maybe not a perfect solution it works pretty well.

Of course the Kai retains the Zeon gimmick of a moving monoeye. Just open up the head and reposition the disc on which the nice reflective eye has been painted.

Here we see the evolution of the Zaku II into the Zaku II Kai and ultimately the RMS-106 Hizack which is an older figure. This line-up also reinforces just how tiny the updated Zaku II sculpt is, can't say I was a fan of that decision. Fortunately the Zaku II Kai retains the average Converge figure size and avoids the cartoony aesthetic we have seen in many of the recent Zeon mobile suits.

I think Wiseman has the edge in this fight. At least he won't have to worry about that nasty NT-1 beam saber...
   

222 : F90III-Y Cluster Gundam

The third new mobile suit of volume 17 is also one of those which got the most attention to detail. The Cluster Gundam, a really obscure suit from an F91 side story called Silhouette Formula 91 and is the third dark horse mobile suit from this series to make it into Converge (together with the RXF-91A Silhouette Gundam itself as well as the RX-99Neo Gundam).

The Cluster Gundam is another busy design with a lot of things going on primarily on its back. It also sports several painted vents and details although I think the paint apps on its chest look a bit spotty in places. My figure also suffers from a warped right leg that does not want to touch the ground. By the way; see that nice F90Y decal on the shoulder? Now that's the type of attention to detail that FusionWorks should have given the Alex.

Most of the accessories for the Cluster Gundam are elaborate fins which fit on its flight pack. The translucent beam shield must of course also be mentioned. You know; the type of accessory they should have given to the Crossbone Vanguard suits of last year. Ok, I'll shut up about that now...

The F91-era mobile suits have really exploded onto the Converge scene during the past year or so. Someone over at FusionWorks has been really persisted in bringing out a majestic line-up of rarely seen machines and I for one love every second of it. However, it seems that we may have reached the end of the road by now - no more F91 suits have been announced up until summer at least.

   

223 : MSM-07 Z'Gok

The last figure in the set is a recoloration of Char's Z'gok which we recently saw in Converge #15 last May. A that time I was a little miffed that Bandai didn't do the massproduction type machine but it seems they were just saving it for future release and so here we finally have it. Great news as far as I am concerned.

I don't really know what it is about the new Converge Z'Gok but some of its proportions feel a bit off somehow. Perhaps the head is a tad too large but I can't help but think that it has lost some of its personality in the makeover. Other than that it is of course a stellar looking figure.

The main improvement of the new Z'Gok figure is that its claws come preassembled whereas the old figure used to come with a mini-sprue containing six little claws that you had to insert into slots on the figure's hands. This wasn't really an elegant solution and it was easy for the claws to fall out and become misplaced. The second big thing is that a transparent see-through windshield of sorts has been added to the head. While it looks pretty snazzy I can't really say that it makes the Z'Gok look more like a Z'Gok. Perhaps this is where some of my reservations stem from.

The old Converge mass production type Z'Goks is one of those Holy Grail type-figures that quickly became hard to find. It was released as a colour variation and only featured in a 7-Eleven promotional set in 2011. It wasn't unusual to see this figure priced around ¥5000 so the new figure is a godsend for less obsessive collectors that would still like to own one.

The old Z'Gok sculpt wasn't all that great to be honest. It primarily suffered from that nasty seem running straight across its chest. One thing that the older version of this figure got right however, is the darker coloured backpack. This is obviously a design choice for the new figure but I liked the old style better.
   

Conclusion

Converge #17 is, of course, to no one's surprise, another stunning success for the brand and another awesome entry into your collection. This set also has something for everyone, regardless of if you are a vintage U.C. fanatic or you love the more extravagant mobile suit designs.

Banpresto Ichiban Kuji : Red Comet C-Prize - Gaw Measuring Tape

I have seen discussions pop up about this figure from time to time so I figured I'd throw in an improvised quick review of one of the goofy but surprisingly good items that can be found in the prize pool from the Japanese Ichiban Kuji lottery phenomenon. These are lucky draw-style events for which you purchase a number of participation tickets. Items are usually categorized in different classes with A-level prizes being the most extravagant.

Garma Zabi adding some confusion to the packaging.

The Zeonic Gaw Assault Carrier which has been unfortunate enough to be converted into a measuring tape(!) hails from one such series of Red Comet-themed items and appeared in 2008. The Gaw figure belongs to the C-bracket and is the only item in this category that I am aware of. We took a brief look at another figure from this set a while ago, a Z'Gok doubling as a memo stand. That figure was a class E prize from the same set.

Ichiban Kuji items are usually on the cheaper end of the quality range and can be a good way of picking up budget figures from your favourite anime such as Macross, KanColle or Evangelion. You can check out  Banpresto's page on Ichiban Kuji here. While box sizes and shapes and articles inside vary wildly within a set the easiest way to identify which Kuji items belong together is by finding the five digit code printed on the box, a feature common on most modern Banpresto items. The Gaw belongs to set 63507.

The figure comes in a really oversized box which is great for keeping it safe in transit and bad for everything else. On one end of the scale we have super economic and compact packaging with figures like Converge and Mobile Suit Ensemble and at the other end we typically find figures from Banpresto and MegaHouse.

As you can see from the overview the figure has a clean and polished look about wit some decent painted detail although you'd most likely want to work it over with some panel lining to bring out the detail. The green Komusai type shuttle docked in the rear hangar is of course the tail end of the measuring tape which extends about a meter.

If you don't mind the wildly different scales the Gaw figure displays rather well with the 1:400 Gundam Collection Gashapon range. As such it can easily be worked as a gaming piece. When you consider that the Gaw normally carries eight Dopp Fighters, up to three mobile suits in the front hangar and half a dozen vehicles in the rear hangar you realize it would be enormous in 1:400 scale...

If we compare the Banpresto Gaw figure to the old Bandai 1:1200 model kit we can see that it is significantly larger. You can see some of the companion Zaku mobile suits in the bottom left corner of the box.

Here the Ichiban Kuji Gaw sits on top of the Toys Dream Project limited edition Medea and Gaw box set from 2005. As you can see the two are almost the same size but the older figure has more detail and of course no measuring tape gimmick. The Ichiban Kuji figure is a very affordable option though; you can typically pick them up for about ¥1500 to ¥1800 while I had to cough up ¥6000 for the box set.

Gundam Converge CORE : Real Type 5-set

Oh, man... here is a set I have been waiting to get my hands on for a while. I usually think of the CORE releases as something of a necessary evil if you want to get the full mileage out of the Converge collection but here is a release that does more than just the bare minimum. You know, slapping a couple of uninspired white stripes on some of the suit's extremities and repainting some details with metallic paint instead.

This box is really tiny...

The Real Type selection is also nothing new for Converge and some sets are clearly more inspired than others. The worst offenders are those that just slightly dim the colours; here we are looking at complete and proper repaints. While some of the suits return from old Converge to be carried over to the updated molds there are a couple of new faces around this time as well.

How on Earth did they fit all these five figure bags into the box? Notice also how the Gundam actually comes in a separate bag from its accessories. Did they redesign it?
   

RX-78-2 Gundam (Realtype Color ver.)

The Realtype Color Gundam is a good example of what can be done with a little bit of imagination. Rather than just dimming the white into light grey (hello Gundam G-3) or some kind of 21st century low-visibility scheme we get a pretty wild combination of a black and red torso paired with green legs. The styling is rounded up with some gunmetal colour over the greys. Notice also the tiny white stripes on the feet and the even smaller RX-78 marking on the chest.

The updated sculpt of the RX-78 is a bit wonky and probably not for everyone. It looks short and stubby and also suffers from a bad slouch that would drive any commander crazy. On the flip side it is very functional and has a couple of built in gimmicks.

Nothing new on the equipment side. We get the same accessories as in the regular figure box. A beam rifle, a bazooka and a shield which still does not have a see through hole unlike the shield for the Gelgoog for example. I recommend painting a black stripe here to improve the look in an easy way.

The bazooka has a neat gimmick in that the handle is removable so that you can place it properly in the figure's hand. The shield can also be carried on the back of the backpack. Notice that it is not possible to stow the beam rifle on the figure's back skirt when not in use.

Above you can see the different versions of the new RX-78 sculpt that we have seen so far. And underneath the two previous Realtype Color versions of the RX-78 using the original 2010 sculpt. I still think the old figures have better proportions. Notice the painted sights on their beam rifles. Come one Converge 2019, you can do better than this.
   

RX-77-2 Guncannon (Realtype Color ver.)

Just like the Realtype Gundam, the Realtype Color version of the Guncannon was originally released as a Bandai 1:100 model kit quite some time ago. And considering the usually very plastic red appearance of the Guncannon this is perhaps the suit that benefits the most from the Realtype Color treatment.

While there is certainly nothing "real" about this colour scheme the mix between red and greys is very attractive but again I have to dock points for missing detail on both the head (Vulcans) and beam rifle (sights again). These details were standard on the old Converge figures so it feels pretty awkward that Bandai and FusionWorks saw the need to cut costs and remove these details rather than adding pointless decorative stripes or model designations. The model designation is interesting by the way. Usually Guncannon figures will have the unit number 108 slapped on there but this one has the model designation instead. I'm still waiting for some brave soul to release units 109 and 203 as well.

The Guncannon comes with the same accessories as its regular boxed version. The two long range cannons can be replaced with missile pods instead which nearly enticed me two buy two sets of figures... Check out the nice detail on the beam rifle. Even though the hand is permanently fixed to the rifle it is at least painted in a different colour unlike on the standard figure.

The cannons and missile pods are attached by first removing the backpack. In fact, nothing stops you from equipping one of each, just the one cannon like on a GM Cannon or removing them completely. I like little gimmicks such as this.

There is a respectable amount of Guncannons released in Converge by now. Notice how almost all of the old Guncannon figures (on the top row) have painted sights on their rifles and Vulcans on their heads.
   

MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type (Realtype Color ver.)

Alright, if you were hoping for say a Realtype Color GM or Guntank Bandai will have to leave you disappointed since now we are heading over to the Zeonic team. First out is another familiar face of old; the Zaku II in its green and brown Realtype Color style.

The colour changes on the Zaku are more subtle than on the other figures in the set but the end result looks very clean and has just the right amount of extra markings without going over the top. Once again we see a really tiny unit number marking on the right knee and some really thin red lines on the chest and leg.

The Zaku II figure is of the Commander Type variety only, and comes with the Zaku Machine Gun and Bazooka. Since the hands are molded directly onto the weapons you cannot store say the bazooka on the backskirt, like on the Gundam.

Here we see the Zaku II armed with its bazooka instead. Again we have unpainted weapon sights, a little red dot there would have gone a long way.

The Realtype Color Zaku as seen together with its stablemates from Converge #09, and with the entire Zaku II family from 2011 and onwards. Notice the original Realtype color version figure from 2014. I prefer its menacing look over the more cartoony style of the revised sculpt.

Bringing the two Realtype Color Zaku II's up closer to each other. Here they pose with the Special Marking version Zaku II from Mobile Suit Ensemble Part 1.5.
   

MS-09 Dom (Realtype Color ver.)

The last two figures in the set are my absolute favourites and also responsible for all the saliva I have been drooling since I first saw the promo pictures last year. The Realtype Color Dom has an interesting brown and red thing going together with its more traditional black and purple colours.

Notice the tiny markings on the figure's knees, the type of warning stickers you expect to see on scale model kits of contemporary aircraft. Notice also how Bandai and FusionWorks actually saw it prudent to paint the sight on the Bazooka. Why this is not standard on all the figures in this set is just perplexing.

The Dom comes with its giant bazooka and a heat saber which can only be attached to the back. It would have been so cool to see Bandai develop two variants of the heat saber, one powered down for storing on the back and one lit up to be held in the hand. No such luck here I'm afraid.

The standard colour pattern of the MS-09 Dom is both attractive and exotic in its own right. Few suits have that very ability to pull you in with their strange alien looks. The Realtype Color figure takes it to the next level.

I wonder if FusionWorks will eventually get around to the Rick Doms and their crazy large Beam Bazookas. At the time of writing we are looking forward to a couple of upcoming figures from the War in the Pocket series, mainly different types of GMs. Imagine if they also decide to do the Rick Dom II in that sexy green and black Colony Attack colour scheme...
   

MS-11 Gelgoog (Realtype Color ver.)

Hey now... wait a minute... MS number eleven? Yup, that's correct. The set finishes on a real rarity - the prototype Gelgoog that was later to become the MS-14 Mass Production model. The number eleven has since been given to the Action Zaku, a suit that I sure wouldn't mind seeing pop up in Converge in the future.

While the MS-11 exists as an old Bandai 1:100 model kit I don't think it has ever been present in figure form unless you count the sand-coloured 1:350 Gsight colour version which would be a bit far-fetched. This is great and I hope Bandai's Ensemble and MicroWars teams will take a cue and do some of their own. A man can dream, right?

MS-11 or not, the figure looks very much like the repainted MS-14S that it is. To no one's surprise of course. Still, this reminds me that I was supposed to customize my old Gelgoog figure with a repurposed Beam Naginata and I have some ideas for Anavel Gato as well...

Another beautiful family shot for Converge. The Zeonic ace pilots are such low hanging fruit; I can't understand why Bandai haven't churned most of them out by now.
   

Conclusion

As you have already figured out I absolutely adore this set. 2019 has been a great year for Converge but I think that this set sits among my favourites for the year, which is quite a feat among all the nice releases we had such as Pale Riders, Stark Jegans, Den'an Zons and exotic F91 variants. I also expect that this set will turn out to be one of the rarer ones so buyer beware. Do not sleep on this set if you really want it.