SD Gashapon Warrior NEXT 05

We're hanging out with the NEXT series again and this time with volume 05 which arrived in Gashapon machines sometimes around the end of 2011, most likely December. Since then these figures have been leading a very secret life away from the prying eyes of the secondary market. I finally stumbled on a set in 2020 and was very excited to finally strike some SD gold. At ¥2000 the set must be considered somewhat pricey so I am going to assume that they aren't all that easy to score in Japan either.


The set continues the NEXT tradition of pairing enemies with each other and then throwingin a character at the end, in this case in two variants. As usual with NEXT assembly is a quick affair due to the low number of frustrating joints that you have to contend with on the slightly more complex DASH and Senshi Forte figures.



01 : AGE-1S Gundam AGE-1 Spallow


While Delta vs. Shamblo is the main event for this set the actual Gashapon cardboard display has the AGE-1S listed as figure number one of the set so not sure what is up with that. The Spallow is a very sleek mobile suit and the super deformed format is not the right avenue to attempt to emulate it. I had similar complaints regarding the more recent Ensemble version of the suit and I think Bandai should just give it regular size limbs to avoid the balloon head effect.


The main armament of the Spallow is the anti-armor Shiguru Blade which has been reproduced in stylish white and green colour. The paint detail on the mobile suit itself is also very elegant with a lot of features present were other figures would just have a single colour.






02 : xvv-xc Zedas


The Spallow's lightweight and high mobility design was intended to counter the Zedas so it seems fitting that we get this rare bird in this volume. The Vagan forces are practically non-existent in figure form so here is a rare chance to own one. The suit retains a fair bit of the original design's character and flavour and has an attractive colour scheme to boot.


The components of the Vagan figures can be a little confusing since their build is a bit different from your average mobile suit build. The skirt armor for example can be worn in two different ways and the large Zedas Sword can be held either in hand or attached to the rear end used as a tail.


The flight mode sees the skirt armor extended to the sides and the beam attached in a tail-like fashion. There is no action base or similar for this mode so you will have to get a bit creative if this is how you want to display the figure.


Here we see the Zedas in its two modes as well as the very similar looking evolution the xvv-xcr Zedas R. The latter figure hails from Gashapon Warrior NEXT 06 where it goes up against the Gundam AGE-2 Normal.






03 : MSN-001A1 Delta Plus


The Delta Plus sits on the same development tree as the Hyaku-Shiki, both originating from the Delta Gundam (which in turn is canonically developed from the Rick Dias if you can entertain such a thought). At first sight it very much resembles the Zeta Plus which cannot be a bad thing now, can it? The figure has a really sexy colour scheme of dark gray and blue with glowing orange eyes. It comes armed with a beam rifle as well as a Zeta-style slim shield that attaches to the back of the arm.


The Delta Plus is a transformable suit but there are no half-baked gimmicks to transform the figure into the Waverider form. I wouldn't mind seeing some dedicated figures for these modes just like the ReZEL got a Waverider form in the old Bandai Digital Grade UC series.






04 : AMA-X7 Shamblo


The main course for this wave is definitely the enormous Shamblo mobile armor. With a height of about one and a half of your average MS and a length of 80 meters you are going to face some issues trying to squeeze it into a NEXT capsule. The figure still commands a respectable size and with the designers primarily representing its size through the width of the shoulders.


I initially had no clue how to assemble this figure and had to slowly figure it out by piecing it together one step at a time to see what would make the most sense. The final result isn't the most stable or flexible when it comes to posing but it does a reasonable job. The main gimmick is the articulation of the two claws. There is a large mega particle cannon inside the head as well but you will not notice it unless you know it is there.


If you want a more severe challenge for your SD figures you may consider the Gundam Converge version of the Shamblo which also retains some of the super deformed aesthetic. The only other option I can think of is the Mini Kit Collection scale model which is even smaller.



05 : Knight Gundam


The Knight Gundam is one of the most recognizable figures from the SD fantasy adventure series, perhaps together with the Musha Gundam. This suit or rather character is quite well represented in figure form including conversions into "realistic" mobile suit proportions. It Where the Musha goes heavily into the Samurai aesthetic the Knight Gundam takes every imaginable trope from medieval Europe and slaps it onto the figure, complete with full armor, cape and a large blade. The EFSF-like logo on the cape is a neat touch as well. The figure is often designed with more life-like eyes but the NEXT Knight goes for classic EFSF style Gundam eyes which I really like.


This variant of the figure is straight forward. The sword and shield are carried as most mobile suits would operate them and the cape is attached to a backpack-looking extension on the back of the torso. The fit is pretty awful though and the cape will often fall out at the slightest touch.


Here the NEXT version of the Knight Gundam stands next to 2017's Senshi Forte variant. While the two share a lot of features the end result is completely different. I don't know if there is any particular reason in the lore that explains the wildly different colouring but I would imagine the SF figure is a further refinement on the original design.






05 : Knight Gundam (Rare ver.)


The Knight Gundam comes in two flavours and the second variation has a little blurb in the booklet that my translating app calls the rare version. I am not sure that is the exact description and I am even more skeptical to one of the two being more rare than the other. I would assume these are distributed in either A or B form with every full set making them effectively half as common as the other figures in the set but I have nothing to back up that claim. All I know is that some of the last NEXT sets were distributed in such manner.


The most notable difference between the two figures is that the "rare" version loses the sword and cape and goes for a magnificent lance instead. It also loses the backpack and gets a centaur-like four legged main body instead. This transformation is a bit underwhelming on the figure but it is there if you want to use it.


The two variants of the Knight Gundam are easy to mix and match if you would like to have the lancer wear the cape (or why not dual wield its weapons) etc. but there is only one option for the shield which goes on the pg of the right arm.






Conclusion

Gashapon Warrior NEXT volume 05 is a neat set that brings a really varied and unusual selection of mobile suits (and mobile armor). As seems to be the case with the NEXT range of figures these are quite rare to come by online and the best bet would be to look into the local secondary market if you are able to.

Mobile Suit Ensemble EX34 : AGE-1G Gundam AGE-1 Full Glansa Set

For those of us not directly connected to the domestic market, staying current with Mobile Suit Ensemble is somewhat of a chore. The fun was really sucked out of the room in the past year as the brand continues to devolve into a P-Bandai boutique effort. While there has been no shortage of releases - 2021 saw five retail sets and 10 P-Bandai exclusives - actually getting your hands on them is a real challenge. I have been trying for a Justice or a Virtue since last summer. The second hurdle is justifying the cost. Do I really want to sink ¥5000 into a fairly unremarkable figure or why not ¥18000 for the latest and greatest, the TR-6 Queenly? To all the collectors out there, I give you a salute. :)


The figure we are exploring today is one of the easier finds, you just have to steel yourself to pony up ¥6000-¥7000 for what is more or less a basic figure with some bells and whistles attached to it. The Full Glansa is a development of the AGE-1 Normal figure from 2020 and began delivering to customers in January 2022 through the P-Bandai program. The preorder price at ¥5500 surely must have been prohibitive.


The box contains a fair set of component bags but when you consider that you can get two complete sets of retail figures for less money it suddenly doesn't look as impressive.


Among the components you find a standard Ensemble figure of the 2.0 type with the new connector pieces introduced with volume 20. We also have two sets of lower legs and arms as well as two types of skirt armor. You will also recognize some components that came with the AGE-1 Normal figure, including that statue of Flit Asuno, gee that feels very important. How about Bandai would have chucked in enough parts in the box to actually let us build both the AGE-1 Normal (or Flat version) and Glansa and raised the price to ¥6000, that would have added a fair bit of value in my opinion.


While there are components in the box to let you build the AGE-1 Normal (with the revised inner frame compared to the older figure from Ensemble Part 14) or its AGE-1F Flat variant I will not go into detail on them here, as they are largely similar to the old figure and I can't be bothered to wear out the joints with a lot of parts-swapping. What you see here instead is the AGE-1 Glansa equipped with its Glastron Launcher high mobility backpack, known as the Full Glansa variation. It is a really attractive figure with an unusual and lovely colour scheme. The two beam launchers fill a bonus role as supports for the figure when not in use.


The beam launchers can rotate forward like gear we see on the F91 or the Freedom and the two handles on the beam launchers are intended for the figure to hold onto. As usual this will be a bit fiddly and limits the ability for posing a lot but it is a neat touch.


The figure has no beam rifle but instead wears a pair of shield rifles on its arms which combine the DODS rifle with a pair of beam sabers. Two nicely coloured saber effect parts are available to make the figure even more attractive. Strike Freedom figure; take notes...


Whenever a figure comes with multiple official variants I like to try and display them all but there is no way I am paying ¥7000 for the opportunity to pose the new AGE-1 Normal or AGE-1G Glansa without the backpack next to the Full Glansa so that's an opportunity for increased sales down the drain. Instead you can see the retail AGE-1 Normal figure from 2020 here. While there are some differences the biggest change is under the hood in the shoulder area which has received better mobility with the Ensemble 2.0 frame.


Whenever Bandai wants to sell you a premium Ensemble figure you can be sure a lot of resources will be spent on an enormous and inflexible action base. This time it is smaller than usual and used as a cradle for a Plasma Diver support weapon, which looks suspiciously like one of those multi-colour pens that everybody had in the 1990s. It comes attached to a launcher with a footrest, something that seems pretty useless in space, clearly inspired by Zeta Gundam's Mega Launcher. The whole thing looks rather ridiculous but maybe kids would like it if they could afford to play with it.


I'm not really sure how this thing is supposed to be displayed. Here is a half-hearted attempt I made with the old AGE-1 Normal figure until I chucked the missile back into the box to be forever unused.


This is apparently what the Plasma Diver missile looks like on the show... Yep, sinking that production cost into bonus parts allowing you to build the AGE-1F Flat and pose it next to the Glansa instead would have been cooler.


The Full Glansa posing with its Ensemble Part 14 variations, AGE-1 Normal, AGE-1S Spallow and AGE-1T Titus. I wonder if Bandai considered reissuing the AGE-1 Normal as a retail 2.0 figure with the Glansa components as equipment sets. Probably not but it would have made an interesting product (and allowed for multiple figures to pose next to each other). As it stands, the basic Full Glansa figure looks great and is a solid companion to your older AGE-1 figures, but the price tag will probably kill off interest in it mercilessly for most of you.

SD Gashapon Warrior NEXT 03

The early days of the NEXT era series of SD Gashapon are characterized by smaller sets of figures typically pitting rivals against each other. Many of the first waves feature two pairs of antagonists and then a completely random suit in the fifth slot. NEXT Part 03 captures this perfectly with two very iconic sets of rivals and an oddball choice for dessert.


You rarely see NEXT figures on the online secondary market. I think your best bet is to scour Gashapon-themed shops... on location in the countries where they were marketed. So, good luck with that. This particular set was purchased for ¥1000 in 2020 which stays true to the original ¥200 prices when the figures appeared in Gashapon machines in July 2011.




01 : RX-93 Nu Gundam


The Nu Gundam might not be what gets my heart thump faster but as a true evergreen you know it has to be in here. You have to really think for a second to come up with a figure series where it was not featured. The NEXT version looks decent enough with some nice Amuro logos and sharp looking eyes. The funnels on the other hand look a little boring and practically scream for some additional detail.


You sometimes see multiple versions of Nu figures with different gear options but this was not seen until later in the series. The figure comes with the typical curved beam saber and a shield with a nice big logo on it, as well as two optional funnel packs so that you can go for the classic single funnel pack look if you so prefer.


Like some of the other figures in this set this Nu figure was reissued in the special Forever Enemies set in 2015. The two are as you can see very similar to each other, the colour temperature on the black/dark blue and yellow/orange details are slightly different but not really worthy of attention.






02 : MSN-04 Sazabi


You know the next face is going to be the Sazabi and a really eager one at that. The way it is wielding that beam saber you can tell it is spoiling for a fight. It has a decent number of detail markings as well, especially the logo on the shield. It looks like someone was asleep at the machine the day my figure was passing through it because the G-Clef marking on the front skirt is upside down... I have no idea how common this is, but the figure in the booklet appears to have it on correctly. It could just be that the figure in the booklet is a computer mock-up of course...


Just like the Nu you are all set up for a saber fight here. In spite of several special figure sets in the NEXT range Bandai never made a Nu or Sazabi with any of their other iconic weapons.


Would you look at that! The Forever Enemies reissue also as the messed up marking. This makes me believe the error is consistent along the entire line and that no one bothered to correct it. Do you have either of these figures and if so, how did they turn out? :)






03 : RX-0 Unicorn Gundam (Unicorn Mode)


The next battle pair comes from Unicorn. First up is the titular machine in its Destroy Mode variation with a really unique loadout combination. The figure sports some nice red detail on the front torso and arms but is of course very white on the backside. The backpack is really smart looking however with its two white beam saber hilts. Notice also how V-fins typically only get painted on the side facing the front.


This Unicorn has a strange combo of beam saber and dual Beam Gatling. While this gear combo might be a little off-putting at first, rest assured that you have many more options out there as you can see below. Notice how only the left arm is equipped to carry a Beam Gatling so you wouldn't be able to grab two figures and flaunt a pair without modifying the figure itself.


There are loads of Unicorn Gundams in the NEXT range - here I have chosen three of them. First we have the Destroy Mode figure with a typical Beam Rifle + Shield combo. This figure was first released in NEXT02 but the one seen above is the "Version 2" from NEXT 12. Over on the right we have a Full Armor Unicorn with a Beam Bazooka and double shields. You also have Base Jabbers in NEXT that carry even more weapons so there is a lot to pick and choose from here. Notice how the NEXT 03 figure only has a red square painted at the front of its skirt where the two later figures have even more detail on the skirt armor.






04 : MSN-06S Sinanju


The Unicorn in NEXT 02 faced off against the Kshatriya and here it gets to try on the Sinanju. The very first Gashapon Sinanju in SD form I might add. A Sinanju which also happens to have very decorative markings in black and gold, the sleeves look lavishly decadent even. Things are less impressive on the flipside however, the backside is all red and those booster tanks could really have done with some white colour.


The Sinanju figure is the one to break the saber trend present in this wave, opting instead for its trusty beam rifle. It does have a saber option however as we shall see.


That's right, the Sinanju returns in NEXT 07 armed with a massive and brightly coloured beam saber. The figure you see here however is from the Forever Enemies reissue set. The Unicorn figure above is not present there, as the Sinanju was battling against the Full Armor Unicorn in that set.






05 : Gundlander


Coming in at the end without a sparring partner is the SD character Gundlander figure. It apparently has a series of its own but I can't say I know anything about it. While I am not really a fan of these crossover character designs I can't deny that the figure is really cool and has tons of charm. Just like in the early Senshi Forte sets you will find character figures sprinkled among the figures in the NEXT line. There are also a couple of really pricey NEXT SAGA boxsets with (what I assume to be) rivals and beasts for them to fight.


The Gundlander has a traditional sword and dragon-faced shield and also sports a blue cape that plugs into a piece of armor worn on the back. I have noticed that this cape doesn't like to remain in place and have considered gluing it in place.


The Gundlander figure was apparently popular enough to be revisited twice. A Real Type Color version was released in April 2015 (in the third such set) and as a clear color figure in the NEXT Premier 01 box set (December 2012) where it really sticks out among the other Stardust Memory and Advance of Zeta themed figures. I forgot to flip the horns down on that figure by the way, it was just the way the head came out of the box.





Conclusion

NEXT 03 is full of high-profile suits and should be a real treat for the budget-minded or more casual collectors out there. While we are already drowning in Nu Gundam, Sazabi and Unicorn figures the Sinanju is slightly more rare with appearances only in NEXT and once in DASH 08 and is perhaps the most enticing figure of the lot.