Banpresto Glitter & Glamours Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom - Lacus Clyne

Banpresto has been on a roll in the past couple of years with its many affordable Gundam-themed prize item figures. We've had newtype characters, a large gallery from Witch of Mercury and lately also old characters brought back to life in SEED Freedom. The Glitter and Glamours figure range however is not a strict Gundam-themed figure series, but rather a claw machine type range featuring personalities from other IPs such as Dragonball and One Piece. These figures are interesting not only because of the overall artistic expression but also due to their affordability. There seems to be no upper limit on Gundam characters released through the sister MegaHouse brand for example, where the range currently sits around 20 000-30 000 yen. This new Lacus Clyne figure is currently trading for around ¥2000 on the secondary market which is a bit of a steal.


The flowery design used for the box art in the GxG series is really winning me over, it is vibrant and colourful. The marketing department did their best to ruin it with a slightly bewildering and amusing exclamation that the figure is sporting thoroughly feminine features. Man, that's a rabbit hole you don't want to climb into in the political climate of 2024, let's move on...


Geeze... could you make a bigger box next time, please? At first I thought I might be missing a large round base that these types of figures usually come with but no. This time they are using one of those snap-to-your-leg supports that were common on palm-size Gashapon in the early 2000s. Haven't seen those used on such large figures for a very long time... come to think of it I can't remember it being used at all. Anyway, I imagine the small feet were considered unsuitable for having a peg or hole drilled inside them. This support looks a bit flimsy though, will it really carry her weight? (sorry Lacus...)


I wasn't very impressed by the likeness of the previous GxG Gundam figure - Gigi Andalucia from Hathaway's Flash - but this time the sculptor really nailed it. This figure is absolutely spot on. Perhaps not the sort of outfit or pose I would expect from Lacus but Bandai is not about to leave money on the table and have milked the swimsuit theme before. Whenever I see these beautiful character sculpts I wonder why we can't have the small pre-painted Gundam figures back. Right now there is only Gundam Converge holding down the fort together with the two larger brothers Gundam Universe and Robot Spirits. We don't even have any SD figures these days.


Lacus stands about 21.5 centimetres tall and weighs almost 150 grams, that's a tall order for the support block to carry. I found that if the surface she is standing on isn't absolutely flat it won't take much to topple the figure. The designers could have come up with a better base solution for the figure, perhaps a little miniature sand-diorama or even placed the support on top of a larger base. I also would have preferred if the block had a different colour, clear transparent would have looked better in my opinion. This is the only drawback to this figure however, I'd definitely recommend picking it up if you are at all interested.

Gashapon HG Mobile Suit Selection 24

Volume 24 is a typical set of its time, it consists of seven different figures and mainly showcases figures from one era - in this case Char's Counterattack - with a couple of extras thrown in at the end. It was released in September 2002 and was complemented by a couple of thematically adjacent figures released in Mecha Selection Part 4 that same year. Additional figures focused on Char's Counterattack can also be found in volumes 23 and 30 respectively.


Each figure typically comes wrapped in a couple of smaller plastic bags. The photo shows the partial assembly of the figures as they come out of these bags, further disassembly is usually also possible.



RX-93 Nu Gundam


The ever popular Nu Gundam actually only made three appearances in the Gashapon HG figure line, no doubt due to the challenges of fitting it into the standard capsule. There was a pretty abysmal attempt made in volume 2 and it would take many years until this new attempt was made. The enormous Fin Funnels provided a challenge for the designers but I think they did a good job here. Overall the painting of the figure is also on a good level for a cheap Gashapon figure, we have lots of black and metal detail also on the backside as well as Amuro's insignia on the left shoulder and shield. The Bazooka is included as a weapon stored on the back and both weapons feature the attractive black and white colour scheme. The pose is also very good looking, all around a really pleasant design.


The Nu Gundam returned once more in Gashapon HG volume 30 armed with a translucent beam saber. That figure does not include the Fin Funnel pack but at least retains the bazooka on its back.






MSN-04 Sazabi


It would take Bandai 24 volumes of HG figures before they managed to squeeze in the Sazabi. The Nu Gundam might be challenging with all its pointy bits but the Sazabi is just an enormous bulk and as such has to be downscaled a little to fit but I think the figure still looks formidable enough. The red plastic does come out very toy-like and there aren't as many interesting paint applications as on the Nu Gundam but at least the insignias on the skirt armour and shield are there in full glory. I don't really like the way the Funnels are swept back so far you don't see them peek out above the shoulders, I prefer when they are allowed to tilt forward a bit.


The Sazabi made two appearances in the HG line, it returned in volume 30 armed with its large beam saber to be able to duel with the Nu Gundam from that set. The figure from 24 feels a bit bigger but I do like the display of the funnel pack on the later figure.


The two figures look great when displayed together, a real highlight of this set for sure. Still, there are many more interesting figures to cover, let's keep moving...






AMS-119 Geara Doga


The Geara Doga is a large and intimidating mass production suit but the appearance here seems a little timid. The HG version of the figure feels very slim but at least comes with well sculpted detail on its shoulders, backpack and large beam machine gun. Still, every time I find one I hurry to incorporate it into my collection so it must be doing something right... Notice the hilt of the Beam Sword-Axe on the back of the skirt armour.





RGM-89 Jegan


We have a Feddie mass production suit in this set as well; Amuro will be backed up by this very good looking Jegan type A. The sculpt is magnificent and there are enough colour applications to keep things interesting. There are of course no other Geara Doga or Jegan figures in the Gashapon HG line save for Rezyn's blue Geara Doga in the complementary Mecha Selection range.






MS-05 Zaku I (The Origin)


This is the third appearance of the Zaku I in the Gashapon HG line and this time it is included in its The Origin style, easily identifiable by the yellow and black danger marking on its right shoulder. Unfortunately, the designers haven't done anything interesting with what they have on their hands. The Zaku I has access to numerous interesting weapons, not the least in the Origin storyline with bazookas and anti ship-rifles and what do we get? The same tired Captain Gadem suicide ice hockey attack. Lame. I have to say though, the sculpt is looking really good and crisp, too bad they didn't do something interesting with it.


Comparison photo with the standard Universal Century Zaku I from HG volume 9, released all the way back in 1999. This clearly shows the massive improvement in quality that the HG series underwent in just a few years. Imagine a set of four different Zaku I figures of this era sculpted in completely different poses and using a wide range of weapons, it would be wild!






RX-77-1 Guncannon (The Origin)


The Guncannon is not supposed to be a terribly interesting or complex machine, yet at this point its development history is very confusing and full of incremental revisions not only in style but name. Can you tell apart the RX-77-1 from the RX-77, RX-77-1A, RCX-76-02 or RCX-76-01B? You can't even find an RX-77-1 on the Gundam Wiki but if you dig around a bit you can find an image of a master grade RX-77-01 Origin conversion kit. The whole thing is a mess. Call it whatever you want, Bandai has named this thing the RX-77-1 and it features the early three-finger claw-style manipulators as well as "Pre-Jaburo"-style shoulder cannons and a unique looking beam rifle. Whatever whole this thing crawled out from it sure looks good, much better than the classic RX-77-2 figure at least.


Gashapon HG evolution of the Guncannon - the Mark I from the Origin on the left, one of the classic RX-77-2's (here is a figure form volume 12 released in 1999) as well as a unique RX-77-4 Guncannon II figure from volume 38, released in September 2005. The Mark 4 has yet to make an appearance in any other figure line.


An Origin style duel where the outcome seems a bit unclear. There were a total of seven different The Origin figures produced for the Gashapon HG line with two Gundams and a Guncannon on the Federation side and four different Zakus for the spacenoids.






MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type


In the last spot we have another mini-diorama figure. The Gashapon HG line was toying with these for a short stint and here we have a Ground Type Zaku II wading in water among rocky outcrops of a tropical coast, Alegranza island perhaps? Notice the weathered appearance and the Cracker grenade attached to the side skirt. The particular figure on display here suffers from a very droopy Zaku bazooka, as always the figures shift in individual quality. I like these little thematic mini displays pieces although they don't really fit in with the other figures but may occasionally brighten up a larger diorama setting.






Conclusion

Pretty middle of the road here; if you are familiar with Gashapon HG figures you will encounter no surprises here. The set is cruical if you are looking to gather figures from the Char's Counterattack timeline and there are no duds here as far as I am concerned. As usual, availability of these old figures is pure happenstance; they are not expensive in Japan - expect to pay around 1500 yen for the full set - but the main challenge will be finding them.

Gundam Converge CORE 040 : The Return of Johnny Ridden

Over the last couple of years the Converge design team has begun drawing more and more figure ideas from more peripheral entries into the Gundam canon. We've seen figures based on mobile suit variations, computer games and comic books. The Return of Johnny Ridden set follows a string of similar releases centred around Char, Anavel Gato and Shin Matsunaga. The source material is drawn from a long running manga series called MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden which began its published life in the Gundam Ace magazine in April 2010. Books have been published by Kadokawa Comics and the 26th and final issue came out in September last year. If you trawl around the Internet you may stumble on ongoing works to translate the books to English to reach an international audience.


The back of the box features short specifications written for each of the mobile suits included in the set. Somehow I misplaced or accidentally deleted the photos showing the plastic bags but the figures come wrapped in the typical packaging we are used to from previous releases. Each main figure comes in a larger compartmentalized bag and some of its accessories spill over into a smaller bag.


Review update: I found the photos of the component bags and the larger bubble wrap bag, I knew they were lying around somewhere...


MS-14J/BR Gelgoog Vertex Testarossa (Johnny Ridden use)


I'll preface the review by mentioning that while I have the Japanese editions in the bookshelf I haven't begun to decipher them yet so I can't offer any particular insights into this strange set of modified High Mobility Gelgoogs. The Vertex is a bit of an anachronism. Its roots are in the High Mobility Gelgoog which debuted in the One Year War coupled with heavy shoulder binders from the MS-14J ReGelgu which of course was fielded by Neo Zeon forces in the Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ which means it is more than ten years old at this point. I don't know the specific circumstances of why you would want to base something on the Gelgoog in U.C. 0090 especially when a Gelgoog featured in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was considered a curious antique. Anyway, it is a really attractive figure although I would personally have been more interested in Ridden's actual MS-14B High Mobility Type from the war.


All Vertex Gelgoogs in this set have the same basic gear; a beam rifle, a spicy blue beam naginata (which you have to assemble from a sprue) and a traditional Gelgoog-type shield. None of the figures use these weapons as their primary configurations but it is great that Bandai included them here. Notice the beam rifle which looks rather similar to the one used by the Gerbera-Tetra, this weapon is unique to Ridden's machine but all gear is of course interchangeable.


Optional weapon configurations using the more traditional weapons loadouts. The naginata is equipped by inserting each part into the hand from different directions so if you push one piece a little too deep it will boot out the other half. Overall I found the naginatas a bit frustrating, they do not like to stay in place when you handle the figure. My advice would be to use some sort of adhesive to keep them in place. The early #Sharp Gelgoogs do not come with naginatas but the later releases (e.g. one in the Trail of the Red Comet pack CORE022) use a single piece with hand directly attached to the weapon which I think works better.


The Converge #Sharp Gelgoog sizes are all over the place. Seen here from left to right are the MS-14S Gelgoog (Converge #08, released in October 2017), the MS-14Jg Jaeger (Converge #22, November 2022) and the new Gelgoog Vertex.






MS-14J/BR Gelgoog Vertex Curenos (Uma Lightning use)


Now, with the remaining two figures things start to go a bit out there. I have to confess that when I first saw the promotional shots of this set I was not entirely convinced. The colour choices and designs looked very cartoony and not at all as gritty and serious as the previous Zeon-themed releases. The Vertex Curenos (or Kyanos as it is referred to in the Gundam Battle Operation 2 game) is flown by Zeon ace pilot Uma Lightning and sports this enormous melee weapon which is apparently a GVC Beam Bayonet. The weapon has a large yellow blade at its tip when in use and it seems strange that this component is not included here, it would have made the weapon look a bit more interesting. Right now, he is basically carrying around a crooked pole. I am also not a fan of these oversized Converge weapons that seem to have become a norm in the Converge #Sharp line at this point. The figures are already deformed so it makes sense to also alter the dimensions of their accessories to something that better matches the figure I think.


We have the same basic weapon options here as on the other two figures. I find it ironic that Bandai decided to spend resources on a blue beam naginata instead of an effect part for the Curenos' main weapon but we all know it is a question of costs at this point. Perhaps in 2028 when the inevitable CORE Special Marking reissue version is released this can be looked into.


I am really glad that the traditional weapon options were also included for this figure, I will be displaying mine with either the rifle and naginata plus the shield for sure. There is just something comforting about the Gelgoog's beautiful shield and it would be a shame to miss it. :) Notice by the way the different head sculpt for this model, the Curenos has an Earth Federation-style front camera below the commander antenna.






MS-14J/BR Gelgoog Vertex Xanthos (Jacobius Node use)


Ok... here is where things get a bit much for me. Remember when you were a kid and played with Lego? Choosing which awesome pieces to select for your design never crossed your mind, you just kept adding more and more cool things to the design until it looked something like this. The Xanthos starts out really nicely with an interesting and unusual golden brown colour scheme but then it just goes off the rails. Enormous launcher style weapon? Check. Another beam rifle on the shoulder? Check. Solid Snake-style headgear on top of the monoeye camera? Definitely! Hey, we are out of black booster tanks... never mind, just use those blue ones. This thing is a mess.


Besides the beam rifle, naginata and shield we saw on the other two figures the designers saw it fit to include an unaltered Gelgoog head if you are not quite ready for Splinter Cell Gundam just yet. The unique weapon for the Xanthos is the GVX Hyper Mega Launcher, a weapon concept we first saw on the MSZ-006 Z Gundam. The booster fuel tanks are not only in a different colour but are a new sculpt as well. The designers paid attention to the details when putting together these figures. I only glanced in a few of the Kadokawa books but they typically feature very detailed drawings of prototype mobile suits and I would imagine they had a lot of lore to build from.


Making use of the traditional Gelgoog head and optional weapons suite. I feel tempted to hide away that large Mega Launcher accessory in the box never for it to see daylight again but I am sure some people will really like it.






Conclusion

All in all, not a bad set, but perhaps not as interesting as the previous Zeon ace packs we have seen before. As I mentioned above I would have preferred if a Johnny Ridden-themed set had been grounded in U.C. 0079 rather than this outlandish stuff. I imagine it was difficult to come up with a set of 4-5 figures based on Ridden alone, the Shin Matsunaga-set was really thin in that department. Better then I think to do a Zeon Aces pack with just the most iconic machine of each pilot, e.g. Gabby Hazard, Ridden, Uma Lightning and Dozle Zabi. Perhaps Bandai have something similar in mind already, that Zaku II Fs in the Matsunaga pack just must be pointing in the direction of the Zabi family I think.