Bandai Spirits Ichiban Kuji Mobile Suit Gundam Witch of Mercury Vol. 3 - Blessings to You Last One Prize

The Ichiban Kuji lottery and its prize figures pop up here on the blog every now and then and this time we are looking at Witch of Mercury volume 3, subtitled "Blessings to You" which premiered in October 2024. Prize items are sorted from the most premium category A and downwards - in this set it goes to category F but the exact number of classes varies from release to release. This review covers the "Last One version" special item which is an alternate design of the A-prize; kind of like a "chase piece" but it is not a secret item and it has its own box cover. You can see the full range of prizes from this particular set on the official website.


If you are familiar with Kuji boxes this one will feel no different; the cardboard is a bit rough and much of the text and numbering is standardized across all releases of a set, be they figurines, acrylic trinkets, posters or so on. Products belonging to this wave are identifiable by the code 64667 on the backside of the cover.


The unnecessarily large box holds the figures in sandwiched blister packaging with plenty of air on all sides. Good for the figures sure, but I don't see why they could not have been securely packaged in smaller box with a bit of stiff cardboard protection. This type of packaging can make sense when you want to showcase the actual figure without having to open the box but this one is closed on all sides so it comes off as a bit of wasted space.


The base is attractively painted in three different colours and is free from pegs or peg holes which means it can pull double duty as basis for a lot of custom displays. The top section has plenty of space, measuring roughly 14 by 8 centimetres.


Well isn't this just adorable, Suletta and Miorine hand in hand and lost in thoughts. The A-prize figure has them grinning from ear to ear but this version is a little more muted which I like better. The great thing about these figures is that they come without any connector pegs, you can just place them next to each other and they'll stay there. The sculpting style and paintjob reminds a lot of the Banpresto Spirits figures we have seen over the past years and is of a good standard. I rarely have any issues with figures of this type.


Size-comparison with a somewhat larger Miorine figure from the Bandai Spirits/Banpresto claw machine prize figure-range from 2023 (right) and the very close in scale MegaHouse G.E.M. Series Miorine figure from last year (left).


One of the best gimmicks of this figure set is how flexible it is. The base is large enough that you could display a character with a larger mobile suit figure or model kit next to it. I don't have any Gundam Aerial bigger than the Ensemble figure so the Gundam Universe Leo will have to step in to represent larger figures like Robot Spirits or MSIA. It is funny that there are so many large and extravagant Gundam character sculpts in strange dynamic poses when all I would really prefer would be a figure in pilot suit prepared for display next to a mobile suit of your own choice.

Seika Sharpener Collection EX : SEED Destiny

Seika is one of those large corporations that seem to produce a little bit of everything. If you visit their corporate website it looks just as bland and uninteresting as the rest of them; a cavalcade of buzzwords and image bank material, visit at your own risk. In its more inspired moments however it does produce toys, or at least it did. You'll mainly find various types of IP-related stickers, books, or similar knick-knacks. Among the highlights of its contributions to the Mobile Suit Gundam-themed toy landscape the large Toy Book series springs to mind as well as a bazillion of various pencil sharpener figurines. The EX line upped that game but only saw a few releases themed around Zeta Gundam, SEED and SEED Destiny. Today we are examining the first SEED Destiny batch of sharpener figures released somewhere around 2004-2005.


Here is a quick walkaround of the standardized box because yes, these things are packaged randomly. Ex figures typically come in larger boxes holding 6-12 individual figures or similar. I don't have enough data to speak on the figure distribution among these boxes and I have never even seen an image of one for this particular set.


These figures belong to a previous era, when the world was at peace and third world labour was still cheap. This allowed us to enjoy cheap figurines packaged in lavish full-colour boxes and a rather redundant mini-booklet thrown in for good measure! Nowadays, black and white packaging is everywhere and we don't always get printed assembly instructions with the larger figures either. The early 2000s is a bit of a golden age for mini-figure collection.


Each individual figure comes wrapped in a plastic bag and occasionally has some additional cardboard wrapping around the thinner parts to protect them from bending out of shape. The material is a mix between soft PVC and a somewhat harder ABS-PVC blend.


The main gimmick of these figures is of course that they are pencil sharpeners. Underneath each figure a simple sharpener has been glued into place. That's why we have the hole in the side of one of the six edges and why we have the large and unwieldy bases on these things in the first place. Come on kids, surely you know what a pencil is? Right?



ZGMF-X56S/α Force Impulse Gundam


This set is pretty much dedicated to showing off the various Silhouette Packs that apply to the Impulse Gundam, a popular theme for miniatures around this time. The Aile Stri... I mean the Force Silhouette is basically a copy of the Strike Gundam atmospheric flight pack and is seen here in action as the figure hovers slightly above the ground. The figure is attached directly to the base and you are not meant to try to remove it from the base itself. Similarly there is no articulation present, think of this as a soft plastic statue with a decent ability to not bend out of shape. Both the sculpting and paint applications are as you can see really nice for such a small figure. I should point out that the Force Impulse also returns in the second set of SEED Destiny figures in a more traditional standing pose. I didn't have it out of packaging at time for this review but will revisit this entry to add a comparison photo eventually.






ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse Gundam


Next up is the Sword Impulse silhouette close range combat variant, a daring design for a such small PVC figure. The (very nicely painted) blades are protected by cardboard wrapping and came out of the box in pristine condition, don't throw these away and keep them around for future storage. I am not a huge fan of this pose as it feels a bit unnatural and not to mention it will encroach on the space of figures you chose to place next to it. Still, this is my favourite variant of the Impulse Gundam and this figure does do it justice.






ZGMF-X56S/γ Blast Impulse Gundam


The Blast Impulse is the Launcher Strike look-alike for the Impulse and comes in a bit of an awkward pose here. Look at the beautiful detail and paintwork, notice the detail around the launcher handles and the various exhausts at the back. Even the little backpack peering out beneath the large fans is heavily detailed. Seika figures sometimes have a bit of a weathered finish with slight colour variations in the main body paintwork, you can see the shifting tone of greyish white on the legs here for example. It is a pity that we can't get small, pre-painted figures such as these anymore.






ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior


The last design in the set is my personal pick. and one I would have loved to get multiples of but Seika Sharpener figures is only something you will come across happenstance and these larger EX figures are even rarer. This mass production-type figure is the only one in the set to come in a classic standing pose and stands out a bit from the others in this way. Again beautiful colouring and detail work all around including the spare ammo drum attached to the backside of its shield.






ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior (Lunamaria Hawke Custom)


Don't look so sad, Shinn. Yeah, I know why you are disappointed, that secret fifth figure is indeed impossible to find - I have never even seen it on a photo. On the odd chance that I were to stumble on it somewhere in the future I'll come back and update this post. For now I just decided to upload a review with the basic range covered because otherwise it may never come up at all. I suppose I should confirm that I actually do not know that the secret figure will be Lunamaria's red variant but it is just something that I take for granted. The same pattern shows up in the SEDD Destiny 02 set by the way, where the basic set includes a green Gunner ZAKU Warrior and a secret red variant for Lunamaria's personal use (and that figure I have actually seen).



Conclusion

Should you go after the Seika EX sharpener figures? While there are a few really unique looking sculpts in this range they are unfortunately very hard to find, among the rarest of the rare small figures I would say. Still, they do show up at places like Mandarake from time to time and are generally not expensive, but you'll just have a miserable time trying to actively find them. I have resigned myself to picking Seikas up whenever I happen to stumble on them myself.

Gundam Converge SB 06 : LCAM-01XA Archangel

Today we are examining the sixth entry into the Converge Spaceship side-series, although it is only the fourth hull to have been released until this point. The figure entered retail in October last year with a recommended price of ¥4900 plus tax.


Pretty nice cover artwork this time; it is a pity that the SB boxes are generally black and white. I say generally because the previous release, SB 05 has a full-colour design. To add a bit of insult to injury, the full colour image is of course available on the official release page but I guess Bandai saved a fair bit of money this way.


As usual with Converge SB the box sizes are all over the place and the Archangel is no exception, the dimension of this box are close to but not exactly the same as the previous rectangular packaging we've seen.


Everything is folded up a bit chaotically but still efficiently into a handful of plastic bags that fit well inside the box without the unfortunate bulging we see from time to time. And the gum is squeezed inside there too. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to tuck everything back inside again without it resulting in a box that would swell on all sides.


There are a fair bit of option parts this time, gathered on a number of sprues. No build instructions are included with the figure, you are supposed to go grab the assembly guide online, you can find it here.


Here is the basic Archangel in its compact travel configuration. I have to say it looks really good and the compacted dimensions don't really detract from its beauty (I think the Converge White Base looks a bit clumpy in comparison). The paintwork is also on point with no obvious blemishes or smudging. The finish on the SB figures is normally really good compared to the other figures where quality control unfortunately seems to be all over the place.


Colouring and detail looks good also when viewed from below. There are no action base-compatible peg holes on the Converge SB-models. Instead you are supposed to rest them on these cradle-like black stands. This is my least favourite aspect of the SB-line, the cradles are functional but the ships don't really sit firmly in place and are easy to knock around. Still, it is nothing you haven't seen before in this line.


A lot of work has gone into the "legs" of the Archangel and you get multiple optional components to play around with. Each side can open up its hangar bay and extend a mobile suit catapult. The tip of the leg can extend downward and expose a Lohengrin positron blaster cannon and topside you can extend the two turreted Gottfried beam cannon batteries. The turrets can swivel a full 360 degrees. The transformation of the leg generally works well although the Gottfried cannons can be a bit finicky to put in place since the panels close up tightly when the guns are stowed. I noticed that the two forward-facing ramps of the catapults were a bit loose and preferred to bend slightly inward which is not optimal.


The last transforming part is the Valiant-type linear cannons that extend from the side panels similar to the beam cannons on the White Base. Overall I think the designers did a great job with the optional gear but I wouldn't play around with it too much and prefer to keep everything closed up.


The last option part is a different top panel for the midship section with the COMPASS insignia if you wish to carry the Archangel forward to its SEED Freedom era. I didn't bother with this component since the fit is really tight. You may have noticed the T-shaped white component in the parts display above; it is a tool that can be used to push out the top panel from below the ship since you will bust your nails (or the component itself) trying to remove it from above.


The Archangel comes with a tiny little representation of Mu La Fllagas TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero. It is not the most graceful representation of this slender craft and completely lacks any paint applications, however if you want to detail it with some whites and blacks it could probably look alright. The craft can sit on the exposed hangar deck but is too wide to fit between the two catapult arms but can still fit inside the hangar bay behind the two arms. This effectively locks the MZ in place and prevents it from falling out. Since they went ahead and made the Zero I think they could have made a little white Skygrasper as well.


If you are looking to replace the Zero with something more colourful your most obvious choices would be its SD Full Color representation (Stage 59, released in August 2005) or the 1:400 scale accurately proportioned Gundam Collection variant, from GC volume 5 released in 2003.


Side-by-side comparison with the SB White Base; the two ships are quite similar in size and proportions. Another feature that may drive some of you nuts is the different height and style of the individual stands used by the various ships. At least up until this point they have all been black but they are bound to release a ship with a clear base at some point, because why wouldn't they?


We currently have four different ship-classes available in Converge SB, and they are all various incarnations of the same thing. I guess we have a fair shot at seeing the Albion and maybe if we are really lucky the Rewloola or the Dominion, but I don't expect the series to do anything crazy beyond that.


So far it has been possible - if only barely in some cases - to store the SB figures inside their own boxes. The Argama-classes required some disassembly but the Archangel goes into the box in one piece. I hope this will remain a feature of all the figures in the SB-line.



Conclusion

Final verdict of the Archangel figure is that it is a great entry into the SB-line but I don't see it bringing in any new collectors to the series. In my opinion the Converge Spaceships don't really display all that well together with their mobile suit cousins but on a shelf of their own they would look pretty neat. The Archangel is currently selling for around ¥7000 on the secondary market which makes it a pricey item destined to be picked up by hardcore SB-fans only.