After a bit of a hiatus, CDX's resident Jumbo apologist returns with another JM review and makes a case for the much maligned Five Robo. With video!

Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman (地球戦隊ファイブマン) was the 14th show in the Super Sentai series and aired for 48 episodes from March 2, 1990 to February 8, 1991. It's main mecha, Five Robo (ファイブロボ), was released as in 1991 under the Jumbo Machinder banner. It was the first toy to feature the brand name since 1982's Dol Dragon and would be the last such toy, although later there would be model kits of Dangioh and Nu Gundam from B-Club that bore the name. However, those are generally not considered real Jumbo Machinders. In fact, depending on who you ask, the same could be said of Five Robo, too.

The reason for this is due mostly to the fact that the toy is made entirely out of hard plastic, unlike the polyethylene or vinyl of traditional Jumbos. This really sets the toy apart from it's brethren. It just really sticks out like a sore thumb in a lineup of vintage Jumbo Machinders. Besides that main detriment, there are a few other things that make this a pretty unpopular toy. At 21" tall, it's a bit smaller than a full sized JM. The proportions looks a bit goofy, too, especially the legs and feet, which seem quite large.

Some people also don't like the box, which is also different from classic Popy JM boxes. It's made out of thick, sturdy cardboard with full color graphics all around it and a lid on the top. Come to think of it, it's actually a lot like the first series Jumbo villain boxes, only with a lot more effort put into it.

One thing I never knew until getting the toy myself is that the image from the front of the box actually continues on to the right side, which I think it pretty neat. Also, the instructions for the toy are printed directly on the back side.

Ok, so what are this toy's good points? Well, if you look at it on it's own merits, there are actually quite a few. And when I say to look at it on it's own merits, I mean, think of it from the perspective of a child instead of a collector. First, it's still pretty large and though it looks a bit goofy compared to older JMs, it actually does look very much like the robot in the show.

Five Robo also has some neat gimmicks, including light and sound features. If you press a button on the shoulder, his chest and eyes flash and you hear a beeping sound. The next feature is similar, but a bit cooler. You can place a clear sword in his right hand and when you press the button there, the sword lights up and you get the previous sound again. On top of that, you can remove the sword and replace it with one of two different guns and then they will light up if you press the button. When not in his hand, both guns can be stored halfway up the arms. So Five Robo is fully armed and ready for battle at all times.

Unfortunately, because of the electronics involved, you do lose some other features. For instance, the head cannot be turned at all and the right fist does not launch. You have to store the batteries inside the right fist and right behind the head on the back. However, you do still get rocket punch action from the left fist so it's not a total loss.

Ok, now the next gimmick is really something that it gets a lot of flack over and rightfully so. It's quite silly. Five Robo "transforms" into a vehicle, but the transformation consists entirely of laying the robot down on it's back. That's it. Seriously. I didn't even bother taking a picture of it. There are 20 plastic rolling wheels on the back (6 on each leg, and 4 on both sides of the back) and the arms also have stickers on them the mimic wheels there. Those stickers, as well as all the others on the side, need to be applied but many collectors do not bother since the toy looks exactly the same from the front without them. All the sticker ornamentation on the front of the robot is already there when you open the box.

The Jumbo Five Robo is probably the easiest Jumbo to acquire. Not only is it very common, but most people don't even want it, which of course helps keep it very affordable. It's a very common sight on both Yahoo!Japan auctions, as well as in shops in Japan, but it's seen less frequently on Ebay so prices there are usually higher. Expect to pay about $100- 200 dollars for it depending who is selling it. I got mine just a month or so ago for about $75 on Yahoo, but one just sold on Ebay for more than twice that. If you're interested in one, make sure you shop around before buying.

Far less common than this toy is it's Korean counterpart. I remember seeing one on Yahoo!Japan auctions many years ago, but I was just beginning to collect at the time and I didn't know for sure that it was an actual Jumbo. It was listed under "Jumbo Machinder", but there was no mention of size nor anything in the pictures for scale. The legs on that version opened up and you could place action figures inside. For many years, I questioned my own memory of whether or not I really saw it until recently JoshB unearthed this picture. Now I just gotta find one!

From Engine Sentai Go-Onger - DX Engine Daishogun

From Engine Sentai Go-Onger - DX Engine Daishogun. Due September 2008 for 7,140 yen.

Bandai announces the re-release of Dragon Shiryu and Griffon Menos

Along with the SOC re-releases, Bandai is re-releasing two Saint Cloth Myth figures

Dragon Shiryu is due September 2008 for 3,990 yen

Griffon Menos is due late September 2008 for 5,040 yen

Bandai is re-releasing the GX-03 Combattler and the GX-24M Metallic Tetsujin 28

Soul of Chogokin Combattler-V GX-03

Straight from the original molds, this has been a best seller for Bandai since its debut in 1999. According to the release, this is the LAST TIME this version will be reissued.

Due late September 2008 for 13,440 yen

Soul of Chogokin Tetsujin 28 Metallic GX-24M

First reissue in 2 years - due in October 2008 for 6,825 yen

One thing is immediately clear about this character- he would never have been considered if this had been an American TV series aimed at kids!

This toy appears courtesy from HobbyLink Japan.

Three 1.5 volt (LR44) batteries are required to operate electronic light-&-sound feature within the Engine Soul, and should be replaced by a responsible adult.

Adequate batteries have already been installed in the Engine Soul by the manufacturer and do not need to be immediately replaced. However, to activate the feature, you must first manually remove the small white tag from the back of the cartridge before it can work; this is a one-time issue. Nothing other than the Engine Soul on this toy requires batteries.

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Three Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose three young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

Though the excitable Hanto Jou and former-police detective Gunpei Ishihara didn’t know each other, they were both strongly intrigued when they first saw the Go-Onger fighting against the Ban KiZoku Gaiarc. Gunpei (with Hanto following cautiously behind) actually managed to track down the Go-Onger’s private RV, and then steal the Engine Attaché Case with the three dormant Engine Casts in it, and kidnap Bomper! After interrogating Bomper in a tunnel, they learn about the origins of the Go-Onger, and both then insist on joining the team. Later, as the Go-Onger are loosing in a battle, Bomper recognizes positive qualities in Gunpei and Hanto when they help some civilians, and he gives them Shift Changers & Change Soul cartridges so that they may officially join. Though initially suffering a rocky start between the five Go-Onger, they manage to get along and become a real team.

. . .

Though Gunpei is an official Go-Onger, he still needs an Engine partner to grant him access to the same powers that Sousuke, Ren, and Saki have- such as even the standard MantanGun sidearm! Towards the end of Grand Prix 3 – “Basic Investigation” (aka episode 3), Bomper announces that the energy signatures of two Engines have appeared near Earth from Machine World. After some difficulty tracking down and acquiring both newcomers’ Engine Casts and Engine Souls in Grand Prix 4 – “Engine Trouble”, Birca and Gunpherd secure their place among the other Engines as they help Engine-Oh beat back the Spray Banki monster.

Engine Number 5 – Gunpherd (back) His partner is former police detective Gunpei Ishihara (Go-On Black). He is represented as a combination of a semi-automatic pistol and a German shepherd dog. On Machine World, he is a dedicated police Engine with a serious mind and no-nonsense policy- even criticizing Go-On Black one time in Grand Prix 7 for missing three shots while using the Gunpherd Gun Fire finisher! But he is also loyal and understanding, providing helpful suggestions & insight when needed. With a sniper’s accuracy, he uses the barrel in his long muzzle (pun intended) for his Gunpherd Gun attack to knock enemies down in a fury of bullets. But he also frequently teams up with Engine Birca for a combination attack. As a life form from Machine World, he ends most of his sentences with the first syllable of his name, “Gaan Gah-Gaan!” Gunpherd serves as a right arm component for any combination, but usually is seen as part of the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh.

One thing is immediately clear about this character- he would never have been considered if this had been an American TV series aimed at kids! (When’s the last time you heard a Saturday morning American cartoon say the word “gun”? Not even in dubbed anime.) But here, it works, because in Japan they usually don’t shy their children away from uncomfortable subjects; certainly not the way most Super Sentai series [and even the darker Kamen Rider franchise] work out! While it’s a little difficult to distinguish a German shepherd in there, you can at least tell that Gunpherd is of a dog- or wolf-like nature, with small whisker-like lines on the forward cowls, pointed ears, and small but distinguishing jowls on his muzzle. And as a representative of the Engine police, the square-like muzzle and silver trapezoid nose are clearly indications of a modern pistol. And keep in mind (as I keep having to remind myself) that Gunpherd is not trying to imitate a police car even though he has four wheels, a police shield beneath the stylized “5” against a white-painted panel on either side, transparent-red ABS on top of his head above the green-painted cockpit to indicate police strobe lights, and a front fender. Despite having larger back wheels, Gunpherd does not tilt downwards in any way, so his aim is always straight-on. (Should I mention that I chuckle when I recall that the hole for the barrel is actually a small black decal...?)

As with the previous four Engines from the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh and Engine Gattai Series #1- Engine Birca, Gunpherd’s identical wheels are represented on either side of Go-On Black’s helmet.

. . .

Aside from putting the provided Engine Soul into him (see below), you can only really just roll him around. While you can extend his nose & face forward a little less than an inch , it doesn’t really do the Gunpherd Gun attack justice. (It doesn't bounce up-and-down like it does in the series when he talks.)

In addition to future accessory DX Engine sets, the common ‘collecting’ gimmick is the battery-powered Engine Soul cartridge. These serve as a replacement in all of the toys for a dedicated light-and-sound effect. Each Engine Soul shares an identical shape (2½” x 1¾” x 9/16”, or 2.57cm x 4.5cm x 1.5cm), has a single bright red LED light (which can project over 6ft / 2m in a dark room!), a large decal which identifies it, and they all have some generic sounds. Because of this, any Engine Soul (or Change Soul, which I won’t get into here) can be fitted into any properly-fitted toy that can accept one. But, the gimmick is that each Engine Soul has a unique set of sound effects...

The Engine Gattai Series #2 set comes with Gunpherd’s Engine Soul. It is uniquely identified by its black ABS casing, the stylized “5”, and the phrases “ES” & “05” on the front decal. While each of the Engines in the “Go-Onger” line can accept an Engine Soul, only Gunpherd’s is provided; however, it will work equally in all of them since, again, all Engine Soul cartridges are the same size. The storage compartment is located in front of the back wheels, and requires very minor transformation to get access to. The head needs to be pushed forward (unless you have small fingers and/or strong fingernails) in order to access the lever on top, which will then swing down the wheels and open up the Engine Soul compartment. The bright red LED light from the Engine Soul shines through Gunpherd’s head, and right into the transparent-red plastic on top of his head. When the Engine Soul is activated, the LED shines through and into the plastic, making it glow!

Gunpherd’s Engine Soul has four unique effects- all performed by the same seiyu from the series, Kenji Hamada. (He makes his Super Sentai debut here, but is best known for more-numerous anime and OVA performances.) He says, in Japanese:

• Gunpherd!
• Gaan Gah-Gaan!
• Target [???]... Lock On! (gunshot sound repeats)
• Emergency Deployment

I suspect he's saying something like "Target is acquired" or something like that in that third effect, but I'm not certain. (You'll just need to watch the video below and help me figure out, please!)

The phrases will always play in that order, each preceded by the same sound of a fictional/techy-sounding gunshot. Now, if you place Gunpherd’s Engine Soul into any other DX Engine set, it’ll say the same things, but it’ll obviously be inaccurate since that’s not the right Engine for it to go with.

Unlike the three previous Engines from both the DX Engine-Oh set, access to Gunpherd’s alternate/generic sound effects can be accessed in both his regular form, and his Engine Busou form:

• Go-o-o-o-o On!
• Gaan Gah-Gaan!

This time, however, instead of a gun firing, you hear a police car klaxon first. But it is still Gunpherd speaking.

As with Birca, if you press both of Gunpherd's sound-activating buttons at the same time, most of these phrases will be repeated (though now preceded by the crackle of a radio), and a single new phrase will also sound which can only be found in this way:

• Roger!

Because of the similar design of the center lower parts of their bodies, Gunpherd’s Engine Soul activation buttons mirror the location and function of those on Engine Birca- set directly behind his front wheels.

The Power Rangers’ version of Engine Gunpherd has not appeared yet, so comparisons are impossible. If I were to take a shot in the dark, I’d say the silver paint on all of the wheel hubcaps & on top of the transparent-red plastic, the white painted lines in front of his eyes, and the Go-Onger logo on the nose were removed and left the plain coloring of the plastic. I’d also venture that all Engine Soul cartridges (whatever those will be called) will be either modified to have fewer-or-no electronics, or completely eliminated from the line. There’s no PVC or die-cast metal, so that’s not a problem. (No metal in a car-shaped vehicle? Who’d‘ve thunk it?) I doubt any plastic coloring will be changed, but there may be very minor paint changes.

Engine Busou - Engine-Oh Gunpherd

Components required for this combination:

• DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh
• Engine Gattai Series #2- Engine Gunpherd

In Grand Prix 6 – “A Maiden’s Heart”, after growing to giant size, the sound-stealing Speaker Banki faces off against Engine-Oh. But it can’t fight against the increased power of the destructive sound waves. However, Go-On Black realizes something...

[Go-On Black]: “Gunpherd can shoot through that sound wave barrier!”
[Speedor]: “Really!?”
[Gunpherd]: “If we do an Engine Busou and do an energy charge, that is.”
[Go-On Black]: “Everyone, go with Engine Busou.”

[Go-On Red, Blue & Yellow]: “Right!”

Engine Busou!

“Engine-Oh Gunpherd: Tune Up!”

Go-On Black’s theory proves true, and the Gunpherd Gun shoots out Speaker Banki’s speakers, disabling him. And then Engine-Oh Gunpherd destroys him with the Gunpherd Gun Fire finisher. Smoke still floating from the muzzle, Engine-Oh Gunpherd casually blows on the barrel to cool it off...

Engine-Oh Gunpherd (back) s the second upgrade of the series for the lead mecha. The right arm is now dominated by the extended barrel from Gunpherd, and is now fitted with a scope-like sensor above it. The scope sensor is made by removing Gunpherd’s back wheels and attaching them to his head; this also exposes the connection joint which they were snapped to. Though rather oversized compared to Engine-Oh’s regular arms (reaching to within 2” of the ground it stands on), this new right one has an added advantage over the former. At the connection point in the upper arm region, there is a ratcheting joint which allows the entire lower arm to twist in 45° increments all the way around at the elbow! Unfortunately, like Engine Birca, with Gunpherd’s upper body pushed forward, the shaft which allows the Engine Soul’s LED light to shine through is now cut in half and can’t be seen anymore when activated; however, both activation buttons are still fully accessible.

Again, I am more surprised because of the cultural differences between the US and Japan that this character is directly based on a real firearm rather than a more-fictional energy-based weapon. (You just know that it will be changed for its PR incarnation to just that to please the censors. After all, Disney is a family-friendly company, and wouldn’t dare show violence of any kind in one of their TV series. Should I mention that of all the TV networks that Disney owns, not once has a single PR episode appeared on The Disney Channel...?) It’s a good little toy, though a bit featureless compared to some of the others. I did like the light-up strobe light detail using the Engine Soul’s LED, and how well the dog & gun features were blended together. But the backside of the Engine seems a little lackluster compared to the rest of him. Using the back wheels as a sniper scope was an interesting idea, but I didn’t like how you have to separate it to get there, and it doesn’t really blend in once this is accomplished. But again, I can’t argue with the advantage of that new ratcheting elbow joint, which I absolutely love on here! Between this one and Birca, I think I like the latter a little more just because it has more moving parts. (Oddly, as of Grand Prix 16, we haven’t seen Engine-Oh with both him and Birca attached at the same time.) But that doesn’t mean I dislike Engine Gunpherd any less. I think that Engine-Oh Gunpherd is also a good little upgrade, though perhaps without the dramatics of Birca’s Engine Busou. Regardless, he passes, so go-on and get ‘im!

Special Forces Group Spiral Zone was a very short released series of action figures and equipment manufactured by Bandai in 1/12 scale in 1985. Not many pieces were released with only 12 releases, which were numbered on each box as “Acts”, with Bull Solid as Act 1.

Act 1: Bull Solid

Special Forces Group Spiral Zone was a very short released series of action figures and equipment manufactured by Bandai in 1/12 scale in 1985. The figures were only produced for a couple years and were quite expensive for their day and now rare and highly sought after Japanese toy today. When GI Joe figures went for 2.95 each Spiral Zone figures were $25.00 and in 1986 that was a lot of money. Not many pieces were released with only 12 releases, which were numbered on each box as “Acts”, with Bull Solid as Act 1. Spiral Zone was one of the first hi-brow toys that were geared towards adult collectors rather than children.

The Spiral Zone package consist of:

1X Systeminjection action figure, 1x helmet, 2x arm pads, 2x armor plates, 1X Real cloth suit, 2X rubber boots, 3X sprue (1x vinyl, 1x silver, 1x green), 1x backpack, 1x rubber hose, 2X grey replacement hands, 1X clear vinyl, 1X belt buckle, 4X rubber bands, 1x instructions, 2X file cards.

Building Spiral Zone figures is very straightforward. Although following the instructions should produce a great end product, I believe since Bull Solid was the first release there are a couple of engineering problems that if you are not careful you can break some weaker points of the figure.

My friends little brother also attacked my Bull Solid when I was in school one afternoon and broke off the head, this was finally repaired a few years ago with Yutaka’s own Spiral Zone body reissues which Ninja uses the exact same molds as the original Spiral Zone figures of the 1980’s.

Leonardo Flores “Modcineaste”

This was an interesting choice for a Premium figure on Bandai's part, Grand Pope Sion is more or less an off screen character and what few seconds of flashback he does appear in does not look like this.

This was an interesting choice for a Premium figure on Bandai's part, Grand Pope Sion is more or less an off screen character and what few seconds of flashback he does appear in does not look like this. I believe he is meant to look like he does in the manga (there are sometimes subtle color changes they make in the transition to animation.) Thus the dark robe and different helm than in the TV series.

The Pope was formerly the Gold Saint Aries Sion who served in Athena's last Holy War with Hades 243 years earlier until he was promoted to the task of Grand Pope of Sanctuary (The role of authority in place of Athena between incarnations.)

From Wikipedia:

“After Athena had once again reincarnated into a human infant, Sion began preparations for the inevitable war. He understood that, with old age, his own time would soon be up, and therefore needed to choose a successor for his seat. With the exception of Sagittarius Aiolos and Gemini Saga, all of the gold saints were too young and inexperienced to take up the responsibilities. After a lengthy time of consideration, Sion eventually settled on the Gold Saint of Sagittarius. While Aiolos was not as powerful as Saga, Sion felt confident in his choice because he knew of Aiolos' undying loyalty to Athena.”

“Unfortunately, Sion was confronted by Saga in regards to his decision shortly after the announcement. It seems Saga felt discontent at Sion's choice, and demanded an explanation for it. Sion revealed that, while he acknowledged that Saga had a heavenly reputation and was the more powerful of the two, he could not help but sense something terrifyingly dark within the Gemini Saint. It is at this point that Saga confirmed Sion's suspicions, and assaulted the weary Pope with a deathblow.”

All of this happens in very short flashbacks and Sion is only really glimpsed in a few quick shots. So while Sion will reappear during the Hades arc, resurrected as a servant to Hades, it's an odd choice for a mail in premium.

The figure is a Generation 2 body with all the usual points of articulation that I have come to expect from a Saint Cloth Myth figure. The figure itself is made of plastic with die cast metal feet. The feet are the only parts of the release made of metal, all of the other accessories are plastic.

The robe, is of course, made of Cloth and features excellent detailing. The trim on the sleeves and down the front is all embroidered, a nice touch considering this is a low run figure. Bandai really does spare no expense in the detail on these figures.

Other than the helmet, collar and alternate head; Grand Pope Sion is pretty light on accessories. What he does come with, and one of the reason I wanted to scoop him up, is 13 of Bandai's stands for the Saint Cloth Myth line. An item that, as of this article, appears to be either back ordered or sold out everywhere. The idea for including the stands was to display the Grand Pope with all 12 of Athena's Gold Saints. Bandai was also nice enough to include a sticker sheet as well with the names of the Gold Saints, Grand Pope Sion and all 5 of our main characters, the Bronze Saints.

I'm glad I grabbed him when I did as I plan on getting Sion in his resurrected form, so paired with that release it will display nicely in my collection. With that said, this one is for Saint Seiya completest only. Everyone else will want to pass on it. Should you want to add Grand Pope Sion to your collection you can get yours at Angolz.com. A quick, short video is below for your viewing pleasure.

The Centennial Master Grade is the Universal Quanitifier, but does this seem like an overglorified High Grade?

MG #100

Despite a wide number of ‘collectors’ edition kits, Bandai’s Master Grade collection has finally reached its Centennial and there was much speculation as to what Gundam would win the 100th model kit title. The speculation started with the proposal for additional “Char’s” Variants, kits that were simple retools of earlier kits. This made some fans nervous, unsettled with the idea of a retool for the big 1 0 0. After months of shadows and the MG number approaching its mark, Bandai revealed the 100th Master Grade kit: Turn A Gundam!

Do Gundams Dream of Electric Sheep?
The Turn A Gundam comes from its self titled series and celebrates Gundam’s legacy from start to (then) finish and marks the 20th Anniversary project of Gundam by its creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. While commonly these events are carried out by a ‘traditional’ group such as Tomino and his longtime partner Kunio Ohkawara, Tomino chose to change things up a bit; taking the Gundam design duties to the American artist Syd Mead, whose credits include the Cyberpunk Masterpiece Blade Runner. The end result is one of the most striking designs ever for a mobile suit. It lacked the traditional ‘V-crest’ on the forehead instead sporting a mustache that curved upwards, gaining it the nickname ‘White Mustache’ which was written into the Turn A series. The body itself followed a ventilated pattern along a curving linear form making the Turn A more of an artistic piece than a mechanical one. This stunning contrast compared to Gundam’s origin struck a cord with fans and newcomers, some bitter, others enthusiastic, none the less, the Turn A Gundam is a much celebrated design.

This Amish Earth

Turn A Gundam takes place in the ‘Correct Century’ calendar, CC 2345, a time when Earth’s technology was destroyed after the cataclysmic events of the “Dark History.” During this era of space travel and interplanetary war, all of Earth’s great advancements had been lost and all technology was destroyed. With no physical specimen to rebuild from, those living on Earth have slowly redeveloped their technology in a Re-Industrialization Revolution, recreating vacuum tubes, prop planes, and Model-T style internal combustion engines to name a few. In the meantime, the People living on the Moon (dubbed the Moonrace) have lived with much of the lost science and capacity for space travel and Mobile Suit technology. Growing to believe its superiority over the Earth, the Moonrace begins planning to reclaim the Earth, either by peaceful relocation and force. In preparation, the Moonrace’s leader Diana sends three young observers to the Earth. Loran Cehack one of the observers, holds high hopes for the relocation after establishing himself as a driver and caretaker for the Heim family, a wealthy industrial family of the Earth.

After growing to enjoy life on Earth amongst the normal Earth dwellers, Loran is equally caught off guard when the Military faction of the Moonrace begins its assault, quickly dispatching Earth’s fledgling militia with their overpowering Mobile Suits. Unbeknownst to the general public, Earth retained some of its Mobile Suit and space-faring technology, much of which was buried underground where it was protected from history. Some technology however was encased in stonework, such as the “White Doll,” a statue used by Earth dwellers in a Coming of Age ceremony. During the initial attack, Loran witnessed the Doll crumble away to reveal the statue is really a Mobile Suit, the Turn A Gundam. Learning how to use it through field experience, Loran comes to terms with the reality that the Earth is worth protecting, even from his own homeland. Little did he realize that the Turn A Gundam had more significance to the Dark History than being a mere relic of that time period.

Turn A Turn

The Turn A Gundam’s incarnation of models came with the standard roll out, a 1/144 scale version and a 1/100 scale high grade constructed in the most basic fashion typical to both scales. For the Master Grade Turn A, the design team chose to forgo the internal mechanical aspect and make the Turn A in its external Aesthetic glory. The model lacks much of the internal detail and mechanical components famous for the line and instead focuses on the final product and there is much internal construction which compliments this theory.

Preliminary examination shows that the Turn A model can be done with minimal paint work. In fact most of the work I did on this was detailing with a rapidoliner, with touch ups with a tooth pick in some areas such as the symbol on the Turn A’s forehead and Loran figure in the pilot’s seat. Detailing is where much of the Turn A’s style stands out, with its panel markings exposed and raised areas that stand out with a little ink. There were some areas where paneling was not fully pressed. However when compared to the whole kit, these small points are negligible.

The Turn A’s head is constructed from the inside out starting with a sub-layer that makes up the bulk of the head, mainly the eyes and chin constructed on a spheroid block that then connects with a two disk assembly that makes up the Gundam’s neck. This half sphere shaped piece is molded in the clear yellow plastic with two protruding wedges to make the Gundam’s eyes. Instead of having to paint this area, the Turn A has a ‘mask’ which fits over the eyes and completely encases the first layer. The armor of the Turn A’s head consists of two shell halves (cut front and back) that are locked together by an additional strip on the top of the Turn A’s head. The Turn A’s famous mustache is then slid up into place at its chin and locks into place in a groove. For the must part, the Turn A’s head is impressively constructed, well thought out, and very pleasing to its design.

The Torso of the Turn A is where much of the Gundam’s internal and external mechanisms are showcased. The front of the chest itself is made of individual doors that open like vents. These panels connect to large plates which then lock into the main bay blocks. These two blocks can be removed and shown for their detail, or exposed by opening the plates on the front of the chest. The missiles are adjoined parts, where there are three long missile tubes injected vertically and joined by a flat strip with groove points that run along the inside of the pod. The missile bays as well are solid cast injected parts where both pods are singular pieces. There is some drawbacks to this detail because of their recessed design, making use of the Turn A’s peg mount for the Action Base as a turn key to push the pods out from the back. Speaking of the Action Base, this additional stem arm connects to a small port on the center of the Turn A’s back (by removing the plug installed over the port). One last piece of business involving the front of the Turn A, or more over like two optional pieces. The center rib that divides the chest regions was included in two colors, blue and white. Both parts are exactly the same, and why they were included is beyond me, but the addition is just one piece of extra thought included into the Turn A Gundam’s model.

The range of flexibility in the Turn A Gundam’s torso is incredibly balanced. Through an arrangement of rolling stem hinges, the Turn A’s torso has an excellent range of rotary motion in its abdomen similar to the effect of a ball joint. The shoulders however lack that, as they are only mounted on a peg with limited horizontal rotation, and no vertical motion. This is compounded by the way the shoulder armor locks into place on the shoulder region of the body.

In an interesting fashion the Turn A’s shoulder armor literally floats on itself. Constructed out of a series of underbelly plates and a seating ring (that floats over the shoulder stem) the shoulder armor then connects to the back armor plate. Through an arrangement of interconnected hinges built between the upper and lower plates, the shoulder armor is articulated on its own. In some instances the shoulder armor impedes the arms from flexing beyond a given point, but otherwise they have no influence on the arms and the arms have no impact on how tight the shoulder armor fits. This comes as a nice change of pace where shoulder armor is either built onto the bicep or rests against the arm through a plate that slides onto the shoulder stem. Additionally, the shoulder armor has a series of grooves cut into the rear section so to mount docking brackets for storing the Turn A’s arsenal.

Expanding on the ‘Version 2’ hand parts, the Turn A’s hands are assembled with much better articulated fingers compared to the classic hinged fingers of older MG kits. Unlike earlier kits, the Turn A’s fingers are individually cut digits for the middle finger, ring finger, and pinky. Articulation for the hands is however typical of the Version 2 method, the thumb and index finger are molded with ball joints while the additional fingers fit together as a three piece hinge. Although the Turn A is remarkably taller than most Gundams like the RX-78-2, its hands are quite petite which makes constructing the hands ridiculously tedious as they are sandwiched between the back hand and the palm. So a word of “slipping” caution for those with big hands who endeavor to construct the Turn A. When completed, the hands fit onto the spheres at the end of the wrist joints. There were two additional hands included with the kit, as two splayed open palms. For sake of saying, I did not bother to construct them because I wanted minimize excess parts floating around.

The difference between what I call the ‘sub-ankle’ and the main ankle is their location. The sub-ankle is an extension of the lower leg, and works to articulate the body of the Turn A’s lower leg in relation to the main ankle. The main ankle is a full assembly designed to rotate and flex at an extended range from the leg and connects to the feet. The feet are constructed in three piece assemblies for the front and back with the outer armor covering an underside piece with hinge points to connect to the ankle. Above it all are the hip joints, which follow the same construction theory as the shoulder joint. The hips are canister shaped assemblies that connect to the waist with a rotating block that connects to the legs.

The outer armor of the Turn A’s legs are a series of half-wrap around sleeves for both the upper and lower sections. Naturally because of the radiator-leg design, they do not cover the rear and instead fit on from the front. Like the forearm, the upper thigh armor has two layers of armor that cover the sides of the hips with a short ‘wrap-around’ section where the legs meet the hips. The lower leg is comprised of ventilated strips of armor which fit onto the sides of the legs and two front sections that encases most of the body. The knee armor is then attached and constructed of two sections for the front (outer armor, and underlying plate) and locks into a bracket in the rear.

The waist section is built from a series disk shaped parts, two making the lower sides where the hip joints connect, which are then encased in armor from the front and back. The upper section of the waist is made of a flat disk with two protruding ball-stems and an encasing ring that locks down on top of the main plate. The ball stems coming from the central locking plate are the mounts for the Turn A’s side-skirt armor. This whole assembly then adjoins the Turn A’s torso and legs together, naturally.

The design is a dome-topped canister with the two triangular wings that make the front skirt armor for the mobile suit. The skirts are articulated via a swing arm that rotates around on the body of the corefighter, and again where it attaches to the skirts. The Cockpit itself is a spheroid structure made up of two parts, the outer dome, and lower hemisphere. The lower piece is molded with Loran sitting in the deeply receded control seat which can then be painted before encasing him in the dome. With the dome molded in the clear yellow plastic, a painted Loran really stands out against the surrounding armor. However the minute size of both pieces makes it difficult to hold the cockpit together without glue because the outer dome rests on two miniscule tips on the seat portion.

There is no such thing as a Gundam without weapons, and the Turn A comes with a raw assortment comparable to the original RX-78-2. This weapon assortment includes the Turn A’s shield, beam rifle, beam sabers, and its own incarnation of the ball and chain “Gundam Hammer.” The beam sabers are simple single pieces with no assembly required. The only assembly required is for their docks, which are long ‘u’ shaped pieces that attach to a docking port which fit into grooves on the back of the Turn A’s shoulder armor. The beams themselves are different from the traditional ‘bulb ended’ beams included beam parts, instead they are pin point tubes. While no building is required, the beam sabers themselves are exquisitely detailed, and can really shine with some added touch up work.

The Turn A’s beam rifle is different from the typical idea of Gundam weaponry, and looks like something out of Star Trek. The rifle is constructed in two halves for the main body, with two red triangular parts encased at the end. Additionally built on the inside are the gun’s grip and main trigger, which is made from a rotating disk with a retractable grip. This is then enclosed within the stock of the rifle which slides back and forth like a sock on a track. There is another sliding door on the underside of the rifle which closes over the gun’s regular grip for when the side grip is exposed. This makes the Turn A’s rifle aesthetically streamline like the rest of the mobile suit.

The Turn A’s shield is an interesting design based on the Turn A’s curved look. The oblong shape is almost reminiscent of the shields from the Gelgoog mobile suit of the UC generation. The Shield is built from the back to the front, with the docking assembly where it mounts to the Turn A’s arm connecting to a track which it then can slide across. This comes as a nice change from most MG shields that are simple mounts on a given point with a peg port. The track assembly then connects to an underbelly frame, which then fits onto the main body that is made of three separate pieces. The shield suffers from a problem that can also be applied to the rifle; posing. Due to the overall size of the shield and rifle, it is difficult to pose the Turn A when both items are attached to the arms because they often collide with the shoulder armor. If set properly, the arm does have some range of motion with the shield attached.

The Gundam Hammer, as said is the Turn A’s version of the mace weapon used by the original RX-78-2. Unlike the previous version which was released with the MG RX-78-2 Version 1.5 and again with the Version OYW, the Hammer for the Turn A is a brand new version. While almost identical, the difference is in the gripping anchor which has a groove cut to lock in the peg molded into the Turn A’s palms. Construction of the Hammer is simple with two half spheres making the body and an arrangement of individually added spikes. The anchoring link is then fitted with a snap ring and connects it with a length of chain that connects to another snap ring attached to the grip end.

Overall
Despite its skill class and celebratory status, the Turn A Gundam might seem like an over-glorified High Grade rather than a Master Grade. None the less, the Turn A is composed of a level of engineering that sets it above the High Grade level. While its design has set it apart from many Gundam enthusiasts, the execution in this model form is a real delight for the design and pays its respect with being the one of the best incarnations of the Turn A done yet. For MG #100, it has earned its number!

This is about the newest Gundam Generation; where the world faces rising fuel costs, political unrest, and the Gundam war on terror. Of course, there will be Gun-Pla!

It is the end of 2007, after nearly five years of living in the Cosmic Era of Gundam SEED, the Gundam Legacy enters its new age and one of its boldest steps since its beginning. Welcome to the age of Gundam 00, a time of rising fuel costs, intercontinental unrest, and the Gundam War on War on Terror.

Since its inauguration, each Gundam has been associated with its own Calendar. The Universal Century (UC) was the first Gundam calendar which spanned across its own legacy of generations from the One Year War (UC 0079) and beyond. In later years, Gundam branched into new “Alternate Universes” (AU) to separate stories from the time line of the Universal Century. These then took place in individual calendars: such as the After Colony (AC) table of Gundam W and the more recent Cosmic Era (CE) of Gundam SEED. The year 2007 of our calendar introduced the next Alternate Universe: Gundam 00. Unlike its predecessors 00 takes place in the Anno Domini or simply the “Real Calendar” in the year AD 2307, marking the first Gundam to take place in the post modern age. With that comes a much closer look at the times in our current history. Underneath the glisten and glamour of the idea of a Better Tomorrow, Gundam 00 sets itself with a strong political undertone that takes much of its material from the current geopolitical structure and gives a harsh realization of mankind’s future in a progressive and divided manner. Additionally, Gundam 00 is the first Gundam to be broken into two seasons separated over a long break period (much like Western television series), with Season 2 coming sometime towards the end of 2008.

In the late 23rd century, mankind has finally abandoned its hopes of Ethanol and Petroleum based forms of power and begun seeking the advantage of solar energy. Through Orbital Elevators set in strategic locations to collect and distribute this abundant energy source, technology has reached a peak of proto-space colonization. However not all countries can reap the benefits, these lesser known and forgotten countries are forced to either crumble or join with one of the main national groups: The Union formed mostly by the American continents, the Human Reform League of Eastern Europe and Asia, and the Western European and African colony group AEU. Because of the fragile nature of the orbital elevators, each nation refuses to trust one another and continue to exist in a stalemate of never ending conflict. In the year 2307, a paramilitary organization has presented itself in order to eliminate war through armed intervention. They are Celestial Being, and they will end war with force through the power of Gundam!

Four is the Lucky Number

The Gundams of 00 are shrouded in mystery, from their conception to construction. Celestial Being is an even greater mystery; formed nearly 200 years ago by the enigmatic Aeolia Schenberg. The earliest mystery surrounding the Gundams is the glistening particle emitted from their cores that blocks out communications dubbed “GN Particles” which can be compared to the UC’s “Minovski Particle.” The Gundams’ power sources are called the “GN-Drive” which is powered by the “Solar Furnace,” a perpetual if not nearly limitless energy source that once powered can sustain and continuously produce energy for the mobile suit to operate and enhances the mobile suit’s basic performance. While the true functions of how the GN-Drive works remain a mystery, it is clear that these superior engines make the Gundams more powerful and adaptive than the current state of mobile suit technology.

Gundam 00 follows the unwritten rule of the AU and introduced not just one, but multiple Gundams as their lead mobile suits. Unlike the previous chapters where there were five Gundams, 00 introduced four Gundams as the lead models. While past AU series make note of these being the first Gundams known to the world, it is revealed amongst Celestial Being members that these are the third generation models. Continuing the tradition of the multiple Gundams law, the Gundams each conform to a particular combat style:

GN-01 Gundam Exia: close quarters blade combat. piloted by Setsuna F. Seiei
GN-02 Gundam Dynames: long range sniper combat. piloted by Lockon Stratos
GN-03 Gundam Kyrios: transformable, aerial combat. piloted by Allelujah Haptism
GN-04 Gundam Virtue: heavily armored assault combat. piloted by Tieria Erde

The Gundam Exia is the current poster child of the 00 generation because of its role as the lead mecha up until now. Its dynamic shape complimented both by its unique arsenal of blades and the traditional Gundam color scheme helps to make it familiar and more acceptable to long time Gundam fans hesitant to accept Gundam 00 as a whole. The Exia is a real spectacle in motion. Compared to its siblings it is the most simplistic in design and is relatively under armed by being a Close Combat machine. Still, it lives up to its purpose in the hands of Setsuna F. Seiei.

More Things Change, the Color Stays the Same

Within weeks of 00’s premiere, Bandai had already rolled out the first wave of models based on the series’ machines in Low Grade and High Grade 1/144 scale kits and slowly begun filling the ranks with 1/100 scale kits, and pushing for 1/60 scale for the primary Gundams. Naturally, selecting a kit can be narrowed to simple choices of scale and execution of the design. So what better scale to get into than 1/100? In this review, we take a look at the first 1/100 scale kit of Gundam 00, the GN-01 Gundam Exia.

In plastic, the Exia comes molded in full color: white, blue, red, yellow, gray and clear parts. The clear parts are one of the unique features of the Gundam 00 mobile suit designs, used in the Gundams at important hard points which represent reservoirs for the Solar Furnace. The second design point is the arrangement of flat cables and soft plates in the Gundams set around their joints. These cables channel the power of the Solar Furnace through the Gundams as they activate “Trans-Am” mode where the suits exceed their limiters to their full potential.

Before the build I surveyed the most of the kit’s needed paint work, and much to my surprise there is very little need to paint parts in a color that does not exist in the current color pallet. As such, the Exia’s only demand for paint is black and gray for panels and filling in around some of the model’s hard points. The solar furnace disks (clear parts) have some room for creativity, by either painting under them or painting over them with a clear coat or metallic colors. In mine, I chose to paint the under side with a clear green coat, and a coat of Gunmetal (metallic black) where each disk lays. The result is a stable contrast of green with a glistening underside.

Constructing Intervention

The torso sports a range of the innovation and execution into the Exia’s agile shape. The central body is built around its Solar furnace, which takes up the bulk of the upper torso. Had it not been built sandwiching the main chest and waist assembly, the furnace almost presents itself as a whole kit. The basic design is almost like an aircraft turbine engine, minus the fan assembly. The rear section is a cone shape built outward. The base, solar cell ring and cone tip. From there the furnace is locked by a series of clasps which locks it into the back. On the front side, there is the round cell disk enclosed by a ring and covered by the outer armor cowling and cockpit hatch. In between the halves of the body are two of the rubber parts that fit into the arm pit and lock under the armor that fits around the waist. In the bottom of the torso there is a detail plate, a simple box shaped sheet of plastic that fits under the torso armor to block in the armor.

The Waist of the Exia is built according to the design’s minimalist form. Construction is simply a central block with pegs for the legs to connect, a front block with skirts, and a rear section. There is some paint work to be done on the front skirts, but there is really not much as building that is concerned here. The rear section however is constructed with a rolling bar with hinge mounts on it, to which a set of docks for the beam sabers are attached. This is one of the Exia’s unique action features that a pair of sabers mounted on its rear skirt can roll up and fold out to the sides for it to grab them.

The arms take into consideration a method of construction that has only been used in the 1/144 scale HGUC line and rarely done for anything in 1/100 scale outside of the Master Grade line: double hinged elbows. In a 1/100 scale, the model’s elbows have been faked using polycaps and a decorative ‘elbow sock’ to cover the polycap and bicep peg. Instead of that, the Exia’s elbow is a set of plates sandwiching two hinges, one with a peg to go into the bicep and the inner hinge block that goes into the forearm. This block in the forearm is also used as the docking point for the Exia’s weaponry and shield.

The bicep and shoulder armor are linked together by the rubber strip cable in a fashion that could be considered free floating. The shoulder armor is built around a plate hinge, this fits onto the shoulder block of the torso and then held down by the actual arm, but what unites both the armor and the arm is the cable itself, one end going into a groove in the arm a while the other fits into a block of armor on the inside edge of the shoulder armor. When completed, the arms have a significant range of motion, from the nature of the double jointed elbow to the separation in the shift of the arm rotation compared to its free floating shoulder armor.

Typical of the past few years, the hands of the Exia are simple open fists constructed in three parts: the fingers, palm, and backhand. There is one additional open palm hand for the left arm. Unlike the early entries from SEED the new hands connect together at an added point in the base of the palm rather than just the thumb and fingers region. This improves the stability and grip strength for the hands and makes them less likely to separate.

The legs of the Exia are particularly interesting form of engineering. The hip joint is a sphere shaped component with a cover plate (which is then removed and adjusted to dock its swords), which connects to the upper leg assembly consisting of a stable blend of underlying skeletal structure and outer armor construction. The upper portion of the leg is constructed as two square halves with a rubber plate laid into the front, with a long conjoining peg that locks it into the knee. The lower leg is built into the knee through the knee’s lower subassembly which is then covered by an outer layer of armor, and a rubber strip in the front that is neatly tucked into a groove in the inner leg which floats just above the outer armor layer. Continuing the trend of the kit, the legs also have reservoirs and such they are built into the knee armor.

The base build starts with the knee, as two large circular blocks come together and joins the upper and lower leg from within as a single unit rather than individual sections. The knee itself is rather large than the typical assembly has been in the past. According to the design, the knee is integrated into the lower leg, but is not locked in place. This allows for a greater range of flexibility and makes the Exia physically impressive. At the ankles, the Exia abandons the typical style of wrap-around ankle armor, and goes for a front guard with a rolling guard on the rear. The feet are also a combination of the classic style but done with a sort of ‘floating’ block for the upper portion of the foot, so there is a distinctive gap between the sections of the feet.

In the essence of ending conflict with conflict, each of the Gundams surpasses the typical load of weaponry to compliment the specialty of each machine. As sword combat is Exia’s field of focus; it has an assortment of cutlery at its disposal. As expected for a Gundam, the Exia comes packing beam sabers: four to be exact, built from two halves for each blade. These sabers are stored in docks on the back of the shoulder armor and the waist unit. To compliment the sabers’ versatility, the Exia comes with four clear beams in different lengths, two long beams and two short dagger beams. Unlike past entries, these are not the typical tube shaped sabers of past generations instead they follow 00’s style of a squared shape with smooth round edges. The end result is they conform to the grip of the Exia’s hands much better. Also, due to the extreme range of flexability, the Exia can be posed reaching for them more naturally than any other Gundam outside of the Master Grade line.

Exia’s additional arsenal consists of two ‘GN-Swords’ which are solid blade weapons set at two different lengths; a long blade and a short sword. While different in length, both share the same volume of parts: six pieces to form the grip, scabbard, and blade (the body with a fill-in strip for one side). The GN-Swords are then stored on the Exia’s hips. However as mentioned before, the swords requires two additional canister shaped parts that fit onto the outside of the hips. These added parts makes the Exia lose some of its flexibility unfortunately.

Clearly noticeable is Exia’s primary weapon, the GN-Blade, a large folding sword that runs a full arm’s length and mounts to the shield docked onto the right forearm. According to its design, the blade folds back and shifts underneath the shield. However to simplify the design in plastic, there is no secondary shifting, and the blade simply folds back at the hilt.

In addition to its swords, the Exia comes with a short shield which docks onto the left arm. Constructed in four parts; the back side, outer shell and two flairs on the sides with an added polycap on the back side which connects it to a docking mount. According to its design there is no grip or realignment points for it to move on. This makes the shield a single point mount with some rotation via a polycap socket in the back of the shield. There is relatively no impact on the Exia’s range of motion, and the shield makes a nice contrast to the GN-Blade on the right arm.

As a small bonus to the kit, Bandai has included a docking cradle to connect the Exia to their ‘Action Base.’ This has been an increasing trend as of late, where kits come with mounts for the base rather than coming with a base of their own. The Exia’s dock is a small ‘Y’ shaped piece fits on the under side of the Exia’s waist, and locks into a small groove between its legs. Although easy to miss in the Exia’s parts, it makes for a nice addition if one has the Action Base to go with it.

OVERALL

The Gundam Exia 1/100 scale kit is a nice introduction for the new generation of the Gundam franchise. From the execution of translating the design in plastic to its engineering, the Exia sports a few new design components and makes 00’s presence known in the hobby world. It shows incredible promise for what Bandai has in store for the future of the series and their next generation of models.

The Lord of the Underworld reborn into my collection. It's another Premium release from the Saint Cloth Myth line; Hades Shun. SPOILERS WARNING. This article gives away important plot twists that happen late in the Hades Arc OVA's.