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Destroid Mode
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1/100 MG Unicorn makes another appearance.
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There's hardly an articulation in the hands. The thumb can move up and down a little bit, and the fingers can close into a fist.
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Extras
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The figure comes with stickers to duplicate the eyes seen on some episodes, the Ranka "Monster Girl" emblem, and a Sheryl one apparently from the movie.
The Sheryl edition Monster comes with more stickers (for the kit and whatever accessory you decide to dazzle up) and a few other Sheryl related goodies. Stands The monster comes with three different stands for each of the different modes.
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The flight mode base keeps it close to the ground with the nose pointed up. It's use when displayed in this mode is a given.
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The stand for gerwalk mode is slightly larger with a backwards angle and clip that does a good job locking onto the back of the unit.
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The Good This thing is fantastic. While I, like every sensible young man growing up in the 90's, had Transformers toys I haven't messed around with one in ages. Since then all the transformable contraptions I've encountered have been gimmicks on various gunpla models. We all know how questionable they are. To mess around with this Monster, and it's sturdy construction and strong transformation abilities, is a breath of fresh air. The transformation isn't too difficult and the guide walks you through it fairly easily. The body is made from strong plastic that thus far hasn't bent or warped. All of the joints are strong and many are latching so there's no slipping. Once you put this guy into position, it stays in position. The internal skeleton of the legs are made from metal which both lowers the center of gravity and adds to its stability. It's worth noting that the guide's pictures are too small for the level of detail it tends to go into and the Japanese instruction don't provide any assistance. There are parts during the transformation we're you're initially worried you might break something. I found early on that with a little bit of pressure and patience a part will move like it should without the risk of damage. At one point I thought I broke one of the ear flaps (best seen right behind the cockpit in flight mode). Turns out, they're designed to pop off if there's undue pressure. Nice! The Ugly There are a few minor issues I'd like to point out. The first is noticeable by a the keen eyes of a modeler like mine... distortion marks from where the plastic pieces were removed from the mold/runner. If you look at my pictures you'll see them here and there, little white marks that gunpla builders are far too familiar with. Why the builders couldn't just cut them out is beyond me. The second is that right below the nose of the kit there's a little gun turret. You're supposed to pull down the whole apparatus (look for the circular part underneath the nose that shows up in gerwalk mode). When this guy was in gerwalk mode that part wouldn't stay down during posing and often got pushed in. When the turret is turned out and the barrel is pointing outward, it'll get stuck and bend. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong. Either way if you're getting one of these it's something to watch out for. Last but not least, I was saddened by how all of the four main cannons are locked into position. It would have been nice to move them about on their own like you see in the show. The WTF. The kit comes with one of those drop bumper stabilizers (not sure if there's a proper name). In the show it's deployed to help stabilize the kit and keep it from flying backward while firing it's massive guns. However I must be doing something wrong because for the life of me I can't get it to reach the ground unless I pose it extremely squat...
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I'd also like to use this opportunity to point out how stupid this thing looks in destroid mode. It's coolness is factor is greatly enhanced in flight mode and off the bloody charts in gerwalk. So that's it for now. I'll be sure to mess around with this guy tomorrow and update this article if I think of anything else to add. Last but not least, a little treat... Anyone who doesn't want to die, get out of my way!
