Kotobukiya

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State of the Hanger: My model collection as 2016 comes to a close

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To wrap up 2016 I want to take few minutes and share some details about my plamo/hobby collection, which is predominantly Gunpla based. I’ve had quite a few folks ask me for info about my collection, and display set up, but have been lacking any single place to point them. Before I start I’d like to thank all of the builders out there who whose simple and complex works have pushed my builds further and driven the Layman’s Gunpla Guide. In particular I’d like to thank those on r/Gunpla and (the now renamed) Gundam Complex on Facebook. Of course a shoutout to the place I’m most guilty about being absent from, Gundam Australia. Over all, the Gunpla and plamo communities are some of the best hobby groups out there.  read more

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Zoids HMM Death Stinger Review
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Zoids HMM Death Stinger Review

Behold, Kotobukiya’s first entry in to the HMM (Highend Master Model) Zoids line since 2013, the Death Stinger.

If you’ve read any of my Kotobukiya kit reviews in the past you’ll know that I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with them. They always look fantastic and are loaded with detail, sometimes above and beyond what you’d expect from the kit. They’re also very hit and miss when it comes to engineering/build quality, most feature one or two areas that are a frustrating pain in the ass. The HMM line is no different. Of the 8, I’ve built thus far, including the Death Stinger, the Death Stinger is only the third that I’d recommend to the majority of builders. read more

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Zoids HMM Liger Zero Review
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Zoids HMM Liger Zero Review

I’ve been looking to get into the HMM Zoids series for awhile now. It feels wrong to be lusting over Zoids when I still haven’t picked up any of Bandai’s Macross models. Though Macross may be the far superior franchise I can’t help but be sucked in by the nostalgia of days spent watching Zoids on Toonami. It’s a weird thing to build a model, based off a show, that was based off a toy they were trying to sell. Somewhere there’s a Japanese executive laughing like Dr. Claw. I’m sure all the Zoids fans are scoffing at me calling them toys. The original Zoids product line may have technically counted as models but they’re nothing compared to the HMM line. read more

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Completed Model: Kotobukiya’s White Glint from Armored Core For Answer
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Completed Model: Kotobukiya’s White Glint from Armored Core For Answer

Practice makes perfect, and well, I haven’t been practicing. 2014 was a rather dry year. I finished a couple kits early in the year but between my Caged Unicorn at the end of May and this White Glint I didn’t even touch my airbrush. Unfortunately that caused me to re-learn some past lessons and produce a project that wasn’t all it should’ve been.

I started painting this kit back in November and, for the most part, things went well. Unfortunately I was expecting an easy November and December which instead became the busiest part of the year for me. Start and stop builds never seem to work out for me. There’s always a sense of “Hey, I already procrastinated, what’s a bit more?” For 2015 I’ll try to get any painted builds done before Halloween rolls around. read more

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Kotobukiya 1/100 Knights of Sidonia – Ichinanashiki Morito Tsugumori Hakugetsu Kai – Review

Damn, that’s a long ass title.

The "Ichinanashiki Morito Tsugumori Hakugetsu Kai" is the lead Guardian (mecha) from Tsutomu Nihei’s popular Knights of Sidonia manga (soon to be CGIhorific anime) piloted by lead character Nagate Tanikaze. It’s the first model from the series, is made by Kotobukiya, and retails for about $50 USD + S&H. At 1/100 scale she is anywhere from 8 to 11 inches tall depending on the positioning of the backpack.

I’ve read a bit of Knights of Sidonia, mainly to help support Vertical Publishing, so bear with me if I don’t have all of my terminology in order. read more

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Metal Gear REX – Finished

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After about two weeks of painting and delays my Metal Gear REX from Kotobukiya is finally finished. It was certainly a nice change of pace from working on Gunpla and I’m really glad how things turned out. REX really is a fine kit and I feel like I treated him well. For those interested in a full review of the kit, or to see the before photos, click here.

When it came to the colours I wanted to go with something realistic and fitting for REX but outside the normal gray & green. I started with four types of Tamiya grey. The blueish tone of one I didn’t fully realize until after I did some painting. At first it looked a bit bright but after lining and top coat it calmed down and thing looks great. The full list is XF-20 Medium Gray for the camouflage pattern, XF-66 Light Gray for the colour, XF-19 Sky Gray for the lighter parts of the inner frame, and XF-63 German Gray for the dark parts of the frame. For the details I used some X-11 Chrome Silver and X-12 Gold Leaf. A bit of red was used for the launchers and the yellow lines are a random mixture of yellow and gray. The lenses were coloured with Tamiya’s TS-72 Clear Blue spray can but backed with silver to give them that reflective nature. read more

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Kotobukiya’s Metal Gear REX – Review

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I’m a bit late to the party but nonetheless decided that Kotobukiya’s Metal Gear REX needed a proper review. Just released toward the end of December this 1/100 scale kit retails for $87. It’s smaller than I thought it would be for that price tag, coming in at about 7-8 inches tall. It’s also incredibly smaller than Three A’s 1/48 scale release but a much better prospect for many considering Three A REXs retailed for $470 (most on eBay are now going for $700-800). read more

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Frame Arms SA-16 Stylet – Review


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Awhile back Kotobukiya announced a new line of models called “Frame Arms” and along with it the SA-16 ‘Skylet.’ I thought it was a cool looking design and put in a preorder. Fast forward to a few days ago and the kit I had long since forgotten about arrived safely at my door. Fast forward a little bit more to today and you’ll find a man who sorely regrets his purchase.

The Frame Arms series sounds awesome on paper. A single inner frame with tons of customizable armor and weapons allow one you craft their own free style design with ease. Frames would be sold separately or along with themed armor designs. Not only would parts be swappable between mecha but along with most pieces from Kotobukiya’s Modeling Support Goods series. Sound awesome? Wait till you check out the initial images, which I first saw on Ngee Khoing. read more

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