Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

There's something resembling an inner frame inside the forearm.

The mono-eye is movable on a ball joint.

The close-combat claws on the elbows and knees are articulated.

The multi-purpose shields on both arms look really sharp,
and they've got all kinds of moving parts.

You can fold the shield at the middle, bring the spike forward, and use it as a knuckle guard.

You can also flip the shield around and hold it as a machine gun.

Only 3 hands are included.

The verniers on the rear skirt move widely at various angles.

Articulation is pretty decent for its size.

HGBF Dom R35 - The polycap connection at the knee feels a bit sloppy. When you bend the knee, a lever effect kicks in and the

The polycap connection at the knee feels a bit sloppy.
When you bend the knee, a lever effect kicks in and the lower leg just pops right off. -_-

HGBF Dom R35 - Knuckle guard action (1/3)

Knuckle guard action

Posed on a stand (stand not included with this kit)

Machine gun action

Double machine gun action

Together with the HGUC Dom

Together with the HG Gouf R35.

Following the Gouf R35, the Dom R35 has joined the Build Fighters lineup. The parts themselves are 100% newly sculpted, but looking at the runner names, there are separate runners labeled for the Dom and for the Dom R35 — which makes me think they might already have another Dom variation or a revive version in mind. ^^;

The overall concept feels like the classic Dom silhouette loaded up with all sorts of MSV-style weaponry that's very much a Build Fighters thing. What makes it stand out is the massive horn — very un-Dom-like — along with two large, flashy shields. Shields on a Dom~!!

The multi-purpose shields are packed with gimmicks that move in all directions, letting you configure them into either machine gun or knuckle guard form. On the body itself, three-pronged claws articulate at the elbows and knees, and the verniers on the rear skirt can move at various angles and even extend in length — a nice touch. The mono-eye does move on a ball joint, but the actual range of motion is pretty narrow, so it's not all that useful in practice.

The joint articulation alone looks pretty impressive for a kit this size, but once you actually try to pose it, it doesn't come together all that well. The hip joints have a limited range of motion, and those huge feet don't grip the ground very reliably, so getting a convincing pose is genuinely tough. ;; The knee joint design is especially problematic — as you bend the knee, it tends to act like a lever and pop right out of the polycap. Structurally, it feels more like a design mistake than anything you'd expect from Bandai — the connection is so flimsy it almost makes you wonder if a new hire was responsible for the engineering.

So despite the flashy looks, the heavy armament, and all those gimmicks, this kit isn't easy to pose dynamically, which does bring the overall quality feel down a notch. That said, like most big chunky kits, there's something deeply satisfying about just building it and having it stand there on display. Bottom line — don't go in expecting dynamic action poses, but if the sleek design speaks to you, there's definitely plenty of fun to be had building this one. :-)

HGBF Dom R35 | 2015.7 | ¥1,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.