Kit Review

Straight build

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. It's absolutely massive at around 40cm tall;; You'll need a

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
It's absolutely massive at around 40cm tall;; You'll need a serious display space

Detailed shots

The structure in the center has some articulation.

Those thin structures hanging on the outermost edges move about this much.

Folded all the way in..

Fully spread out. Looks like some kind of fly-eating plant T_T

All those tentacle-like things move around independently however they please.

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Befitting such a massive kit, the 1/1700 figure accessories are incredibly generous. A whopping 11

Befitting such a massive kit, the 1/1700 figure accessories are incredibly generous. A whopping 11 of them!

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - There are 4 each of the Gelgoog Marine and GM Custom included. Probably ended up with so many becau

There are 4 each of the Gelgoog Marine and GM Custom included.
Probably ended up with so many because the same runners are repeated 4 times over..

1/1700 GP03 Stamen

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - 1/1700 Quin Mantha. Being such a huge unit to begin with, it still cuts quite an imposing figure..

1/1700 Quin Mantha.
Being such a huge unit to begin with, it still cuts quite an imposing figure.. And the detail is noticeably better than the other MSes.

The best bonus of all is the 1/1700 Dendrobium!
Super adorable and surprisingly detailed too!

The fine details are really something else.. especially given how tiny the scale is..

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Right in the center of the La-vie-en Rose stand, there's even a dedicated spot to place the Dendrob

Right in the center of the La-vie-en Rose stand, there's even a dedicated spot to place the Dendrobium.
The Dendrobium's stand pegs in perfectly.

The La-vie-en Rose stand can be separated like this..

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Two different mounting parts connect to the smaller stand at the back after separation. These are d

Two different mounting parts connect to the smaller stand at the back after separation.
These are dedicated mounting parts for displaying the EX Argama and the Albion respectively.

After all, the La-vie-en Rose exists to provide resupply for these warships.

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - The EX Albion placed on the stand. If you look closely, there's also a spot right below it to secur

The EX Albion placed on the stand. If you look closely, there's also a spot right below it to secure the Dendrobium.

Albion, docking with the La-vie-en Rose! (Looks more like it's getting eaten though;;)

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Check it out from all angles! (1/8)

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Check it out from all angles! (2/8)

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Check it out from all angles! (3/8)

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Check it out from all angles! (4/8)

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Check it out from all angles! (5/8)

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Check it out from all angles! (6/8)

Check it out from all angles!

This time it's eating the Argama..

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - This time, something special.. paired up with the EX Albion coating color limited edition. Since th

This time, something special.. paired up with the EX Albion coating color limited edition.
Since the La-vie-en Rose itself already has a decent amount of color separation, it actually looks even better alongside the plated parts version..

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - This time, paired with the EX Argama coating color limited edition as well. (1/4)

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - This time, paired with the EX Argama coating color limited edition as well. (2/4)

This time, paired with the EX Argama coating color limited edition as well.

EX Model La-vie-en Rose - Anyway, in terms of sheer size, this kit is absolutely wow! But it takes up way too much display sp

Anyway, in terms of sheer size, this kit is absolutely wow!
But it takes up way too much display space.. so I decided to disassemble it for storage, heh;

Among the EX model series, which already has a certain something quirky about it, I think the ultimate oddity is this one right here — the 1/1700 La-vie-en Rose.
Who on earth came up with something this outrageous..?? (Did they keep their job? ^^;)

It's a kit I never in a million years imagined would actually get made, so there was something weirdly exciting about it..; I could maybe see a colony getting a kit release, but La-vie-en Rose of all things....

The La-vie-en Rose is a kind of resupply base used to provision warships, spanning from the 0083 era all the way through the Zeta Gundam era. It left quite a strong impression in 0083 alongside Commander Cima.. In other words, it's a structure that's far larger than any warship. So even at 1/1700 scale, this is a massive kit standing over 40cm tall.

That makes it bigger than any PG, and even larger than the MG Perfect Zeong. On top of that, it takes up an awkward amount of space in every direction — front, back, and sides — so securing display space is no joke. Flip that around though, and the sheer impact of its massive presence is genuinely impressive..

For starters, all those tentacle-like things are fully articulated.. and unlike what you'd expect from an EX kit, the color separation is actually pretty well done with a variety of colors, so it looks decent enough even as a straight build. On top of that, a special stand is included that lets you display it alongside the EX Argama and Albion.

Given the ¥6,500 price tag and the sheer scale of the kit, it comes packed with 11 small MS-sized figures. The Gelgoog Marines and GM Customs are whatever.. but the 1/1700 Quin Mantha and Dendrobium have surprisingly good detail for their size. Naturally, since those are big units to begin with, there's just more surface area to pack detail into. The Dendrobium in particular is considerably more intricate than you'd expect, and it's also ridiculously cute — I've heard there are people who bought the La-vie-en Rose just for the little Dendrobium :-)

Anyway, looking at the kit on its own merits, I think it turned out pretty well — but the subject matter is just so unusual and the thing is so massive that it's a tough sell for most people. That said, if you're looking to build something totally out of left field, or you're dreaming of an awesome diorama with warships, this is definitely a kit you'll have a blast with.

EX Model La-vie-en Rose | 2006.9 | ¥6,500 | 1/1700

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.