Figure-rise Bust Gundam Seed

Kira Yamato

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato Box
Release 2016.6
Price ¥1,200
BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info
Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Runners

Runners

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - The layered injection runner for the face. It's really impressive that they managed color sepa Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - The layered injection runner for the face. It's really impressive that they managed color sepa

The layered injection runner for the face. It's really impressive that they managed color separation all the way down to the thin eyebrows..

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - The layered injection runner for the eyes — no less than 4 colors molded all at once on a sing Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - The layered injection runner for the eyes — no less than 4 colors molded all at once on a sing

The layered injection runner for the eyes — no less than 4 colors molded all at once on a single runner.

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - To think eyes like that come straight out of the mold without any painting.. The technology re

To think eyes like that come straight out of the mold without any painting.. The technology really is something else.

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Just be careful though — because the color-separated molded areas are so small, some of the co

Just be careful though — because the color-separated molded areas are so small, some of the colored parts can snap off while you're cleaning up the runner gates.

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - The arm section is pulled out using a slide mold.

The arm section is pulled out using a slide mold.

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Seals and stickers

Seals and stickers

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Parts diagram

Parts diagram

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Manual (1/4) Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Manual (2/4) Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Manual (3/4) Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Manual (4/4)

Manual

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato (1/4) Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato (2/4) Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato (3/4) Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato (4/4)

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Face close-up

Face close-up

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Head turned pose (1/2) Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Head turned pose (2/2)

Head turned pose

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - The stand and bust figure can be separated, and it can sit on its own on a flat surface withou Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - The stand and bust figure can be separated, and it can sit on its own on a flat surface withou

The stand and bust figure can be separated, and it can sit on its own on a flat surface without the stand if you prefer.

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - A stand joint parts piece included with the Action Base is also provided.

A stand joint parts piece included with the Action Base is also provided.

Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Together with the MG Freedom 2.0. You can display it like this by placing the MS that the char Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Together with the MG Freedom 2.0. You can display it like this by placing the MS that the char Figure-rise Bust Kira Yamato - Together with the MG Freedom 2.0. You can display it like this by placing the MS that the char

Together with the MG Freedom 2.0. You can display it like this by placing the MS that the character pilots onto Action Base 1 and connecting them together.

Bandai has kicked off a fresh new lineup after quite a while — it's called the Figure-rise Burst series. Rather than a poseable action figure, the concept is to take a fixed display-style bust figure and realize it with perfect color separation through injection molding. And the very first release is Kira Yamato from Gundam SEED.

As you can see, the face and eyes feature Bandai's new "Layered Injection" multi-color molding technology. It's an evolution of the old System Insert technique that used plastic materials with different melting points to achieve multiple colors in a single part. What's particularly striking is that not three but four molded colors have been applied to express those tiny little eyes, and the naturalness of the result is genuinely jaw-dropping.. The face also features meticulous multi-color molding right down to the thin eyebrows, giving it a clean, crisp look that's actually different from figures painted by skilled painters.

The torso section also looks fantastic thanks to color separation and seals matched to the clothing colors, and the molded colors come out with a slightly matte, premium feel, so the straight build quality is really excellent. On top of that, the parts are efficiently and cleverly designed, making assembly very easy and satisfying — almost a shame it goes together so quickly.

Being a fixed figure, there isn't much in the way of features, but the neck is on a ball joint so you can rotate the head. Beyond that, you can also combine the stand with Action Base 1 to display it alongside the MSes Kira piloted in the show, like the MG Freedom Gundam 2.0.

The quality of the layered injection is so good it almost makes you wonder if Bandai put this lineup together just to show off injection molding techniques learned from aliens. It does come in at a somewhat steep ¥1,200 for the volume you get, but compared to Kotobukiya it still feels like a bargain.

If you're not a fan of Kira Yamato as a character there's not much to be done, but this is a kit I'd definitely recommend to anyone who's gotten tired of building the same old MSes. I can't imagine anyone not being impressed by the different feel of assembly and the high-quality visuals compared to regular Gunpla — personally I'm hoping we get a lot of female characters in future releases. It's a fresh new lineup that has me excited for what's coming next :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.