Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Various angles (1/6)

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Various angles (2/6)

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Various angles (3/6)

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Various angles (4/6)

Various angles

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Detail shots (1/4)

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - The weapons included are a dedicated Assault Rifle, a machete, two dagger knives, and a dedicated h

The weapons included are a dedicated Assault Rifle, a machete, two dagger knives, and a dedicated handgun.

The dagger knives, with the blade section removed, can be stored inside the knee armor.

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - The weapons can be mounted on the backpack, rear skirt, and sides of the thighs. (1/3)

The weapons can be mounted on the backpack, rear skirt, and sides of the thighs.

Three types of hands are included in total.

You can swap the middle parts to choose between the head deployed or stowed position.

Leftover parts

Since it reuses the skeleton parts from the existing MAILeS kits, the articulation is quite similar.

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Natural kneeling pose — Assault Rifle & machete pose (1/3)

Natural kneeling pose — Assault Rifle & machete pose

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Dedicated handgun pose (1/3)

Dedicated handgun pose

Machete pose

HG MAILeS Protogouyo - Dagger knife pose (1/3)

Dagger knife pose

Together with the HG MAILeS Byakuchi.

This kit is the HG MAILeS Protogouyo, released as part of the Kyoukai Senki series. It's the mech from the second season of the Kyoukai Senki anime — the Gokkyou no Shouki arc. It reuses the frame from the existing HG MAILeS Byakuchi/Kenbu, but most of the outer armor is newly sculpted.

So the basic joint and articulation characteristics are pretty much the same as the existing MAILeS series. That said, as the overall volume has increased, the joint durability feels a bit less reliable. The existing polycap-less frame was solid enough to support the Byakuchi/Kenbu bodies, but it feels a little shaky holding up the Protogouyo's larger frame. The joints aren't floppy by any means, but they feel relatively less stable, so getting the center of gravity right when posing becomes more important. In particular, the front toe parts tend to pop off during posing, which can get a bit annoying. To get a stable pose, you'll need to put a bit more effort into positioning the front and rear toes properly to get enough ground contact.

The weapons include a dedicated Assault Rifle, a machete, two dagger knives, and a dedicated handgun, all of which can be freely mounted on the backpack, rear skirt, and sides of the thighs. The dagger knives can have their blades detached and stored inside the knee armor, and you can swap parts to choose between the head stowed or deployed state.

The biggest appeal of this kit is that the weapon designs have been upgraded to look more elaborate compared to the first season. The reverse-jointed legs — which are a love-it-or-hate-it thing — are still there, but overall the kit feels bulkier and more refined. The one downside is that the MAILeS frame, which used to feel rock solid, now feels relatively less secure, which is a bit of a shame. Still, the basic build quality and overall finish are excellent, so if the design appeals to you, it's a pretty fun kit to put together. :-)

HG MAILeS Protogouyo | 2023. 8 | ¥2,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.