Kit Review

Straight build + partial paint + panel lining

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Size comparison with the universal standard — a cigarette pack. It's about 20cm, so it's on the larger

Size comparison with the universal standard — a cigarette pack. It's about 20cm, so it's on the larger side.

Close-up of the upper body front. There are quite a few stickers and decals, huh.

As you can see, the color separation is pretty decent ^^

Legs

Backpack section

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - A clear green transparent cockpit. You can see right inside the head. The border of the clear canopy is

A clear green transparent cockpit. You can see right inside the head.
The border of the clear canopy is handled with blue stickers,
and honestly it doesn't look too bad.

Since the cockpit is visible from outside... I went ahead and painted the pilot. ^^;

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - I painted the green section on the front of the cockpit and the yellow seat to match the official color

I painted the green section on the front of the cockpit and the yellow seat to match the official colors.

The instrument panel in the cockpit has pretty nice molding, but you can also handle it with decals.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Interestingly... there are two seats included — you get to choose between one with the pilot seated and

Interestingly... there are two seats included — you get to choose between one with the pilot seated and one that's empty. The empty seat on the right has a seatbelt molded in as an extra touch. Nice service :-)

Full hatch open. A total of 12 hatches open up.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Rear view with hatches open... This guy's doing all the talking with his back too, so I guess he's a du

Rear view with hatches open... This guy's doing all the talking with his back too, so I guess he's a dude :-)

The legs have three hatch-open sections, but...

the opening gap is way too narrow, so you can barely see any of the interior detail. OTL

There's a small hatch on the chest that opens up.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Hatch open on the arms. The forearm at least lets you see the inner frame pretty well, but the shoulder

Hatch open on the arms. The forearm at least lets you see the inner frame pretty well,
but the shoulder hatch opening also has too narrow a gap to see inside. (Seriously...)

Outer armor removed.

Inner frame shots. There's actually less exposed frame than you'd expect.

Inner frame on the front of the body

Inner frame on the arms and back

Inner frame on the legs. The leg molding seems to be the best of the bunch.

The cockpit with the pilot removed...

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - At least with just the frame, the ankles bend back sharply enough to pull off cute little poses like th

At least with just the frame, the ankles bend back sharply enough to pull off cute little poses like this.

Thick armor pieces attach to both sides of the legs...

and the inner side of the leg armor also has frame molding engraved on it.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Interior detail of the hatch-open section on the outer leg. The detail itself is pretty nice — so why d

Interior detail of the hatch-open section on the outer leg.
The detail itself is pretty nice — so why did they make the opening gap so narrow that you can't even see it when it's open...

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Interior detail of the hatch-open section on the inner leg. It's pretty much the same layout as the out

Interior detail of the hatch-open section on the inner leg. It's pretty much the same layout as the outer side.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Interior detail of the hatch-open section on the shoulder armor. There's a surprising amount of hidden

Interior detail of the hatch-open section on the shoulder armor.
There's a surprising amount of hidden detail tucked away like this.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - The rifle has pretty solid color separation for what it is. There are a few spots that don't quite matc

The rifle has pretty solid color separation for what it is.
There are a few spots that don't quite match the official colors, but for this level of effort, you've got to give them credit. :-)

The rifle's grip is designed to fold like this.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Like on MG kits, there's a peg on the palm that fits into a slot on the weapon to lock it in place... b

Like on MG kits, there's a peg on the palm that fits into a slot on the weapon to lock it in place...
but the hold is so weak it doesn't really help. T_T
The grip strength isn't great either, so holding weapons feels a bit shaky. Touch it and it just drops.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - The articulation... is about on par with a 1/144 HG. It's expensive, it's big, and it's a recent releas

The articulation... is about on par with a 1/144 HG.
It's expensive, it's big, and it's a recent release — and yet you're barely getting 90 degrees out of the joints. OTL

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - The ankles at least use a special double joint that bends 90 degrees backward. The only issue is there'

The ankles at least use a special double joint that bends 90 degrees backward.
The only issue is there's no stand, so actually holding that foot pose is a bit of a challenge...

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - The shoulder connection is unusual — it's not a polycap, but rather some kind of mechanical frame-to-fr

The shoulder connection is unusual — it's not a polycap, but rather some kind of mechanical frame-to-frame fit.
The problem is that because of this structure, the shoulders are basically fixed in place. T_T
They can only raise slightly upward, with no forward swing or anything like that.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - The hip rotation structure that's started appearing in recent HG kits is included here, but... the leg

The hip rotation structure that's started appearing in recent HG kits is included here, but...
the leg articulation is so limited that it doesn't seem to be of much use.

Like on MG kits, you can cut the fingers apart and articulate each individual knuckle.

Thanks to that, all the fingers can move independently.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - The joints on this kit are sturdy — almost too sturdy, actually, to the point of being quite stiff. Eve

The joints on this kit are sturdy — almost too sturdy, actually, to the point of being quite stiff.
Even if you hold the body horizontally, not a single joint — knees included — gives way...
It feels solid and hefty because of it, but actually posing the thing is a bit of a workout. (The hip joints especially are incredibly stiff.)

The calf missiles on the back of the legs are also reproduced as removable parts.

Backpack movement

Action po~se

The posing is pretty stiff all around.

Because the shoulders are locked up, the two-handed rifle grip pose doesn't look great.

Tsk tsk...

The part on the back of the hand rotates like this...

and is used for close combat.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - The action pose recommended in the manual. It looks pretty cool, but to actually pull off a pose like t

The action pose recommended in the manual.
It looks pretty cool, but to actually pull off a pose like this you'd really need a stand...
No choice but to lean it against a wall.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - But looking at the action poses in the manual, every single one of them is basically impossible without

But looking at the action poses in the manual, every single one of them is basically impossible without a stand.
Are you messing with us, Bandai? -_-

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - 1/48 scale Albatro and Anna figures with a base included. Maybe because of the larger scale, the detail

1/48 scale Albatro and Anna figures with a base included.
Maybe because of the larger scale, the detail is actually pretty decent.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Rear view. Seen from behind, the guy is sticking his belly out way too much... It's not like he's takin

Rear view. Seen from behind, the guy is sticking his belly out way too much... It's not like he's taking a leak or something...

Size comparison. Next to a standard 1/100 MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, the Layzner is quite a big guy.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Together with the 1/35 Ingram, one of the larger non-Gundam MG kits. The Ingram is still a bit bigger,

Together with the 1/35 Ingram, one of the larger non-Gundam MG kits. The Ingram is still a bit bigger, as expected.

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - Together with some recent MG/HGUC releases from around the same time. The Crossbone is naturally on the

Together with some recent MG/HGUC releases from around the same time.
The Crossbone is naturally on the small side, but the Layzner looks enormous next to them. (Especially the head...;;)

It feels about the same size as the Dunbine, another non-Gundam MG kit.

The Ingram and Layzner, both painted up because their pilots are visible from outside. ^^;;

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner - It's a bit of a head-scratcher of a kit, but still — gotta be grateful that they brought back these mem

It's a bit of a head-scratcher of a kit, but still —
gotta be grateful that they brought back these memories with modern technology~

Straight build

Bandai has launched a new series in their mecha plastic model lineup, going by the name Real Robot Revolution (R.R.R.). The first release under this banner is the 1/48 Layzner, and as the series name suggests, it looks like they're aiming to reimagine iconic real robot characters like Layzner, Dougram, and Votoms using the latest design technology. They previously put out a series called Mecha Collection featuring more compact versions of things like Mazinger and Reideen, but this is clearly a different direction from that. The focus on real robots specifically (though the definition is a bit fuzzy), the much larger size, and the apparent goal of MG-level detail all make this a lineup worth welcoming ^^

The Layzner, the first entry in the RRR series, was released as a sizable 1/48 kit at 20cm for a hefty ¥4,000 — right up there with mid-to-upper-range MG pricing. True to the series' intent of applying the latest technology, the overall color separation is MG-grade quality, and the base molded colors are quite premium-feeling. That said, while the white molded color is excellent, there are some who point out that the blue is a bit plain or even below average.

Of course, it's not just the latest color separation tech on display — the overall detail, inner frame, hatch openings, cockpit detail, and everything else is the kind of quality that'll hit old-school fans right in the feels. And given that the cockpit is exposed on this mech by design, doing a partial paint job on the cockpit and pilot really brings it to life. :-) There are no fewer than four types of stickers/decals included, and once you've applied them all, the detail looks pretty spectacular. The decals are wet-transfer type, and I do think dry-transfer decals like on MG kits would've been better. It's not a kit with a lot of curved surfaces where wet decals would have an advantage, so from a user standpoint they just feel like more hassle than they're worth.

But beyond all this newly improved quality, there are quite a few complaints to be had as well. First up — articulation. I wasn't exactly expecting the flashy deep-bend joints of a modern MG, but the range of motion that can't even match a 1/144 HG SEED kit is genuinely disappointing. It's almost puzzling why they'd restrict the articulation this much... It really feels like the developers sat down and declared "articulation is not a priority for this kit!" before drawing up the design. The excellent inner frame and detail level just don't mesh well with the clunky articulation. T_T

As for joint strength, it's very, very solid — nothing is loose anywhere — but the problem is it's so overdone that everything feels stiff. The hip joints connecting the legs to the body are especially stiff to the point where posing the kit is genuinely difficult. Sturdy joints are great, but this level of stiffness feels like overkill.

With such a limited range of motion and stiff joints, it's fair to say that pulling off action poses is a bit of a letdown. Getting into a pose isn't easy, and the number of poses you can actually achieve is limited. In particular, recreating the cool poses shown in the manual seems to basically require a stand — and the biggest gripe is that despite the ¥4,000 price tag, there's no stand included, which is pretty common these days. If they'd just thrown in a stand, this kit would've scored so much higher. That said, even with the poor articulation and stiff joints, the standing pose has a pretty commanding presence, and picking it up in your hands gives you this solid, weighty feeling that's oddly satisfying.

Opinions are also divided on the proportions — which probably comes down to the fact that the design is a bit stocky and big-headed to begin with. I think they did a decent job capturing the big-head look (-_-;) of the original, but just looking at the design on its own, it's not exactly the most sleek or refined thing out there. Still, compared to the old Layzner kits, the detail is vastly more refined, and for old-school fans the proportions should be pretty satisfying.

In terms of detail, there's no comparison to the old kits — and looking at things like the frame, it's well above HG level. But somehow it still feels like a step below MG grade. Even more so when compared to recent MG releases — it's roughly on par with late-90s MG quality, I'd say. Either way, it sits somewhere between HG and MG in terms of overall quality.

Just looking at the volume, it's hard to justify the 4000 yen price tag, so some of you might have complaints about the cost — but it seems like Bandai doesn't expect the RRR series to become as mainstream as MG either. If sales aren't expected to be high enough relative to development costs, they really have no choice but to set the price a bit higher. In the end, it's basically a calculation that whoever's going to buy it will buy it. -_-;

In the end, there are some disappointing aspects, but I think that might just be because us old fans had such high expectations going in. Getting to meet an old mecha again at this large a scale, with this level of detail, internal frame, and excellent color separation — that in itself is incredibly exciting for old fans. Anyway, the first release is just the beginning, and I'm really looking forward to seeing which real robots get reborn with the latest technology down the line. :-)

RRR SPT-LZ-00X Layzner | 2006.9 | ¥4,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.