Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

The size is right around the level of a 1/144 HG kit.

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) (1/7)

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) (2/7)

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) (3/7)

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) (4/7)

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) (5/7)

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) (6/7)

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) (7/7)

Opening the hatch

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) - Shinguji Sakura figure in the cockpit and the interior cockpit view from the f

Shinguji Sakura figure in the cockpit and the interior cockpit view from the front

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) - There's also a gimmick where the small hatch on top opens and the two eyes mov

There's also a gimmick where the small hatch on top opens and the two eyes move left and right.

The hatch on the back of the head opens up too.

A sword with good color separation is included as the weapon.

Two hand parts are included — one for holding the sword and one open hand.

Leftover parts

The arm and leg articulation is on the poor side.

The hip joints rotate horizontally.

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) - Action poses. There aren't many poses you can pull off. (1/4)

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) - Action poses. There aren't many poses you can pull off. (2/4)

Action poses. There aren't many poses you can pull off.

The Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) from Sakura Wars 2 has been released as an HG. The Kobu-Kai was previously released by Wave in 1/24 scale, but with this Bandai HG release it comes in 1/20 scale.

First off, the beautiful molded color in a bright pink with a slight jade tint, combined with relatively solid color separation, delivers a high-quality straight build. The two eyes feature three-dimensional jewel stickers, the power lines on the shoulders are done with mesh pipes, and the pilot's shoulder straps are represented with wire parts. The front hatch opening gimmick is well reproduced, and inside the cockpit you get the pilot Sakura figure along with detailed interior equipment. On top of that, a small hatch opens on the top of the head, a duct opens on the back, and a sword along with a dedicated sword-holding hand are included separately.

So while the visual quality is quite impressive, the articulation is below average and feels a bit frustrating. The arms are at least passable, but the hip joint range of motion is narrow and the legs are short, so don't expect much from leg-based poses. On top of that, the front duct tends to get pushed out and pop off during leg movement, making this a kit that falls short on action. It's probably due to design limitations, but at least the joint strength is decent, so poses hold well once set.

That said, at ¥3,500 the price feels a little steep for what you get in terms of content and volume — likely because it's a niche item with limited sales potential. Either way, the articulation is a bit of a letdown, but overall the parts layout and visuals are more than solid — very much a Bandai-style plastic model done right. It'd make a great gift for any Sakura Wars fan. :-)

1/20 Kobu-Kai (Sakura Shinguji Type) | 2020. 1 | ¥3,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.