Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

Left armor removed shot

Features the new IO Frame.

Weapons include a rifle, partisan, riot shield, and small shield gauntlet.

HG IO Frame Shiden - The large riot shield attaches via a double connection at the forearm and handle, so it holds on pretty

The large riot shield attaches via a double connection at the forearm and handle, so it holds on pretty securely.

The partisan's handle can be extended.

There's a weapon storage gimmick on the rear skirt.

The partisan can be mounted pretty securely.

HG IO Frame Shiden - I tried mounting the rifle as shown in the manual, but the connection to the mount point isn't great, so

I tried mounting the rifle as shown in the manual, but...
The connection to the mount point isn't great, so it doesn't hold very well.

The visor on the head can be lifted up to expose the main camera.

Maybe it's the armor design, but even with this latest frame, the arms and legs don't fold all the way.

The shoulders swing forward quite a bit.

HG IO Frame Shiden - Aerial firing pose (1/3)

Aerial firing pose

HG IO Frame Shiden - Riot shield action (1/3)

Riot shield action

Partisan action

Together with the previous release, HG Reginlaze Julia.

This kit is the 25th HG from Iron-Blooded Orphans — the IO Frame Shiden. Just looking at the design, it reminds me of Kotobukiya's Frame Arms line and Border Break designs. (If you're curious, check out the Kotobukiya review section~) It's a mech that feels quite different from the other Iron-Blooded Orphans units we've seen so far.

First of all, as the name suggests, this kit uses a brand-new IO Frame runner. Honestly, it's hard to feel a dramatic difference from the previous frames, but it is a new design regardless. The frame's articulation on its own is excellent as always, but once you put the armor on, the range of motion gets surprisingly limited given the armor size, which was a bit of a letdown. On the plus side, the proportions are great and the joint strength is solid, so posing it is still pretty fun.

Weapons include a rifle, partisan, riot shield, and gauntlet. The riot shield, despite its large size, locks on firmly via the elbow and handle. The partisan has a gimmick where the handle extends out quite a bit. The head visor can also be opened by lifting it up, though it's not on a proper hinge — you just nudge it up while it's still attached.

It's a little disappointing that the articulation doesn't quite live up to what the design promises, but it's still a great quality kit that's plenty fun to build and play around with. Personally, it gives me strong Bandai-made Frame Arms vibes, and it's a kit that makes you appreciate Bandai's clean engineering all over again. :-)

HG IO Frame Shiden | 2016.11 | ¥1,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.