Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with HGUC/MG.
It's a bit on the shorter side, but has a really stocky build.

Bulky upper body

Head

Backpack section

Thick arms

Orbit Cannon mounted on the backpack

Thick legs

Amored Core CR-C90U3 - The parts are broken up into an almost ridiculous number of pieces. So many tiny little parts that you

The parts are broken up into an almost ridiculous number of pieces.
So many tiny little parts that you really need to be extra careful during assembly.

Amored Core CR-C90U3 - The first edition has weak polycaps — the polycap on the backpack weapon mount tears pretty easily. On

The first edition has weak polycaps — the polycap on the backpack weapon mount tears pretty easily.
Once it tears, the weapon won't stay in place... In my case I just wrapped some tape around it to force it to hold.. T_T
Seems like the revised edition has this sorted out to some degree...

A suitably beefy bazooka to match that stocky frame.

Leftover parts

Amored Core CR-C90U3 - Articulation is a straightforward 90-degree level, but then again this kit wins on sheer presence rath

Articulation is a straightforward 90-degree level, but then again,
this kit wins on sheer presence rather than poseability..

Due to the structure, the shoulders barely raise upward..;

Amored Core CR-C90U3 - Shooting pose. The polycaps are weak and the bazooka is heavy, so holding the arm up is a bit of a str

Firing pose.
The polycaps are weak and the bazooka is heavy, so holding the arm up is a bit of a struggle.

Amored Core CR-C90U3 - Couldn't really think of a good pose, so just threw something together..; (1/4)

Amored Core CR-C90U3 - Couldn't really think of a good pose, so just threw something together..; (2/4)

Couldn't really think of a good pose, so just threw something together..;

The original trio of early Armored Core kits, together with Gaia and Crest.

Following Gaia and Crest, Selena has arrived as the next Armored Core kit. As you can tell from the design, she's a heavily-built unit whose appeal lies in that big, beefy frame. Thanks to that, the box is larger and the part count is higher than the previous releases, so assembly takes quite a bit of time.

On top of that, the color separation has gotten even more finely divided compared to the previous kits — there are so many tiny little parts that if you're not careful, you'll easily lose them. That said, the color separation itself is excellent, and true to Kotobukiya's style, even a straight build looks impressively detailed. The slightly cheap-feeling metallic molded color will probably still be a love-it-or-hate-it thing, but it feels a bit better here than it did with Gaia.

As tends to be the case with heavily-built kits regardless of manufacturer, joint strength is a real concern here. The polycaps are weak but the body is big, so posing can be quite a hassle — especially the right arm holding the bazooka, which is almost too heavy to lift. It seems like a kit where the sheer presence of just having it standing there matters more than action poses anyway.

Since this review is based on the first edition, there are a few spots where the weak polycaps stand out — most notably the backpack weapon mount. As you can see in the review photos, the polycap tore and the weapon ended up flopping around... Apparently the revised edition released later addressed this with updated polycaps. If you're picking up remaining stock these days it's likely the revised version, so no need to worry too much. And even if the polycap does tear, wrapping some tape around it like I did will hold things in place well enough, so keep that in mind.

All in all, this is another Kotobukiya Armored Core kit that shows a lot of interesting ideas, and if you're a fan of that solid, imposing style that looks great just standing on a shelf, it's definitely worth a go :-)

Armored Core Mirage C05-Selena | 2006. 10 | ¥3,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.