Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki (1/7)

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki (2/7)

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki (3/7)

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki (4/7)

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki (5/7)

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki (6/7)

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki (7/7)

Head painted areas

Clear parts are nicely applied here and there across the body.

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki - Takemikaduchi is normally known for its flashy weapon accessories, but since this i

Takemikaduchi is normally known for its flashy weapon accessories...
But being a D Style kit, things have been trimmed down quite a bit.

Only two left hands are included.

Articulation is just... so-so, as expected.

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki - Machine gun action pose (1/3)

Machine gun action pose

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki - Great sword pose (1/3)

Great sword pose

Great sword pose 2

Great sword pose 3

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki - Aerial dual-wield action using the Kotobukiya display stand (1/3)

Aerial dual-wield action using the Kotobukiya display stand

Together with the non-scale Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki.

Together with the Noblesse Oblige, which has a much more complex body.

Kotobukiya's Muv-Luv series Takemikaduchi has joined the D Style lineup — a series they've been pushing hard lately. Out of the various units, the yellow Takamura Yui ki came out first, and since there are multiple versions that differ only in molded color, we can expect plenty of variations down the road. (Already getting that "milking it" vibe...)

True to the D Style's reputation for impressive detail despite its small size, the intricate, line-heavy design of the Takemikaduchi has been faithfully rendered in SD form. The head is a bit smaller than expected, which takes away some of the cuteness factor, but even at this scale it's packed with fine detail and is genuinely satisfying to build. The clear parts scattered across the body are a particular highlight — they add just the right pop of color to what could have otherwise been a flat, monotone yellow kit.

Takemikaduchi is normally known for its impressive arsenal, but in D Style form it's been simplified to a degree. That said, you still get the essentials — a machine gun, a great sword, and the parts that mount on the back — so there's plenty of room for action poses. The articulation is nothing special, but the weapons are cool enough that the poses end up looking pretty convincing.

One issue when posing, though — the ball joints all over the body pop out pretty easily. Shoulders, hip joints, hands, neck... every time you try to bend something, it keeps coming loose, which gets a bit annoying when you're trying to set a pose. On the plus side, once everything is locked in place it doesn't feel loose or wobbly, so the finished pose holds up reasonably well. It's just that the joints keep popping out while you're moving things around. ;

Anyway, the Muv-Luv units are all about style, and I think the D Style version pulls it off pretty well. The real question is probably how much interest there is in the Muv-Luv series itself — in that sense, this is definitely a kit aimed at the dedicated fans. But if you're into the idea of Takemikaduchi in a clean SD style, this is definitely worth picking up. :-)

D Style Takemikaduchi : Takamura Yui ki | 2012. 8 | ¥2,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.