Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Various angles (1/6)

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Various angles (2/6)

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Various angles (3/6)

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Various angles (4/6)

Various angles

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Detail shots (1/4)

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - The areas pointed to by the arrows are supposed to be silver per the design specs, but Kotobukiya —

The areas pointed to by the arrows are supposed to be silver per the design specs,
which is surprisingly sloppy for Kotobukiya, usually a master of color separation..

The weapon unit's middle section can be swapped out with 3 different combinations.

Assembled in rifle configuration

Assembled in cannon configuration and mounted on the back

When minimized as a backpack, you can apply one of two different joint parts.

It can be mounted on the back or on the side of the thigh.

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - A human-type face with the helmet removed is also included, but the eye area needs to be applied sep

A human-type face with the helmet removed is also included,
but the eye area needs to be applied separately using waterslide decals.

A total of 4 hands are included.

The rear cover can be removed to expose the stand mounting hole.

Leftover parts

Limb articulation

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Forward/backward shoulder articulation. When you move the shoulder forward, the backpack mounting br

Forward/backward shoulder articulation.
When you move the shoulder forward, the backpack mounting bracket rotates along with it.

Forward/backward waist articulation

You can open the side covers to tilt the waist further sideways.

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - You can slide the front thigh armor down one notch and lower the hip joint to extend the thigh's ran

You can slide the front thigh armor down one notch and lower the hip joint to extend the thigh's range of motion a bit further.

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - The lower body front armor can be pulled forward slightly and rotated — but when you pull on it, the

The lower body front armor can be pulled forward slightly and rotated.
But when you pull on it, the armor itself tends to pop right off instead of pulling out the inner bracket, which makes it pretty annoying to use.

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Kneeling pose with the human-type head. (1/3)

Kneeling pose with the human-type head.

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Rifle action pose (1/4)

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Rifle action pose (2/4)

Rifle action pose

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Cannon action pose (1/3)

Cannon action pose

Exoskeleton Gale Hound - Kick pose (1/3)

Kick pose

It's the same size as Bandai's Figure-rise kits.

This kit is the Gale Hound, released as part of Kotobukiya's original content series "Titanomachia." As you can see, it's a character with the look of a futuristic soldier in armor. Thanks to the 1/12 scale, it matches the same size and concept as Bandai's Figure-rise series.

First off, true to Kotobukiya's reputation, it delivers excellent proportions and precise parts breakdown. The articulation is implemented in a bit more detail than the Figure-rise series, and the smooth articulation and joint strength make it an easy kit to pose. The backpack on the back can be configured as either a rifle or cannon by swapping out the middle section, and four nicely sculpted hands are included as swappable parts. Overall, the solid parts fit and joints give it a great sense of quality.

That said, there are some disappointing points — in a move uncharacteristic of Kotobukiya, a brand known for excellent color separation, there are some noticeably lazy parts breakdowns. The silver areas on the inner thighs and both sides of the calves were just left as black. Only the outer thighs got the silver color separation treatment, and it doesn't even look like it would've been difficult to separate those other parts — yet they just quietly let it slide. The whole kit already feels a bit plain since it's basically monochrome black overall, so this feels like a sudden act of sabotage (deliberate slacking on the job), if you ask me.

And while the overall quality is good, the ¥8,000 price tag feels pretty steep for what you get. If this were a Bandai Figure-rise Standard, it probably wouldn't have broken ¥3,500. That said, it's a stylish and well-made kit, so if the look hits your sweet spot, it might just be worth the investment. :-)

Exoskeleton Gale Hound | 2023.10 | ¥8,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.