Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body and head

Back section

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Weapons and shields mounted on the back and shoulders. These were repositioned from the origin

Weapons and shields mounted on the back and shoulders.
These were repositioned from the original Type 38 Model 1 Ryurai Kai.

Legs. The legs are identical to the Ryurai Kai.

Leftover parts.

There are quite a few leftover parts...
That's because you can swap it into several different configurations.

Weapons added inside the shield specifically for the Specter.

Opening the missile pod.

Articulation is decent enough.

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Unsheathing pose (1/4)

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Unsheathing pose (2/4)

Unsheathing pose

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Long-range cannon action pose (1/4)

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Long-range cannon action pose (2/4)

Long-range cannon action pose

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Missile pod and grenade launcher hidden inside the shield — in action (1/4)

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Missile pod and grenade launcher hidden inside the shield — in action (2/4)

Missile pod and grenade launcher hidden inside the shield — in action

The detail looks pretty great.

Together with the related Kourai and Ryurai Kai.

With the Specter-specific parts removed.

The shared base body.

Parts for the Type 38 Model 1 Ryurai Kai.

Built as the Type 38 Model 1 Ryurai Kai.

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Compared to the Specter, most of the weapons are just repositioned, so the number of additiona

Compared to the Specter, most of the weapons are just repositioned in design,
so the number of additional parts you actually need to build the Ryurai Kai is just the few pieces shown above.

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Ryurai Kai action pose (1/4)

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Ryurai Kai action pose (2/4)

Ryurai Kai action pose

Together with the original Type 38 Model 1 Ryurai Kai.

Parts needed to build the Type 32 Model 1 Kourai.

The Kourai and Ryurai differ in shoulder and leg design, as you can see above.

Built as the Type 32 Model 1 Kourai.

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Type 32 Model 1 Kourai action pose (1/4)

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter - Type 32 Model 1 Kourai action pose (2/4)

Type 32 Model 1 Kourai action pose

Together with the original Kourai.

The latest Frame Arms release is the XFA-01 W2 Specter, carrying on the lineage of the previously released Kourai and Ryurai. It looks like a fresh new design at first glance, but look closely and it's actually very similar to the Type 38 Model 1 Ryurai Kai — really just the shield and weapon placement shifted around a bit, with a slightly different front head shape. Maybe it just reads as more different because the molded colors changed quite a bit?

The kit box looks pretty big — and that's because it contains all the runners from both the Type 32 Model 1 Kourai and the Type 38 Model 1 Ryurai Kai, plus two additional runners for the Specter. So the Specter-specific parts aren't actually that many; it's just that they've stuffed in all the variation kit runners so you can swap into three different configurations.

Honestly it's not a huge change from the previous releases — just a variation — but it's interesting how the different molded colors and repositioned weapons still manage to make it feel fresh. ^^; The newly added weapons inside the shield look pretty flashy, and the all-guns-blazing action poses are pretty cool too... but overall joint stability isn't great. T_T The Frame Architect's joints were already a bit underpowered for handling heavy, complex armor, and sure enough, with all this stuff hanging off it, things feel pretty shaky. Balancing action poses is tough, and if you leave it sitting for a while the pose gradually starts to fall apart. ^^;

You can also swap it into the Type 32 Model 1 Kourai and Type 38 Model 1 Ryurai Kai configurations, though aside from the different molded colors there's nothing particularly special about them. The variety of swap configurations isn't bad per se... but honestly it feels less like a bonus and more like they just bundled in the extra parts without trimming anything down. ㅡ.ㅡ

Anyway, it seems like pumping out entirely new designs every time is getting to be a burden, so we're getting fairly modest variations instead... That said, for a Kotobukiya kit, the volume you get for the price is pretty generous, so it's fair to say it's a reasonably fun build. :-)

Frame Arms XFA-01 W2 Specter | 2012.3 | ¥3,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.