Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

Hands come in 3 types total.

Arm articulation isn't great, but the legs fold up pretty well.

Action pose

Kneeling pose is possible too.

Aerial firing pose

Together with its sibling kit released at the same time, the Rei-Dao.

This kit is the Frame Arms series Ji-Dao, released as a sibling kit alongside the Rei-Dao. As an original design mech, it's unlike anything you've seen before, but thanks to its free-spirited design concept, the visuals are genuinely fresh. The color separation is pretty well done overall, so even a straight build gives you a decent-looking result.

The frame used is the new Architect with some joint areas revised, which is relatively sturdier compared to previous kits — but it still feels like it falls a bit short. In particular, at the very least the waist joint on the frame really needs to be disassembled and glued, otherwise you'll be left with that nagging worry that it'll come apart even after the build is complete.

That said, the Architect frame has clearly improved in terms of joint strength, so it delivers decent articulation and stability for posing. The one issue is that the front shin armor is a bit too thick, which tends to get in the way when you're moving the ankles.

All in all, this is a kit that stands out with its own fresh take as an original design mech, and with the improved frame, the overall build quality feels better than previous entries. If you like the look of it, this seems like a perfectly solid mech model kit to put together for a bit of fun. :-)

Frame Arms Ji-Dao | 2016.10 | ¥4,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.