Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) (1/6)

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) (2/6)

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) (3/6)

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) (4/6)

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) (5/6)

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) (6/6)

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) - Detail shots (1/4)

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Rear view with weapons removed

There's an actual head inside the head armor.

A rocket launcher, sword, and rifle are included.

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) - For the rocket launcher, you can swap the left and right scope and shield positions to c

For the rocket launcher, you can swap the left and right scope and shield positions
to configure it for either left-handed or right-handed use.

Two types of grips are included for the rifle.

Using the joint parts, you can mount the weapons on the backpack.

Using the small pins, you can also mount them on the side skirts.

Four hands are included in total.

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) - Joint strength is solid overall, but the ball joint inside the shoulder — made up of Fra

Joint strength is solid overall, but
the ball joint inside the shoulder, made up of Frame Arms parts, tends to pop out easily. T_T

Leftover parts

Limb articulation

The waist can lean forward quite a bit.

Rifle firing pose

Sword action

Rocket launcher action

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) - The articulation is a bit awkward, so there aren't many poses you can pull off. (1/3)

The articulation is a bit awkward, so there aren't many poses you can pull off.

Together with the previous Frame Arms release, Yinglong.

Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) has been released as the 40th kit in the Frame Arms lineup, and it comes in a big box. It's not just the box that's big — the finished model is noticeably larger and chunkier than previous Frame Arms kits. And despite having no polycaps, the joint strength is pretty impressive.

It's part of the Frame Arms series, but the Architect isn't fully adopted here — only some of the main internal framework uses the Architect. It follows a similar concept to the previous Baihu/Yinglong releases, and it seems like it was brought into this series simply because a few Architect parts are used. That said, it really doesn't feel like a Frame Arms kit in terms of overall design, build feel, or style. It comes across more like a standalone original mecha model kit.

The color separation is well done overall, so even a straight build looks pretty sharp. The joints are stiff rather than just firm, which actually makes it easy to hold poses despite the large size. However, the ball joint parts inside the shoulder — where the Frame Arms parts are used — are noticeably flimsy and tend to pop out during posing, so the balance of joint strength leaves a bit to be desired.

Due to the design, articulation isn't great — the head is fixed in place, and the pipes on either side of the waist mean it barely rotates at all. Arm and leg articulation is at least average, but all of this together makes dynamic poses difficult and limits what you can really do with it. At least the solid joint strength means poses stay put once you set them, so there's that.

Weapons include a rifle, rocket launcher, and sword, and you can mount them on the backpack or side skirts using various joint parts. Beyond that, there aren't many other accessories or gimmicks to speak of.

So yes, the articulation and shoulder stability are a bit disappointing, but as a mecha model kit it's a decent-looking kit overall. The real issue, as always, is the price — ¥9,000 is a tough pill to swallow. If this were a Bandai kit, it'd probably run around ¥4,000–4,500, so it's hard to give it high marks for value. That said, if you can get past the price barrier, it's a fun mecha model kit with a style worth enjoying. :-)

Frame Arms Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) | 2018.7 | ¥9,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.