Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Upper/lower body close-up shots (1/4)

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Upper/lower body close-up shots (2/4)

Upper/lower body close-up shots

The head is incredibly small compared to the torso and limbs.

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Silver parts are backed behind the clear parts with their densely engraved molds, and it

Silver parts are backed behind the clear parts with their densely engraved molds, and it looks pretty darn cool.

non scale Shin Getter 1 - You can rotate the eyes using the included dedicated driver parts on the underside of th

You can rotate the eyes using the included dedicated driver parts on the underside of the head.

non scale Shin Getter 1 - By rotating the eyes, you can show or hide the pupils as shown above. But the head is al

By rotating the eyes, you can show or hide the pupils as shown above.
But the head is already tiny, and the eyes are even tinier, so this gimmick barely has any visual impact in practice..;;

A total of 3 sets of hands are included.

You can swap out the belly parts to recreate the Getter Beam with red clear parts.

non scale Shin Getter 1 - The waist section of the Getter is really tricky to assemble.. You have to insert pins i

The waist section of the Getter is really tricky to assemble..
You have to insert pins into the central polycap from both above and below,
but the polycap won't stay in place and keeps sliding, making it extremely difficult to fit together...

Only 3 leftover parts.

The arms extend at the joints above and below the yellow band at the elbow.

The legs also have a gimmick where the knee and ankle joints extend.

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Thanks to these extension gimmicks, you can get a decent range of articulation even with

Thanks to these extension gimmicks, you can get a decent range of articulation even with those stubby limbs.

non scale Shin Getter 1 - What's interesting is that the thigh moves independently above and below the red band se

What's interesting is that the thigh moves independently above and below the red band section.
It does extend the range of motion a bit, but the joint strength between the front and rear polycaps is quite uneven, making it awkward to hold a pose.

On the other hand, the inward ankle bend angle is killer...

non scale Shin Getter 1 - The shoulders look like they're one solid piece, but there's actually an internal gimmic

The shoulders look like they're one solid piece, but there's actually an internal gimmick that lets them move upward to a certain degree.

non scale Shin Getter 1 - The waist is fairly flexible too.. but as mentioned above, the top and bottom polycaps d

The waist is fairly flexible too..
But as mentioned above, the top and bottom polycaps don't lock in securely, so I'm always a bit nervous it might pop apart.

It's also unique that the neck itself slides forward and backward.

non scale Shin Getter 1 - The wings are done as a two-stage folding design, and the joints are relatively sturdy s

The wings are done as a two-stage folding design, and the joints are relatively sturdy so they hold well at any angle.

Striking a pose~

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Action pose~ (1/3)

Action pose~

Action pose 2

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Getter Beam recreation! (1/4)

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Getter Beam recreation! (2/4)

Getter Beam recreation!

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Getter Tomahawk action (1/3)

Getter Tomahawk action

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Aerial pose using a separately sold Kotobukiya stand. The stand plugs into the backpack,

Aerial pose using a separately sold Kotobukiya stand.
The stand plugs into the backpack, but it's a tough spot to balance the center of gravity, so getting a good aerial pose is a real struggle..

non scale Shin Getter 1 - Together with the D Style Shin Getter 1. Way bigger in size, but the head is even smalle

Together with the D Style Shin Getter 1.
Way bigger in size, but the head is even smaller ^^;

Following the D Style release, Shin Getter 1 has now been released as a non-scale full-action plastic model. Kotobukiya tends to do a better job than Bandai when it comes to mechs like this — giving them that certain something (?) — and with their trademark meticulous color separation and sculpting, this one came out looking pretty great.

As a non-scale kit, it comes in at around 20cm, just a touch larger than a standard MG Gunpla. With its chunky design and those big wings, it's got quite a presence. What's interesting about this kit is how it manages to capture Getter's signature rounded, chunky limb feel while still delivering decent articulation. The pipe-like limb structure doesn't leave much room for joints to bend, so to get around that, the elbow, knee, and ankle joints are built on a polycap slide system that lets them compress and extend. Stretching the limbs out fully gets you roughly 90 degrees of bend — not exactly impressive articulation, but considering they managed it while keeping the design intact, it's a pretty solid effort.

The inward ankle bend angle is particularly generous, which means you can spread the legs wide on the ground and still get a stable, well-proportioned stance — that's a big plus in my book. Just having that flexible ankle really amps up the sense of dynamism. The neck can also slide horizontally forward and back, and the three-section waist is quite flexible as well. The signature wings are nicely recreated as a two-stage folding design, and thankfully the joints are sturdy enough to hold whatever angle you fold or spread them to.

So it's clearly a kit with a lot of thought put into articulation, and it's a great kit for recreating all kinds of dynamic poses befitting Getter Robo, the icon of super robot shows.. The problem, though, is the assembly process..

Overall, the snap-fit is solid enough that you can assemble it without glue, but the parts fit together so stiffly that it's a tough build. Don't expect the smooth, satisfying feel of Bandai Gunpla — this thing is by far the stiffest and most grueling kit I've encountered among Kotobukiya models, which are already known for being tight. Your fingers will be aching by the time you're done.

On top of that, there's a serious flaw in the upper/lower body connection at the waist polycap — there's really no other way to describe it than poor design. As mentioned in the review photos above, you're supposed to connect the upper and lower body by inserting pins from each into two polycaps located at the center of the waist. The problem is that the ball-shaped polycaps in the waist center aren't secured at all, so when you try to follow the manual and insert the upper and lower body into the waist, the polycaps just get pushed out and pop free. -_-;;

Looking at the manual photo above, you insert two round polycaps into holes that are open on both the top and bottom inside the waist. But when you try to insert the upper and lower body into those polycap holes, the polycaps just get pushed through and fall out the other side — it's a baffling design ;;; So if you instead try to attach the polycaps to the connection pins on the upper and lower body first and then fit them in, the polycaps won't go into the holes in part F2 properly, and you end up crushing and mangling the polycaps.

I was completely thrown off by this absurd waist assembly, and I honestly can't believe Kotobukiya's developers didn't even do a test straight build of the prototype.. This is easily one of the worst design blunders I've come across in decades of building plastic models. -_-

In the end, what I did was remove the front belly parts and use a screwdriver to alternately block one end of the polycap while pushing the upper and lower body together. But now I'm always nervous it might pop apart (and once it does, getting it back together is an absolute nightmare T_T), so I've basically stopped touching the waist joint during posing..;;;

The grueling assembly and that infuriating body connection issue really leave a bad taste, but once you somehow manage to get it all finished, it's a strangely satisfying kit overall — the articulation, joint strength, and proportions all feel good. Anyway, if you're a fan of super robot shows like Getter Robo, this is definitely worth recommending, but just keep in mind that this is not an easy build by any stretch. :-)

non scale Shin Getter 1 | 2015.7 | ¥6,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.