Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Various angles (1/6)

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Various angles (2/6)

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Various angles (3/6)

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Various angles (4/6)

Various angles

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Detail shots (1/4)

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Evangelion Test Type-01 - A large-caliber 209mm rifle, a Progressive Knife for close combat, and an Umbilical Cabl

A large-caliber 209mm rifle, a Progressive Knife for close combat, and an Umbilical Cable are included.

Evangelion Test Type-01 - The Progressive Knife module stored in the shoulder can be recreated with a swap-out par

The Progressive Knife module stored in the shoulder can be recreated with a swap-out parts approach.

With the Umbilical Cable attached.

Evangelion Test Type-01 - There's a gimmick where opening the cover causes the Entry Plug to automatically rise up

There's a gimmick where opening the cover causes the Entry Plug to automatically rise up in sync.
But the hold is so weak that if you let go of the cover, it just closes back on its own ;;

The mouth can open too.

A total of 6 hands are included.

To mount it on the separately sold stand, you'll need to swap out the rear armor.

Compared to the top-tier leg articulation, the arms feel a little lacking.

You can pull the hip joint downward to maximize the range of motion in the legs.

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Flexible movement from the multi-jointed waist, with each segment articulating individua

Flexible movement from the multi-jointed waist, with each segment articulating individually

Forward and backward range of motion for the shoulders

The shoulders pop off way too easily during posing.. T_T

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Dynamic poses. (1/4)

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Dynamic poses. (2/4)

Dynamic poses.

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Progressive Knife draw/action poses (1/4)

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Progressive Knife draw/action poses (2/4)

Progressive Knife draw/action poses

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Rifle action poses (1/5)

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Rifle action poses (2/5)

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Rifle action poses (3/5)

Rifle action poses

Evangelion Test Type-01 - Alongside the Bandai RG Evangelion Test Type-01 released in 2020 (right). The RG is obvi

Alongside the Bandai RG Evangelion Test Type-01 released in 2020 (right).
The RG is obviously superior in terms of detail and refinement,
but the Kotobukiya version shows off proportions and a sync rate that look like they jumped straight out of the anime.

This kit is the Kotobukiya Evangelion Test Type-01 (New Theatrical Edition) released in 2014. It was Kotobukiya's first Evangelion kit, and it really shows off their signature strengths in color separation and proportions. The visuals and sync rate make it look like it leapt straight out of the animation.

First off, with Evangelion you'd naturally expect impressive articulation from that humanoid design — and this kit delivers. Top-tier arm and leg articulation combined with a waist that moves segment by segment means you can naturally pull off all those demanding poses from the show. On top of that, the solid joint strength really maximizes the fun of posing.

The issue is that while the joints themselves are sturdy, some parts don't hold their position well — the shoulders in particular pop off way too easily. T_T Give them a bit of a twist and they just drop right off. You can pop them back in, but it's definitely annoying. The foot armor also tends to fall off during ankle articulation, though again, you can just reattach it.

For weapons and accessories, you get a large-caliber 209mm rifle, a Progressive Knife, and an Umbilical Cable. A swap-out part is included for the Progressive Knife in its stored configuration, which can be applied to the shoulder. As a special gimmick, opening the cockpit cover automatically causes the Entry Plug to rise up — which is a fun touch. However, the hold on this gimmick isn't great, so the moment you let go it closes back up on its own. In other words, it's hard to keep it open and fixed in place, though with a little tweaking inside you could probably get it to stay.

Since I'm only getting around to reviewing this kit in 2022, I can't help but compare it to the Bandai RG Test Type-01 released in 2020. The RG is a fantastic kit with incredible detail and a premium feel, but I did find the over-detailing a bit excessive and the joint strength slightly lacking. The Kotobukiya version offers noticeably sturdier joints by comparison, making posing a lot more comfortable. The RG also had shoulders that would pop off during posing, but the shoulder issue is actually worse on the Kotobukiya version. That said, when it comes to the cleaner, more anime-accurate proportions and the overall feel of the poses, it seems like a lot of people feel the Kotobukiya Test Type-01 is more "Eva-like."

Being such a popular mecha, you can tell Kotobukiya put a lot of care into developing this kit — it delivers excellent color separation, articulation, and joint strength. If you're an Eva fan, this is a great Test Type-01 that's well worth picking up without a second thought. :-)

Evangelion Test Type-01 | 2013.11 | ¥5,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.