Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Kojima Productions Ludens - Detail shots (1/4)

Kojima Productions Ludens - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

You can swap in the base body parts.

Base body state

You can choose from 3 different facial expressions.

The Spear Flag can be fitted with 2 types of printed-pattern flags.

Kojima Productions Ludens - The skull mask comes in two separate versions — one for wearing on the face and one for holding i

The skull mask comes in two separate versions — one for wearing on the face and one for holding in the hand.

Accounting for the base body state as well, hands are provided in 5 types across 2 colors.

Leftover parts

Great articulation no matter the configuration.

Kojima Productions Ludens - Two hip joint gimmicks — one that pulls the joint further downward and one that spreads it outwar

Two hip joint gimmicks — one that pulls the joint further downward and one that spreads it outward — work together to deliver incredibly flexible hip articulation.

In base body state, the waist has nice, flexible articulation.

Kojima Productions Ludens - In the suited state, the waist has zero articulation due to the complex backpack connection gimmi

In the suited state, due to the complex backpack connection gimmick and the straight front torso parts,
the waist has zero articulation.

Kojima Productions Ludens - Poses in base body state (1/4)

Kojima Productions Ludens - Poses in base body state (2/4)

Poses in base body state

Kojima Productions Ludens - Poses in suited state (1/6)

Kojima Productions Ludens - Poses in suited state (2/6)

Kojima Productions Ludens - Poses in suited state (3/6)

Kojima Productions Ludens - Poses in suited state (4/6)

Poses in suited state

LBCS: Together with Achilles Mikazuki Karina

This kit is the Ludens released as a Kotobukiya girlpla. Ludens is the mascot character of Kojima Productions, the studio founded by Hideo Kojima, famous for the Metal Gear series. Originally a heavy, masculine-looking character, it's been reimagined here in a collaboration as a slender girlpla model style.

Kojima's name carries so much weight that this kit was already generating buzz well before release. As if aware of those expectations, Kotobukiya clearly put a lot of effort into its development — you can see that throughout the kit. The basic structure is similar to existing Frame Arms Girl/Megami Device kits, but there are some noticeable upgrades.

First up is the hip joint structure. On top of the vertical slide expansion gimmick that's been showing up in recent kits, a lateral expansion gimmick has been added at the joint connecting the hip to the torso. Thanks to this, if you pull the legs down and out just a little before posing, the hips rotate almost a full 360 degrees with remarkable freedom.

Also, unlike previous girlplas where oddly stiff and loose joints tended to coexist, the joints here are smoother overall while also holding poses better. On top of that, Kotobukiya's characteristically hard plastic feel has been significantly softened — it's almost on par with Bandai's plastic in terms of feel, which makes assembly more enjoyable and gate cleanup a lot easier too.

Beyond that, switching to base body form and the three facial expression swap system work the same as before. Accessories include a separately painted Spear Flag and two types of flags, which come packaged with the Ludens emblem already printed on them. The iconic skull mask is provided in two separate forms — one for wearing on the face and one that can be held in the hand.

One slightly disappointing point in terms of articulation is that the waist joint, which moves freely in base body state, becomes completely immobile once the suit is on. When suited up, the various belts and pipes connecting to the backpack intentionally lock the waist joint in place — it seems like that was just an unavoidable structural decision.

All that said, this is a fantastic kit that steps up the quality a notch above previous Kotobukiya girlplas. The plastic feel in particular has always been a weak point compared to Bandai kits, but it looks like that gap has been narrowed considerably here. Either way, whether you're a fan of the character or just looking for a high-quality girlpla model to add to your collection, this one comes highly recommended. :-)

Kojima Productions Ludens | 2020.2 | ¥6,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.