Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki (1/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki (2/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki (3/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki (4/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki (5/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki (6/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - Detail shots (1/5)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - Detail shots (2/5)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - Detail shots (3/5)

Detail shots

The weapon/accessory lineup is pretty simple for a Muv-Luv kit.

A shield, assault cannon, and knife.

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - The small protrusions on the shield have to be built by individually plugging

The small protrusions on the shield have to be built by individually plugging in 24 tiny parts one by one.
It's a bit of a hassle, but the end result has really nice depth to it.

The shield handle can slide and move.

5 types / 9 hands are included.

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - There's a slide gimmick on the inner forearm that gives the elbow joint a lit

There's a slide gimmick on the inner forearm,
that gives the elbow joint a little extra range of motion.

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - The feet also let you pull the ankle out slightly to extend the range of moti

The feet also let you pull the ankle out slightly to extend the range of motion.

The articulation is on par with Bandai's top-tier kits.

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - The hip joint parts hidden inside the legs can be pulled all the way out, dra

The hip joint parts hidden inside the legs can be pulled all the way out,
dramatically increasing the hip's range of motion.
It's an amazing gimmick you just don't see in Bandai kits ;;

The ankles also bend sideways quite a bit.

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - The shoulder armor moves on a double-jointed structure, so it flexes freely a

The shoulder armor moves on a double-jointed structure, so it flexes freely and barely gets in the way of the arm's movement.

Rear Booster articulation.

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - Thanks to the top-tier articulation, you can pull off a very natural kneeling

Thanks to the top-tier articulation, you can pull off a very natural kneeling pose.

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - Firing in both directions. The pose might look a little odd, but it's actuall

Firing in both directions.
The pose might look a little odd, but it's actually one of the poses from the official sample photos.

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - Aerial assault pose (1/3)

Aerial assault pose

Launch pose

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - Aerial jump firing pose. This kit really nails the poses.. (1/4)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki - Aerial jump firing pose. This kit really nails the poses.. (2/4)

Aerial jump firing pose.
This kit really nails the poses..

Together with the angular-designed Raptor.

Two years after the Raptor was released in 2014, the Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki- arrived as a completely new design for the Muv-Luv non-scale lineup. "Balalaika" is actually the name of a triangular Russian traditional string instrument, but since the wings of the MiG-21 fighter jet are also triangular, it became a nickname for the MiG-21 as well. Muv-Luv units are basically inspired by real fighter jets, and this kit is quite literally a roboticized MiG-21.

The design is a bit angular and feels somewhat different from the MiG-21, which was known for its rounded fuselage and delta wings — though looking at the vernier binders on the back, you can get a sense that they're mimicking the MiG-21's tail section. Overall, the look is a bit blockier and simpler compared to previous kits, but that actually makes it easier to build and the finished model feels more solid than other kits.

On top of that, it boasts incredible articulation that can rival Bandai's top-tier MGs — and the hip joint design in particular is really clever. There's a hip gimmick hidden inside the thighs, and when you pull the leg out to the side, the hidden hip mechanism extends outward and dramatically expands the leg's range of motion. It's hard to fully appreciate from the review photos alone, but once you actually build it and handle it yourself, you can't help but be amazed at how flexible and far-reaching the movement is.

On top of that, there are arms and legs that fold up nicely, shoulder armor that moves in two stages without interfering with shoulder joint articulation, and a technique of extending the elbow and ankle joints to further widen the range of motion — all of which lets you pull off some pretty impressive action poses. The polycap tension is also well-balanced, so joint strength is quite stable, making this a kit you can comfortably enjoy posing like an action figure.

All in all, this is one of the best kits Kotobukiya has ever produced in terms of articulation, and with a lower body structure that has no skirt armor to get in the way, it pushes posability to the absolute limit — a true masterpiece kit. The weapons and accessories are on the simpler side for a Muv-Luv kit, but honestly that relative minimalism actually gives it a clean, uncluttered feel.

Either way, if you were interested in this unit from the source material or the design appeals to you, I'd highly recommend it. If you've only ever built Bandai kits, this will show you that Kotobukiya can put out kits at this level too — and if you've built a lot of Muv-Luv injection plastic kits, you'll be amazed at how far the technology has come. :-)

Muv-Luv Mig-21 Balalaika -Theodor Eberbach ki | 2016.1 | ¥5,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.