Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki (1/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki (2/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki (3/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki (4/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki (5/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki (6/6)

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki - Detail shots (1/4)

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

The weapon loadout is pretty simple for a Muv-Luv unit.

The weapons from the Mig-21 Balalaika are reused as-is.

Newly added weapons exclusive to the Mig-23 Cheburashka

Hands come in 5 types, 9 pieces total.

Leftover parts.

Articulation is quite good.

The binders move more flexibly compared to other kits.

The ankles are especially flexible~

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki - Rifle firing pose (1/3)

Rifle firing pose

Double Rifle simultaneous front/rear firing pose

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki - Rifle aerial firing pose (1/3)

Rifle aerial firing pose

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki - Great Sword action (1/3)

Great Sword action

Knife action

Together with the Mig-21 Balalaika - Irisina unit.

Following the Mig-21 Balalaika, the Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki has been released in Kotobukiya's Muv-Luv non-scale lineup. As the name suggests, it's a robot design based on the Russian fighter jet Mig-23, just like the Mig-21. While the Mig-21's nickname "Balalaika" comes from the triangular-shaped Russian musical instrument, "Cheburashka" (also rendered in various pronunciations like Chebrashka, Chevrashka, etc.) takes its name from a famous Russian fairy tale character.

Since it's a completely new design, it's built entirely from new parts head to toe — though the rifle and shield share the same parts as the Balalaika. On top of that, a great sword, knife, and great sword storage unit newly added for the Mig-23 are included, but even so, the weapon accessories still feel pretty simple compared to your typical Muv-Luv unit.

Much like the Mig-21 Balalaika, the Mig-23 Cheburashka comes out as a solid action figure kit with excellent articulation and sturdy joint strength. That said, the overall quality feels a notch better on the Mig-21 side. The hip and knee joints in particular are noticeably weaker compared to the Mig-21, though the rest of the joints move well at a similar level, which makes up for it to some extent. The ankles are especially flexible — as long as you get the center of gravity right, they press flat against the ground and lock in stably, making it much easier to pull off standing poses.

Like the Mig-21 before it, this kit comes out with quality that's right up there with Bandai — and compared to the Balalaika, it has a design that feels more distinctly Muv-Luv in its appeal. It's still a Kotobukiya kit through and through, so the parts are stiff and the assembly feels tight, but at least that's better than things being loose. Either way, perhaps because the Russian-lineage units came out later in the lineup, there's a real sense of maturity in the quality here — so if the look appeals to you, this is definitely a kit worth recommending :-)

Muv-Luv Mig-23 Cheburashka - Beatrix Brehmer ki | 2016.3 | ¥5,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.