Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Majestic Prince Red Five - Detail shots (1/4)

Majestic Prince Red Five - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Majestic Prince Red Five - It seems like a stand was included because the foot structure makes it really hard to stand the ki

It seems like a stand was included because the foot structure makes it really hard to stand the kit upright on its own.

A variety of weapons.

A total of 6 hands are included.

Extending the front section of the HEP Beam Cannon puts it into railgun mode.

And attaching the clear plastic saw blade to the front lets you use it in chain mode.

You can also spread open the tip to open up the mine.

A unique multi-launcher with a Gatling-style design, each barrel being a different size.

Majestic Prince Red Five - A clear Kotobukiya-exclusive stand is included, and uniquely, you mount the kit by inserting the t

A clear Kotobukiya-exclusive stand is included,
and uniquely, you mount the kit by inserting the tail binder into the hole.

Separate parts for recreating the Full Burst form.

The red structure on the back is swapped out for the fully spread-out version shown on the right.

The head is swapped out for the deployed form as shown on the right,

swap out the structure at the bottom of the binder and open all three covers on top.

Finally, swap out the knee structure and the Full Burst mode transformation is complete.

Full Burst mode with a stunning visual.

Majestic Prince Red Five - You can also configure it in the Ceres Battle spec by mounting the large beam cannon Longbow on th

You can also configure it in the Ceres Battle spec by mounting the large beam cannon Longbow on the back.

Majestic Prince Red Five - The large sword "Heavy Machete" can be mounted under the binder using a clear fixing part, though

The large sword "Heavy Machete" can be mounted under the binder using a clear fixing part,
though the hold doesn't seem all that great..

There's only a single leftover part.

Articulation isn't great, but it's not bad either — pretty decent overall.

Majestic Prince Red Five - HEP Beam Cannon action. (1/3)

HEP Beam Cannon action.

Majestic Prince Red Five - Just swapping out the rear end structure to the Full Burst form already makes the visuals pop. (1/

Just swapping out the rear end structure to the Full Burst form already makes the visuals pop.

Majestic Prince Red Five - Ceres Battle spec — full volley firing pose. (1/4)

Majestic Prince Red Five - Ceres Battle spec — full volley firing pose. (2/4)

Ceres Battle spec — full volley firing pose.

Heavy Machete action.

Majestic Prince Red Five - Full Burst mode — Type-88 Beam Cannon action. (1/3)

Full Burst mode — Type-88 Beam Cannon action.

Red Five, from the 2013 anime Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince, has been released as a Kotobukiya plastic model. As you can see, it's a mech with an incredibly complex and colorful design — and leave it to Kotobukiya to boldly release something this challenging as a kit.

The design colors themselves are so elaborate to begin with that, even with quite a lot of color separation built in, it still feels like only about 70% of the intended colors are actually represented. If you're planning to do partial painting to chase that original colorful look, you're in for some serious masking and painting work — honestly, it's such a complex color scheme that you might as well just go for a full paint job. ;;

That said, even setting the design colors aside and just looking at the straight build on its own, it's still a pretty colorful kit — and if you dial back your expectations just a little, you could call it a near-A-grade color combination for a straight build. Thanks to that, putting it together piece by piece is genuinely enjoyable, and swapping in the Full Burst mode parts in particular makes the visuals feel even more stylish.

The basic articulation isn't bad, but some joints are extremely stiff while other important ones like the hip joints tend to pop out during posing — the joint strength balance is just off, making it a frustrating kit to pose. It feels like so much effort went into the complex parts breakdown that joint tolerances got neglected. On the bright side, once you do get a pose set, it holds reasonably well. Still, the binders on the back can be a bit iffy, so I'd recommend pressing them on firmly when assembling, or securing them with glue.

The mech's design armaments are just as flashy, with a wide range of weapon options including the HEP Beam Cannon, Multi-Launcher, Heavy Machete, Type-88 Beam Cannon, and Longbow. This gives you plenty of posing options, and when you load up the Full Burst mode with a full-volley level of armaments, the sheer visual impact is something no other mech can really compete with.

Aside from the awkward joint strength balance making posing a bit of a hassle, this is a plastic model that delivers outstanding visuals in just about every other way. It's easy to recommend for fans of Majestic Prince, or anyone who enjoys kits that put on a spectacular show with all their weapon accessories even in a straight build. It might also appeal to those who feel the urge to take on the challenge of painting every last detail of that insanely complex color scheme. The process will be tough, but the end result is sure to look amazing~ :-)

Majestic Prince Red Five | 2014.12 | ¥6,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.