Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
It is ab-so-lute-ly tiny.

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use (1/7)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use (2/7)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use (3/7)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use (4/7)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use (5/7)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use (6/7)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use (7/7)

Upper body

Head

Arms and weapons

Back section

Legs

Weapons.

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - There are 6 hands included in total. The detail and proportions are a bit plain, even

There are 6 hands included in total.
The detail and proportions are a bit plain, even by Kotobukiya standards..

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - There are separate hands for holding weapons, so there's absolutely no issue with grip

There are separate hands for holding weapons, so there's absolutely no issue with grip strength.

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - A unique gimmick of this kit.. it's possible to separate the Assault Bit, which is kin

A unique gimmick of this kit..
It's possible to separate the Assault Bit, which is kind of like a core fighter.

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - You detach the part connecting the chest and neck, then slide the chest armor upward a

You detach the part connecting the chest and neck, then slide the chest armor upward and attach separate structures on both sides.

The Assault Bit.
Having the head still attached makes it look a little awkward..

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Articulation. The arms and legs bend an honest 90 degrees, but since there's no skirt,

Articulation.
The arms and legs bend an honest 90 degrees, but
since there's no skirt, the hip joints can raise quite high.

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Thanks to the uniquely shaped shoulder joints, the shoulders move across quite a wide

Thanks to the uniquely shaped shoulder joints,
the shoulders move across quite a wide range.

Leftover parts..

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Silly poses (1/4)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Silly poses (2/4)

Silly poses

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Rapid Rifle action (1/4)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Rapid Rifle action (2/4)

Rapid Rifle action

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Rail Gun action (1/3)

Rail Gun action

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Aerial action using the Kotobukiya universal stand (1/4)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Aerial action using the Kotobukiya universal stand (2/4)

Aerial action using the Kotobukiya universal stand

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - The hip joint articulation is pretty good, so kneeling poses come out quite naturally

The hip joint articulation is pretty good, so kneeling poses come out quite naturally too.

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - A quick shot alongside the HGUC First for size comparison. The Aestivalis really is in

A quick shot alongside the HGUC First for size comparison.
The Aestivalis really is incredibly small.. ;

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Together with the Black Sarena, which was released without any series concept in mind.

Together with the Black Sarena, which was released without any series concept in mind.
The size difference is massive ;

Together with the pink Aestivalis that was stored inside the Black Sarena.

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - As you can see.. the Aestivalis released this time was designed with a completely diff

As you can see.. the Aestivalis released this time was designed with a completely different structure and appearance.

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use - Alongside the 1/144 Hückebein, which is on the smaller side even among Kotobukiya kits

Alongside the 1/144 Hückebein, which is on the smaller side even among Kotobukiya kits,
and the non-scale Gurren Lagann.
It's so small it's actually cute.. ^^;

Out of nowhere, Kotobukiya has launched the Aestivalis from Martian Successor Nadesico as a new lineup. Since the Black Sarena had been released before, I assumed this would be a lineup of Variation kits based on the Aestivalis that came inside the Black Sarena.. but when I actually opened it up, it turned out to be a completely redesigned kit from scratch. (Classic Kotobukiya!)

The Nadesico Aestivalis comes in many different forms with various units for each pilot, and since it's not really a design that requires a lot of color separation, I figured Kotobukiya wouldn't pay it much attention — but apparently a licensing deal was struck and they've gone ahead and started the lineup..

For starters, this kit is priced at a very affordable (?) ¥2000 by Kotobukiya standards, and the box is adorably small to match the price. The issue is that once you build it, the kit is surprisingly small — it feels noticeably smaller than a typical 1/144 Gunpla. It's really about the size of a cigarette pack. Since it's non-scale anyway, they could've made it a bit bigger, but it seems like they went with this size to match the Aestivalis from the Black Sarena.

Since it's a design that doesn't require complex color separation, the build was probably a lot easier for Kotobukiya, and a straight build is more than enough to bring out the original coloring. That said, the red molded color looks a bit cheap, which makes the kit feel a little lightweight.. Because of the small size, there are no joint strength issues at all, and the articulation is surprisingly quite good, letting you pull off a variety of poses.

It has that stiff, rigid feel typical of Kotobukiya kits, but compared to other Kotobukiya kits it goes together quickly and easily, and the snap-fit connections hold together relatively well. All things considered, if you're a fan of small robot kits or a Nadesico fan, this should be a pretty fun kit :-)

Nadesico Aestivalis Custom Ryoko Use | 2009. 7 | ¥2,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.