Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L (1/6)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L (2/6)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L (3/6)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L (4/6)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L (5/6)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L (6/6)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Massive upper body (1/4)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Massive upper body (2/4)

Massive upper body

Head small relative to the body

Arms

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Back section (1/3)

Back section

Legs

Thigh area

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Leg detail shots (1/3)

Leg detail shots

Two sets of weapon-holding hands and fists are included.

Various parts are included for weapon compatibility with other kits.

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - The ring-shaped structure at the front of the shoulder breaks easily, so be careful. Mine

The ring-shaped structure at the front of the shoulder breaks easily, so be careful.
Mine snapped too, so I glued it back together T_T

Articulation isn't particularly great.

Weapon open gimmick

The vernier covers on the back open and close as well.

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Bulky action poses (1/5)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Bulky action poses (2/5)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Bulky action poses (3/5)

Bulky action poses

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Awkward poses (1/3)

Awkward poses

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Shooting poses. Articulation isn't great, but the design itself has plenty of presence. (

Shooting poses.
Articulation isn't great, but the design itself has plenty of presence.

Together with a Frame Arms kit that somehow looks like it's from the same family.

Together with the 1/100 00 Tieren.
They somehow look like they're cut from the same cloth.

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L - Together with the Ariel Unsung. They're both in the NEXT series, but the styles are compl

Together with the Ariel Unsung.
They're both in the NEXT series, but the styles are completely different.

The 10th kit in the Armored Core Nexus lineup is the GAND1 Sunshine-L — a design that's very different from the existing Armored Core/Nexus lineup. At first glance it doesn't look like an Armored Core at all; if anything, it looks more like it belongs in the same family as the 00 Tieren or one of the tank-type Frame Arms kits.

First off, the chunky ground-combat tank-like design looks pretty cool, and the overall sharp edges give it a very precise, detailed feel. Thanks to Kotobukiya's signature fine parts breakdown, the color separation is nearly perfect, and the finished sculpt looks like an impressive statue.

Probably due to the design, articulation is below average, but the sheer bulk of the design means even a simple pose oozes presence. The overall joint strength isn't super tight, but it's not loose either — just solid enough to hold a display pose without any trouble. The build process is typical Kotobukiya, but it's relatively straightforward to put together, so thankfully it's not too stressful. Just be sure to handle the ring-shaped structures at the front of the shoulders with care, as they can snap easily.

All in all, I think this is a kit that can draw you in on design alone, even if you have no interest in Armored Core. If the style appeals to you, it's definitely worth building just for the fun of the assembly and the finished result — no major quality concerns to worry about. :-)

Armored Core Next GAND1 Sunshine-L | 2010. 10 | ¥5,300

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.