Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with HGUC / MG.
This kit wins on bulk rather than height.

Upper body.

The head is reminiscent of Mazinger.

The arms. Clear parts are used here and there.

Backpack

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Legs. (1/3)

Legs.

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Hands include an open/fist set and a right hand for holding the sword. The back-of-hand c

Hands include an open/fist set and a right hand for holding the sword.
The back-of-hand covers are shared between them — it'd be nice if they just threw in extras, feels like a missed opportunity.

The Granworm Sword can be attached to the handle in one of two forms.

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - The opening/closing gimmick of Granzon's signature Black Hole Cluster is perfectly reprod

The opening/closing gimmick of Granzon's signature Black Hole Cluster is perfectly reproduced.

The gimmick where all the thrusters on the backpack open up is also nicely reproduced.

Leftover parts are just 3 clear parts — relatively few.

Articulation is... well...
It's a kit that wins on bulk, so I guess it can't be helped.

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - The front and side skirts, which look fixed in place, do move slightly thanks to a unique

The front and side skirts, which look fixed in place, do move slightly thanks to a unique gimmick —
but since the hip articulation isn't great to begin with, it barely makes a difference... OTL

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Black Hole Cluster unleashed! (1/6)

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Black Hole Cluster unleashed! (2/6)

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Black Hole Cluster unleashed! (3/6)

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Black Hole Cluster unleashed! (4/6)

Black Hole Cluster unleashed!

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Normal type Granworm Sword action. (1/5)

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Normal type Granworm Sword action. (2/5)

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Normal type Granworm Sword action. (3/5)

Normal type Granworm Sword action.

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Granworm Sword action with a slightly flashier look. (1/3)

Granworm Sword action with a slightly flashier look.

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Aerial action shots using the Kotobukiya display stand. Even with mediocre articulation,

Aerial action shots using the Kotobukiya display stand.
Even with mediocre articulation, the sheer bulk of this kit means even a slight pose looks great.

Compared to the Hückebein, the size difference is really something...

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon - Together with the similarly-sized R2. The molded color quality is... quite noticeably dif

Together with the similarly-sized R2.
The molded color quality is... quite noticeably different. T_T

Granzon, the most powerful robot in the Super Robot Wars series, has finally made it into the Kotobukiya lineup. Sure, you could argue that Neo Granzon is even stronger, but either way, for Super Robot Wars players, Granzon is the symbol of "ultimate power." That said, this only really applies to gamers — for mecha fans in general, it might just come across as a big, bulky robot. Granzon is so deeply ingrained in Super Robot Wars players' minds as an image of "the ultimate robot" rather than for its design, which is probably why so many people were eagerly waiting for this release.

That said, as a recent Kotobukiya kit, the overall color separation, volume, and parts layout are pretty clean. The solid proportions look good, and the joint strength throughout is nice and tight, holding up that big frame well. The color separation is done well, but there are spots — like the shoulder armor and a few other areas — where it wasn't carried through, even though it clearly could have been. Makes me wonder if the development timeline was a bit rushed. Then again, that's probably only something people who know the source colors well would even notice.

Since this kit wins on bulk, the articulation is below average — but even with just a little posing, it looks pretty impressive. The height itself is actually smaller than a typical MG, but the presence it commands surpasses one. And Granzon's signature Black Hole Cluster opening/closing gimmick is perfectly reproduced, and the gimmick where all 12 backpack thrusters slide open at once is excellent too.

The biggest downside of this kit has to be the molded colors. -.-; I'd been impressed by how recent Kotobukiya kits have gotten their molded colors close to Bandai's level, but this one feels like a sudden step back — almost like candy toy quality. Even just from the photos, the colors look way too dark, muddy, and dull. Compared to the vibrant, colorful recent Kotobukiya kits, the quality drop is pretty disappointing. If you're planning to paint it, no big deal — but if you're doing a straight build, you might want to open the box and see for yourself before deciding.

If you can get past the pressure of those cheap-looking molded colors, and if you've always had a soft spot for Granzon, this is a pretty satisfying kit. In particular, the joints are impressively sturdy for the size, which means it holds poses really well — big points for that. :-)

Super Robot War Non sclae Granzon | 2010.1 | ¥5,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.