Kotobukiya Zoid HMM

Blade Liger

Kit Review

Straight build

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Zoid HMM Blade Liger (1/7) Zoid HMM Blade Liger (2/7) Zoid HMM Blade Liger (3/7) Zoid HMM Blade Liger (4/7) Zoid HMM Blade Liger (5/7) Zoid HMM Blade Liger (6/7) Zoid HMM Blade Liger (7/7)

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Head (1/2) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Head (2/2)

Head

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Body and shoulders (1/4) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Body and shoulders (2/4) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Body and shoulders (3/4) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Body and shoulders (4/4)

Body and shoulders

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Legs (1/3) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Legs (2/3) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Legs (3/3)

Legs

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Underside

Underside

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Lower body (1/2) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Lower body (2/2)

Lower body

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Feet

Feet

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The Zoid Core is mounted in the same position as the Shield Liger.

The Zoid Core is mounted in the same position as the Shield Liger.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Cockpit hatch open. Pop the head panel off and there's another seat inside. (1/2) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Cockpit hatch open. Pop the head panel off and there's another seat inside. (2/2)

Cockpit hatch open.
Pop the head panel off and there's another seat inside.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The mouth opens about this much.

The mouth opens about this much.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Like the Shield Liger, the ducts on the head and shoulders open up. (1/2) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Like the Shield Liger, the ducts on the head and shoulders open up. (2/2)

Like the Shield Liger, the ducts on the head and shoulders open up.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The ducts have a double-layer structure and can be opened.

The ducts have a double-layer structure and can be opened.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Open the back cover and you can pull out the Booster. (1/2) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Open the back cover and you can pull out the Booster. (2/2)

Open the back cover and you can pull out the Booster.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The blades on the back can be deployed both upward and sideways. (1/3) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The blades on the back can be deployed both upward and sideways. (2/3) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The blades on the back can be deployed both upward and sideways. (3/3)

The blades on the back can be deployed both upward and sideways.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The blades can be extended slightly in length.

The blades can be extended slightly in length.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Legs fully extended vs. fully folded. (1/2) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Legs fully extended vs. fully folded. (2/2)

Legs fully extended vs. fully folded.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Spread angle of the front/rear legs (1/2) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Spread angle of the front/rear legs (2/2)

Spread angle of the front/rear legs

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The waist moves in three sections, but the range of motion is limited.

The waist moves in three sections, but the range of motion is limited.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Head up/down articulation

Head up/down articulation

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Quite a few Shield Liger parts are left over as leftover parts.

Quite a few Shield Liger parts are left over as leftover parts.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Full hatch open! (1/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Full hatch open! (2/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Full hatch open! (3/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Full hatch open! (4/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Full hatch open! (5/5)

Full hatch open!

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Growl ~ pose (1/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Growl ~ pose (2/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Growl ~ pose (3/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Growl ~ pose (4/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Growl ~ pose (5/5)

Growl ~ pose

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Hunting pose with blades fully spread (1/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Hunting pose with blades fully spread (2/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Hunting pose with blades fully spread (3/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Hunting pose with blades fully spread (4/5) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Hunting pose with blades fully spread (5/5)

Hunting pose with blades fully spread

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Blades folded with the Booster exposed (1/3) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Blades folded with the Booster exposed (2/3) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Blades folded with the Booster exposed (3/3)

Blades folded with the Booster exposed

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The blades can also be positioned forward like this. (1/4) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The blades can also be positioned forward like this. (2/4) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The blades can also be positioned forward like this. (3/4) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The blades can also be positioned forward like this. (4/4)

The blades can also be positioned forward like this.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Together with the Shield Liger. (1/3) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Together with the Shield Liger. (2/3) Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Together with the Shield Liger. (3/3)

Together with the Shield Liger.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - The feet are noticeably bigger.

The feet are noticeably bigger.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Same base, but the exterior is completely different.

Same base, but the exterior is completely different.

Zoid HMM Blade Liger - Shield Liger – Command Wolf – Blade Liger lineup

Shield Liger – Command Wolf – Blade Liger lineup

Kotobukiya's third Zoids kit is the magnificent lion-type mech, the Blade Liger — a Zoid that uses the Shield Liger's body as its base while swapping out virtually all of the exterior armor parts.

The head, tail, feet, and major body armor pieces have all been redesigned, but since the internal frame and structure are identical to the Shield Liger, the articulation and structural characteristics are essentially the same. It shows comparatively solid articulation and detail, but the Shield Liger already had an overwhelming number of parts — and the Blade Liger adds even more on top of that, so the build time is quite substantial.

Even though it's essentially a kit with only some of the exterior changed, the design itself is so different that at a glance it looks like an entirely new kit rather than a variation. In terms of looks, the Blade Liger comes across as fuller and more imposing — honestly, it's the better-looking of the two ^^; The molded colors are also slightly brighter, which gives it an even higher-quality feel.

The Blade Liger's signature blades are well-designed — they can be deployed out to either side, extended in length, and even rotated to face forward. The head and shoulder ducts, the back cover and Booster gimmick, and the side-panel deployment gimmick all work the same way as on the Shield Liger, just with different shapes.

Maybe it's because the overall feel of the kit is just better — but even though the build is longer and more involved than the Shield Liger, the satisfaction you get after finishing it feels a little greater with the Blade Liger. Even though the body is the same, the cleaner exterior makes the whole kit feel like a step up in quality. ^^ As they say, something that looks good tastes good too!

Zoid HMM Blade Liger | 2007. 11 | ¥4,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.