Kotobukiya Zoid HMM

Lightning Saix

Kit Review

Straight build

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix (1/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix (2/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix (3/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix (4/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix (5/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix (6/6)

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Head and body (1/4) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Head and body (2/4) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Head and body (3/4) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Head and body (4/4)

Head and body

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Front legs (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Front legs (2/2)

Front legs

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Rear legs (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Rear legs (2/2)

Rear legs

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Tail

Tail

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Pulse laser rifle on the back (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Pulse laser rifle on the back (2/2)

Pulse laser rifle on the back

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Underside

Underside

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Lower body (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Lower body (2/2)

Lower body

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Foot sole

Foot sole

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Head cockpit hatch open (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Head cockpit hatch open (2/2)

Head cockpit hatch open

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Pull out the duct on the chest and the Zoid Core inside is revealed. (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Pull out the duct on the chest and the Zoid Core inside is revealed. (2/2)

Pull out the duct on the chest and the Zoid Core inside is revealed.

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - There are 2 types of toes, and you can swap them out depending on your preference.

There are 2 types of toes,
and you can swap them out depending on your preference.

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Leftover parts

Leftover parts

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Waist articulation (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Waist articulation (2/2)

Waist articulation

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Side-to-side leg movement

Side-to-side leg movement

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - The up-and-down range of motion on the leg joints is pretty wide — that's because the connecting ba Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - The up-and-down range of motion on the leg joints is pretty wide — that's because the connecting ba

The up-and-down range of motion on the leg joints is pretty wide —
that's because the connecting ball joint has an extra stage of movement, as you can see in the photo above.

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Small wing movement

Small wing movement

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - The neck has a pretty good range of motion. (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - The neck has a pretty good range of motion. (2/2)

The neck has a pretty good range of motion.

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Tail movement

Tail movement

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - The panels on the back and belly open up too. (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - The panels on the back and belly open up too. (2/2)

The panels on the back and belly open up too.

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Rawr~ Pouncing pose using a cigarette box (1/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Rawr~ Pouncing pose using a cigarette box (2/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Rawr~ Pouncing pose using a cigarette box (3/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Rawr~ Pouncing pose using a cigarette box (4/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Rawr~ Pouncing pose using a cigarette box (5/6) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Rawr~ Pouncing pose using a cigarette box (6/6)

Rawr~
Pouncing pose using a cigarette box

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Grrrr~ pose (1/5) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Grrrr~ pose (2/5) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Grrrr~ pose (3/5) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Grrrr~ pose (4/5) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Grrrr~ pose (5/5)

Grrrr~ pose

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Together with the Iron Kong, which has a similar color scheme.

Together with the Iron Kong, which has a similar color scheme.

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Together with the Shield Liger. It's a kit with a pretty slim overall profile. (1/2) Zoid HMM Lightning Saix - Together with the Shield Liger. It's a kit with a pretty slim overall profile. (2/2)

Together with the Shield Liger.
It's a kit with a pretty slim overall profile.

A brand-new kit has arrived in the Zoids lineup, which already had plenty of variations. This is the Lightning Saix, sporting a color combination and molded color similar to the Iron Kong — a machine that boasts a sleek yet three-dimensional sculpt.

First off, the strong metallic color scheme sets it clearly apart from your typical Zoids kit, and even among the somewhat chunky-looking Zoids out there, this one really stands out with its sleek style. The parts breakdown is more convincing than older Zoids kits, and the build feel is comparatively solid — it almost feels like it belongs to a completely different lineup.

The overall articulation has also been upgraded compared to older Zoids kits, with the head, waist, legs, and all other sections being quite flexible. The shoulder ball joints in particular are designed to move one step further, giving noticeably more range of motion. The head and tail sections are also much more fluid in their movement, and even the toes — which used to be fixed on standard kits — now come in 2 different shapes that you can swap out as you like.

All in all, the Lightning Saix feels like a kit the Zoids development team put together as their real ace in the hole — it shows a level of quality that goes a step beyond the usual Kotobukiya Zoids formula. Aside from the assembly feel being just a tiny bit stiff, it honestly feels no different from a Bandai kit out of Shizuoka. With such a distinctive mech dressed up in top-tier quality like this, it seems like a great kit that could even win over people who've been skeptical of Kotobukiya kits or Zoids in general. :-)

Zoid HMM Lightning Saix | 2010. 7 | ¥4,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.