* This series follows a standardized lineup format where most features are shared across kits, so I'll cover the common points first and then get into the individual highlights. ^^
--- SD Sangoku Soketsuden common notes -----------------
In 2019, the SD Sangoku Soketsuden project kicked off to celebrate Gundam's 40th anniversary. The plastic models in this series are produced at Bandai's Chinese factory rather than the Shizuoka plant, so the molded colors are a touch duller and the plastic feels a bit harder compared to Shizuoka-made kits. That said, the color separation is impressively well done — seals are kept to a minimum, yet the kits still look really striking. The detail is a little soft in places, but the sculpting and sense of volume are excellent, and small gates are used throughout, making assembly nice and easy. The proportions have also shifted from traditional SD — the head is smaller and the overall silhouette is more slender, which seems to be the direction SD kits are heading these days. The hollow areas you'd expect from an SD kit show up mainly on the inner arms and legs, but they're positioned fairly out of sight, so they don't really stand out.
In terms of construction, a common frame runner is included, though it only covers the torso and thighs. It almost feels like they were going for something like the SD Cross Silhouette frame but deliberately kept it simpler. Even so, this frame does push the articulation noticeably beyond what older SD kits offered. Knee joints have been added where there were none before, the shoulders can swing slightly forward and backward, and the waist can rotate on all of them as standard. The frame structure also allows the upper body to lean forward a bit, which gives you more expressive poses than previous SD kits.
Accessories are kept pretty minimal — most kits come with just one unique weapon. So while the contents are simple, the visual impact is anything but, and being made in China probably helps keep the value-for-money feeling strong relative to what you get. It's also worth noting that the character names are written in Chinese pronunciation rather than Japanese when spelled out in English — a nice little touch. Overall, the verdict is "better than expected quality" — if the theme clicks with you, this is a seriously addictive lineup that's a lot of fun to build.
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The 5th kit in the SD Sangoku Soketsuden lineup is Sun Jian Gundam Astray. True to its name, it takes the Astray and gives it a gloriously elaborate samurai Gundam makeover. The hollow areas are limited to just the legs, and the overall visual quality is excellent in a number of ways. The included weapon is a sword called Ryu Xing, which can be combined with the backpack Bai Gu Shen Qi to form a large sword called Hu Hu Nu Liu Ji. The Tiger Memory is also stored inside Ryu Xing.
The joints still feel a bit stiff overall, but on the flip side, there are no loose parts to worry about, so that's actually a relief. Either way, each kit in this lineup has a strong personality and a bold visual presence. :-)
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
