SD Sangoku Soketsuden Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam

Release 2019.4

Price ¥800First release price: ¥600

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

Parts diagram

SD Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam - Manual (1/4)

SD Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam - Manual (2/4)

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Front view of straight build before stickers

SD Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam - After applying seals (1/2)

SD Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam - After applying seals (2/2)

After applying stickers

The SJP-1 shared frame runner is used.

The hollow areas (sink marks) are only slightly visible on the inner thighs.

To transform into dinosaur mode, remove the head antenna and shoulder armor.

SD Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam - Bend the arms as shown, rotate the lower body 180 degrees, and attach the lower shoulder arm

Bend the arms as shown, rotate the lower body 180 degrees, and attach the lower shoulder armor like front legs, then...

SD Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam - Move the head antenna down, then plug the two shoulder armor pieces onto the back of the hea

Move the head antenna down, then plug the two shoulder armor pieces onto the back of the head, one above the other.

Attach the Zhenliedao like a tail and the transformation is complete.

Dinosaur mode

SD Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam - Compared to standard SD articulation, the knees can bend and the shoulders have a slight for

Compared to standard SD articulation, the knees can bend and the shoulders have a slight forward/backward range of motion.

Action pose

Together with SD Sun Jian Gundam Astray

Together with SD Zhen Dong Zhuo Zaku.

* 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, keeping seal usage to a minimum while still delivering a really striking look. 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 a breeze. 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 where they're not too noticeable, so it doesn't really stand out.

In terms of construction, a shared 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 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 back, 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 to a minimum — most kits in the line 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 romanization when spelled out in English — a nice touch that fits the theme. Overall, the verdict is "better than expected quality" — if the aesthetic clicks with you, this is a seriously addictive lineup that's a lot of fun to build.
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The 6th kit in the SD Sangoku Soketsuden lineup is the Dong Zhuo Providence Gundam. True to its villain role, this kit radiates dark energy, and it features a transformation into dinosaur mode. The transformation process is fairly simple, but you do end up with a pretty unique-looking dinosaur. For weapons, it comes with a sword called the Zhenliedao, and the hollow areas only show up slightly on the backs of the hands and inner thighs, so it's relatively clean on that front.

Outside of the dinosaur transformation, there isn't a whole lot else going on, which gives this kit a rather straightforward feel — but it's a solid, no-fuss SD Gundam with decent quality. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.