SD Sangoku Soketsuden Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma

Release 2019.5

Price ¥1,600First release price: ¥1,300

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Parts (1/2)

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Parts (2/2)

Parts diagram

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Manual (1/5)

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Manual (2/5)

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Manual (3/5)

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Individual straight build shots before applying seals

Chituma riding pose after applying seals

A shared frame runner is used.

This kit combines Lyu Bu Sinanju and Chituma.

Lyu Bu Sinanju

Hollow-back issues on the inner thighs and propellant tanks.

The Tortoise Memory stores inside the rear skirt.

The four clear parts weapons can be combined in various ways.

Configured as the "Sky Piercer" and "Purple Flame Tail"

Formed into a bow shape called the "Sky Piercer Purple Flame Bow"

Chituma

Just like the Biryonggu, the center section slides, and the rear locking gimmick works the same way.

The Chituma also has a separate Chituma Memory that can be inserted.

To seat the figure on the Chituma, you need to detach and reassemble the parts shown above.

Some leftover parts remain.

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Compared to standard SD articulation, the knees now bend and the shoulders move slightly fo

Compared to standard SD articulation, the knees now bend and the shoulders move slightly forward and back.

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Action pose (1/4)

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Action pose (2/4)

Action pose

Together with BB Senshi Sinanju

Together with SD Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam.

Together with SD Zhao Yun 00 Gundam & Biryonggu.

SD Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma - Comparison of Biryonggu and Chituma. The basic frame is the same, but the additional parts

Comparison of Biryonggu and Chituma.
The basic frame is the same, but the additional parts differ.

Together with SD Zhen Lyu Bu Tallgeese.

Comparison shot with the Chituma included in SD Zhen Lyu Bu Tallgeese

* This series follows a standardized lineup format, and since most of the features are shared across kits, I'll cover the common points first and then get into the individual highlights. ^^

--- SD Sangoku Soketsuden Plastic Model — 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 slightly duller and the plastic feels a bit harder compared to Shizuoka-made kits. That said, the color separation is excellent, keeping seal usage to a minimum while still delivering a really striking look. The detail is a touch soft, but the sculpting and sense of volume are impressive, and small gates are used throughout, making assembly nice and easy. The head is also smaller than traditional SD proportions, giving the figure a slimmer silhouette — seems like SD proportions are gradually trending in this direction. The hollow-back issues typical of SD kits show up mainly on the inner arms and legs, but they're positioned where they're not too visible, 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 feels like they were going for something similar to the SD Cross Frame but deliberately simplified it. Even so, this frame is a step up from older SD kits in terms of articulation. Knee joints have been added where there were none before, the shoulders move slightly forward and back, and the waist can rotate on all of them. The frame structure also allows the upper body to lean forward slightly, which gives you more expressive poses than previous SD kits.

Accessories are kept to a minimum — most kits come with just one unique weapon. So while the contents are simple, the visual impact is impressive, and perhaps because it's made in China, the value for money feels pretty good relative to what you get. Another fun little detail is that the character names are written in Chinese pronunciation rather than Japanese when spelled out in English. Overall, I'd call it "better quality than expected" — if the theme appeals to you, this is a seriously addictive lineup that's a lot of fun to build.
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The 8th kit in the SD Sangoku Soketsuden series is Lyu Bu Sinanju & Chituma. It follows the same format as the simultaneously released Zhao Yun 00 Gundam & Biryonggu, with the Chituma provided as a bike-form companion that shares the same basic frame as the Biryonggu but features completely different colors and updated exterior parts.

Lyu Bu Sinanju does a great job capturing the Sinanju's silhouette while incorporating a large number of clear parts, resulting in a really striking look. The two large purple flames (Ziyán) on the head are especially eye-catching. The four clear parts weapons can be combined in various configurations to form the Sky Piercer, Purple Flame Tail, or Sky Piercer Purple Flame Bow, and the Tortoise Memory stores neatly inside the rear skirt. Hollow-back issues on the body are kept to a minimum — you can see a little on the inner thighs, and there's also some visible on the inside of the backpack's propellant tanks.

The Chituma's gimmicks are identical to the previous Biryonggu — the rear locking gimmick for seating an SD Gundam, the center slide gimmick, and the Memory slot are all carried over. One new feature is that the Chituma has its own dedicated Chituma Memory slot. Beyond the color change, the front wheel angle and exterior parts have also been updated, giving it a distinctly different look. A few parts that appear to be intended for future kits in the lineup are left over as leftover parts.

Compared to the same-format Zhao Yun Double O Gundam & Biryonggu, this kit has more parts and more overall volume, which probably explains why it's ¥300 more expensive — but it delivers that much more in terms of striking poses and display options. Even if you're not into Sangoku Soketsuden, if you're a Sinanju fan, this is a fantastic SD Gundam I'd highly recommend. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.