* This series is a lineup with a standardized format, and since most of the characteristics are the same across kits, I'll break things down into common points and 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 factory, so compared to Shizuoka-made kits, the molded colors are a touch duller and the plastic feels a bit harder. That said, the high level of color separation means seals are kept 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 nice and easy. The head is also smaller than traditional SD proportions, giving the kit a slimmer silhouette — it seems like SD-grade proportions are steadily trending in this direction. The hollow areas you'd expect from an SD kit show up mainly on the inner sides of the arms and legs, but they're positioned in spots where they're relatively hard to notice, 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 trying to follow the SD Cross Frame concept but deliberately simplified it. Even so, thanks to this frame, the articulation is a step up from traditional SD kits. 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 tilt slightly forward, which gives you more expressive poses than older 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. It's also worth noting that when the character names are written out in English, they use Chinese pronunciation rather than Japanese — which is a nice touch in its own way. Overall, I'd call the quality "better than expected," and if the style is your thing, this is an addictive lineup that's a lot of fun to build.
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The 19th kit in the SD Sangoku Soketsuden series is the Taishi Ci Duel Gundam. The left shoulder is equipped with a Gatling cannon called the Kouyen, from which two weapons called the Kosaikon can be detached. The Kouyen also stores the Gatling memory.
There aren't any special crossover options or anything particularly noteworthy to dig into, but it's still great to see another new Sangoku Soketsuden kit arrive with solid, dependable quality. :-)
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
