SD Sangoku Soketsuden Sima Yu Destiny Gundam

Release 2019.10

Price ¥1,200First release price: ¥1,000

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

Parts diagram

SD Sima Yu Destiny Gundam - Manual (1/5)

SD Sima Yu Destiny Gundam - Manual (2/5)

SD Sima Yu Destiny Gundam - Manual (3/5)

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Straight build shot before applying stickers

SD Sima Yu Destiny Gundam - After applying seals (1/2)

SD Sima Yu Destiny Gundam - After applying seals (2/2)

After applying stickers

A shared frame runner is included.

Hollow areas on the inner sides of the arms and legs

The black Eclipse Memory stored in the left forearm can be plugged into the front of the head.

The eyes are double-sided, so you can rotate them to display the bloodshot eye expression.

The giant hand-shaped weapon mounted on the back — "Purgatory Demon Claw"

The back of the Purgatory Demon Claw has slots where you can insert memory cards from other kits.

Wing deployment and forward/backward movement

SD Sima Yu Destiny Gundam - Articulation is limited to the head, waist, shoulders, and hip joints, with the shoulders moving

Articulation is limited to the head, waist, shoulders, and hip joints, with the shoulders moving slightly forward and backward.

SD Sima Yu Destiny Gundam - Action Pose (1/3)

Action pose

Together with SD Zhuge Liang Freedom Gundam

Together with SD Sima Yi's Sazabi.

* 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 Plastic Model — Common Notes -----------------
In 2019, the SD Sangoku Soketsuden project launched 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 proportions have also shifted compared to older SD kits — the head is smaller and the overall silhouette is more slender, which seems to be the direction SD-grade proportions are heading these days. The hollow areas typical of SD kits show up mainly on the inner sides of the arms and legs, but they're positioned fairly out of sight, so they don't stand out too much.

In terms of construction, a shared frame runner is included, though it only covers the torso and thighs. It feels like they were trying to follow the SD Cross Frame concept but deliberately simplified it. Even so, the frame does bring a noticeable improvement in articulation over older SD kits. Knee joints have been added where there were none before, the shoulders can move slightly forward and backward, and the waist can rotate on all kits as standard. The frame structure also allows the upper body to tilt slightly forward, 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 these are 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 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 theme appeals to you, this is a seriously addictive lineup that's a lot of fun to collect.
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The 24th kit in the SD Sangoku Soketsuden series is Sima Yu Destiny Gundam. Based on the Destiny Gundam, it features the iconic Wings of Light fully deployed. On its back sits a massive hand-shaped weapon called the Purgatory Demon Claw.

The Purgatory Demon Claw can be slipped over the right hand to create some pretty unique poses. That said, there are no other weapons included, so your options for different action poses are fairly limited. The black Eclipse Memory is stored in the center of the head, and the back of the Purgatory Demon Claw has slots that can hold up to three memory cards from other kits.

All in all, it's a solid, no-fuss kit where the special weapon — the Purgatory Demon Claw — is really the main attraction. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.