SD Sangoku Soketsuden Xun Yu Strike Noir

Release 2019.10

Price ¥700

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Straight build before applying seals

SD Xun Yu Strike Noir - After applying seals (1/2)

SD Xun Yu Strike Noir - After applying seals (2/2)

After applying stickers

A shared frame runner is included.

Hollow areas on the inner sides of the limbs

The Site Memory is stored in the backpack.

The Shuang Ye Yan blades can be detached from the backpack for use.

The visor on the back can be rotated and repositioned in front of the eyes.

SD Xun Yu Strike Noir - Articulation includes the head, waist, shoulders, and hip joints, with the shoulders also able to swi

Articulation includes the head, waist, shoulders, and hip joints, with the shoulders also able to swing slightly forward and back.

SD Xun Yu Strike Noir - Action Pose (1/3)

Action pose

Together with the SD Zhou Yu Akatsuki and Sima Yi Destiny Gundam released at the same time

Together with the SD Sangokuden Gaiden Xun Yu Gundam.

* Since this is a standardized lineup where most kits share the same characteristics, I'll split the review into common points and kit-specific features. ^^

--- 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 their 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 excellent, keeping seal usage to a minimum while still delivering a really striking look. The detail is a little soft, but the sense of volume and overall sculpt are impressive, and small gates are used throughout, making assembly a breeze. The head is also smaller than traditional SD proportions, giving the figure a slimmer silhouette — seems like SD-grade proportions are trending in this direction. The hollow areas typical of SD kits are mostly found on the inner sides of the arms and legs, but they're positioned in spots where they're not too noticeable, so it doesn't really bother you.

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, 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 can swing slightly forward and back, and the waist can rotate on all kits as standard. 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. It's also worth noting that the character names are written in Chinese pronunciation rather than Japanese when spelled out in English — a nice touch that fits the theme. Overall, I'd call it "better quality than expected" — if the style is your thing, it's an addictive lineup that's a lot of fun to build.
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The 25th kit in the SD Sangoku Soketsuden lineup is the Xun Yu Strike Noir. True to its name, it captures the silhouette of the Strike Noir really well, and it comes with a fun feature where the visor mounted on the back can be rotated and repositioned in front of the eyes. The two Shuang Ye Yan weapons stored in the backpack can be detached and used either as rifles or blades.

On top of that, the backpack also stores the Site Memory. It's a relatively straightforward kit without a ton of things to dig into, but it's a solid little build. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.