--- SD Sangoku Souketsuden plastic model — general notes -----------------
In 2019, the SD Sangoku Souketsuden project was launched 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 the molded colors are a touch duller and the plastic feels a bit harder compared to Shizuoka-made kits. That said, the high level of color separation keeps 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 excellent, and small gates are used throughout, making assembly nice and easy. The head is also smaller than traditional SD kits and the proportions are more slender — seems like SD-scale proportions are trending in this direction. The hollow backs that are a hallmark of SD kits show up mainly on the inner sides of the arms and legs, but they're positioned where they're relatively hard to see, so it doesn't stand out too much.
In terms of what's included, a shared frame runner is provided, 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 that didn't exist before have been added, 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 tilt slightly forward, which gives you a better range of 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 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 33rd kit in the SD Sangoku Souketsuden lineup is the Yan Huang Zhang Fei God Gundam. Like the SD Ryugen Ryubi Unicorn Gundam released alongside it, this is an upgraded version of the existing SD Equip God Gundam. True to the name "Yan Huang," the design has been reworked with flames wrapping around the entire body, and the God Gundam's signature 3-stage unfolding wings have been added as well.
The kit stays true to the series concept — there are no separate weapons, but you can still pull off some poses using the Huang Yan armor on the forearms. Spreading out the back wings makes for quite a flashy display, though there are limits to how varied your poses can get. And since it reuses runners from the SD Equip God Gundam, you do end up with some leftover parts.
All in all, it's a solid upgrade kit, and since this is a main character, it's pretty much a must-have for any Sangoku Souketsuden fan. :-)
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
