1/100 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – Sahelanthropus by Kotobukiya (Part 2: Review)

1/100 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – Sahelanthropus by Kotobukiya – Available from HobbyLink Japan

The Sahelanthropus from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is all put together. Let’s take a pain-free look at the completed transforming kit!

It’s a long build, so a good set of plastic nippers is needed, and maybe a little glue.

Here are the front, side, and back shots. Definitely a unique look. The base is needed for this to stand, but of course it’s included.

Great mobility in the arms, and nice details in the hands. Robot hands, where have we seen that before in Metal Gear?

Decent mobility for the legs. Nice details all around, and this is one of the places you can best see the color differentiation.

The tank head is full of carved details, and keeping with the Metal Gear aesthetic, looks suitably alien and intimidating.

It’s always fun to be able to reveal the pilot Eli inside! You can add water slides, too, for an even fiercer look.

Extra hands, and optional waist and knee parts for the transformation. Plus a famous weapon…

Metallic archaea nano-fiber sword at the ready. It’s made from semi-clear grey plastic.

Third Child is ready to remote control the Metal Gear!

Nice shooting poses are possible thanks to the unfolding rail gun.

Bipedal Tank? Why not transform it into REX form! The instructions could be a little more clear on how to do this, so patience is required.

Master Grade Turn X is big, and this kit is even bigger. Strikingly unique looks for both of them.

Now some final thoughts — First of all, this kit was a lot of fun to build thanks to the multitude of parts. It may remind you of building Master Grade Ex-S or Full Armor Unicorn Gundam. However, as is sometimes the case with these big complicated kits, it sometimes doesn’t stay together all that well especially during the transformation, so it will require some patience getting it into cool poses, and possibly some glue where needed. The other big positive besides the fun build though is just how huge and imposing it will look on your shelf. It’s quite the evolved beast! And like all good military type kits, adding a little paint or weathering can only make it look more good. If you’re a Metal Gear fan, and enjoy a good long build turning into a beast on your shelf, this will be a lot of fun kit for you!

Thanks for checking this out! It’s been fun taking a look beyond Bandai at the Kotobukiya side of the Plamo world. Take care everyone!