1/35 DMK-01 Optimus Prime (Reissue) by Takara Tomy
(Available From HobbyLink Japan – HLJ.com)
Optimus Prime has transformed from plastic parts on plates into a surprisingly large and cool robot mode. It’s time for this review to roll out!
Not quite the same as having a vehicle mode, but…
Once he’s all put together, he looks really sharp, detailed, and huge.
Sadly, though the limbs have decent mobility, they also weigh a lot, and you’ll find them falling down more often than not.
Not quite as stylish as he looks on the side of the box, but the mobility comes across as being pretty good.
Is he still angry about the flames?
No, it’s been quite a few years, so he’s used to them now. More importantly they look great prepainted when you crack open the box.
There’s a few pages of instruction to add more details to the pre-assembled inner frame. Some are tricky to put on, and the manual is occasionally unclear. But the detailed look really adds to the realism.
Three individual parts for each finger. Beware the tips falling off, but being slightly oversized, they really suit the proportions of the kit.
The feet have a crazy amout of articulation, with almost each part moving individually here.
Putting on the shoes adds a lot of height.
And he definitely doesn’t look out of place next to a Masterpiece.
And towers over an average Master Grade Gundam.
The faces swap easily, so take your pick: G1 closed or Beast Wars open.
Overall, the red and blue really pop out, along with the mulitiple colors on the inner frame.
Some close ups around the body.
Be very careful with the mirrors, as they are very thin at the attachment point.
The clear orange looks good for the weapons, which are suitably large.
Two different attachment styles, with one replacing the hand completely.
Or you can remove the parts from the forearms and attach them on there.
Visually impressive, but gravity is not your friend with these shoulders.
And you might laugh at the manual, as it tells you to put on part O4, despite their being no O plate. D4 it is!
Overall, this was a totally different building experience, and the end result looks really cool. I’ve never been a big fan of the movie design, but this kit has gone a long way towards changing my mind. The inner frame is cool right out the box, and you do bulk it out a fair bit before adding the armor. Some of the pieces don’t cooperate when you’re putting them on however, and the manual could be clearer in places. But with decent posability, and more importantly a cool mechanical look all around, it will look really sharp on your shelf, whether it’s next to other models, or Transformer toys.
“Truck not munky?” “Toy not model?” I’d say this model, like Optimus Primal has earned its place.
Bumblebub?
“Sei, when you said you were going to build something new, this isn’t what I expected.”
According to Michael Bay, this picture needs more explosions.
Till all are one! Thanks for reading.
