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Robot Damashii Aura Battler Sirbine by Bandai (Part 2: Review)

By Cacophanus from Mecha Damashii

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Following the unboxing, here is the review of the Robot Damashii Sirbine from the Dunbine: The Tale of Neo Byston Well OVA. The fact we even have this figure at all is cause for celebration but Bandai has done a brilliant job here and for fans of Aura Battler Dunbine this is a genuine treat.

To date, the Sirbine has been given a lot of love in the garage kit community. This is down to the fact the design by Yutaka Izubuchi is incredibly ornate and complex. This has resulted in the few toylike releases of the design being fixed-pose statues, as articulation a design this complex is no mean feat.

The Sirbine is also a fan favorite amongst followers of Dunbine, with it popping up in a few Super Robot Wars games over the years. The latest of these appearances is the excellent Super Robot Wars BX on the 3DS (shown below).

So this design has a fair amount of legacy behind it and to have Bandai tackle it as part of its Robot Damashii range is not something anyone expected.

The results though are remarkable and I only hope Bandai follow it up with more releases from the OVA, such as the immense Zwauth.

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As with all prior aura battler Robot Damashii releases, the wings have to attach at the rear. These are always delicate and must be handled carefully. Once affixed, though, they can be re-positioned very easily.

Bar that, the main figure is pretty much ready out of the box. While you have some additional hands as well as the aura sword and its sheath, this toy doesn’t require much in the way of assembly.

Like other Robot Damashii releases, the joints and articulation are very sophisticated, with the bird-like feet capable of a wide range of motions thanks to their joint structure.

The cockpit also opens up but like the previous aura battler Robot Damashii figures, this too lacks any internal cockpit figure.

What makes this toy amazing is that both the sculpt and intricate detailing are beautifully done. This is a mass-produced toy of something that was only previously available as various garage kits. Bandai has done an incredibly good job here.

This Sirbine figure is also quite a bit bigger than earlier aura battler Robot Damashii releases, and I have placed the Dunbine and Billbine next to the Sirbine to help illustrate that.

While the Sirbine can use the Tamashii Stage stands (sold separately), its size means that its feet touch the base but you can still get a very wide array of aerial poses out of it nonetheless.

As a big fan of Aura Battler Dunbine, I never expected to see a Sirbine toy released and not one anywhere near this good. To think that modern toy manufacturing can handle a design as complex as the Sirbine so well only makes me excited to see what Bandai will come up with next.
 

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