Robot Damashii Kenbu – Available from HobbyLink Japan
By Cacophanus from Mecha Damashii
Following the unboxing, here is the review for the Robot Damashii Kenbu from the new mecha anime Kyoukai Senki that is currently streaming via Funimation.
This is a surprisingly nice toy and very accurate to the host design from the anime. So let’s get right in…
The most obvious aspect to this toy is its unique articulation on account of the original design. The arms are split across three points of articulation, the shoulder, elbow and wrist. What’s interesting is how the “elbow” is one solid piece and the hand pivots at the end. This is a thoughtfully constructed piece of design, as it allows for things like the assault rifle to fit snugly in the new cavity where the elbow would normally be. Not to mention allowing the mecha to be able to reach back and grab weapons from its backpack.
The legs have a similar approach, with the knee joint being on the outside and the calf being partly inverted. The ankle and foot are also more involved too.
The result of all this is that the figure already has a very wide range of motion just from how the limbs are constructed. The waist and hip area are also very open as well.
The arms also have a piston on each side of the chest that allows them to move in and out. This is nicely implemented on the figure, but does feel a bit out of place in terms of the story as they would be an obvious and easy target.
In terms of the paint job and sculpt, it’s well done but the original design is not overly involved on this front.
You also get a bunch of nice accessories, from various weapons and hands, to a cockpit that opens up and the movable platform that helps to pick up the pilot from the ground.
Overall, this is a very nice toy of the Kenbu and it looks spot on to the design in the anime, and also has a very wide range of motion. It’s also very affordably priced and is definitely worth picking up.
