I have been pretty fond of the Lancelot Albion’s design since its debut in Code Geass R2 so I was only all too thrilled about this figure when it was announced and photos of it arose from the internet. I don’t care about RD figures and I wanted something more of a display piece than a toy piece so it was pretty awesome that it was getting a Katoki treatment. I even pre-ordered it a month before its release! I was so looking forward to it! However… at the end of this figure’s photoshoot, I was pretty pissed to say the least. Read on…
The promo photos make it look just fabulous! Really clean and shiny where it should be (the gold).
The insert inside the box behind the figure.
Inside the package: pair of open hands, sword hands, gun hands, display base, VARIS x 2, MVS x 2, Slash Harkens x 4, and Energy Wings x 2. I’m glad it is not packaged like a GFF with all those metal twisty things and tape everywhere.
On The Ground
Hmm… how do I even begin here? First off, the figure looks cheap like an old, poorly straight-built model. I supposed one nice thing is that there is no soft plastic parts anywhere on the Lancelot so no risk of parts warping… I think.
There are nub marks, minor paint bleeds, rough paint job on the gold, some “drips” on the white part (chin), flash (excessive plastic from the molding) here and there (look at the red gem on its chest), loose parts (wing “binders” and the Slash Harkens on the hips), and parts glued on crookedly (gold crotch piece). At this point, I’m like “… seriously?”. Overall, the figure seems more flimsy than an RD figure but more sturdy than a HCM-Pro.
Now I’m confused… is this supposed to be more for show or for play?
SLASH HARKENS
What a cool name for a weapon. The “stationary” harkens on the forearms and hips must be removed and then be replaced with the wired ones.
Its’ articulation is mediocre at best. Range of motion is a just a tad bit above basic so creative/dynamic posing is a bit difficult to pull off… if not impossible. I was disappointed that I couldn’t pull off its launching stance. Lame. Well… It is at least more versatile than a GFF though… but that is not saying anything at all.
Harken Booster!
The joints are not smooth at all. It locks and cracks but doesn’t really loosen up so it was really difficult to set up its poses. After realizing how limited its articulation was, I just dived right into the best part hoping to reignite some excitement.
ENERGY WINGS
Oh beautiful wings of light… you just complete the Lancelot Albion. Why am I not surprised to see that the wings were almost too heavy for its own joints?
The wings are attached to the center backpack by means of a little peg. All that weight does sag the wings down from time to time but thankfully, it isn’t such a big issue.
The ever so small and short display base.
Seriously… I think the pole can be just a bit taller…
Since it’s not designed for action, A midair standing pose while looking badass is just about all it can really accomplish.
… so I stick it on one of my Hasegawa display bases.
It doesn’t really fit on one though since there really isn’t anything for the holder to hang onto.
Not enough articulation to pull off a slashing pose…
SUPER VARIS
The canons are too heavy for the Knightmare’s own hands… sigh…
This is pretty ridiculous. One of the Varis looks like it got a bit chewed up by a baby or something. Decals on it are a bit broken, and there are nubs here and there.
The other Varis. Bare plastic, nub marks, glue drops, chips… ugh..
Not really much I can do with this figure… ^^;
Best I can do…
PROS
- Sharp corners and parts give this figure a bit of a sleek look.
- Giant Energy wings
- It’s about the size of your average 1/144 Gundam model so it’ll blend in… I think.
- I supposed it does kinda look nice… if I don’t look at it so hard.
- … … and I think that’s it.
CONS
- Looks like a cheap toy.
- Poor quality… almost disgustingly poor quality. No quality check…
- Nub marks, flimsy parts, plastic flash, crooked parts, run on paint, no real details, broken decals, glue spots, paint spots… I supposed this is a subset of poor quality control.
- annoyingly loose parts; the slash harkens on the hips like to pop off.
- Terrible joints; wing joints are not strong enough and leg joints are not smooth at all.
- Expensive for what it is. It is not painted; quality and detail is not even near Katoki’s Fix Figuration line-up. Nothing really special about this figure…
- Did Katoki really took part in this?!
Notice I didn’t even mention its lack of articulation as a con because I bought this more for display purpose than play. To those who might think I probably had high expectations before its release- I actually didn’t know what to expect. It was priced a bit higher than a regular Gundam Fix Figuration figure (the other “Ver. Ka” line) so it’s not wrong to assume that there is some sort of quality to it.
VERDICT
Being pissed off aside, I am sorely disappointed by this “Composite Ver. Ka” of the Lancelot Albion. If anything, this is more like a glorified RD figure minus the articulation and a jacked up price tag (it is $10+ more than the RD). I see almost no justification in buying this figure no matter how much you may like the actual Knightmare itself. It isn’t exactly display worthy in terms of quality nor is it fun to play with… so what the heck exactly is the purpose for this thing’s existence? I felt like I got cheated of my money and just wanna say “Damn you, Bandai!” but there’s more better things to do… like convincing you to steer clear of this Compost-site figure.
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August 1, 2010 at 6:19 AM
one more reason why I never buy action figures anymore. from the looks of it he looked a lot more of a generic (or a fake) toy than it is supposed to. kinda like those Hongli kits
August 1, 2010 at 6:31 AM
I got this “action figure” as well, and I totally agree with your comment… not as good as I expected and it is no where near the Promotion photo ….. I do feel like “cheated”….hahaha.
August 1, 2010 at 6:45 AM
How disappointing. Now I’m kinda glad I didn’t spring for this figure, and has me terrified for Gurren Lagann, Temjin, and any other release planned for this line >.>
August 1, 2010 at 7:23 AM
Well, it looks alright standing, at least. But now I’m iffy on getting the Temjin figure from this lineup, when considering getting figures from this lineup. I haven’t, though… Should’ve got an RD instead, eh, Z? And you mentioned it was $10 cheaper! :)
Now that I mention it, I did get one (which hasn’t arrived yet); the SYSTEM ∀-99 Turn A Gundam (limited Moonlight Butterfly edition)! Well, at least so I can boast about having a web-limited item. Don’t fret; I didn’t ignore your recommendation for the MG. But I might also get the normal figure eventually, since it makes for a better 1/144-sized TAG than my equivalent model, currently.
August 3, 2010 at 12:10 AM
Did that figure cost you an arm and a leg?
August 3, 2010 at 8:27 AM
Compared to a price I found at another online store (that I’ll not name), yeah. But since various complications prevented me from seriously ordering at mentioned store, and since I also have recently managed to get a couple of extra arms and legs (therefore an increase in budget), and since I don’t want to become The Human Spider, it turns out to be no problem for me. :)
(Though I have had a minor problem with ordering the 1/144 Kapool once I had found it, but it wasn’t big. It’s now on my desk waiting for multiple photographs and hours of effort.)
I’ll at least use the next arm for an MG or two, (but I’m wavering on making the White Doll my first; I’m going to wear myself out on so many TAG models and figures right now)… Who knows about the remaining legs? *shrug* I haven’t seen any more (TAG-related) limited RD items popping up (aside from a brief expensive WaD that disappeared some time ago).
Maybe I should get my technically-second-but-will-treat-as-my-first-ever RX-78 Gundam model? Should I find any available, I might try out the RG Gundam since it looks a little more accurate to the Gundam statue than even the G30th touched up, though Dalong pointing to a part of the inner frame with an arrow and the screaming “Warning!!!” word worries me.
Or I could go for an HGUC Zeta Gundam model, for a change. My only Z Gundam model is the HGUC RX-178 with a broken connection to the left leg (therefore in need of a replacement I’m also considering).
I’m going off-topic a bit too much, so I’ll close with this: If you regret the purchase of this Composite ver. Ka figure, Z, maybe you can sell it and use the money for an RD equivalent? :)
August 1, 2010 at 7:58 AM
Oh man~ if only you reviewed this earlier… I just bought it last week and now I don’t even feel like opening it!
August 1, 2010 at 8:15 AM
Hmm, I was thinking of getting the Gurren Lagann figure, but now…maybe Revoltech is a good alternative.
August 1, 2010 at 8:25 AM
Disappointing. While I never planned to get this figure to begin with, I was looking forward to the Gurren. But now I’m sure that I will never get Gurren, or Temjin. I think I’ll stick to plamo, thank you.
August 1, 2010 at 8:25 AM
Phew, good thing I haven’t got this. Looks like I’ll be skipping it. ^^;
I too was looking forward to it after seeing those promo photos a while back but now I’m surprised to be quite disappointed towards this figure. Well, let’s hope that Blade Liger won’t be disappointing. >_>;
August 1, 2010 at 11:43 AM
Whoot! U finally got the figure and posted a review…!…but alas, I’m dissapointed…*sigh*
I’ve seen a few other reviews on this figure before yours, and most others say the same things. Sure, there was the ocassional lucky guy who got a non-warped figure, but chances of that seem pretty slim…
Although I might still shoot for this if I get a good enough price. Its essentially supposed to be a display figure anyway. The cons don’t concern me very much either, since most of them can be easily fixed. (loose joints, poor paint, cheap plastic)
Still looks great in my eyes as a display piece though. (this is coming from a hardcore Code Geass fan though)
So…after seeing this figure…you still gonna shoot for the Composite Ver. Ka. Gurren Laggan? Heck, they were produced together in a similar fashion, so who knows what it might be like…although changes are, it’ll be similar to the Lancelot Albion. xD
August 3, 2010 at 12:10 AM
I am hoping the GL figure is at least better… well, it is already a given that it is better since it comes with a giant drill >_>
August 1, 2010 at 12:44 PM
noooooo
dammit i was hoping it would be so much nicer
like a more pure solid gold and a more pearly look to the white, but not as crazy as PG WZC’s.
i guess id have to settle for the RD of this
i thought this would be way way out of league compared to the RD
and it is,
but not in a good waylol
August 1, 2010 at 1:48 PM
*Sigh*
THIS is why I prefer to build my mecha, thank you very much. But seriously, we need MGs of the Albion.
August 1, 2010 at 3:53 PM
psh, Bandai’s gotta release moar kits of Knightmares…right now we have like…3 Knightmare models. (excluding the recolours and whatnot)
Bandai’s released a MG Goku and Kamen Rider, so a MG Knightmare is bound to be released…someday…
August 1, 2010 at 4:13 PM
I assume the Gurren Lagann is like this. *Sigh* I was looking for something good for that series.
August 1, 2010 at 6:23 PM
I’m glad I held out on getting it. I was debating for many months resisting the pre-order, then I just gave up because it’s not a size I really want it to be and I had a lot of other stuff coming around. Bandai always goes grand with marketing but rarely satisfies promises.
August 1, 2010 at 8:07 PM
Maybe by chance you picked up 1 out of the 100 figure with QC problems,
I had that some time in my toy collecting years, and that Ironhide I bought had a really crappy waist^^
(But what about Gurren Lagann and Temjin?!)
August 3, 2010 at 12:08 AM
I’ll find out for sure once the other one comes…
August 2, 2010 at 12:27 AM
Wow. Just wow. Now, see, they should have really not bothered with making it a composite ver.ka if they’re not even gonna do things right. Really should’ve came out as a… Gausspla or whatever…
August 2, 2010 at 2:37 PM
Well now Bandai kinda moved on to milking Katoki’s name. Basically thinking that just sticking the name “Ver.Ka” on anything will undoubtedly make it awesome. I guess Katoki only take part in the designing and drafting so he really doesn’t have a say about what materials will be used or know how the quality will turn out.
August 2, 2010 at 8:18 PM
maybe giving it a splash of flat topcoat might enhance the quality a lil.
August 3, 2010 at 1:04 AM
i was actually one of the lucky ones who doesnt have much problem with the design of the lancelot albion ver ka, although the varis rifle has a small spec of discolor but not very noticeable
August 3, 2010 at 7:03 AM
IMAGEE!!
August 4, 2010 at 2:07 AM
cant after opening it and looking at it out of the tray i place it inside and didnt open it again cuz it looked so darn good that i have guilt trips taking it out of the tray
August 4, 2010 at 12:15 AM
Given all the hype surrounding it when it was first announced and the subsequent release of the line-art, it is really disappointing to see and hear how the actual product has failed to match up to the expectations.
They would have been better off releasing it as a plamo rather than an action figure. :s I wondered if the introduction of several new line of products are the cause for such poor QC.
August 10, 2010 at 4:56 PM
Hey Z I just wanted to point out that the link to this review from the “Random” section does not re-direct to this page.
August 11, 2010 at 5:37 PM
Oh… that’s weird. thanks for pointing it out ^^.