Valvrave VI Hiasobi

Review sample courtesy of Bluefin

Maybe I’m just out of the loop, but it seems like the Japanese Mecha genre has slowed dramatically in the last few years. Maybe anime itself is stagnant, Attack on Titan notwithstanding. I encourage those who are far more informed than myself to correct me.

I was excited to see a few new kits from a substantial property, Valvrave The Liberator, hit the streets. The mech designs didn’t immediately grab me, but I thought I’d take a deeper look.

I’ll leave it to Wikipedia to provide a synopsis..

The Valvrave VI Hiasobi kit is roughly similar to a Gundam HG model. No cockpit or independent armature, but a quality mid-range snap model, packaged in finished colors. This particular model also includes a high degree of decal detailing.

There’s around 20 runners of parts, many of them clear.

The build was fine. There’s nothing out of the ordinary here, aside from the multiple sprues of clear green gew-gaws which will eventually afflict the figure. I spent about eight hours in assembly. The extensive decal details do take some time and a steady hand, but are blessedly simpler than waterslide decals (though they will probably peel off very easily).

Those elaborate neon green gew-gaws did make the process frustrating. This model is nothing if not finicky. It’s the kind of model which takes gobs of super glue to keep it from exploding with every adjustment. But it’s a model, not a toy, so you cut it some slack. It’s still a frustrating piece to manipulate.

So here we are. Is this ugly, over-wrought, messy? I dunno. There are a lot of design rules being broken here. Where the hell am I supposed to look? What is the parti (simplified design diagram or idea)? Damned if I know. There is an awful lot going on, and I don’t really like the result.

Having said that, there are attractive details and elements throughout. The whole just ends up as less than its parts.

Or maybe you think it’s great. It just looks like a pile of mechanical crap to me. At least the failings of the Bay aesthetic aren’t limited to our crude gaijin designers.

It sort of moves and poses, but all of that armor really limits the possibilities. The legs are nice.

Accessories consist of clear claw-like hand extensions, and an axe. The included stand helps with some poses, but the base figure is solid and well-balanced enough to make it optional.

An elaborate effect is included for the axe. The result is underwhelming.

I’m ambivalent. This certainly looks interesting from certain angles but it’s all just way too much for me. I prefer it without all of the armor.