1/100 MG MSN-06S Sinanju OVA Review

Sinanju

1/100 MG MSN-06S Sinanju OVA

Hey guys its time for another round of Sinanju!

Since the release of the latest Gundam Unicorn Episode 6, Bandai has been going on a Unicorn craze. We saw the release of Stein before the Sinanju OVA and we have also seen new HG additions from the Unicorn series. This isn't about HGs however, it is about the new Sinanjus. 

Which one is better?

                                           Two eyes                     OR                  Mono eye 

                                           Thrusters                   OR               Side Thrusters

There is much to say about the Stein. Looking at its design and theme you can tell it is drastically different than the Sinanju we have come to know. It isn't just vastly different in looks but it also has a different theme behind it. A prototype design can only be taken so far once a model is released following the designs. The MG Sinanju Stein Ver Ka takes the best features and mechanics Bandai has to offer to make it a great model. However the prototype design really makes the Stein look plain and like something is missing. For the price you are basically getting an incomplete design. This is where the advantage is. With the design you have the advantage of completing the design and turning it into whatever you feel. It could be a Gundam or a different form of Sinanju for example. Either way the choice is yours. Which is why I think in this case the Stein is for advanced modelers. So going back to which is better this is where the answer comes in. Looking at the price and the end result you can get something much better for the same price or lower. The Stein may look cool but prototype designs lack complete detail and have alot of room for work. This is why if your looking for a Sinanju than the red Sinanju we have come to know is the right choice. The designs are complete and have a smooth, sleek, elegant look to it. It isn't something you normally see in mobile suit designs because they are always thought to be mechanical and built for power. The Sinanju has all of that and more.

With that being said you don't have to wonder if the MG Sinanju OVA is detailed enough or worthy. You could be conflicted because you already have a Sinanju Ver Ka which is understandable. The articulation, detail, proportions are all going to be the same. With the new PS frame the articulation might be more flexible and have a slightly better range but not dramatic change. The OVA introduces improvements to the issues the Ver Ka had. If you have a Sinanju Ver Ka and want to fix it then the best route would be to either get a Stein because it comes with additional parts to fix Sinanju Ver Ka but also to have a different Sinanju. That or you could try replacement parts. If you don't have a Sinanju Ver Ka then definitely hop on board and get an OVA. There can be an endless amount of reasons why the Sinanju is such a great MG and why you should get one. 

One reason can be the accessories and weapons. I see the options as an endless amount honestly. Here is why.

Rifle

Shield
Beam Sabers
Beam Axe
Bazooka
Grenade

Combinations:

Rifle Grenade

Rifle Bazooka

Shield Grenade

Shield Bazooka

Shield Beam (Short/Long)

Axe Storage (Shield)

Long/Short Axe

Beam Naginata (Axe Combined)

Wrist Beam Saber

Held Beam Saber

Now with all of that it is impossible to really display everything in use. The variations and amount of poses you can create are endless. Me being addicted to dynamic poses makes me love the Sinanju even more for never getting old with a pose. It really should explain alot about how good the Sinanju is. Looking at the standard MGs you usually see just a shield, rife, and beam sabers. You get much more from Sinanju however. 

Let's recap everything however. The detail of the Sinanju is an overall excellent achievement. The trim really just isn't something you usually see and you have two options in going about it. Either you pick stickers as the easy route or apply water slides. If you want a challenge you could paint the gold on the trim too but that could be tricky. The proportions are top notch and equal or balanced per say. The articulation is also satisfactory. The arms have a 180 degree and a 360 degree in rotation. The shoulders give range and room for flexible movement. The thrusters have a nice gimmick where if you open it the inner thrusters slide up and when you close it they slide back in. Nice gimmick and I don't know how it works but it works. The legs have a 150 degree per say and 360 rotation. I could see the legs going 180 if the back skirts weren't so big. The feet are strong and have the same gimmick as the Stein. The mid section can bend up and down and the front (toe) can do the same. Same thing as the Stein which is nice because it gives excellent option and variety to the scenarios you want it in. If that isn't enough the weapons are another plus. The PS frame and bazooka are the only real differences between the Ka and OVA.

Blah Blah Blah.... point being the Sinanju isn't something you have to look at videos or written reviews to understand how amazing of a model it is. It is one of Bandai's best selling MGs by far. The Ver Ka was to say the least. Now move over Ver Ka because the OVA will take the #1 spot. 

VIDEO REVIEW

1/100 MG MSN-06S Sinanju Stein Ver Ka Review

Sinanju Stein

1/100 MG MSN-06S Sinanju Stein Ver Ka

This is my first time reviewing an actual Ver Ka (blog style) so I want to give you guys a bang for your buck. 

The Sinanju Stein is the latest work from Katoki Hajime. It was released late February and it retailed for 7000 yen. It is the first MG model to be molded entirely in polystyrene inner frame. It also did away with polycaps which have been used up 'till now with all MGs/HGs. 

What makes the Stein unique? Is it better or worse than Sinanju? Mono eye vs two eye?

• The Stein comes with Ver. Ka hands or as I like to call them "PG MG sized hands"
• Full polystyrene inner frame

The hands were first introduced with the 1/100 MG Nu Gundam Ver Ka that was released 2 months prior to Steins release. Having two monumental MGs coinciding with one another makes it amazing yet a burden at the same time. Definitely leaves a hole in our pockets. The Nu represented major changes and improvements to the overall direction MGs are going now. The hands are not exclusive either. The upcoming MG Jesta will be the 3rd MG to have the newly designed hands. Now to explain the first point. The hands aren't just amazing because they are amazing. They introduce more realistic designs and improve flaws we usually see in most MGs. What flaw would that be? Weapons support, gripping, and connection.

The hands have a hidden peg which can be pushed out. The weapons have the same peg which goes into the hand next to the pushed out peg. This allows for more of a strong grip and does away with the sagging or dropping weapon attachments. Models like the MG Age-2 Normal have swap-able hand pieces which are used to grip its weapon. However the weapon easily falls off after a few minutes and it sags down because of the weight. 

The Stein comes with a massive rifle so of course I am not saying the sagging is any improvement but its grip is in tight and it will only break loose if you "play" too much. If the hands don't persuade you, the inner frame should. The inner frame as mentioned earlier is made entirely out of polystyrene. What is the difference between ABS and PS? Well ABS has more of a weight to it and it also makes the final price that much higher. So to put it frankly it isn't entirely cheap to make nor is it bad. It is strong and thick if you ask me which is what makes it heavy. The PS can look identical however it is made of lighter plastic material. This improves the overall weight structure of the model. The MG Unicorn for example is molded entirely out of ABS frame. This makes the overall model have support issues especially when it is transformed into Destroy Mode. We all should know the dreaded ankle issues it has. 

Some have stated that they prefer ABS over PS more. That ABS has more of a shelf life than PS. I can't fully go into that debate because I honestly don't see a major difference. The Stein has beautiful articulation which can provide beautiful poses. I can definitely tell you in experience that some MG ABS models may look nice but I always noticed some thickness and annoyance with them. The MG Red Frame Astray Kai for example has this feeling. The inner frame was entirely in ABS and it just felt too thick. The thickness caused some obstacles in getting a desired pose down. The weight didn't help either. 

No action base used. As seen in the picture you can see it can definitely balance on it's own and pull its own weight. The hands and PS frame aren't the only positives.

• The overall design
• Frame structure, detail, gimmicks

You might say how is the design going to get me to buy it? Well let us look at Sinanju and Stein. Both are strongly different in design. Whereas the Sinanju offers more of a synthetic, natural design. The Stein offers more of a statement, confident, mechanical design. The successor in this case (Sinanju) in my opinion has always had a natural, elegance to it. It shows great depth in design and detail. Shows how beautiful mechanical designs can go. The predecessor in this case (Stein) has more of a fierce, statement to it. It offers a intimidating look to it which gives it a different type of personality. The two eyes really compliment the design. This is where I really like the Stein. Some might complain that the model is too plain to be worthy but that's IT. I believe the Stein was intentionally released to give modelers a chance to do as they wish and make their own personal statement in designs or color applications. The Stein is border line Gundam in design and with a motivated modeler it can just as well be turned into one. I see the Stein as a piece of blank paper waiting to be written on. It's up to you what you want the paper to turn into. In this case the Stein.

It still has elegance to it but it honestly looks more intimidating and still keeps the mechanical aspect compared to the Sinanju. The successor has a major difference in design basically. It looks more elegant, and synthetic than the Stein. The structure has more of a complex detail to it than previous MG releases. Although half of the frame looks similar to Sinanju the prototype, Stein still has some complex workings to it.

 The legs offer the most in frame structure. The feet have a 3-point system I like to call it. The feet are able to support themselves if they were on a flat surface or if you had a base, into a flight-like pose. The feet are separated into 3 sections. The front, the mid, and the back section. The back has the least movement. The mid can move upward and downward. The front can do the same but achieve a higher angle. The mid and front work hand in hand in dynamic poses and style. 

The video explains the inner frame more. 

How well do the weapons work? I see no complaints with the weapons entirely working. The rifle is of course huge so it could sag down but with the right angle you can keep it up. A facedown rifle isn't less intimidating though nor does it remove positives in any overall pose. The beam sabers are quite fun as well. However, I came across something awesome when messing with the beam sabers. The beam sabers can't actually be held downward so it can only be held upward using the pegs. However I pushed the backs back down for both the saber and hand and attempted and the hands gripped it nicely. Allowing for a more intimidating look. Must take a Sinanju seriously when it's hiding a beam saber in it's back. 

The model comes with an included action base connector. You simply attach the grey piece (came from Stein) onto an Action Base and your good to go. Even if the model is light as a feature, no action base can support it unless it has a support bar to hold it up. Action Base 1 is recommended for all MGs. I have yet to see a MG on a action base 2 or 3. It could be achievable but I am pretty sure the end result will be a fall down and break experience. 

Picture to show this awesome frame structure with the amazing knee separation. 

AWWWWW YEAH!

Even though I like everything about Stein I wouldn't be alright if I didn't mention the flawed backpack. Compared to the overall complex structure of the model, the backpack lacks this. It is all connection on ball joints and if you look at the pictures the pieces are just too simple. TOOO SIMPLE! It can move like you've never seen so the articulation is fine but when you go into posing the Stein the backpack is just gonna make you want to pull your hair out. The 3 ball joint function is horrible. The first joint is the joint that turns 360 and that connects the mid pack to the side packs hence making it a backpack. This needs work honestly and even though its flexible I think it is a disadvantage. There is no control point. As for the second joint it is the joint that connects the top half and bottom half of the side thrusters. It is flimsy and falls off easily if held and moved for too long. The propellant tanks have no control either. It is connected on a simple ball joint and it is the most part that lacks control. The slightest touch ruins that epic pose you spent 30 minutes doing. 

I will literally get over there for those readers who decided not to buy this because of the backpack flaw and smack you senseless. Yes it might be annoying but it is DOABLE! I love this Stein to death and it is an opinionated review of course so I think every penny is worthy to be put into the Stein. Each MG makes you work off a sweat before you get it just where you want it to be. Stein is no different and I have yet to see one that is perfect. The Nu Gundam Ver Ka even had issues with its funnel attack mode poses. Man the amount of hours it took me to find a proper awesome pose to put that guy in. Horrible but worth it. My original favorite was Nu anyway until I got a hold of Stein. This model is definitely awesome. 

I will hopefully customize it over the summer. As for you.... GO GET ONE!

(that is of course if your wallets agree with you)

(lol)

Review

Stein Review

Inner Frame Build

Body

Head

Arm

Leg

Inner Frame Review

Outer Frame

ACTION BASE 1

1/100 MG Unicorn Gundam HD Color + MS Cage

1/100 MG Unicorn Gundam HD Color + MS Cage Review

1/100 MG Unicorn Gundam HD Color + MS Cage

What's Included:

27X Runners (If you count beam sabers and polycaps)

1X Small Sticker Sheet

1X Large Sticker Sheet

1X Large Decal Sheet

1X Manual

Ok before I begin the review I would like to say this is the first special Gunpla model I have obtained. It's not a normal model you would get. It comes bundled with an extra MS Cage and etc. It's a very good release if you ask me because it has so many opportunities when it comes to using it with other models or making a diorama to represent the Unicorn from episode 1 and more. The thoughts are limitless and very very exciting. So I can tell you for a fact I favor and enjoy this bundle. Now without further ado the review. 

Details:

I can definitely tell you this MG Unicorn is remarkable. The HD Color is basically gloss injection and higher quality color per say. However you shouldn't really focus on that. The detail is the main factor and I must say it is truly remarkable. This model can transform into Destroy mode or revert back to it's Normal mode. Both have the same detail and quality so it doesn't lose the looks. It is a special edition MG so put in short the detail is amazing. It is my first Unicorn and I believe I picked a good one to start out with. 

Proportion:

The proportions are as fine and as remarkable as the detail. Nothing much to say except the MG Unicorn in the category of detail and proportion is 10/10. 

Transformation:

This is where it gets complicated. The Unicorn has been released in MG 4 times. 6 If you count the Banshee. However in all 4 releases the transformation into Unicorn mode or Destroy mode has problems. There was the OVA first, then the Ver Ka, then either the MG HD + Cage came out or the Full Armor. That makes 4. Then we have the OVA and Ver Ka Banshee. The Ver Ka of that is basically a black version of the Unicorn. The OVA has the Banshee features like the claw. However that isn't the point. The point is the transformation is far from perfect and it can be good for others while bad for others so I can't really tell you anything. All I can say is that I recommend when purchasing either 6 MG's you consider what you want it in. Unicorn/Banshee or Destory modes? If Destroy while snapping it, snap it in Destroy mode already rather than snapping it in Unicorn/Banshee, and then turn it into the Destroy mode. If you decide to follow the instructions and hope later on when you decide to transform it that you won't encounter problems then your going to get stressed out. 

Don't let that stop you though. No MG or HG really has the transformation on the dot. It is a model kit not a figure or a toy. To be honest it's amazing the transformation feature the MG has to offer but of course it needs to improve on the flaws that all 4 versions fail to improve on. Maybe they have maybe they haven't. I don't have room to say much since I only have one but in all honesty I am not a fan of it. 

So when you get one plan out what you want to use it as. The knees have problems transforming. The chest and the back, along with the backpack all have some minor difficulty which needs to be done with a toothpick or support to really get it to transform. 

Articulation:

The articulation is great I give the Unicorn that. It's the first MG I have received with even joint hands so the fingers can move and grip. It's awesome. However the basics are the basics. It's not relatively more articulation than a HG. Sure some features here and there but it only has nice features to show off its looks. In my opinion the articulation is great but the joints have flaws and get loose from time to time and there are other problems like that as well. So it's great and the Unicorn is by far one of the more elegant beautiful designs we have seen in the entire Gundam series' by far at least in my opinion. So even if it has horrible features here and there almost everybody is going to buy either a HG or a MG version. My basic point is that the articulation somewhat falls into the transformation category. It needs work and improvement... However just looking at it's gloss injection and clear beauty I can't help but ignore its flaws. XD

Weapons:

The weapons are awesome. The fact that the shield can transform excites me. Let's count off the weapons. We have a rifle, bazooka, shield, and 2 beam sabers. Then we get 3 5 ammo packs. One attached to the rifle and 2 extra 5 round ammo packs which can be put on the back skirt. Also one extra ammo round. Also a bazooka pack. I think it's just missile pods but it's for the bazooka. Any how all 3 weapons can transform more or less. The shield into destroy shield (lol). The rifle to extend and add ammo packs or not. The bazooka in a long form or short form with extra missile pack. All in all the weapons are great. Plus 2 beam sabers which I forgot to mention about. The model has 4 beam saber hilts. 2 on it's backpack. 2 on it's wrists. That is 4 options. Definitely anybody who would come up against the Unicorn in a battle should regret calling it a beauty because behind it's looks this mobile suit is designed to kill and put up a fight. 

Extras:

The extras are simple. Extra exterior armor plates for the legs and extra thruster armor. Also some small figures and 2 sheets of stickers/decals to customize the Unicorn. Also extra face pieces for either Unicorn or its Destroy mode. It has 3 v-fins to be exact. One destroy, one unicorn, plus one transformable one. Its a bundle model so I am assuming not as many extras can be found in other MG models. 

MS Cage:

The MS Cage is amazing. Although it only comes in one color I personally love it. The overall design matches the one shown in episode 1 and it has a nice appeal to it. Like it or not the Unicorn looks amazing stored in it. Don't even necessarily have to pose it an any way. However if you have a action base 1 or 2 you can merge it with the cage and have it in a lift off pose like the box art shows. A very good bundle if you ask me. There are just so many ways to use the MS Cage with other MG models which makes me excited even more. Say what you want or say what I want to say me and anybody else will agree this is a great bundle to get. Just for the MS Cage. 

Conclusion:

I like to keep things short and simple. The HD Color + MS Cage bundle gives the owner extreme satisfaction trust me. It can go from using the cage with another Unicorn (Full Armor) to making a diorama of the first episode where it launched off and more. Is it perfect? No far from perfect. However is it on the list of top 10? Yes. It is just as good as the Full Armor Unicorn and it has given me great satisfaction. Like it or not anybody is eventually going to get a Unicorn because of how great it looks. Even if it has flaws. There are solutions to the flaws as well. Don't transform it like me. Keep it in one mode and just use that. If your a die hard fan of Destroy I recommend Ver Ka Destroy modes.... I can't say much except I really value and understand the offer of this bundle. It couldn't hurt if it was more affordable though. XD