Buddy, you see that shiny diamond?
Take it down!
The fourth entry in Kaiyodo's Evangelion series, this model kit brings to life the famous Operation Yashima scene from "Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone," featuring Evangelion Unit-01 on Mt. Futago.
The box returns to the series' standard size this time. It depicts Evangelion Unit-01 in a crouching pose in the dead of night, aiming the high-power Positron Cannon developed by NERV—powered by the entire electrical grid of Japan—to fire upon the translucent blue, octahedral 6th Angel, Ramiel.
As is customary, this is a model kit that requires glue for assembly. I started with a simple test fit. The main body of Unit-01 doesn't have too many parts, but the Positron Cannon certainly does.
This massive cannon is over 30 cm long, extending beyond my photo backdrop! Where am I even going to display this after it's finished? (Shinji's dilemma)
The color guide in the instruction manual is so dense and packed with detail it makes my eyes swim. I'm starting to regret buying this kit and putting myself through this torture... It does mention in the top-right corner that there will be many leftover water slide decals for your own creative use. So, if you find a bunch of decals left over after you're done, don't waste your energy straining your eyes to see what you missed. (So sore~)
After countless days and nights of sanding, painting, and masking hell, I've finally seen it through to the end. At last, Evangelion Unit-01 and its Positron Cannon stand tall upon the earth! *Confetti toss* (I'm so tired)
I didn't have enough space indoors, so I brought it outside. Let's use my little mountainous homeland as the backdrop.
This Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon! Shinji's is so long!
Compared to the more organic interpretations of previous entries in the Artpla series, this one adopts a style that is much closer to its anime design.
A close-up of the cannon's muzzle. Many of the small details were added later with water slide decals. It was only when I carefully compared my work to the manual's pictures that I realized I had missed painting some spots, which I had to touch up afterward.
Each color block on the supporting hydraulic pipes also required masking.
I went ahead and applied the included 30th-anniversary commemorative sticker under the left hand~
Unit-01 has few parts, which means a lot more masking work. A model kit with fewer parts isn't necessarily easier to build, that's not how it works!
For the decal on the forearm insignia, the manual doesn't clearly indicate whether it goes on the left or right arm, or on the front or back. You have to guess based on the illustration. Classic Kaiyodo.
Here's an important tip: For the parts of the rear-left cannon support, which is step 38 in the manual, I recommend not gluing the parts from steps 36 and 37 together, even after painting and during final assembly. This is because when you later combine Unit-01 with the Positron Cannon, the support frame needs to pass through the gap between the arm and the thigh. The knee armor gets in the way, and if you've already glued the support frame parts, there won't be enough clearance to get it through, and you'll be totally screwed (alternatively, you could choose not to glue the left arm to the body beforehand).
Moving to the back, the Umbilical Cable is a single molded piece. It would have been better if they had provided a wire, as it would be easier to pose and wouldn't require additional painting.
The sole of the one exposed foot had to be dutifully painted. As for the other one...
The rear-right support frame on the opposite side can be glued without issue, but it doesn't sit flush with the ground and doesn't actually provide much support for the cannon.
For the orange-yellow tail cylinder, thankfully, water slide decals are provided for the silver striped sections, which saved some trouble.
The front of the tail cylinder connects to the conical particle accelerator, and the lattice-structured heat radiator then connects further forward to the main cannon body.
It was only then that I realized a gunmetal-gray horizontal grip on the tail cylinder wasn't glued properly and had come off... The many red, compound-eye-like devices on the side are the electro-optic receivers.
Even though it's not the summit of Mt. Futago, posing it against a mountain view still gives it a great sense of presence!
Finally, let's grab an RG Evangelion Unit-01 to compare the length and detail differences, and to wrap things up~
While Kaiyodo wins in terms of size and detailed sculpting this time, the building process is just too complicated. It also doesn't include the G-Type Equipment add-on that the RG has. If you have the option, just get the RG and save yourself the pain. Right, buddy?
One shot pierces and destroys the Angel. And one last look at Rei Ayanami's smile...
Alright, that's a wrap. Cue the ending theme!
It’s only love～
