LEGO has been a beloved toy for nearly 90 years, captivating both kids and adults alike. Many builders use the versatile bricks to create their favorite characters and designs. We've previously featured Japanese X (formerly Twitter) user YOGO ( @yg45yg ) and his incredible LEGO rendition of the MS unit "Gundam Epyon," a build that absolutely blew netizens away.
Now, we're diving into another one of his masterpieces: the Dragonar-1 from Sunrise's classic mecha anime, "Metal Armor Dragonar." YOGO's LEGO creation boasts an incredibly imposing presence, offering a distinct look compared to standard Gunpla model kits.
"Metal Armor Dragonar" (機甲戦記ドラグナー) is a mecha anime produced by Sunrise from 1987 to 1988. The story kicks off when the "Gigano Empire," which has established a government on the moon, declares war on the Earth Federation. Protagonist Ken Wakaba and his pals Tapp and Light find their home colony destroyed by Gigano forces. They steal a disk used to activate the secretly developed Metal Armors, the "Dragonars," becoming their pilots and joining the fight against Gigano.
YOGO, in fact, serves as an advisor for a high school model-building club and spends his days researching various model kits. However, driven by his personal passion for LEGO, he began crafting diverse creations to push the boundaries of what LEGO bricks can achieve.
While this particular build was completed last year, his recent share on X has once again garnered massive attention. This "Dragonar-1" stands at an impressive 42 cm tall, giving it a serious presence. YOGO meticulously referenced illustrations of "Dragonar-1" by artist "Toshashin." to faithfully recreate the iconic design.
The build took approximately five weeks, with a special focus on capturing that "heavy and powerful" physique. YOGO also honored Toshashin.'s insistence on "no shrugged shoulders"—meaning even when the arms are spread, the shoulder armor doesn't jut upwards. Furthermore, he fully replicated the power supply lines for the Hand Linear Gun, even including the spare barrel.
To ensure the unit could stand stably without a support stand even when equipped with its Lifter (flight backpack), YOGO specifically reinforced each joint for enhanced support. Details like the opening and closing of the thruster nozzles and the aerial refueling port were also meticulously included.
The triple missile pods on the legs, which were part of the initial draft, were also faithfully reproduced. While the lower body's range of motion is slightly limited due to supporting the Lifter's weight, the upper body boasts high articulation, allowing for plenty of cool poses.
YOGO mentioned that the building process wasn't easy. Despite the model not being massive, he had to make numerous adjustments to the weight distribution to achieve balance. Plus, referencing the illustrations to recreate details meant many parts had to be crafted within the constraints of LEGO bricks, but he found the process incredibly enjoyable.
So, what do you think of YOGO's LEGO "Dragonar-1"? We highly recommend checking out his X account for more of his amazing work. We're sure there are many talented LEGO builders among our fans—perhaps you too can create some impactful and visually stunning mecha!
via： X帳戶YOGO