Today I'm sharing my build of the new model kit from Motor Nuclear, from their "Legend of Star General" series: the Yaoguang Palace Pojun Xingjun Lu Bu. That's a mouthful, so I'll just be calling it Lu Bu for the rest of this review.
My last experience with this line, the Mo Liqing, required a serious death grip to assemble, and the memory still haunts me. I was bracing myself for another round of forcing parts together, but to my surprise, the build process for Lu Bu was incredibly smooth with absolutely no fitment issues.
This Lu Bu kit is essentially a scaled-down version of the completed die-cast figure. Aside from not including the Red Hare steed, the appearance is nearly identical, though there are some minor differences. The main body of Lu Bu utilizes a full metal inner frame, so the assembly process is a straightforward matter of attaching the armor pieces to the frame according to the manual.
The incredibly sharp armor spikes are a signature of Motor Nuclear's design aesthetic. Honestly, all these sharp points make assembly a bit hazardous—you have to be careful not to draw blood. The sheer number of spikes also impacts articulation in some areas, requiring you to carefully maneuver parts to avoid snapping anything off. On the plus side, the quality of the runners is excellent, with about ninety percent of the parts being undergated. In addition to the hidden gates, the metallic colors are extensively pre-painted, and the finish is absolutely stunning. I'm a huge fan of the gunmetal and gold tones. The only slight disappointment is the red. Aside from the clear parts, the molded red plastic, including the two signature "pheasant tail" plumes on the head, is a dark, matte red. If these had also been pre-painted with a metallic red, the overall finish would have been near-perfect.
While the body is layered with numerous metallic colors, which I initially thought might look gaudy, the final assembled product proves otherwise. Each block of metallic color is applied tastefully and doesn't feel overwhelming or out of place. Beyond the pre-painted metallics, the clear parts also feature a silver reflective coating on the inside to enhance their shine.
In the weapons department, the most iconic armament is the massive Sky Piercer Halberd. Standing upright, it's even taller than Lu Bu itself. The shaft isn't a metal part, so holding it doesn't create any weight issues for posing. The kit also includes several pairs of interchangeable hands, with a set for both left and right. The weapon-holding hands are even divided into angled-grip and straight-grip versions. The large bow is arguably the biggest play feature of this kit and something the larger die-cast figure lacks. This bow can be reconfigured into several different forms (which I'll showcase below). For those concerned about parts falling off, you can rest easy. I've tested it thoroughly, and everything is extremely tight and secure.
Looking at the frame, it's clear the hip structure was designed with horse-riding in mind. The hip joint has a unique range of motion that will allow Lu Bu to assume a natural riding pose once mounted. I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of Red Hare.
That about covers my build experience. The images below will provide a simple look at the appearance and weapon transformations. I've showcased all the configurations except for the combined greatbow (Arm Guards + Greatbow). I hope you enjoy this brief review.
▼【Motor Nuclear】A War God and a Hedgehog! The Legend of Star General Yaoguang Palace Pojun Xingjun Lu Bu Model Kit
▼You can tell Motor Nuclear is trying hard to break away from the influence of a certain big B-company, designing the head to not look too much like one of their mecha. Articulation in the head is somewhat limited due to interference from the spikes.
▼I think the layering of metallic colors on the chest is just right—not too flashy or gaudy. The purple parts have a slightly matte finish, while the red parts are a darker shade.
▼The metallic gold on the front skirt armor is beautiful, not that cheap-looking swirly gold plastic from Bandai. The inner side of the clear red parts comes with a pre-painted silver finish, making them reflect light brilliantly. The front skirts can also be bent, seemingly in preparation for Red Hare.
▼The thighs use metal ball joints, making the inner frame more robust and preventing any wobbly leg issues during play.
▼The side shoulder armor is shaped like a demon's face. It's covered in spikes that will poke you relentlessly, so be careful not to snap them off when posing. The black parts on Lu Bu's body are a semi-gloss black that doesn't attract fingerprints like plastic from some other third-party manufacturers.
▼The clear red parts have a pre-painted silver reflective coating on the inside, allowing you to clearly see the detailed inner mechanics under light. The side skirts can also be extended, another design feature in preparation for horse riding.
▼Those two signature "pheasant tail" plumes have a metal wire base. The wire is moderately stiff and not too thin, so you don't have to worry about metal fatigue or breakage when bending them.
▼The two-stage design of the rear skirt armor is clearly intended for horse riding.
▼Motor Nuclear's pre-painted metallic finish is genuinely high-quality. The silver is comparable to a sprayed coat of Gaia 121, but what really impressed me was the iron-gray, which has the feel of Gaia 125.
▼The inner mechanics of the knee's clear parts feature the same silver reflective coating as the red parts.
▼The inner arm joints are made of metal. The arm's articulation is on par with a high-end die-cast action figure, allowing for multi-directional rotation and movement. In addition to the upper arm swivel, the forearm can also rotate a full 360 degrees.
▼The pre-painted metallic finish on the legs. This level of pre-painting is basically at the quality of a completed figure.
▼The arrows are made of clear purple plastic. Lu Bu also uses numerous metal connecting arms for its weapon transformations and combinations.
▼Lu Bu appears in its full-armor cloak mode! That card is something I made myself. I've started making cards for almost all my model kit boxes because they take up too much space in my newly renovated home, but I can't bear to throw many of the boxes away. This solution has cleared up a ton of space. I'll share my whole collection of model kit cards sometime.
Below are all the weapon forms and play patterns. I've displayed everything for you except for the combined greatbow. The weapon system's versatility is the biggest selling point of this Lu Bu kit. All forms are derived from three components: the "Bow," the "Large Crossbow," and the "Arm Guards."
▼Pincer Claw Form
▼Crossbow Cannon Form
▼Arm Blade Form
▼Back Shield Form
▼Mechanical Arm Shield Form
▼Bow and Arrow Form. The articulation is quite good, allowing the arm to easily strike a bow-firing pose. I haven't shown the combined greatbow, but if you want to see what it looks like, you can find images online.
▼Combined Great Claw Mechanical Arm Form. This requires two metal connector arms to complete. Remember to work around the spikes when posing.
▼Full Armor Cloak Form. This is my favorite configuration. When putting it on a stand or just displaying it, you don't have to worry about where to put the extra parts—just attach everything! XD
▼The connection is made using a mechanical arm, which can be attached to either the left or right side.
▼Rear view.
▼Only one metal connector arm is needed for the connection; the other can be stored away.
▼The other side. This connection doesn't require a metal arm; you just need to attach the parts to the shoulder armor using a replacement piece.
Conclusion:
This kit is solid—not perfect, but far from bad. Overall, the quality is quite impressive. Both the pre-painted metallic finish and the sturdiness of the parts are up to a high standard. For me, this kit satisfies the craving for the large-scale Lu Bu that I couldn't afford. I just couldn't bring myself to spend the nearly two dozen "blue bills" required for that die-cast figure. In my opinion, the quality of this model kit makes it a fantastic scaled-down version of its larger die-cast counterpart, especially given the excellent pre-painted finish. Now, all that's left is to wait for the release of Red Hare (if it ever comes out).