The ROBOT SPIRITS GUNDAM STRIKE was released once many years ago. This time, it's being released again under the A.N.I.M.E. series. The changes are quite significant.
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The first version of this toy was released 11 years ago. I was already producing toy reviews back then, and the following link is to the review I made 11 years ago, which you can also check out for reference:
https://blog.xuite.net/kkkiii0079/hkblog/151311495
Why, after handling the METAL BUILD STRIKE so many times, would I still get the ROBOT SPIRITS A.N.I.M.E. version? It's simple: this release comes with a plethora of effect parts. Poses that were impossible before are now achievable, making the anticipation and novelty factor quite high. Here is the report:
Excellent Sculpt, But Pity About the V-Fin
Overall, the positioning of the ROBOT SPIRITS A.N.I.M.E. series is clear: it's all about playability. It doesn't have many markings (don't worry, they'll surely release a version with them later), presenting a clean and simple figure. This Strike's design leans towards a thick, robust, and sharp style. It's great overall, but that V-fin is just too thick. It's like overgrown hair that needs a trim, making it difficult to even see the eyes.
Secondly, why is the backpack thruster section on the GUNDAM STRIKE not articulated? It just has a big hole right from the start, which is not acceptable! Why wasn't this detail handled better?
Excellent Articulation
The head's range of motion is excellent; tilting it upwards is effortless and very simple.
The arm articulation is also good, but the shoulder joints feel a bit flimsy and tend to pop off easily during play.
The waist articulation is also quite good, with a significant forward crunch. However, the backward bend is rather average. As for side-to-side movement, the performance is excellent.
The skirt armor has good articulation and doesn't hinder the legs' movement. The two front pieces, in particular, show thoughtful design, which you can appreciate when handling the figure. The issue of the front skirt armor constantly falling off in past versions has been addressed this time.
The leg articulation is great; the knee bend is a full fold with no issues whatsoever.
The ankle pivot provides good ground contact. However, the toe bend on the foot has a very limited range, which is clearly insufficient.
The Flight Pack Has Its Pros and Cons
This needs to be purchased separately, and I really don't understand why they couldn't have been bundled together.
As usual, the flight pack offers a lot of play value. The two wings can be folded downwards. The two thrusters underneath are quite sturdy and have good articulation.
This is the first time effect parts have been released for the flight pack. They feel okay, but unfortunately, they are a bit too small and lack an imposing presence. However, once attached to the backpack, they don't droop, which is commendable.
As for the drawbacks, first, the wings fall off very easily, and the connection points feel quite fragile, which is very worrying during play.
Weapons Also Have Their Highs and Lows
In terms of weapons, the GUNDAM STRIKE itself has combat knives. Typically, the Strike draws the knives from its side skirt armor, but to replicate the look of the hilt sticking out for the draw, you need to swap parts. While the look after the part-swap is acceptable, having to rely on part-swapping to achieve this effect is really not good, not ideal.
As for the knives themselves, the blades are well-detailed with a silver paint application, giving them a nice "sharp" feel. The execution is excellent.
One of the pleasant surprises this time is the head-mounted Vulcan cannon effect. This effect part is really well done. It's amazing how they designed it for such a small area. It's not difficult to swap, the effect doesn't fall off easily, and it looks very realistic. Excellent!
The beam rifle is its usual self. It can be held with two hands, but while adjusting the arm's angle, the entire arm accidentally popped off. The beam rifle effect part, on the other hand, is well-made. I quite like the SEED-style effects. The straight green beam with a burst effect at the muzzle is already quite impressive!
For the beam saber, there are also newly made effect parts. The curved "saber draw" effect is outstanding because its curve is perfect, and its weight is just right—not too heavy, making it easy to pose. Additionally, the explosion effect part is also well-done; it's full-bodied and has a great texture, worthy of praise.
Regarding the shield, it can be mounted on the forearm or held in hand. Both methods of holding the shield are very convenient, with no major issues.
The explosion effect for the shield is quite textured and layered. Just by comparing it with those from the UC series, you can see the difference. In terms of this explosion effect, the new one is naturally superior to the old.
Should Have Added a Stand Connection Point
The connection point for the stand is on the rear, and frankly, this placement is mediocre, causing it to fall off frequently. It's not hard to mount on the stand, but it comes off very easily. If an additional connection point could be added on the back, it would allow for more variety in posing.
Overall, the effect parts this time are surprisingly fun to play with. The Vulcan cannon effect and the curved beam saber effect are particularly outstanding. As for the green beam effect, I personally find it acceptable, but I wonder what other collectors think.