Today, we're unboxing the second release in the Ancestral Effect die-cast alloy figure series: Bontenmaru Date Masamune.
Belonging to a different war zone than the Tiger of Kai, Bontenmaru is assigned to the Far East War Zone. It is a psionic mecha specialized in artillery, powered by a core that has collected the psionic particles of Date Masamune.
▼The pilot of Bontenmaru is Aino Date, 22 years old, 157cm tall, and from Hokkaido. In short, just like the Tiger of Kai, the pilot is another young woman. The following photos are from the official source.
As the second release in the Ancestral Effect series, Bontenmaru's overall performance is once again that of a masterpiece-grade action figure. Before its development, I had assumed it would reuse the die-cast alloy frame from the Tiger of Kai. It wasn't until the official frame images were released that I discovered that while the metal frame design is very similar to the Tiger of Kai's, it has been slightly modified and not simply copied and pasted.
The paint application maintains the same high standard as the Tiger of Kai. A matte finish serves as the primary color scheme, with orange as an accent color paired with its metallic luster. The overall paint job is exceptionally detailed and expertly applied. MOSHOW's paint finish is very durable; unlike products from CANGDAO, you don't have to worry about accidentally scratching the paint during handling. There is virtually no color bleeding in any of the detailed paintwork. In short, the paint application is top-notch.
As for the articulation and die-cast content, I won't elaborate further. If you've owned the first release, the Tiger of Kai, then this Bontenmaru will not disappoint. After all, being hailed by fans in China as the pinnacle of die-cast alloy toys, its articulation experience and performance are naturally outstanding. It maintains the high standards set by the first release while also improving upon the issue of loose parts, making Bontenmaru an even better handling experience. At the very least, parts no longer fall off.
The weaponry is different from the Tiger of Kai. Bontenmaru is a long-range artillery type unit (the kind where the Tiger of Kai always charges ahead, while Bontenmaru can just hide and shoot). Bontenmaru comes equipped with a long-range sniper rifle and two handguns. Being in a war zone, just having guns would likely lead to death since enemies will still engage in close combat. Therefore, the official loadout includes an uchigatana, "Okurikara no Kage," and a tachi, "Okurikara," for Bontenmaru. Perhaps to avoid confusion with the established lore by including too many weapons, they stopped there. Date Masamune should have at least six swords, but since he doesn't, I'll have to create that myself, haha.
Below is the unboxing and review for everyone to enjoy. As per tradition, a 4K video version is also included. Lots of images ahead, so please be careful as it might slow down your computer.
▼【Unprofessional Toy Unboxing】MOSHOW Second Release Bontenmaru Date Masamune Die-Cast Alloy Toy 4K
▼Just as large as the Tiger of Kai's box, the outer box is wrapped in a transparent protective sleeve for shipping.
▼Unboxing
▼Upon receiving it, you can check if the anti-tamper sticker has been disturbed (to see if the blind box was peeked at).
▼It's a huge box even when lying flat. Time to get a new photography table.
▼Awesome box art, with MOSHOW's cute logo in the top right corner.
▼Does any fellow collector know what "Advanced Type" refers to?
▼The box art is different on both sides; one side features the dual pistols, the other features the sniper rifle.
▼The opening flap of the outer box also features two different art pieces, one with the dual pistols and one with the sniper rifle, just like the cover.
▼Anti-counterfeit holographic sticker.
▼Peeling off the sticker.
▼Same as the Tiger of Kai, the contents are packed in two layers.
▼The bottom layer contains the display base, blind box, effect parts, two swords, and the sword stand.
▼A total of four effect parts are included.
▼The blind box, dual swords, and sword stand.
▼A full-color instruction manual, a black-and-white comic book, and a warranty card. It's recommended to register the serial number on the official website upon receiving it. After registration, you'll receive points that can be redeemed for products in the series (you can ask the seller to redeem them for you). By the way... Bontenmaru's point value is actually higher than the Tiger of Kai's.
▼A cool entrance in the comic. By the way... Ancestral Effect is getting an anime! Full of awesome ladies!!
▼Magnetic display base. MOSHOW's magnets are pretty intense; the Tiger of Kai can stick to my refrigerator... XD
▼The tachi is named "Okurikara," and the uchigatana is named "Okurikara no Kage." The sword rack itself can hold... three swords (shrugs). The paint job on the swords, from the scabbard to the tsuba (guard) and the blade, is very well done. The color separation details on the scabbard show no signs of bleeding.
▼The sword stand features the Date clan crest.
▼The blade is not made of metal but uses a metallic paint finish to achieve its look. The hamon (temper line) and paint on the blade are still expertly done. The quality of the swords I received this time is better than the Tiger of Kai's; at least I don't have to use a hairdryer to straighten the entire sword.
▼Effect parts and weapon mounting accessory pack.
▼The most anticipated part for everyone: the blind box.
▼Shouldn't have been opened before, haha.
▼Opening the blind box reveals a pack of pilot cards, a metal stand, and the sniper rifle barrel. The silver packet is the blind pack itself.
▼For the metal barrel, only the barrel itself is metal; the muzzle brake is not.
▼The~~ blind~~ pack~~ is~~ here! I got a recolored gun Q_Q. Although it's a blind box bonus, the paint quality is on par with the main product and very well done. The shape and appearance are the same, just in a different color.
▼Ranged weaponry.
▼Gun + holster.
▼The orange part on the holster is not a sticker but is achieved through paint application.
▼Four sniper rifle bullets. Guess what material this is? They have some weight to them and even make a sound when tapped! This is quite a major selling point, haha.
▼With the magazine inserted, but before attaching the muzzle brake. Besides the main color, all the details on the rifle's body are painted, including what looks like transfer decals.
▼The sniper rifle is here, and it's a long one!
▼The main body is approximately 29cm tall. The entire armor uses a blue paint scheme as its main color, and the design is quite different from the Tiger of Kai.
▼The green eyes are the light-up effect and are very bright! The switch is the orange part; just press it to turn on the power. It requires two AG1 mercury batteries. The golden crescent moon-shaped maedate on the head immediately evokes the element of Date Masamune.
▼The chest light switch is under the cover plate on the chest. It requires two AG13 batteries to operate. When installing the batteries, you must remove the entire head to access the battery compartment smoothly.
▼The chest light has three modes. Green.
▼Orange.
▼Breathing effect (alternating green and orange, please see the video).
▼The thighs use a double-layered internal structure. When the legs are raised, the outer armor moves in conjunction, creating a split-armor effect on the thighs.
▼The exposed, solid die-cast metal frame makes the handling experience even more satisfying.
▼The text markings on the legs are not stickers, and the color separation details are also very well done.
▼The legs are full of details.
▼The waist uses a multi-layered joint design, which creates a mechanical linkage when bent.
▼The shoulders and chest are, as always, packed with details.
▼The text on the left and right shoulders is different.
▼Side profile close-up.
▼There are three thrusters inside the shoulder armor. The interior of the thrusters is painted orange for color separation.
▼From the back, you can see the incredibly fine details of the small faceted surfaces on Bontenmaru's full-body armor. The design of the arms, shoulders, and legs is also very powerful. The overall look, with its main and accent colors combined with the die-cast alloy frame, is truly captivating.
▼The power conduits on the back of the calves.
▼The rear skirt armor can be deployed, just like the Tiger of Kai's.
▼From the back, you can see the multi-segmented articulated linkage design for the waist and spine. I was already amazed by this feature when I was playing with the Tiger of Kai.
▼The details and color separation on the arms are also impeccable.
▼Waist and spine linkage.
▼When the linkage is activated, the front joints move along with it, automatically avoiding any interference.
▼Another major feature of Bontenmaru's armament is that both arms have built-in sword holsters that can hold the tachi.
▼Standing on one leg is not a problem.
▼Thigh armor separation linkage.
▼The ankle armor is much more secure than on my Tiger of Kai.
▼The entire figure is very stable; its die-cast metal frame doesn't cause any balance issues. As long as you adjust the center of gravity slightly, it can stand steadily on one leg.
▼Back view close-up.
▼There are two strong magnets in the soles of the feet. These magnets are quite powerful.
▼I really love the details on the legs.
▼If you want to mount the uchigatana on the back, the light blue part on the back must be removed for installation. The back can be pulled out significantly, allowing the arms to lean forward more for a wider range of poses. When the back is extended, it links with the front armor to avoid interference.
▼Here's another look at the chest light effect. With the front chest cover removed, the brightness is even more pronounced.
▼Orange light effect. In addition to the eyepatch for the right eye, an eyepatch for the left eye is also included. Of course, if you prefer, you can have it wear eyepatches on both eyes.
That's all for this unboxing and review. I hope you enjoyed it. If you like this artillery-style, gun-wielding aesthetic, Bontenmaru is definitely worth getting. Of course, if you prefer overwhelming firepower, I would recommend the upcoming Wuchenghou. Compared to brands like Motor Nuclear, whose prices are approaching ten thousand NT dollars, MOSHOW is much more affordable, while its paint quality and handling feel are top-tier. Below are some studio shots to share with everyone. I'll see you all in the next unboxing.
▼【MOSHOW】 Ancestral Effect Second Release Bontenmaru Date Masamune Studio Photoshoot
Also published on my blog
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