Japanese model manufacturer Kotobukiya's popular 'Megami Device' series of mecha girl plastic model kits recently announced that the latest products designed by illustrator Nidy-2D-, 'KOUBU Susanoo/Amaterasu Lightweight Ver.', are currently in development, with a release date yet to be determined. The Amaterasu Lightweight Ver. is expected to open for pre-orders in February 2023, and the Susanoo Lightweight Ver. is expected to open for pre-orders in Spring 2023.
The KOUBU series is conceptually the next-generation evolution of the ASRA series, utilizing a larger body with enhanced output and an AUV frame integrated into the limbs for further performance amplification. Currently, Susanoo, equipped with powerful melee weapons and heavy armor, has been released, along with its derivative model, Susanoo Aoi Honoo, which incorporates an optical effect generator. Although the standard Amaterasu has been announced for a long time, even with the Lightweight Ver. now revealed, the standard version has yet to be released.
The 'Susanoo Lightweight Ver.' and 'Amaterasu Lightweight Ver.', currently in development, feature entirely new hairstyles compared to their standard counterparts. A significant amount of armor parts have been reduced and replaced with fabric designs, conveying an image of lightness and agility. The Susanoo Lightweight Ver. is equipped with a one-handed sword and a shield that can transform into a crown. The Amaterasu Lightweight Ver.'s staff can transform into a sun wheel to be equipped behind her head, and an as-yet-undisclosed mechanism is hidden beneath her cape.
