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After dreaming of it for what feels like an eternity, I've finally got my hands on it—the METAL BUILD Lancelot Albion. This is Suzaku's final Knightmare Frame from the second season of the TV series, which faced off against the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements in a climactic duel. Their battle escalated from high-tech weaponry all the way to a raw melee brawl, and judging by the final outcome, it seems the Lancelot lost. The Guren's design was likely superior, and even with Suzaku's "Live on" GEASS command pushing him, the power it unleashed wasn't enough to secure a victory, which is a bit of a shame. But let's get back on track and discuss the toy.
1. Excellent and Beautiful Sculpt, Outstanding Paint Job!
This was a completely delightful unboxing experience, exceeding all expectations. The paint application and design are unexpectedly superb. It perfectly captures the characteristic features of the Code Geass series' Knightmares, flawlessly presenting the Lancelot's strengths. The horn on its head, the shoulders, elbows, and knees have all been given slightly extended and more exaggerated designs, giving the machine a much more commanding presence.
In terms of paint, the figure is predominantly white and gold, with minor red and silver accents. The most meticulous effort was spent on the gold, which utilizes several different tones to create a sense of depth and an incredibly regal feel. As for the white, some areas have a color that can only be truly appreciated in person. For example, under light, the shoulder sections reveal a faint greenish-yellow sheen, creating a subtle color transition from white to gold. This makes the entire figure look stunning, rather than just being plain white and plain gold. Furthermore, the paint application is clean with no noticeable issues, making it aesthetically beautiful.
2. Thoughtful Interlocking Gimmicks
The figure features several impressive interlocking gimmicks. First, the cockpit on the back is linked to the head. When you pull the back section down, the head moves down with it, allowing for a wider variety of poses and creating more space for the head's range of motion.
Additionally, the scabbards and the base of the Energy Wings on the back are also linked. To prevent them from colliding, moving one part will cause the other to move as well, ensuring they don't clash. Although the space is still very tight, it's a clear demonstration of the production team's dedication.
3. The Cockpit Can Be Pulled Out
This is a very special design feature. Not only can you expose the pilot's seat, but the control console and screen are also faithfully recreated to a degree. Sometimes, the joy of playing with toys comes from appreciating these fine details—things that might seem insignificant but are what collectors truly care about. If they could have designed a small Suzaku figure to place inside, it would have added a whole new level of enjoyment.
4. Reasonable Articulation
The articulation in the arms and legs is quite good, especially the feet, which have excellent ground contact, allowing it to strike its classic launch pose.
The waist is also sturdier than that of the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements. Of course, whether it can remain "sturdy" over time remains to be seen.
Naturally, there are some minor flaws. Certain joints are a bit loose, particularly in the lower body, which makes getting the figure to stand on its own a considerable effort. It's harder to make it stand than to make it fly. While the Landspinners can help with stability, it still feels like something is lacking, which is a slight pity.
5. Abundant Weaponry
Swords — As its primary weapons (with the hilts also serving as decoration), the swords are crucial. This toy comes with hilts in both their stored state (with handguards closed) and their deployed state (with handguards open). There are two blade options: silver and red. Personally, I think the Lancelot looks incredibly cool charging forward to strike with dual swords. The swords can be stored in their scabbards, which are also articulated, allowing the user to adjust them to a waist-level drawing position.
Guns — The signature dual VARIS rifles are included, though they are proportionally a bit large. They come in both normal and high-output modes. In high-output mode, the guns are noticeably "oversized"; a smaller scale would have been preferable. There is one custom modification here: the guns can be mounted on the hips and adjusted to be used as waist cannons. I'm not a fan of this configuration, so I didn't try it out.
Slash Harkens — All four Slash Harkens are included. However, I'm personally not a fan of wire-based accessories. Bending them into shape and then straightening them for storage is quite a bit of work, so I decided against using them.
Energy Wings — This release includes two types of Energy Wings. One is the traditional, large version, while the other is a shorter, more compact form. Realistically, deploying the full-sized wings requires a lot of display space. The smaller ones, when attached, actually look quite good too!
Of course, even the most fun toys have areas for improvement, as listed below:
Regarding the display stand, it uses a round connector (previous ones were hexagonal), which presents a clear problem for holding poses securely. Given the considerable weight of a METAL BUILD figure, a round peg offers very little stability for posing, which is an area that needs improvement. However, placing the connection point on the back was the right choice.
Overall, the MB Lancelot Albion is an outstanding release. Whether you're a fan of Code Geass or simply a collector of robot models, I believe this is one of the must-buy toys of 2024.
Finally, how could we go without a group shot of the Guren and the Lancelot together?