It's been a long time since I last assembled a Megami Device kit; I've forgotten when I last built one.
I often receive comments or questions from fellow enthusiasts asking, "Which is better to assemble, Kotobukiya's Megami Device or mainland Chinese mecha girl kits?" Regarding this question, it's really a matter of personal opinion. From my own assembly experience, each has its own merits. I must say that mainland Chinese mecha girl kits have developed to a point where, in terms of scale and out-of-box completion, they are certainly not inferior to Kotobukiya. In terms of price, articulation, and playability, they truly hold their own. However, if we're talking purely about facial aesthetics, I still believe only Kotobukiya excels. The combination of a youthful face and impressive 'headlights' (bust) is something I genuinely feel Kotobukiya executes exceptionally well.
However, Kotobukiya's Megami Device series always gives you that feeling of 'even though it's much more expensive, I still have to get it.' Assembling this Imperial Priestess Amaterasu kit, compared to previous Kotobukiya Megami Device kits I've built, truly felt like a significant upgrade. Whether it's the overall completion, the articulation and tightness of the joints, or the ingenious design and interchangeability of the equipment, there has been a lot of improvement.
This time, I completed it entirely as a straight build (unpainted, no topcoat) to show fellow enthusiasts what a Megami Device looks like when finished this way. The seam lines on the legs have always been a common complaint with Kotobukiya; despite being able to assemble them front-to-back, they insist on splitting them left-to-right, creating a prominent seam down the middle. Perhaps Kotobukiya thinks that everyone will ultimately display them in their armed forms, and once parts are swapped, those seams won't matter anyway, haha.
Every time I finish building a mecha girl kit, my wife asks me why I can smile so happily, with my lips curled up. Honestly, I don't know either why a model that could be straight-built in three hours somehow takes me six... haha.
Since it's a straight build, there's no assembly process to show, so I'll just use studio photos for a simple introduction and sharing.
▼【KOTOBUKIYA】Kotobukiya Megami Device Imperial Priestess Amaterasu Tenken Reiso
▼There's no need to worry much about articulation; I've been posing it for a long time, and the tightness and stability of the joints have significantly improved.
▼In its light armor form, using interchangeable faceplates combined with body movements allows you to achieve any pose or posture you desire.
▼Only Kotobukiya can truly deliver such a youthful face, perfectly complemented by the 'headlights' on the chest.
▼This pose is a must for photos.
▼Megami Device truly offers many ways to enjoy them, and posing for photos is one of them.
▼The first form after equipping the armor.
▼Along with the armored form, the facial expression has also been swapped to another.
▼Kotobukiya's gold parts have always had a more beautiful luster and better gate marks than Bandai's, and that holds true now as it did over a decade ago.
▼The same armed form, but swapping to a different expression gives it another distinct feel.
▼The second form; this is also where Megami Device is so captivating, always being able to transform existing armaments into various different configurations.
▼The halo originally on the back instantly transforms into a scepter.
▼The expression is also swapped.
▼Personally, I have a soft spot for this form. Which armed form do you all prefer?
▼Finally, a cool shot to conclude.
That concludes this sharing session. The straight-build completion is truly impressive, and the playability of the light armor form far surpasses that of the armored form. I didn't apply the included water decals, as this was a purely straight-built project without painting or topcoat. Typically, it's better to apply a topcoat after applying decals.