I've had this kit for a very, very long time. I only recently rediscovered it while cleaning out the garage; I had completely forgotten that I even bought it. Time really makes you forget things. Since I found it during this year's big clean-up, I decided to do a quick straight build and put it on display.
This is the 16th kit in Kotobukiya's Megami Device line, Auw Susanowo.
Kotobukiya model kits have a reputation: once they're released, you might have to wait a very, very, very long time for a reprint—sometimes even a decade isn't long enough. That's why, for any Kotobukiya kit I like, I always make sure to pre-order it right away. The price for this Susanowo once skyrocketed to NT$6,000, and searching online, you'd find it listed for NT$5,500 or more. Then, after many years, Kotobukiya suddenly announced a reprint for Susanowo. Instantly, prices on auction sites returned to a somewhat more normal level. The same goes for Kotobukiya's Zoids line. I still have a pile of unbuilt Zoids under my bed, most of which are now considered out-of-print.
Kotobukiya's mecha girl kits generally look fantastic even with just a straight build, no painting required. From the plastic coloration of the runners, the paint application on the alternate face plates, the articulation of the joints, to the sturdiness of the parts, it's no exaggeration to call them the pinnacle of the mecha girl world.
Early Megami Device kits from Kotobukiya had some issues with their base bodies and joints, but with each new release, they have been gradually improved, and the results are excellent. However, a common issue with Kotobukiya kits is that they are very spiky. It's not uncommon to get pricked and draw blood during assembly.
Another thing is that some parts are frustratingly tiny. If you're not careful and one flies off, it's basically gone for good. Because of this, I'm always extra cautious when building Kotobukiya kits—even a sneeze could send a part flying.
Here is a simple review to share with everyone. They say the base body is the true essence of a mecha girl, so let's forget about the armor for a moment, haha.
▼ [KOTOBUKIYA] Megami Device Auw Susanowo
▼ The base body of this Susanowo is truly exceptional.
▼ In addition to the single-eyed face, it comes with two extra pre-painted face plates for swapping. The differences in expression and gaze are immediately apparent. The eyes are one green and one red, and the paint application is spot-on.
▼ The figure has a standard mecha girl physique. The image below is a top-down view.
▼ The body proportions are just right, not overly exaggerated.
▼ Upper body close-up.
▼ The skin tone parts have a matte finish.
▼ The legs feature multiple points of articulation.
▼ The feet can be posed on tiptoe, allowing for a wider range of stances.
▼ Even when the heels are not flat on the ground, the leg joints allow for adjustments that make the overall pose look more natural and less stiff.
▼ Susanowo uses a base body developed in-house by Kotobukiya.
▼ The hair is assembled from multiple pieces.
▼ Swapping to the two different face plates.
▼ Here are a few action shots of just the base body. As they say, the base body is the true essence of a mecha girl, so the equipment doesn't matter, haha.
▼ The arm joints are very tight, so there are no issues with them becoming loose. The only drawback is that the arms connect to the body via ball joints. The ball joint is slightly too large for the socket in the torso, so if you pose the arms at an extreme angle, they tend to pop off.
▼ The legs have a wide range of motion for bending.
▼ She can't sit completely flat on the ground, mainly due to the internal joints of the thighs.
▼ The legs are constructed using a multi-part assembly.
▼ Due to the joint design, she can't sit perfectly flat on the ground.
▼ As long as you don't push the angles too far, you can easily create various poses using the body's articulation.
▼ Half-kneeling and squatting poses can also be achieved with ease.
▼ Below is the standard armored mode.
▼ For the armored mode, you need to remove the base body legs and replace them with the dedicated armored legs.
▼ The gold parts are a pale gold color.
▼ The sword can be mounted on her back.
▼ The armored legs make Susanowo significantly taller.
▼ The feet.
▼ The chest piece in armored mode shows a clear difference compared to the base body's chest.
▼ The large sword can transform into two different weapons.
▼ A short axe.
▼ A gun.
▼ The first armored mode.
▼ Effortlessly resting the sword on her shoulder.
▼ To ensure a more stable grip on the sword, there is a connector piece on the outside that links the sword to the arm. Thanks to the tight joints, the sword is held firmly without any drooping.
▼ The second armored mode. In this form, she can still easily wield the sword with her beast claws.
▼ It has a somewhat berserk feel.
▼ The feet are also different, resembling beast-like paws.
▼ It still uses the original head parts, but the front bangs are replaced with a mask.
▼ Upper body close-up.
▼ The original left and right shoulder pauldrons transform into beast claws.
▼ All four claws are individually articulated.
▼ Bringing the legs slightly together creates a completely different impression.
▼ The third mode. The large sword becomes a scorpion-like tail, and the moon-shaped wheel on her back becomes two weapons mounted on the beast claws.
▼ I am Auw Susanowo.
▼ The moon wheel can be split in two. The spikes can be stored inside and extended after being detached.
▼ In this mode, the large sword becomes a scorpion-like tail.
▼ This is my favorite angle.
▼ The fourth mode. This form is not detailed in the instruction manual regarding its assembly and transformation. However, the first page of the manual has a color illustration of this mode. If you've built the previous three modes, you can figure this one out by looking at the picture and experimenting a bit.
▼ The claws are mounted on the back, becoming an extra pair of beast claws.
▼ In this mode, almost all the equipment is mounted on the backpack.
▼ Finally, here are two cool shots to conclude this review.
Conclusion:
Kotobukiya's Megami Device series truly lives up to its reputation as the pinnacle of mecha girls. Everything from the molded colors of the plastic to the pre-painted details on the faces is of a superior standard. The playability and stability of the parts are also at a high level. The only unfortunate part, as mentioned at the beginning, is that the ball joint sockets for the arms are too shallow, causing the arms to pop off easily during dynamic posing. Additionally, when assembling Kotobukiya's Megami Device kits, I recommend using some extra thin cement on some of the smaller parts to prevent them from falling off or flying away during handling. After all, searching for tiny parts that have gone flying is a huge pain—I speak from experience, haha.