Figure Review: Ichiban Kuji – SCM-EX Eva-02
Ichiban Kuji is known for being the game/lottery figure prize line by Bandai, and you bet there are a lot of Evangelion-related figures in Ichiban Kuji. Everything ranges from the character’s figures like Asuka, Rei, Misato, Shinji, etc., to the Eva units and Angels, which are primarily static figures. SCM-EX, aka Special Creative Model EX, is also a Bandai’s line for mecha units with renowned articulation and affordable prices. Combining the two is a unique move and entirely exclusive to one of the most influential mecha series of all time. The Eva units receive many SCM-EXes included in the Ichiban Kuji series – both movie and TV series. This one is the red-hot Eva-02 from the Shin Evangelion Gekijouban’s 2nd movie.
– Info:
SCM-EX Eva-02
Series: Rebuilt of Evangelion: You Can(Not) Advance
Price: 556 yen
Release date: 20 Aug 2011
SCM-EX Eva-02
Series: Rebuilt of Evangelion: You Can(Not) Advance
Price: 556 yen
Release date: 20 Aug 2011
– Design: The SCM-EX is very accurate to the anime design. The signature slim look of the movie version is depicted quite nicely with the figure. The angular musculature on the thighs, abs and arms look very nice and remind me of the Revoltech figures. At this point, everyone’s familiar with the Eva-02 units, and the SCM-EX is basically as close as you can get to the movie on a very small scale.
– Quality: Well, it’s a super lottery action figure, so it’s not a top-of-the-line metal build. But the coloured plastic is very durable. There’s no fancy paint job, but the colour is quite accurate. There are some glossy pieces, and you can tell the paint app was applied by hand. It kind of gives it some charm, but it definitely conveys the figure’s price. Some connectors/joints are fragile if you handle them poorly, and god forbid you to drop them. A few armour parts can fall off, so I recommend super-gluing them, such as the arm rails and the small shoulder pads (be careful to apply only a little).
– Articulation: The SCM-EX is famous for its great articulation for Gundam figures, but not so much for the Evas. The range is quite reminiscent of the Revoltech Eva figures. We have pretty standard single joints on the elbows and double-jointed knees. We also have as many ball joints as they can put on the figure. And, of course, thanks to Eva’s simple design, ball joints help add a lot of articulation to the figure. One piece of advice when playing with the figure is to be careful and use single fingers to push the limbs so you don’t squeeze too hard and break off anything. But overall, Eva can still do everything Eva can – running, jumping, punching, kicking and a bit of suffering, if you know what I mean.
– Accessories & Gimmicks: Here’s where the figure shines. For a cheap lottery figure, this girl comes packing with some fantastic stuff, including, you know it, a diorama:
x 2 Pallet Rifle
x 4 pairs of interchangeable hands
x 1 Diorama set
x 1 Stand base
The figure has pretty great accessories. However, I’d prefer a Progressive Knife rather than two Pallet Rifles. But it’s not a deal-breaker in any way. The cityscape diorama is very well done and solid. The buildings are almost solid plastic and feel very weighty. You can even pull out the packaging inside to make a background of Tokyo-3.
The standbase is very solid, allowing for many great poses and showing the scale of Eva against the building. Considering the figure’s small size, this is a great way to show how huge Eva is.
x 2 Pallet Rifle
x 4 pairs of interchangeable hands
x 1 Diorama set
x 1 Stand base
The figure has pretty great accessories. However, I’d prefer a Progressive Knife rather than two Pallet Rifles. But it’s not a deal-breaker in any way. The cityscape diorama is very well done and solid. The buildings are almost solid plastic and feel very weighty. You can even pull out the packaging inside to make a background of Tokyo-3.
The standbase is very solid, allowing for many great poses and showing the scale of Eva against the building. Considering the figure’s small size, this is a great way to show how huge Eva is.
Overall: This is a great budget figure for Eva collectors. The figure has great playability but will need some care because some of the joints and connectors can be fragile. The figure is quite dated, so the diorama is a great addition to anyone’s collection since it can also be used with other figures. These figures are on sale online, so you can grab them without playing any lottery, but be aware of the price and only grab them if it’s affordable for you.
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