Kit Review: Moderoid - Pop Team Epic - Super Pipimi BARI Mode

Let’s get Bari’d as f***!

There are no shortages of Mecha parodies in non-mecha shows. And most of them are just one-off episode that pay tribute to one of the founding genres of anime. But it’s different when it comes to one of the most unique animated shows in history: Pop Team Epic. This ridiculous show made a mecha parody but with such an intense seriousness combined with absolute memelord energy that you don’t know if they’re actually serious or not. In this amazing Obari-animated parody, we see one of the main character – Pipimi – becoming a Brave mecha to fight against a knock-off capitalist Gaogaigar. And as always, GSC Moderoid is the only company brave enough to make a kit of this bad gal.

– Info:
Kit: Moderoid Super Pipimi BARI Mode
Series: Pop Team Epic
Price: 5,900 yen
Release date: Jan 2021

– Design: The kit’s name says it all. It’s a giant robot version of Pipimi – the long-headed blue-haired girl in Pop Team Epic that usually plays the tsukkomi role. The Pipimi Robo design is pretty much an Obari super robot like Dangaizer, G Compatible Kaiser etc. It’s very Yuusha with a touch of dynamic proportions and some funny design elements from Pipimi like the long hair piece that acts as thrusters. In the mecha parody sequence, it’s basically a Yuusha climax fight animated by Obari-sensei with all the bells and whistles that come with it. We got the Obari sword pose, the mecha mask breaking off to reveal the human mouth and the classic aura charge.

– Build quality: The Pipimi Robo is basically in the middle of the line when it comes to GSC’s mecha kits. The snap fit quality is much better than the earlier kits and the plastic isn’t a nightmare to work with. The nubs can be processed easily. The painted parts are decent, well just the eyes really. However, there are also bits that don’t really measure up to par. The joints – especially the knees – can be pretty loose if you clean the parts too clean. And even if you didn’t, there’s a chance that it will be loose anyway. It is fixable but for a mecha kit, the legs are always the most vulnerable parts as they have to support the whole body and whatever weapons the unit is holding. And a loose pair isn’t exactly Obarism.

– Articulation: The kit have very decent movement range, especially the chest and torso. Since the designers know this is an Obari-fueled mecha, they designed it with all that posability in mind. The crest on the chest can swing out and the torso can bend to create very dynamic poses. One minus is the kick back of the legs aren’t very good due to the backskirt, but it’s decent enough. The elbows aren’t double-jointed, but the forearm are on a swivel so you can still get a lot of good poses on camera. When posing the kit, the back cannons and missile pods can get in the way, but it is an easy to solve problem since they can be moved out of the way. Overall, the model kit does emphasizes the Obari spirit.

– Gimmicks: The kit has the most distinctive Rule-of-cool gimmick. The faceplate can be swapped out for the screaming mouth usually seen in the final charge in Super Robot shows. The other one is the shoulder cannons that can swing forward either under the arm or over the shoulder depending on your preferences.

– Accessories: The kit has some very cool accessories fitting for a Bariation mecha:

x1 sword

x1 sword with enlarged tip for MAXIMUM BARIATION

x2 back-mounted cannons

x2 shoulder-mounted missile pods

x3 pairs of hands (closed-fists, holding hands, spread out hands)

x1 Popuko fixed figure (monotone)

The big sword is very amazing, looks absolutely stunning and the handle is long enough to emulate the pose perfectly. The back cannons are a little small for my liking, but it is possible to replace them with bigger guns, since they look pretty generic anyway. But overall, the kit hit all the important notes.

Overall: The kit is pretty much the ultimate fanservice where a brief parody sequence in a gag anime animated by a legendary mecha animator got its own merch (and even made it into SRW!). The Moderoid Pipimi Robo is a very good kit, which is a perfect combination between a funky design and a tribute to Braves and other modern Super Robot. About the only reason that one may hesitate in getting this kit is the price as it is more than your average Master Grade and the quality isn’t even close. But if you’re a fan of some fresh design and Super Robot awesomeness then you should definitely grab this kit. Furthermore, an upgrade kit is coming from GSC to bring the Obari-xperience to the next level.

Overall, I’d rank this gal 8/10.

Gallery:

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