Review: Kotobukiya - Muv Luv Alternative Non-scale - Takemikazuchi Type-00F (Takamura Yui Ver.)

The yellow variant of the Thundering Sword God is a high mobility specification used by Surface Pilot who are descendants of Fudai warrior families of the Japanese’s Shogunate. Its specifications are identical to the red Type-F. Although both the F and A Type variants are high-mobility specifications, The F Type boasts a 15% greater output for its main engine and jump unit engine. Lieutenant Takamura Yui of the Imperial Royal Guard in Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse pilots this craft.
This is version 1.5 upgraded from the previous non-scale Takemikazuchi Type-F model of Kotobukiya with many changes.

– Info:
Kotobukiya – Non-scale Muv Luv Alternative – Takemikazuchi Type-00F (Takamura Yui Ver.)
Series: Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse
Price: 5,800 yen
Release date: May 2022 (re-released with the new anime logo on the box art)

– Design: Takemikazuchi is one of the TSFs with the best design. Its design resembles that of a Japanese shogun. The armor details are similar to those of the samurai armor. Its main color is yellow (special color for Fudai warrior families) along with clear part sensor details appearing in most parts. Unlike other countries’ TSFs, Takemikazuchi is not inspired by real-life aircraft design.

– Build quality: The parts are separated much better than in the 1/144 version. Koto’s yellow plastic color is quite easy to handle nubs. It does not use decal stickers at all. The details on the top of the head are pre-painted. On the reverse, there are still some details like in the joints that are not pre-painted. If you want the finished product to have a standard color like in VN, you should paint it according to the instructions at the end of the manual. Also, you will get some leftover parts of the old version and the sensor eye part of the Type-00R.

– Articulation: Compared to other toy lines of the Muv Luv series, the joints of the koto kit are the closest to the original in the visual novel. Version 1.5 has modified many joints compared to the old version, especially the waist, abdomen, elbow, and leg joints. The modified waist and abdomen joints can be rotated back and forth, which is very convenient for posing. The flexible shoulder joint structure allows it to move freely without being entangled in the large shoulder armor. The elbow joint can be bent backward. The front skirt can be pushed up to improve the range of motion of the legs. The knee joint can be pushed back more than 90 degrees compared to the previous version to reveal the gimmick inside. The ankle joint and the two sides of the foot can be moved to balance the two sides, so it can help it stand up with any pose.

– Accessories: Accessories for the koto kit that carries all of Takemikazuchi from the visual novel:
+ X2 Type-87 Assault Cannon
+ X2 Type-87 Support Assault Cannon (2 gun heads can be changed to Type-87 Assault Cannon)
+ X2 Type-74 PB Blade
+ X2 Type-65 PB Knife
+ X2 Type-00 Close Combat Dagger
+ X2 Blade Mount (There are 2 open and closed ends for each side)
+ X2 Gun Mount (There are 2 open and closed ends for each side)
+ X2 Jump Unit
Version 1.5’s gun can remove cartridge belts and change parts from Type-87 Assault Cannon to Type-87 Support Assault Cannon. The blade mount and gun mount can change the user’s arbitrary sides such as 2 sword sides, 2 gun sides, or one type on each side. The head of each type can also be changed to open and close to be the same as when used. In addition, because there is a spare part of the previous version, it is possible to use the latch for a gun mount.

– Gimmick: The gimmick of version 1.5 has more added than the old version. Jump units use circular joints that can move flexibly and are more similar to those in the visual novel than some other toy lines. The blade mount can be pulled forward to create Takemikazuchi’s legendary sword pose. The gun mount of version 1.5 can be pushed backward to create a shooting stance from behind. In addition, it can be replaced with a bracket part to push the two sides of the gun forward to create an attack posture with all 4 guns of the Gun sweeper.

-> Overall: Takemikazuchi Type-00F version 1.5 of koto is a model kit worth owning if you are a fan of TSFs from the Muv Luv series or Takamura Yui from Total Eclipse. This will be a very suitable experience if you want to try out Kotobukiya’s TSF models. In addition, the visual novel Muv Luv Alternative has also just been released on Steam, a great opportunity to witness the unit on screen.

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