Kotobukiya returns with a brand-new exclusive model kit—this time spotlighting MegaMan.EXE in a slick Premium Charge Shot Version. Will this kit bust some viruses or crash and burn in the process? Stick around after the break as we dive into the highs and lows of this release.
Review sample purchased from BigBadToyStore. Go check 'em out!
"Charge Shot!"
The MegaMan.EXE Premium Charge Shot Ver. is easily one of the most challenging kits I’ve ever had to write about. While the end result looks absolutely phenomenal, the path to completion is far from smooth. But before diving into the rough spots, let’s talk about the kit’s strongest asset: it looks stunning. The vibrant colors and glossy finish give it an edge over previous Premium Charge Shot releases, making it arguably the best-looking one yet. It’s a bit puzzling that Kotobukiya opted for this particular color scheme rather than going all-in on a Hub Style variant—but even so, the final product is a real eye-catcher on the shelf.
Almost Hub Style.
I suppose I can't put it off any longer, so let's talk about the huge problem with this one. The shininess of this kit may look great, but it comes at a cost: the coating used to make the kit look so beautiful seems to have made the pegs and holes on the pieces slightly thicker. It isn't enough to visually tell, but you'll definitely know when you start to build it. Some pieces are practically impossible to fit together unmodified, you may notice a bit of gapping in the photos.
Thankfully, this can be mitigated by VERY CAREFULLY shaving down the pegs and holes with a hobby knife, sandpaper, or other similar tools. I did not test heating up the pieces, so I'm not sure how that would affect the coating in any way, so do that at your own risk. The problem seems to be the worst on the gloves and hands. Once you've got the kit assembled, take some time to gently work the joints back and forth to loosen them up—right out of the box, they're extremely stiff. It’s surprising that an issue like this made it past Kotobukiya’s quality control, but thankfully, there are ways to work around it. Still, it's frustrating that the burden falls on the builder to smooth out these kinds of problems.
"Enemy Deleted!"
Enough negativity, though. Let's get back to talking about the fun stuff. This kit comes with all the same accessories as the original MegaMan.EXE kit, but this time, they're shiny! We get an assortment of hands, four faces (neutral, smiling, shouting, and masked), a Buster, a cannon, a long and short sword, and a gigantic Life Sword slash! The sword parts were even cast in an iridescent green to mimic the shining effect from the games. There are several options and combinations, so use that sense & skill to make your ultimate display!
Accessorize!
So, where does that leave this kit in the end? Well, if you are willing to put in some extra work and take your time, you will end up with a very nice looking kit. This unintentionally makes it into a more advanced build than every other kit in Kotobukiya's line-up, but hopefully this will not be a repeated mistake on future releases. Personally, I am glad to have this kit, even if the build was very frustrating here and there. And if this kit isn't doing it for you, the much anticipated Black Zero kit just released and has a normal build with no extra hoops to jump through.
This giant piece breaks the bounds of reality!
Be sure to check out BigBadToyStore for this kit, Black Zero, the upcoming White Axl, Jada Toys Wave 2, older Kotobukiya kits, and so much more! Please use our link so they know we sent ya!
Wasn’t joint thickness a problem on PCS X too? I think this is just par the course for kits with a finish, from Koto or otherwise. Though yes, they have a higher skill floor as a result.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't remember any real issues with the Premium X kit, but this one just seemed excessive with the coating. Looks great in person, though.
DeleteI could’ve sworn TJOmega mentioned it in his PCS X review, though he might’ve just been talking about being able to actually hold the parts.
DeleteIf there actually is a difference, it’s probably from mold layouts. Like if one kit has all the “outside” parts on one side and the “inside” parts on the other, but another kit has some joints on both sides.
I recall hearing about these issues with special coating. Don't recall where.
DeleteI remember seeing people have the issue of the coating on PCSV X peeling off, so maybe that was a much thinner coating or something. I wish I knew more, but I can only say for certain about the things I've had.
DeleteBlack Zero just popped up in stock yesturday, too.
ReplyDelete@shrap, RS Protoman, Jack Spore, Rockman Neo, Mark Havoc (because for whatever reason, I'm not allowed to make new comments on the previous post) Thanks for letting me know you're a bunch of bigots who don't know anything and resort to calling everything you don't like communism.
ReplyDeleteAs a non-white woman who's a hardcore megaman fan, your presence in the fandom does not make me feel welcome at all. Then again, I really shouldn't care shince you're all a bunch of miserable people living in your mom's basement. Go cry about DEI and wokeness on X.
Thanks again for another review! I still enjoy reading these.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the only one with issues on this kit. In fact, this kit broke in so many points to the point I had to hold the entire character with glue. It was my first experience with a .EXE character, and I was hugely disappointed. I opted to go for the original .EXE without this shining Coat, and it worked out way, way better.
ReplyDelete