RRP: 8580 yen
While there hasn’t been an obvious pattern as such to which Super Sentai mecha join the Shokugan Modeling Project line, Bandai certainly aren’t ones to pass up an anniversary tie-in. 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Mahou Sentai Magiranger, so despite only being partway done with Seijuu Sentai Gingaman the model kit range has now jumped forwards a good few years with the release of Shokugan Modeling Project Magiking. A particularly interesting mecha due to its unique components and combination sequence, this general retail set offers fans a model kit that enjoys all the advancements in moulding, engineering and articulation that have come in the two decades since the series first debuted.
Following on from the new precedent for retail releases set with GingaiOh, SMP Magiking comes in a single box housing all of its five components rather than smaller boxes for each one. This particularly makes sense in Magiking’s case though given the differences in size between them all. The box however is still styled like the original DX release though as per all of the SMP Super Sentai releases since the beginning, but again in Magiking’s case it’s a bit of a curio as it’s long rather than tall. The predominantly green box stands out nicely with its large images of both the Magiking and Magidragon combinations, as well a unique logo design for the name in the style of the Magiranger series logo. As well as featuring further images of the two combinations, the sides of the box also show off the individual Majin alongside their respective Magiranger. Inside, all the parts needed to build the Majin are included across a number of coloured plastic runners. Also included in the box are some pre-painted parts, a sticker sheet, building instructions, combinations instructions and a piece of soda flavoured chewing gum (now replacing the usual piece of candy due to being longer lasting).
Following the building order in the instructions also sees you building the siblings’ Majin forms in order of eldest to youngest, starting with MagiGreen’s Magitaurus. Magitaurus is the largest component of the set by some margin, to the point where he practically feels like a “whole” figure on his own! It’s an interesting build with an impressive amount of components, all leading to a wide range of articulation consisting of;
- Ball jointed head
- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles
- Double hinge knees
- Single hinge elbows
- Waist, bicep and thigh swivels
The waist swivel is somewhat limited by the big backpack and the arms do need to be rotated a bit to get the most out of them due to the lack of wrist swivels, but overall it’s a pretty impressive range of articulation for a single component in a five-piece combination. There is one issue with Magitaurus however, and it’s one that’s going to come up repeatedly with this set – the stickers. SMP Magiking uses a ridiculous number of stickers in the overall build, and none of them are particularly pleasant ones. The most significant ones here are “M” chest piece and crotch guard, both of which are foil stickers that go over the top of moulded surfaces and thus very easy to crease when applying. Magitaurus also includes the Taurus Axe as his individual weapon, which can be held in either hand. The axe is moulded in the same grey plastic as the Majin’s silver parts, and the set doesn’t include stickers for the additional black and green detailing for its head – a detail I admittedly completely forgot about when assembling and photographing the set and will have to go back and add in later.
Moving immediately from the largest of the Majin to the smallest, Magifairy is the Majin form of MagiPink. True to her comparative size in the show she really is tiny, roughly reaching the top of Magitaurus’ shins in terms of height. Given this size, she’s the one model in the set where it’s understandable that the majority of her detailing comes from stickers. It also means she’s also very limited in articulation – altogether she has a hinged waist, rotating arms and wings as well as a hinged foot piece. Not only is there no movement in the legs at all save for the feet, but they’re also fused together. Luckily there’s also a plug socket on the back of the model (inside the Magidragon jaw piece) perfect for flight posing instead. Interestingly, whilst the left shoulder on my copy is quite tight (though this could just be due to painting it), the right shoulder is extremely loose to the point the arm falls off very easily.
Magitaurus also has a flip-out socket built into its right shoulder, allowing you to pose Magifairy perched on top of him just as she often is in the show. Doing so really highlights the size difference between them, as well as giving Magifairy a more secure and prominent place if you are displaying the Majin separately.
Magiblue is the middle child of the Ozu family, with her Magimermaid Majin form the third component of the set. Magimermaid is also unfortunately the most limited one – her toy design barely matching up to her show appearance due to how it needs to function in the two combinations. Said functionality also leads to very limited articulation, consisting of;
- Head, thigh and shin swivels
- Hinged elbows, hips and feet
Arm articulation may as well be taken out of the equation entirely, because even the limited elbow movement (which only works outwards rather than forward/backward) is effectively useless without any form of shoulder articulation. The legs are slightly better, but again the outward-only movement of the hips extremely limits the poses on offer. But as an added bonus, Magimermaid also comes with an additional piece used to fuse the legs into a mermaid tail, which naturally gives her a look far more befitting of her name. The tail piece simply clips onto the (rotated) legs, and features its own hinge so that that the model can stand whilst it's attached. The tail also has plug holes located on the back for floating/swimming poses. Stickers on this part of the set continue to disappoint, with all of the darker blue detailing (with the exception of the pre-painted head) needing to be applied. Magimermaid also features her Mermaid Spear weapon, which can be held (and barely posed) in either of her hands.
MagiYellow’s Magigaruda form is perhaps the most unique looking of the Ozu family Majin, and in some ways also the one that feels most SMP-like in terms of quality. Whilst there are still a fair few stickers involved putting it together (again the M on the chest, as well as the yellow detailing on the wings), most of it is very easy to apply and involves putting the stickers on flat surfaces rather than raised detailing. As one of the larger components of the set he also has great articulation, including;
- Head swivel
- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips
- Hinged knees
- Ball jointed feet
Magigaruda may lack hands or a weapon but he certainly makes up for it with that impressive wingspan, which can be wonderfully manipulated into all manner of flight poses. While the lower body articulation is very good (even without a waist swivel), Magigaruda benefits most from having a plug socket located on his back in order to be displayed mid-flight.
Rounding off the set is of course Magiphoenix, the Majin form of MagiRed who is in turn the youngest of the Ozu siblings. Despite its name Magiphoenix is the most conventionally humanoid of the five Majin, as well as perhaps the most straightforward in terms of build. The design does however lead to some pretty interesting articulation, which consists of;
-Head, bicep, and waist swivel
- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips
- Butterfly joint shoulders
- Hinged elbows and knees
- Ball jointed toe sections
Butterfly joints on a model kit component this small is a very pleasant surprise, adding a great deal of movement to Magiphoenix’s shoulders alongside the expected swivel hinge movement. Moving down the design of the hips might seem a little odd at first, but again provide plenty of movement for posing – Magiphoenix easily being the most dynamic of the five Majin. Again it’s not without its problems though, and once again they revolve around stickers. While Magiphoenix has the same general complaints as the other Majin, Bandai also expect you to attach the smallest eye stickers imaginable to an otherwise PRE-PAINTED head. Getting the stickers off the sheet is hard enough with out losing them, let alone positioning them properly on the face. Magiphoenix also includes the Phoenix Sword as its personal weapon, which can be held in either of the hands.
Overall the individual Majin are a bit of a mixed bag. Some have really interesting and intricate builds, whilst others are painfully simple. Some have extremely impressive articulation, while others are effectively bricks. They are all however (mostly) united in having far too many stickers. Having to paint any silver or gold parts is one thing, but there are huge areas on these models that could and arguably should have been painted. There hasn’t been an SMP kit in years that required this level of stickering. One can only presume it’s down to budget constraints and the effort instead going into the complexity of the kit, but it’s disappointing when painted details has previously been quite a big selling point for the line. Nevertheless it’s fun to see all five Majin lined up together given their varying differences in look and size, and make a nice little display even before taking the combined modes into account.
Magiking is among the select few Super Sentai mecha that has an "in-between" form between the individual components and the robot itself, and it is undoubtedly one of the coolest. Magitaurus, Magifairy, Magimermaid and Magigaruda can all combine separately to form Magirdragon, which is then ridden into battle on by Magiphoenix. While unsurprisingly Magitaurus makes up the bulk of the body due to its size, there are some interesting parts to the combination. Magimermaid splits in half to form the tail (with the Taurus Axe and additional blade parts forming its tip), while the body of Magigaruda folds out to form the neck. The final component is attaching Magifairy to form the head, and Magiking is formed! What might first seem like a smash of different parts actually forms a surprisingly cohesive dragon, and its size and wingspan immediately make it stand out. Magiphoenix attaches via two sockets located on Magitarus crotch piece, and that strangely designed hip articulation ensures that his legs comfortably sit over each side in a natural position. The Phoenix Sword and Mermaid Spear also combine to form a larger weapon for Magiphoenix to wield in this formation.
Magidragon also has plenty of surprises in terms of articulation, retaining nearly all the movement Magitaurus with some extra parts added on. Altogether this combination features;
- Hinged jaw, neck, elbows, wings (at the middle part) and tail (in two places)
- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips, wings (where they connect to the main body) and ankles
- Double hinge knees
- Single hinge elbows
- Waist, bicep thigh, and wing(tip) swivels
Just how much you can get out of all that articulation is a different question though. It's a chunky combination, and that massive wingspan can be a little cumbersome when it comes to balancing in poses where Magidragon isn't standing straight up. With a little help from a display stand or two though, it opens Magidragon up to a lot more when it comes to flight poses. Again the kit is heavy so make sure your stand has strong arms to support it in the air. While it may not be anywhere near as dynamic as the final Magiking combination, it feels incredibly well thought out as a midway transformation and arguably just as fun.
Transforming the set from Magidragon to Magiking isn't so simple as just folding out parts and then adding Magiphoenix into the mix - components do need to be removed and the whole thing combined in a different (yet equally interesting) way. And with a quick "Maagi Giruma Magi Jinga", Magiking is formed! The wizard-like mecha has a very unique combination and design, perhaps best known for its massive wingspan which is well over 12" (fully outstretched) on this release. While the SMP does add a considerable amount of articulation to the design, the kit still has to take its cues from the DX in terms of looks and how it combines which leads to some bulkiness, particularly in the torso area. But overall, it's still a really great design that looks just as striking as ever. One element I immediately noticed once it was all put together is that Bandai clearly prioritised most of the painted parts being primarily shown off in the combined mode, which does help (slightly) justify some of the decisions made with the individual Majin. While the instructions show off arm formation that mirrors that of the original toy, as tends to be the case with the SMP line modifications can be made in order to provide more articulation. The shoulders can be pulled out, and the Magitarus parts on the back of the arms can be disconnected (the parts then neatly folding away) to provide significantly improved elbow movement.
Articulation is where the SMP line really shows off what it's made of and despite some gripes with the individual components, the final Magiking combination has plenty to offer. Altogether the model kit features;
- Ball jointed head
- Butterfly joint shoulders
- Swivel hinge shoulders, wings (where they attach to the body) and hips
- Hinged elbows and wings (middle)
- Double hinged knees
- Bicep, wrist, thigh, foot and wingtip swivels
On top of all that, each "skirt" piece on the crotch piece (the two at the front, the two at the side and the one at the back) are all individually hinged so can move alongside the hips. It seems each SMP release has a particular area that especially wows, and in Magiking's case it's definitely those shoulders. All those tiny rotating pieces fold out to give Magiking full butterfly movement in the arms, and once said arms have been adjusted to disconnect the back pieces there's enough movement there to bring the arms right to the front and have the robot hold its sword two-handed. My only concern is that the parts creating the butterfly movement are tiny, so could potentially be prone to breaking over time or if treated with too much force. The kit also manages to balance extremely well despite not only its massive wingspan, but also its lack of proper ankle tilts. Due to the way Magimermaid connects onto Magitarus it seems Bandai were unable to implement proper ankles into the design, but having the front part of the feet rotate seems to work just as well for balancing and flat-footed poses. Finally on top of having lots to offer in terms of poses on the ground, there's also a stand port located directly between Magiking's legs perfect for flight poses as well. Again you'll need a strong arm to support the weight, but the direct port makes balancing and posing far easier than it is with Magidragon.
For accessories Magiking comes with two additional pairs of hands as well as the Magic Sword King Calibur, which is a combination of the Taurus Axe, Mermaid Spear, Phoenix Sword and additional blade parts previously (optionally) stored on Magimermaid. The two extra sets of hands are an open pair and then one with two fingers outstretched - ideally used to mimic the mecha's signature hat-tipping pose. They're a nice compliment to the default sword-holding pair, and also have the bonus of an additional hinge joint built into the wrist - giving Magiking an even better range of hand movement when using these pairs. As you'd expect from a weapon combined from multiple parts the King Calibur is quite an impressive size, with lots of moulded detail running up the hilt and blade. The sword fits comfortably into either of Magiking's designated hands, and all that previously mentioned articulation ensures that the model can pull off plenty of great sword-wielding poses.
There's no doubt that Shokugan Modeling Project Magiking is the most ambitious entry in the SMP Super Sentai range thus far, but that ambition does prove to be a bit of a double-edged sword. The varying size and complexity of its component parts makes it a bit of an outlier among Super Sentai mecha, and it's amazing how well Bandai have been able to pull off its unique combinations whilst also packing both the combined mode and (most of) its component parts with articulation. In that respect it definitely lives up to the high bar the SMP line has set for itself, but god are those stickers a nightmare. While some can be forgiven due to that complexity, others are the kind you'd have expected to see on mainline Super Sentai kits about a decade ago. Paint shouldn't ever feel essential to these kits, but if you are that kind of modeller Magiking has a much bigger difficulty curve that expected. Some of those stickers are unlikely to survive repeated transformations either. It's an interesting, albeit slightly flawed, opener to the Magiranger SMP range - but certainly not one to miss out on.
No comments:
Post a Comment