Toybox REVIEW: Kotobukiya Gurren Lagann TengenKadou Grapearl Darry Custom model kit

Ah Kotobukiya, once again you have come to my rescue and provided me with an alternative to the Gurren Lagann mecha that no toy company has made figures of.

The TengenKadou Grapearl Darry Custom is one of three grapearl model kits available from Kotobukiya (the other two being the Gimmy Custom and the mass production general version) is far more complicated (and more expensive!) than the other two GL kits I've bought from the company in the past - the King Kittan and the Dayakkaiser. Upon opening the box I was suprised to see a total of 15 different runners (some are duplicates for arms/legs etc.) for a 28 step kit.

Upon completion I was treated to a highly detailed Grapearl figure that required very little painting (only a little bit of detailing around the chest 'teeth') that is perfectly scaled with the rest of my Gurren Lagann figure collection, which is made up mostly of Revoltechs. However there are the few flaws which really hinder both its posability and playability.

The first of which is the arms. The elbow joint piece that holds the arm together outright refused to lock into place, resulting in the arms falling off a lot during posing. And while super glue can fix this, in doing so you'll instantly lose the ability to rotate the joint for a wider variety of poses. My second issue is with the figure's signature weapon - the spin barrier rifle. The gun itself is marvellous (highly detailed, but requiring paint) but the sheer size of the gun means that the back of it presses against the forearm, meaning in order for the figure to be able to hold the gun without the arm without the fist popping apart and/or the whole arm falling off (remember: weak arms) it has to hold it at an angle other than directly forward. If you aren't too picky about what pose you have the figure in you'll get over it quickly though, because wielding dual pistols is pretty damn awesome too.

The addition of a base is a very nice bonus, but for the amount the model kit costs I can't help to feel a little underwhelmed. Luckily HLJ had this on offer so I don't feel SO bad about the purchase (the Gimmy custom is on offer too, but the general is still at full price...yikes). Still, model kits aren't about playability and this is the only way to get a proper Grapearl figure so if you're as serious about Gurren Lagann collecting as I am, I suppose the purchase is worth every penny in the long run.

Toybox REVIEW: Kotobukiya Gurren Lagann Plain Model series King Kittan

Following on from last week's Dayakkaiser review, here we have a look at another one of Kotobukiya's Gurren Lagann model kits. This time its the almighty gunmen of the eldest of the Black siblings and one time leader of the Dai-Gurren dan Kittan, the fearsome King Kittan!

Again like the Dayakkaiser its a very simple snap together model kit that can be achieved in 6 easy steps, so not particuarly challenging. However unlike with the Dayakkaiser where you could probably get away with not painting the kit due to the sheer amount of black detailing on the King Kittan painting is a necessity. I painted the parts before I put the kit together, so I'll have to borrow someone else's picture of an unpainted kit just to illustrate my point (and that can be found here). The weapons you could get away with not painting but if you have to do so much of the body you may as well go the extra mile and make them look good too. Thankfully the painting proved to be far easier to do than it did on the Dayakkaiser so what seems like a daunting task isn't too hard after all. Additionally, if your kit is anything like mine you will need to glue the eyes in because mine just wouldn't stay still.

Once again articulation isn't much - ball joints in the legs, arms and feet. However it is possible to add Revoltech joints to the arms of the figure so I'm going to give that a try to see if I can't give the figure a little more personality (its also pretty in scale with Revoltech Gurren!).

As one of the few (but not only, but the figurine version is MUCH smaller I believe) methods to get a King Kittan this model really is a must have to fans, as its one of the best mecha of one of the best characters in the series (both who are rather underrated). It's also basically a robot version of the 'Peanut Butter Jelly Time' banana, making it doubly awesome for the lulz too!

Toybox REVIEW: Kotobukiya Gurren Lagann Plain Model series Dayakkaiser

This won't be a lengthy review since there's not really a lot to say about this model kit, but it was definitely worth mentioning since its nice to see a company giving some of the lower tier gunmen some love (a King Kittan is also available in this series, and this is probably the only way to actually own a Dayakkaiser in any shape or form).

Anyway moving on, the trust personal gunman of Dayakka and then later Kiyoh and Yoko is immortalized in the form of a snap together model kit! The kit of made of very few parts and is put together in only 7 easy to follow steps, so the building is a walk in the park to beginners and experienced model builders alike. While the kit doesn't NEED painting, if you wish to give the gunman full detail you will require blue paint (which can be bought in a set of gunmen paints, but buying Citadel's "Enchanted Blue" from your nearest Games Workshop is exactly the same and is MUCH cheaper) for the arms and cannon, and also black and red for the extra detail. My paint skills are hardly the best, and I made a few mistakes but after a few hours and a lot of paint remover I had my Dayakkaiser in a presentable fashion and ready for action!

Articulation-wise there's not much to say since its a model kit and not an action figure, but the arms, legs and feet are all attached by ball joints so its not completely static. If you're a fan of Gurren Lagann and have been looking for some of the less popular mechs, then this is definitely for you since, as I stated earlier, its probably your only way to own a Dayakkaiser. And for such a reasonable price (I paid £9 inc. shipping from Japan for mine) you really can't go wrong!