Kotobukiya Collaborates with Ray Studio on Hobby Tools

It's likely that many of you have already heard the news, but for those who haven’t: Ray Studio, a prominent Chinese tool manufacturer, has gained recognition for showcasing their products in short videos, particularly focusing on Gunpla model building. Now, the company is teaming up with Kotobukiya to release four exclusive hobby tools in Japan.

Of course, the tools are not limited to Japan. Any customers can purchase directly from the RS official store or you can drop by Amazon store to look for other hobby tools!

Review: Extend Hardpoint 03 (Giftset)

 

The Extend Hardpoint 03 was a special gift set exclusively available at the Kotobukiya official store in 2016. It was not released through retail outlets (such as HLJ) in Japan. If you're looking to purchase it, your best options are to buy directly from Kotobukiya's official store during their promotion or to search for it in second-hand marketplaces like Mandarake.

Similar to the Extend Hardpoint 02, you can install the body as a head unit in Frame Arms. The detail on the helicopter is quite impressive.

Review: Extend Hardpoint 01 (Giftset)

 

The Extend Hardpoint 01 was a special gift set exclusively available at the Kotobukiya official store in 2014. It was not released through retail outlets (such as HLJ) in Japan. If you're looking to purchase it, your best options are to buy directly from Kotobukiya's official store during their promotion or to search for it in second-hand marketplaces like Mandarake.

Forme Arms Pre-Order Available at Amazon Store

Quite a bit busy during the Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year last month. I had planned to post about the Forme Arms released in Japan but we experienced severe weather and flooding before the festival started. Brunei and East Malaysia hit the hardest which is for the first time happening this bad. I heard Australia faced a similar flood situation. To all those who are affected, I hope that you are safe and recovering well.

Forme Arms. What I know so far. We can only get into Kotobukiya online or at the physical shop in Japan. Good news is, Kotobukiya official store at Amazon going to sell. You can check the link below to pre-order.

Amazon Pre-Order:

I plan to order one directly from the US store at first. After careful consideration, I decided not to since there are some issues with delivery to Brunei. I am considering purchasing through a flea market at Mandarake, as this option tends to be more affordable and the exchange rate is strong at the moment.

Anyway, I will be updating and uploading two reviews of Extend Hardpoint kits to my M.S.G database this week! I am trying to hunt down the third remaining kit on Mandarake. Unfortunately, these kits don’t often appear in the same store and frustrates me sometimes, there isn’t anything I can find to ship together.

Happy New Year!

Wow, it’s incredible how quickly time flies! It’s been a while since I last posted anything, especially since I shared so little last year. A lot of things happened and I quit my job last December, I’ve redirected my energy toward home improvement projects—repairing and painting our house, while I wait for job opportunities to come my way.

I want to apologize for the lack of new content and news. I’ve reached the limit of what my blog can currently do, and I’m looking for ways to improve my reporting. 

What did I miss last year? Kotobukiya has released a lot of interesting products, but I feel they’ve been lagging behind a lot. You can see this trend in their decision to reissue older model kits. Their marketing seems to be more focused on Bijosho lines (like FA Girl and Megami Device) and Hexa Gear products. Additionally, the Frame Arms series has officially been retired, as they move forward with the Forma Arms series. 

For those who may not know, the Forma Arms series is an experimental project (according to their blog post) and will not be available for retail release, not even through the US branch—it's limited to the Japanese market. The only place we are going to find is either purchase directly from Kotobukiya shop or official store at Amazon or Mandarake.

Bandai 30MM Announced Armored Core VI Plastic Kit Coming Next Year?

Did Kotobukiya lose the license or is this collaboration between 30MM bringing the design into the game? Interesting 🔥🔥🔥

Rosenthal CR-HOGIRE Noblesse Oblige Full Package Version

As an Armored Core fan, I'm delighted to see that Kotobukiya is reissuing their plastic kits. Recently, they announced BFF 063AN Ambient, which is still available for pre-order and set to be released in June next year. Make sure to grab it before it's gone!

The latest entry in their reissue lineup is the Rosenthal CR-HOGIRE Noblesse Oblige Full Package Version, which will be released much earlier in March next year. It's worth noting that there were two different releases back then - the Rosenthal CR-HOGIRE Gun-Metal ver. (Limited) and the Rosenthal CR-HOGIRE Noblesse Oblige. The full package will bundle all the weapon equipment set and retail for 9,800 YEN.

In my opinion, this is a smart move by Kotobukiya, and the price for an MG-size kit is reasonable. However, I'm hesitant to get one since I've already ordered too much for next year!

All Japan Model & Hobby Show 2023 Sept 2023

The All Japan Model & Hobby Show 2023 has kicked off today! So many plastic models and action toys are announced at the event. The only thing I am happy about is the announcement of the Super Robot Wars Huckebien MKIII from Bandai and the stupid PB AM Gunner.

Kotobukiya showcases a lot of new products, especially Hexa Gear and their newly announced series, Megalomaria Unlimited Universe. Nacchin series is doing rather well and announced a collaboration with Armored Trooper Votoms themes.

Busou Shinki:

  • TYPE DEVIL STRARF REPAINT COLOR VERSION

Frame Arms Girl:

  • FRAME ARMS GIRL GOURAI with FGM148 TYPE ANTI-TANK MISSILE
  • FRAME ARMS GIRL KONGO Destroyer Ver.

Hexa Gear:

  • Zenith Reveal
  • Nadir Rebirth
  • BULKARM "LUX APE"
  • RAYBLADE IMPULSE [Reloadead]COLLECTORS EDITION
  • RAYBLADE IMPULSE [Reloadead]
  • GOVERNOR VIRGINIA EARTHCLINE
  • GOVERNOR ARMOR TYPE: PAWN A1 CUSTOM
  • GOVERNOR ARMOR TYPE: PAWN A1 Ver.2.0
  • GOVERNOR PARA-PAWN SENTINEL Ver.2.0

Megalomaria Unlimited Universe:

  • METAMORPHOSE UNIT EX ARMOR WHITE NURSE
  • Ruby Eye
  • Mephisto
  • Novice
  • Seeker
  • Ghillie Dhu
  • Nights Superior

MEGAMI DEVICE:

  • BUSTER DOLL KNIGHT

M.S.G Weapons:

  • Heavy Weapon Unit 38 Holonic Arms
  • Heavy Weapon Unit Gunblade Lance 2
  • Heavy Weapon Unit Mega Slash Edge 2

MUV-LUV ALTERNATIVE:
  • GEKISHIN

Nacchin Series:

  • JGSDF Type 07-III Tank Nacchin [SCOPEDOG Ver.]
  • JGSDF Type 07-III Tank Nacchin [EX Ver.]
  • Nacchin Append Parts Set

ZOIDS (HMM Model):

  • RZ-002 GUYSACK
  • RZ-045 SALAMANDER
  • RBOZ-003 GOJULAS MARKING PLUS Ver.