Kotobukiya Official Online Shop Launching Tomorrow!

Source: Kotobukiya FB - Good news for the US fans! Kotobukiya official online shop will be launching few more hours in the US! According to the news, when you guys order directly from Kotobukiya, there will be bonuses and exclusives! Look out for more information!

Personal Opinion:

While this might be good news for US fans, I’m curious about the potential impact on other retail businesses. If I were a reseller, I wouldn’t be too thrilled about this development coming from Kotobukiya. After all, customers will likely flock to the official shop to take advantage of exclusive offers (discounts) and limited-edition items, much like the offer in Japan.

This situation reminds me of what happened with Hasbro in Asia. Many retail shops were frustrated with Hasbro's pricing strategy and stock cut, as the competition from their official online store undercut local prices, availability and offered attractive discounts. Retailers were left struggling to compete with these direct sales channels.

Let's see how their US customers relation handling these new development.

DHV Magellan (Death Stranding 2: On The Beach)

Did you watched the latest DS2: On The Beach trailer? A 10-minute trailer feeling like just 10 seconds! I am amazed with the content and surprises in the trailer.

Also, Kotobukiya dropping the DHV Magellan 1/350 model kit on the same day for 7,000 yen. Are you planning on picking it up, or are you more focused on DS2: On The Beach for now?

More photos can be found at official product page. As usual, the special marking display stand only available in Japan.

M.S.G Weapons - June/July Announcement & Released 2025

It’s been a while since Kotobukiya has announced such impressive Sci-Fi weapons! Among the latest releases, the Weapon Unit 53 Stride Launcher and especially the Unit 58 Link Missile stand out as the most exciting. Kotobukiya hasn’t produced many missile pod designs in recent years, so these new releases are a welcome treat. In fact, the Unit 58 Link Missile design closely resembles the Gundam F90 Mission Pack B type.

Visit the official page for more photos below!

Weapon Unit 52 Stride Rifle Zero: Official Product Page

Weapon Unit 53 Stride Launcher: Official Product Page

Weapon Unit 58 Link Missile: Official Product Page

 

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:

• Forme Arms: Rail Virth V.F.A. - $34.99 *This item will be released on June 11, 2025. 
• Forme Arms: Sho-Ro-Ko Grand Riser - $34.99 *This item will be released on September 10, 2025. 

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.