MODEROID KG-7 Areion from Aldnoah.Zero: Supervised by Designer I-IV with All-New Details!

Flashy dedicated machines are not the only charm of robots. Isn't it true that many people are attracted to the persuasiveness unique to mass-production machines, such as “being deployed to units and likely actually operated on the battlefield”? Earth Coalition Army's main Kataphrakt “KG-7 Areion” appearing in the anime “ALDNOAH.ZERO” is lined up in the MODEROID series. Areion possesses a standing position as the latest mass-production machine inheriting the lineage of Sleipnir, but in this kit, rather than simply replacing the figure in the show into 3D, through supervision by I-IV who handled the mechanic design, newly drawn details are added to various parts of the airframe while pursuing articulation and styling. Total height is approximately 150mm. Not too large, yet holding a sufficient presence to gaze at the mechanical sculpt, a finish answering the feeling “I want to thoroughly make and display a mass-production machine” can be expected.

Speaking of the charm of Areion, abundant armaments cannot be omitted. Submachine guns, long rifles, 203mm grenade rifles, handguns, and knives are included, allowing a way of play like selecting equipment according to combat situations. Being able to worry over selecting armaments before thinking of poses, such as “Today let's have it ready the long rifle” or “I want to have it hold a knife assuming close-quarters combat,” is the fun part. Furthermore, because various replacement wrists are also prepared, you can assemble posing including even expression at the hands, rather than just having it hold weapons. Because each joint is articulated, tasting the silhouette of the airframe itself in a standing posture of course, changing to postures reminiscent of shooting or close-range combat to display while imagining Kataphrakt-like battle scenes also seems fitting.

If it were just having many accessories, that alone would be sufficiently delightful, but in this kit, playable elements are prepared for the weapons themselves as well. A detachable grenade launcher is attached to the submachine gun, and furthermore, even the state with the magazine removed can be reproduced. Having such gimmicks makes you want to imagine even scenes changing equipment or handling magazines, rather than just having it grip a gun. On the other hand, a deployable bipod is mounted on the long rifle. If you make a stance reminiscent of long-range shooting, you can reflect even the character of the armament into posing. While not a noticeable major transformation, in having gimmicks conveying reality as a machine such as “If it's this equipment, it should be used like this” packed in, good compatibility with the airframe known as Areion is felt.

What cannot be overlooked as a feature of the airframe is the stabilizer wing on the legs. Creating a unique silhouette, this part can reproduce both deployed states and stored states by replacing some parts. Because you can change not only armaments but even states on the airframe side, being able to add variation to the way it is shown even with the same Areion is the point. When displaying, attention tends to go only to the overall pose, but switching such details allows thinking even about scene settings like “Right now, what kind of situation is this airframe in?” Precisely because it is a mass-production type mecha, rather than relying on excessive decoration, enjoying the structure itself that lets you feel functionality. Looking at it from such a viewpoint, each and every fine detail will likely feel even more interesting.

In plastic models, where you become curious asking “How far can color separation be reproduced?”, in this product, in addition to various molding colors and decals, pre-painted parts are adopted for some parts. It is a structure capable of reproducing coloring close to the image in the show by assembling. People who want to craft firmly can pursue the finish while gazing at details, and it features content easy to enjoy even for people who want to simply assemble first to complete Areion's figure. Abundant armaments, fine gimmicks of weapons, state changes of leg stabilizer wings, articulation of various parts, and new details supervised by I-IV. “MODEROID KG-7 Areion” is a machine that makes you want to swap armaments, change postures, and imagine different battlefields again and again, not just at the moment it is completed. For people who want to savor functional beauty unique to mass-production machines at hand, different from main character machines, is it not a kit you want to face thoroughly?