From the backburners comes something I've been working on and off for about a month now, the Kotobukiya Megami Device - Asra Ninja model kit. Not exactly new, but it was relatively cheap thanks to some random pricing off Amazon Canada..
I've done a few kits in the past months, but never a Megami Device kit because they're pretty damn expensive, especially for someone with zero painting skills. I think I did OK this time around, as I moved away from Tamiya Glossy White and used Mr. Hobby Flat White instead, as well as tried using a true water based Bronze paint, which I'm still working out the kinks on. I also tried to mix colours this time using the paint guide. But.. I did make a new enemy.
Freaking water decals.... uggh. Getting tiny decals to fit on surfaces with sharp angles... I just gave up. I tried hot water, but I guess I had to use the hair dryer. Then, if you do get it to stick, there's a chance they fall off. Finally, decals can disintegrate right before your eye if handled roughly..
Why yes... all of that DID happen to me. Luckily for me, all the ones that didn't make it are relatively small.
Much like most of the kits I've worked on, Asra Ninja comes with the parts to make a generic figure in her skivvies, and then additional parts to make the figure look interesting. IIRC, the Megami Device body is slightly smaller than Frame Arts Girls, and based on my experience, about the same as the Eastern ATK Girls body. As exhibited by Aqua, Asra Ninja is JUST taller in her pre-henshin form.
Upon closer examination, you can definitely see where Eastern Models "borrowed" design aspects from the Megami Device line from, most notably in the shoulders, groin design, neck design, and use of a folding joint right at the waist, all of which are not present on the Frame Arms Girl body.
The actual assembly of the body was thankfully not as aggravating as with the Eastern ATK Girl one.
So, on the whole a Megami Device kit costs more than a Frame Arts Girl one because of some nice extras. As much as I hate water decals, for example, at least they're there. You still only get the two, or in this case, three faces (neutral, embarrassed, ninja) with decals for future customization. One of the things I want to point out right now is that one of the set of hands has ball joints built into the wrists (meant for armoured mode), which while aren't as poseable, are a crap load easier to put on and pull off the figure.
From an articulation perspective, the base body is pretty good, and while not as pretty as the Figma body, allows you to get more done. Shame there's no waist swivel, but the double jointed knees, collapsing shoulders, pull down hips, and the three points of articulation dedicated to the head/neck alone allow for some pretty neat poses. All of this, of course, carries over to the armoured mode, though there's some slight restrictions due to bulk.
The lighter weight also lets you do some interesting things for photographs as well.
Transformation is, as you imagine, parts swapping the limbs and of course adding some weapons. Asra Ninja is armed with a sword, two Katars (with blades interchangeable to pistol grips), a Windmill Throwing Blade, and two daggers. She also gains a sweet scarf in this mode along with some hair decorations.
If that didn't look sweet enough, apparently you can combine the accessories from the Asra Archer set with this one, forming the Asra Samurai mode.
Overall, I have to say that Asra Ninja is probably one of the best looking kits I've assembled. Part of that is of course the design, along with some improved paint skills. But a lot of heavy lifting is done by another reason why things cost a bit more - there was significantly less masking required from me, as most of the parts actually came in their appropriate plastic colour, making my life a hell of a lot easier.
I also like how well she holds together. Even compared to Mugatsaki, the Frame Arts Girl kit I have. Everything generally holds together better, and as an added bonus there aren't pieces of armour plating or accessories that fly off with the slightest touch.
Asra Ninja is a really nice looking kit, and there's enough base plastic colour variance that you could just build, slap on the decals and some top coat, and you'd still be pretty well off. Even half ass painted like mine, though, she really shines. She can pull of some nice pose, and truly fun to fiddle with and photograph.
I'm hoping that I'll be able to track down an Asra Archer at a discounted price so I can put the two sets together for that sweet, sweet looking Samurai mode.
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