Yo.
Looking back on the year and recalling all the things I went through has become sort of a tradition, and 2023 was probably the best year for me in terms of collecting, with proper work experience under the belt, I was finally able to start buying a lot of the things I never thought I'd own otherwise, leading to a rapid expansion of my collection. (Getting back into Tranformers was a huge financial problem too...)
Of course, I continued building for my dream of owning a Super Robot Wars collection, along with my Gundam protagonist collection subset, and just doing that has drained my wallet significantly as you'd expect.
Getting most of the Sunrise Real Robots made me super happy
I've built and bought more kits in 2023 than I ever have in my life, it's crazy and my shelves are almost full. So, I might as well post and recommend my top 10 favorite kits that just gave me an irreplacable joy. Again, with so many big purchases, I might as well brag a bit!
Honorable Mention - HGUC Gundam AN-01 "Tristan"
Okay. I must now clarify that this list is about favorite kits, not best kits. I'm sure nobody would disagree in thinking this kit is underwhelming. However, I love the Tristan. I adore this design and I have wanted this kit for ages. The fact that it has never been reprinted has led to one of the harshest hunts I've ever had for any model kit. I got G-Saviour easier than this, which says a lot, and after many years of torture, I was finally able to unite with a long-awaited build. Tristan isn't the greatest kit ever, but getting it gave me closure and joy like none other. Finally, I am free.
10. HG Kenbu
Kyoukai Senki was definitely a show of all time, but in spite of that, I enjoyed it enough to want the main mecha, and you know, despite the apathy, the build truly lives up to the hype. The AMAIM build experience was unlike any mecha I've ever assembled, and you can tell how a mechanical designer with practical experience can really innovate one-of-a-kind construction. This is a kit worth buying for the build alone, even if you don't like the design. I liked it enough that I hunted down the other AMAIMs, and plan to own a completed trio soon!
9. RG Nu Gundam
The Nu Gundam was a design I had always wanted a kit of, being Amuro's final machine, however for the longest time I struggled with getting the RG, which I had issues with the look of, or the EG, which had no fin funnels. A dear friend made the decision for me with a gift, and low and behold all of my problems have disappeared. The RG Nu Gundam truly is a spectacular kit of engineering with amazing funnel engineering. I might not love it as much as the Hi Nu, but the release this kit has given me cannot be understated.
8. HGWFM Gundam Aerial Rebuild
It is oddly fitting that, while base Aerial won 8th place last year, the Rebuild came in to take No.8 here. HGWFM has become one of my favorite HG lines out there, and while I considered many like the Pharact, Darilbalde, and Calibarn, I ultimately hold the Rebuild most fondly. Packed with just as many gimmicks as the original Aerial, erasing my small-nitpicky issues, and adding even more things to do. The Rebuild genuinely ended up my favorite kit of the whole line. Say what you want about the design, this kit is a great representation of it.
7. HG Kotetsu Jeeg Infinitism
One thing I've achieved this year was going in and making a proper Dynamic Production collection by buying the HG Infinitism line in its entirety, and my first of them was Kotetsu Jeeg. Jeeg was always an oddball of the DynaPro library, but I absolutely adore this design and the Infinitism is probably one of the best executions of this style. Most of the line is similar quality, but Jeeg stands out with both a unique build and gimmick. As a Jeeg fan, I couldn't be happier.
6. RG Evangelion Unit 04
While I tend to collect most things in quick succession once I put my mind to it, the RG Evangelions were something I had to ponder for a while, and that's mainly because I already have them through older offerings. That being said, Unit 04 is my favorite unit, and after a good hunt, I did decide to ultimately get the RG. I was simply blown away with the unique, organic engineering, and now I very much understand the hype behind these kits now. While it's a daunting, expensive task, I do plan to upgrade my collection's Evas to their RG variant in the future, and I have my old favorite, reliable Unit 04 to thank for that.
5. HGUC Phantom Gundam
I've built a lot of Gunpla, like a lot. Though, as much as I build, nothing really beats the mid-2010 HG of engineering for me, and the Phantom is probably the best example of this. It's a simple kit done perfectly with detail and gimmicks that truly bring it up to another tier. The sculpt of the phantom light effects are truly stunning to marvel in person, and the variety of poses and options you get with this kit is excelsior. While it might only be 5th on the list, this is without a doubt, my favorite Gunpla of last year. After a long, long hunt for this unique protagonist. It was totally worth the effort.
4. Moderoid Xabungle
Finally, a Moderoid for the list. As I've made it clear last year, Moderoid is a line I've absolutely fallen in love with due to their clear love for their mechs, and while last year they already made incredible pieces, they somehow topped it even further. The Moderoid Xabungle might be their best engineered kit to date. It's pricey, sure, but you get a EVERY accessory you could ask for with detailed, intricate sculpting on the parts, articulation on-par with an MG Gunpla, pilot figures, opening cockpit, and a full perfect transformation to boot with no partsforming. This kit is amazing and every Xabungle fan owes themselves to try it out. It is 1/100, so sadly it's a bit bigger than I'd like, but still, it's not one to miss.
3. HG YF-19
Starting last year I've gotten big into Macross, and apparently it was at a perfect time because Bandai's begun making HGs and they are some special kits. I've seen two different parties with the Macross HGs, people who haven't built Macross kits before who are upset about the partsformation and stickers, and those who have. These kits are the best ones made yet, with love and care for every inch of the mech you would see with releases like Moderoid and the HG Sirbine. All of that, at a reasonable price making them not just a great kit option, but possibly the best budget option for anyone who wants Macross figures for their shelf. Building this YF-19 was truly a special experience, that for the longest time I thought this would be my kit of the year. Even at third place, the YF-19 is perfect, and I cannot wait for future releases.
2. Moderoid Combined Rayearth
Now I will be the first person to say that the Rayearth Moderoids are not the most complicated or marvelous examples of the line out there, but what I can say is that they capture the sculpt and proportions of each Rune God in a perfect Obari style, and out of the bunch, the Combined Rayearth is without a doubt my favorite. Not only does it have every appeal of the other gods, but it has much larger shelf presence due to its taller size, and its absolutely massive wingspan. Not to mention, you can see how gorgeous those wings are sculpt, with poseable joints too! As a Rayearth fan, the kits are not some to miss, and if nothing else, Combined Rayearth is absolutely worth the purchase.
1. Shokugan Modelling Project SRX
I would have to be insane to have bought this and not put it on the list. Never before would I have ever imagined that we would get a fully combining proper-sized SRX model kit, and I thought the Riobot was already insane. This kit is, in my eyes, perfect. The individual R-Series units are solid kits in their own right but all have minor issues such as structural or articulation hinders, but each unit comes with literally everything you'd want each unit to come with, making them fully realized kits on their own with a LOT of pose value out of the box.
However, of course, the limitations are there in favor of the combination, and once you form the completed SRX, it is truly a magnificent piece. At ~1/144 scale, this thing stands slightly larger than PG Gunpla, with a giant sword which reaches an equal amount of length. You would be hard pressed to find a better centerpiece to any Super Robot Wars collection, heck, any collection of giant robots in general. This cost me more money than anything else in my collection, and I didn't even buy the expansion set for extra display options. Even still, I am so overjoyed to own this in my collection, because as one of my favorite mecha, the SRX deserved nothing less than this.
This year has been one hell of a year for collecting, and as my SRW collection grows, I can only expect things to get even wilder. I've got a Shin Universe Robo on the way and I'm already terrified for my wallet. Life is getting hectic but no matter what, I hope to keep pushing for the sake of plastic and the cool robots that live on my shelf. As long as Bandai and Goodsmile keep making these kits, I'll keep buying them. Here's to 2024!
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