Chogokin Gundam Calibarn

Gundam has a history of making "themed" Gundam units, with G-Gundam really taking the cake with a Windmill Gundam, but easily one of my favourites is the Calibarn from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. The broom-like Variable Rod Rifle, which doubles as a booster, just looks fantastic in silhouette, and alongside the simple colour palette and raging lights, it made a suitably bravura impression during the show.

Having already invested in the Robot Spirits A.N.I.M.E release, which is the cheaper version of the Metal Robot Spirits line, Witch From Mercury has been quite miserly in releasing its mecha line-up outside of the model kit selection. I had high hopes for Calibarn given just how good the Chogokin Aerial was, which I reviewed all the way back in February 2023. 

I have to say, my heart sank when I took the unit out of the box. Unlike the smaller A.N.I.M.E unit, and in fact every model kit I've seen, all of which sport a light grey matte finish, this Chogokin Calibarn has a gloss white finish. This means two things; firstly, it's almost certain to yellow like the litany of Macross Valkyrie's I've tried in vain to hide from sunlight, and secondly, it just looks cheap.

Even the Aerial had an off-white matte finish, a stark contrast to the glossy blue torso, but why on Earth Bandai ditched their own design sheets and literally every single other variety of model kit or toy of this unit just to make the figure look like this is a mystery. I think I might actually hate it, especially given that this is a limited release that is already fetching daft after-market prices.

I really wanted a figure that had the high quality finish of the Metal Build line, but instead I've got a glossy, plastic-y figure that looks, if I'm really honest, cheap. QC isn't great either as close inspection reveals marks on the paint and scratches on the plastic, which are really glaring when it's a white gloss finish.

Oh Bandai, you're breaking my heart.

Calibarn and Aerial Chogokins

Let's try and inject some positivity. It doesn't feel cheap, that metal skeleton adds some delightful heft and it feels great in-hand, just like its sister mecha the Aerial. Joints are nice and stiff with a lot of range - the double joints on the knees and elbows provide plenty of curl.  with an extra metal arm to help connect the Variable Rod Rifle to the backpack, taking the strain away from the elbows. You get all of the GUND-BITS from the Aerial (though the designs reflect the Aerial Rebuild versions) and these can be slotted into the various ports across the mecha or combined into a shield using a connecting piece that was weirdly absent from the A.N.I.M.E version.

If you want to get really fancy, the display stand has 2 clear circular connecting parts that allow you to display the GUND-BITS floating around the Calibarn ready to attack. It's a solid display option but obviously takes up quite a lot of space.

Behold my BITS!

The sculpt is where it shines. Every line is accurate to the show and given how great it looks there, that's a good thing. The ability to add the GUND-BITS gives it some flexibility and, crucially for me, a way to differentiate it from the A.N.I.M.E figure, which to be fair looks every bit as good as the Chogokin. If they end up doing a Metal Robot Spirits version of Calibarn (and they will eventually) it'll likely be the best of both worlds, providing a fair price point, metal skeleton and superior finish. Hopefully in the right sodding colour.  

Lighten up the mood
Like Aerial and Aerial Rebuild, Calibarn has coloured veins running through the torso and legs, and this Chogokin has three separate switches powered by battery to light them up - one in the torso (which also lights up the head) and one in each leg. They're brighter than Aerial's (which were a bit rubbish and only lit up the head) so it can create a nice impression when everything is turned on. Battery powered lights aren't really long-term display options though, so it's a nice feature but one I won't use when I've finished taking pictures and it finds a home on a shelf. 

For a nice change a G-Witch Chogkin Gundam lights up in all the right places and with a bit of intensity

So it's not a total wash, thankfully. Being enormously fun to handle and pose does win it some Brownie points, but unfortunately the package just doesn't make up for the fact I'm terrified to put it out anywhere before the thing looks like a yellow mess, and that almost every other iteration of the figure in the light matte grey looks better than this version. The most expensive version of the toy should not look the cheapest, nor should the QC be so poor. I really wanted to love this figure, but as it is I'm just left feeling disappointed by what could - and should - have been the definitive version of this wonderful mecha design. Given the lack of tampo detail I'm actually very tempted to give it a custom paint job, or at the very least hit it with some matte varnish and make it look a bit less shiny - the UV resistant Mr. Super range is a good option if you're similarly tempted.

Lots of pointy bits make for good Gundam

Can I recommend the Chogokin Calibarn? Not at this price. I don't doubt it'll be expensive on the after-market, unlike the Chogokin Aerial which was over-produced and on clearance for £50 on some Japanese figure sites (this is the reason I have two of them). If you're a collector and have to get one, then sure, it's going to be a rarity and possibly worth having for that reason, but please be aware that Bandai has a history of using plastic that yellows easily, especially on very white units. This is the sort of plastic look you find in Home Bargains on a generic robot, it just looks that basic. The matte off-white finish is a Gundam staple so far as I'm concerned and they've really fluffed up here with this shiny white look. 

Obviously any customising I do will kill the aftermarket price so I'll have to consider that, but I really shouldn't be thinking of moving a piece on that arrived 3 hours ago.