Day two and pretty much the whole of Bandai Spirits’ Hobby Next Phase 2022 Summer has ended and to say that I was underwhelmed by the reveals is an understatement. Today’s “new” items were supposedly from Gundam THE WITCH FROM MERCURY, new Gunpla, and 30 Minute Missions/Sisters stuff. I said “new” because none of these kits were actually new and were already seen in a prior show. That said, one item ultimately piqued my interest for a bit, hence this post.
It was probably during Shizuoka Hobby Show that we got a glimpse of a new Spinatio variant that looks like a knight. To those unfamiliar with 30 Minute Missions, the Spinatio is operated by the third faction in the lore and has different armor configurations based on the warriors on Earth. We already got the Army, Ninja, and Sengoku types so to take on a more medieval themed unit, we now have the 30MM Spinatio [Knight Type].
First, I love the simple yet royal color scheme this guy has. The combination of this shade of blue with the silver armor panels gives off Knight Gundam vibes, which is probably part of their intention with the design. Be sure to bust out the silver paint to give this kit proper justice.
Underneath all that armor is still a base Spinatio unit, in that gorgeous blue and silver color, that you can further customize with any of the previous option parts you might’ve already have. They also mention that you can remove the “eye protector” armor to reveal a visor for even more display options.
30MM 1/144 Spinatio [Knight Type]
November 2022 / ¥1,480
Unfortunately, that’s it for my unsolicited thoughts for Hobby Next Phase 2022 Summer. Overall, it was lackluster and disappointing, especially on the Gunpla front. I was anticipating for more new kits especially after the information drop for THE WITCH FROM MERCURY last week but alas, we got nothing. That said, fans of other franchises may have been excited with the announcements, including new Grand Ship Collection kits and Masked Rider Blade finally getting the Figure-rise Standard treatment.
I’m hoping we’ll get another similar event this Autumn with better reveals.
