I’m not really sure how many on-display shows Good Smile Company have in a year, but they had another one last weekend, aptly named Smile Fest 2022 Tokyo where they featured a whole ton of new and upcoming items. And while their Good Mecha Smile brand already had a lot of reveals earlier this year during their Mecha Smile Impact event, they still had a MODEROID kit hidden, and was teased with a sort of familiar silhouette during the days prior.
So, the silhouette teased was round and circular, and there’s only a few machines that has such silhouette, with all signs pointing to the Arhan, the personalized exoskeleton from the anime film Expelled from Paradise. Now this isn’t the first time we’re getting merch from that film, based on the numerous Angela Balzac figures and figurines out there. But for the mecha, the spotlight mostly goes to the mid-season– err– movie upgrade unit, aptly named New Arhan, and I can see why.
Good Smile Company previously released a New Arhan figure as part of their (defunct?) Good Smile Arms line and MegaHouse also did the same in their Variable Action line, the latter of which I have. That’s not saying the Arhan doesn’t have its charms. In fact, its transformation lends to this panel-heavy and segmented design that also has its appeal. And we are getting a transforming kit of the Arhan, so that’s a definite plus.
This is the vanilla configuration of the Arhan that can transform without parts replacement, but we would need to detach and reattach parts. They’ve released a video, which I’ll include later below that shows the transformation. One thing I’m wary of this kit is how panel-heavy it is and how that might affect handling and display since you wouldn’t want to dislodge panels when simply moving the arms. But let’s cross that bridge when we get there.
While not used for the transformation, interchangeable parts are also included for the rear thrusters, and forearm armors with better proportions.
Despite the overall silhouette and numerous panels, MODEROID Arhan still has some good range of articulation that allows for some unique and borderline dynamic poses. It also helps that the weapons and accessories it uses in the film are also included with the kit.
Oh, and most importantly, it looks good when transformed into “ball mode.” As mentioned earlier, no extra parts are needed to accomplish the transformation with the kit shifting parts and panels. I just hope the hinges and joints are strong enough to hold both forms.
This is, once again, a testament to Good Smile Company’s “commitment” to bringing kits of less mainstream properties to the market. Whether they sell or not is a different discussion but at least, there’s now a company that’s willing to dig deeper into the mecha anime genre.
The next question then is, are we going to see a kit of New Arhan in the future? Rewatching the launch scene of the New Arhan, it appears to be a lot more complex and borderlines anime magic. Though Good Smile Company was able to do it with the Good Smile Arms New Arhan, so we’ll have to see. Until then, check out the clip they released showcasing MODEROID Arhan.
MODEROID Arhan
January 2023 / ¥6,800
Order via HobbyLink Japan
