To cap off my coverage and unsolicited thoughts from the Mecha Smila Impact 2024 Summer, and yes, I’m skipping all The Gattai reveals, let’s look at one of the PLAMATEA reveals which count as mecha. To those unfamiliar, the PLAMATEA line is Good Smile Company’s take on the character model kit concept, just like Bandai Spirits with their Figure-rise Standard kits.
This is the PLAMATEA AM Driver Jenus & Board Visor set, hailing from the series of the same name Get Ride! AM Driver. It is a 20-year old series so for those unfamiliar, there’s the synopsis.
In the future, human beings are attacked by beings called the Bug-chine, which appeared a few years back. No normal human weapon can defeat the Bug-chine, but there is hope. It is the AM Drivers that will save the earth. They are solders using the latest “AM Technology”. With overwhelming power, they will beat the Bug-chine one after another and become heroes, as well as capture the hearts of their fans.
The concept is actually similar to other armored pilots controlling a mechanized exoskeleton or something similar, like the Mospeada units, so I’m not sure why this is a PLAMATEA and not a MODEROID release. Regardless, fans of the 20-year old show should get excited as all the concepts of the original were retained in this kit. Jenus can hop on top of the Board Visor “Wyvern” for transport or transform into its more humanoid form when in battle.
For now, I’ll consider this kit as a curiosity piece as I don’t have any attachment, nor nostalgia, to AM Driver. But let’s see whether my curiosity grows to actual interest or not.
