If you know me personally, or at least have followed this blog for a good while, then you must know that Gundam and 1/144 scale Gunpla are my primary bread and butter in this hobby. I find 1/144 scale Gunpla kits just perfect for my preference and I often venture out to other mecha franchises with similarly-scaled kits. That is the reason I really liked Bandai Spirits’ recent HG 1/100 scale kits from Macross, or some of Good Smile Company’s MODEROID releases. I also wanted to have some Zoids representation in my collection but the HMM kits are just too large for my preference.
That is why when Takara Tomy launched their hobby and collector-oriented T-Spark brand, their new Realize Model caught my interest. It’s an easy to assemble, highly articulated, and collectible line of 1/100 scale kits. Sounds familiar? It should since this is basically the same DNA of Bandai Spirits’ HG Gunpla lineup. And for Zoids kits, 1/100 scale is well within my preference as I did get Kotobukiya’s now-defunct Zoids Aggressive line of 1/100 scale Zoids action figures.
Zoids is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary and Takara Tomy has been releasing new versions of their iconic moving kits as Advanced Zi sets. But the Realize Model kits are aiming for enhanced appeal and resolution, and it starts with the design process which stake inspiration from the original anime and the moving kit released back in 2000.
The following mentions specific points on the articulation of the Realize Model 1/100 Blade Liger.
Head and neck articulation have been optimized to allow bending upwards and other natural positions while utilizing fewer parts.
The position of the shoulder joints has been redesigned to provide allowance for different stances, such as a more aggressive position where the shoulders would appear tense.
The legs can now be displayed in what they refer to as the “H” position as seen on the left and the “reverse H” on the right. You can display the Blade Liger from a fierce standing/neutral pose to a striking pose.
More importantly, the kit is able to reproduce features and gimmicks seen from the anime.
Replicate activation of the booster units by lifting armor panels to deploy the actual boosters.
The kit can also replicate the Pulse Laser Gun attack form by swiveling the blades over the head and then forward. Personally, the angle is still a little bit high and should be more forward facing but this is okay with me.
A feature of the Shield Liger that was carried to the Blade Liger is the E-Shield and you can replicate this by flaring the mane panels outward. I would’ve loved if this would come with effect parts but that’s already asking too much.
A staple of Zoids toys and figures, Realize Model Blade Liger will also have an opening canopy that reveals a two-seater cockpit. 1/100 scale pilot figures of Ban/Van, Fine/Fiona, and a generic solder are included and can be inserted inside. They will, of course, be unpainted.
Most importantly, the blades of the Blade Liger can be deployed for the blade attack and the previously mentioned Pulse Laser Gun attack. I mentioned the lack of effect parts for the E-Shield earlier, but I can totally accept that since we are getting effect parts for the blade attack. It also appears to be mounted on a display stand in the image above so I assume it might come with one.
Following the Blade Liger, additional kits are already in the pipeline, including its rival the Geno Saurer, Command Wolf, and Hell Cat to name a few. I really hope this continues and be the ‘High Grade’ line Zoids collectors would really appreciate.
Realize Model 1/100 Blade Liger
February 2025 / ¥4,500
Order via HobbyLink Japan
You can also check out the video they released promoting this kit below.
