I assembled the 1/100 Wingar (Takara) from "Kikoukai Galian" and was intoxicated by the weightiness of the "armored robot"! 80's B-Grade Anime Plastic Model Natural History Vol.10

Did you watch "Kikoukai Galian"?　It was broadcast in October 1984, so the year before "Mobile Suit Z Gundam"? It was at 17:30 in the evening, which was a bit difficult for high school students to watch. I was already thinking "I'm done with robot anime! I had already decided that I was done with robot anime.
I didn't really care for the "Galian" plastic model, even though a mock-up of it appeared in a model magazine under the tentative title of "Antiborg". However, when I saw a scene on TV in which Galian and the enemy robot Sauer, an armored hunter, roller dash and engage in a sword fight (I guess I had seen the scene even though I said I had "graduated" ......), I bought a plastic model of Sauer for now. It was a neat and well-made kit. With those fond memories, I opened the box of "Anime Scale 1/100 Wingaru" (made by Takara)!　The box art is by master artist Yoshiyuki Takani!

On the back of the painting instructions, there is an explanation of the story and recommendations for creating a diorama printed below the celluloid illustrations. Please use the illustrations above as a reference and let your imagination run free to recreate your own Kikoukai. ...... "Image" and "freedom" are common phrases in the plastic modeling culture of the 80s. But still, "your Kikoukai"?

But in 1984, the MSV (Mobile Suit Variations) were beginning to come to an end, and I think realistic robots as a whole were showing signs of fatigue. This "Galian" series was also only 1/100 scale, and there was no separate line of larger size kits (although there were some low-priced kits released by Crown Model).
I think it was a time when the question was how much play value could be added to a single product, or rather, how much play value could be added to a single kit to make it more substantial.

▲ The "Galian New Year's Present" application ticket that was included in the box. It is linked to "3D Journal," a modeling information magazine published by Takara, and they are doing their best, but there is no description of the contents of the important prizes.

Well, Wingal, the mass-produced robot that got hit, the kit is molded in two colors, dark and light green. Let's take a look at the runners.

▲ Why is only the head on a separate runner?　It's because it shares the runner with the Wingal Jee used by the High Chartat (an enemy like Char in Gundam). The long head at the back would look cool if it were split left and right.

▲ And the wrist, the thumb and other fingers are separate parts!　It's not a Gunpla-like goop punch, but some kind of flat hand!　Also, the heat exhaust slit-like detailing is round and has a nice atmosphere!

The armored soldiers (the generic name for the robots in "Galian") are really nice!　The texture of the heavy, fuzzy armor comes out, doesn't it?　The engravings on the chest and arms aren't sharp, but the weight of the armor looks better when the molding is as smooth as this.
No, no, no, this time it is perfect, isn't it a good kit?

The coolest thing is these board-like parts. What a surprise, it is a decorative stand for displaying the model in flight form!　Isn't this kit absolutely astringent?　They even put a decorative stand on the Wingal, which is a mecha that will be beaten to a pulp!

Now, let's assemble the kit and enter the armored world!　This "Kikoukai" is another austere title, isn't it? The fact that "Kikai" refers to the entire world of the work, and not just the robots themselves, is also astringent. Director Takahashi Ryosuke's sense of language is superb!　Hooray!　Long live 80's robot animation!

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