Let's assemble the 1/100 Bonaparte Tarkas from "Dorvac" to see the ultimate evolution of the Dosokoi type robot! 80's B-Grade Anime Plastic Model Natural History Vol. 14

The previous article on the "1/48 Chancer" (Aoshima ) from "Operation Slangle in the Subspace" had an unexpectedly positive response, so much so that it scared me a little. After careful consideration with ...... if you like such a subtle anime mecha, this time it is "Special Equipped Kihei Dollback" (1983). I have previously featured the PAC-48 Guardian, a supporting role mecha powered armor in "Dorvac," but this time I chose the main character, a variable machine. This month, we will be assembling the 1/100 scale "Bonaparte Tarkas" from Gunze Sangyo.

By the way, as I was puzzled last time, "Dorvac" is difficult to explain. While it is a traditional super-robot world, the main robot transforms from a jeep, a helicopter, and a tank (Tarkus is a tank-transforming robot this time). And the three main robots, each thought to be a single super mecha, are mass-produced from the middle of the show. In other words, they partially inherit the Sunrise-style real robot lineage, too.
Yes, let's take a look at the flyer enclosed in this kit.

▲ The two round figures in the upper right corner are human-sized powered armor, and the rest are giant robots, variable machines, but the "Caliber," "Operon," and "Gazette" have different colors. For example, the "VV-54A Caliber" on the far left is a production type of the "VV-54AR Mugen Caliber"!

This leaflet shows each of the three types of variable machines before and after transformation, as well as the main character machine and the mass-production machine. The mass-production type seems to have different colors and detailed armament compared to the variable machine that the main character rides. Ah, I see. If you change the molding color, the number of products will increase. ...... I guess it's not that surprising since this natural logic of scale modeling has been transferred to robotics. In terms of Gunpla, it would be like the "Real Type" kits that were released in the 80's with the existing kits changed to more austere molding colors. The Valkyrie of "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross" (1982) also came out with a large number of variants with different heads and colors, so you could say it's along the lines of "Macross," but ...... "Dollback" is a super-robot thing in terms of its worldview.

Since we can't keep thinking about such things forever, let's open the box of "Bonaparte Tarkas". Bonaparte Tarkas" is the robot form of Tarkas, ridden by the main character Pierre Bonaparte (later Stanley Hilton) (the product name of the tank form is "Bonaparte APC Tarkas," which is a slightly different name).

▲ The plastic model of "Dorvac" is probably this orange poly cap!　Really, why did they choose such a prominent color? Also, the decals have a nice sense of logo design, and the way the notes are printed makes a lot of sense!

▲ Look at those sharp molds. What on earth could inspire designers and mold makers to this extent?　In the second photo, you can see the subtly sculpted grip knob, which is also very tasteful!

But, well, all the parts are beautifully square. Looking at the runner alone, it is hard to tell what kind of shape the robot is, so let's take a look at the finished kit sample.

Well, there are indeed two things that look like legs, but I can't help but think, "That's a big missile! Basically, it looks like just a square box stacked on top of each other. ......?　But if you assemble it, you might be able to figure out what it is. No matter what kind of kit it is, I am not afraid to assemble it anyway. That is the great thing about this series.
This voluminous Bonaparte Tarkas may be a Dosukoi type robot in the vein of Getter 3 (......). Just assemble it anyway!　Assemble it and you'll understand!