MODEROID AV-98 Ingram Reactive Armor Equipment" Review] Voice actor Yasuyuki Tai gives an in-depth introduction to Unit 3, which played an active role in the "Pato 2" undersea tunnel battle!

When you are a working adult, you tend to have a lot of plastic models piled up in your busy life. ...... In this series, Yasuyuki Tai, a voice actor who loves robots and plastic models, takes on the challenge of building plastic models on your behalf!

The concept is "even busy working people can make it this far on their weekends off. There are only two rules: bare bones assembly and a production period of one to two days! If you read this series, you will surely find the plastic model you want to build.

So, "Weekend Plastic Model Making by Voice Actor Taiyuki! Let's start the 74th issue!

Voice Actor Yasuyuki Tai's Weekend Plastic Model Vol. 75 MODEROID AV-98 Ingram with Reactive Armor

MODEROID AV-98 Ingram with Reactive Armor: View on Rakuten Ichiba View on Amazon.co.jp

Good Smile Company's plastic kit series "MODEROID" continues to increase its lineup one after another. From the "Mobile Police Patlabor" series, which has been actively developing kits, comes the "AV-98 Ingram Reactive Armor Equipment" from the movie "Mobile Police Patlabor 2 the Movie"! The kit is a luxurious version of the already released "AV-98 Ingram" with a variety of additional parts.

First of all, please take a look at the package.

The package depicts the tense battle scene in the undersea tunnel (which Mr. Ota ruined). It even shows Unit 1 protecting Unit 3.

On the back are the product specifications. This time, the kit is a compatibility kit with numerous options. To reproduce all the patterns, all you need is six sets of this product and one set of the regular "AV-98 Ingram".

The title logo is placed on both the left and right sides.

The top and bottom surfaces have the familiar MODEROID illustration, which can be displayed on a shelf either horizontally or vertically.

In addition to the standard set of AV-98 Ingram runners, new parts are included for the reactive armor and the heads of each of the first three units. Clear part runners are included in both painted and colorless versions. In addition, water-transfer decals are included.

Two types of assembly instructions are included, one for the reactive armor equipped state and one for the basic Ingram body. Only the instruction manual for reactive armor equipment is in full color.

Although the kit can be assembled in various forms, let's first assemble the first model with the head shutter.

Armor is concentrated on the upper body. The lower body has new parts for the thighs.

The expression of wrinkles on the armor is realistic. Both arms are new parts equipped with armor up to the wrists.

The armor clasps are molded around the shoulders when viewed from the top.

The chest armor covers the abdomen. Although it was torn violently during the film, all the pilots were able to return home almost unscathed thanks to the armor.

The leg armor also has details of clasps.

The arms are entirely newly sculpted. The shield is also newly sculpted.

The shutter can be reproduced with or without the shutter by selecting parts.

If assembled without the shutters, you will have the familiar face of Unit 1.

Unit 2 has additional armor on the back of the head, so it has the same molding color as the reactive armor.

Unit 3, which is equipped with ECM, is also designed to "Pat 2" specifications. And ......

The state of ECM use is selectable by parts replacement!

There are many delicate parts, so be sure to check the shape of the shafts and holes and the orientation of the parts when assembling.

From here, we will introduce the figure with the head of Unit 3, respecting Shinobu Nagumo (a.k.a. Ms. Nagumo), who can be said to be a key person in "Pato 2".

Then let's take a look at the range of motion.

The neck has a double ball joint connection. The collar can be moved quite freely, although there are some angles where the standing collar interferes.

The structure around the shoulders is similar to the previous AV-98 Ingram. The arms rotate 360° on a rotary axis at the base of the shoulders. Horizontally, it can be lifted up to about 90°.

The shoulder joint on the body side has a built-in forward swing joint.

The elbows are movable through approximately 90°. There is a roll rotation axis above the elbow.

The wrists are connected with ball joints, so they can be moved freely.

The waist has a range of motion by pulling the upper body once. Forward tilt and ......

Lateral flexion and extension: ......

The hips can be rotated.

The forward/backward and side to side leg openings are excellent, especially the large forward/backward leg openings.

There is also a roll rotation axis on the thighs.

The knees can be bent up to about 90° by replacing the tibia parts.

Ankle connection is also ball joint. Moreover, there is a movable part on the toe part, and as you can see, it can be lifted as much as you want.

Included are a stun stick, a revolver cannon, a riat gun, a pair of flat hands, a stick grip and a gun grip, one for each side.

The revolver cannon can be stored on the side of the right leg.

The riat gun can also fold up its stock.

Now let's take a look at some poses using the range of motion and accessories.

Unit 3 pulling out the stun stick!

Unit 3 coolly holds the gun in one hand. I wonder if Ms. Nagumo posed like this when she was waiting for the elevator.

Unit 3 holding the revolver cannon in a low posture while covering the grip with his left hand. It can be made to stand on its knees without difficulty.

In the movie, Mr. Ota's Unit 2 was still firing its rifle.

Mr. Ota's head was damaged (by his own fault) in a quick attack. He was the first to fall into a pinch.

■Variations that can be expanded depending on the combination

Here are the assembled models based on the second instruction manual.

First of all, the first model. It is the specification of the experimental machine for data collection that appeared at the beginning of "Patrol 2". It looks quite plain, without the shoulder lamps and the rising sun emblem on the chest.

The back is exactly the same as the regular AV-98 Ingram.

The head and shoulder armor of the second model is attached.

This one is also neat.

The head and shoulder armor of Unit 3 is attached.

This is a form that did not appear in the movie, so many of you may be seeing it for the first time.

Although there are no assembly instructions in the assembly manual, you can install all the equipment for the AV-98 Ingram. The right arm can also be fitted with an arm to take out the revolver cannon.

Various wrists are also marked with "parts not used", but of course they can be assembled, so you can reproduce the state in which they are equipped with shields and other equipment.

In addition, if you prepare a kit of the regular "AV-98 Ingram", you can reproduce the first and second units of the specifications that appeared in the third film version "WXIII".

We were unable to prepare the actual Ingram this time because we had run out of Ingrams on hand, but you can assemble it by simply replacing the decals, so please try to reproduce it with your own hands.

■Plus a little extra work!

Lastly, as always, I lightly washed the model with GSI Creos' Multi-Gray weathering color while attaching the water-transfer decals.

After applying the water-transfer decals and protecting them with semi-glossy clear, I applied the weathering color Multi-Gray with a brush and wiped it off with a cotton swab moistened with solvent, not too much.

Since the battle was to take place in an undersea tunnel, I chose "Multi-Gray" because I thought brown dirt stains, etc., would not look good. It is also important to consider the color of weathering if necessary.

The decals for the head, collar, and license plate are easy to apply to a flat surface, but the blinkers are a bit more difficult to work with due to the small area where they are attached.

The decals on the arms must also be applied to the bumpy surface, so it is better to prepare a "mark softener".

The washing process will leave a gray color on the details, which will help to emphasize the details as well as the dirty expression. This is a fairly easy method, so if you like, you can try it.

The legs, which have less detail than the armor, were not wiped off as much as I would have liked, considering the balance between the legs and the upper body. Gray paint left on the details of white parts can have a smear effect. Depending on the method, we can kill two birds with one stone: washing and smearing.

In the "Mecha-Sma Impact 2023" released in January 2023, it was announced that more "PATLABOR" related kits will be released, and we really cannot take our eyes off of them (even though they are limited to the Gussma Online Shop, the NYPD's Type Zero and others will also be made into kits).

) Also, the "MODEROID" series as a whole has such an extensive lineup that it seems like there is no mecha that will not be made into kits.

What kits will we be reviewing next? Please stay tuned!