HI-METAL R HEAVY METAL L-GAIM Mk-II In-Depth Review

PREMIUM BANDAI HI-METAL R Heavy Metal L-GAIM Figure Mk-II 40th Japan F/S

Appearances	Heavy Metal L-Gaim
Main product details	Main unit -Interchangeable wrist parts (3 types each for left and right) ・Replacement head parts ・2 replacement shoulder hooks ・Buster Launcher ・Power Launcher ・Buster launcher plug cable ・Power Launcher plug cable ・2x binder ・Saber grip x 2 ・Lancer Grip ・Beam blade x 2 ・Spiral flow – Complete pedestal support ・Joint parts set

This is a review of HI-METAL R L-Gaim Mk-II.

The whole body. The mk1 was quite large, so I thought the scale would be ignored, but it was definitely larger than that, and the proportions were almost as I imagined. The coloring is a bit blue, but there were times when that was the case in some scenes, so it seems like people’s preferences may differ.

Face. The small face and vertical contours are just like the image in the movie. The orange part on the forehead is made of clear parts.

The eyes are not metallic painted and are set back so they are difficult to see, but they are painted accurately and the shape of the cable on the neck is also precise and looks great.

It also comes with a damaged version of the head, recreating the damaged state seen in the final episode.

The right eye and forehead are damaged just like in the movie. The paintwork on the scratches is detailed and realistic.

Each part, etc. The balance of the body shape is just as it appears in the anime. There are almost no additional molds or other arrangements, and the model is faithful to the basics.

Waist.

The length and thickness of the arms and legs are faithful to those in the film, and even the slender, heeled ankles are faithfully recreated.

The saber is stored in the forearm.

It is also possible to recreate the hand launcher state with the tip extended.

back.

By releasing the lock at the base, the booster can be moved to the left and right.

The navy blue parts of the binders on both shoulders are clear parts, allowing you to see the internal molding.

The base can slide slightly back and forth and has a movable hinge in the center.

The hatch on the back can also be opened and closed. The stored parts cannot be removed.

The neck and waist have a sufficient swing range, the shoulders can be raised high, and the elbows and knees can be bent.

The hip joints can move widely both back and forth and side to side, and the design does not provide great ground contact, but the baby was able to stand on its own at a sufficient level.

option.

Complete pedestal.

Like the mk1, the storage gimmick of the Spiral Flow “Buy” on the chest is also reproduced. This can be inserted and removed using the included tweezers.

When stored, the chest armor can be closed to hide it from view.

With the buster launcher equipped. This one comes with a wrist that can be held firmly in one hand.

Ready to use. The Buster Launcher is 285mm in size, which is taller than the main unit. It was also attached to the Bash, but it has a different design. The grip is movable, and the top part deploys when pulled back. The bipod on the tip can also be deployed.

The cable connecting to the main unit is a lead wire and is quite stiff.

Power launcher. This is attached to the arm using a joint.

This cable is also made of a hard material.

It can also be connected to the hole on the back of the binder. It can also be equipped to the MK1 by using a special joint.

Next is the Flora form. You can see 

the official instructions for how to transform it here.

Although some joints were used, there were no large replacement parts, and the transformation was nearly complete.

From the side. The body is folded up nicely and is not thick, creating a silhouette close to the image in the movie. Also includes a stand and joints for use in Flora mode.

The back side. You can see the whole face from the back.

By replacing the joint, it is also possible to switch to Buster Launcher Center mode.

By replacing it with a special long support and replacing the mk2 shoulder handle with a special one, it is also possible to recreate the L-Gaim mk1 suspended state.

The handle is replaced with a special one, but it was a little difficult to attach because the pin was small.

Additionally, by attaching special joints to the back and crotch of the L-Gaim mk1, it was possible to place it in a parallel suspended position.

behind.

Side view. The mk1 is quite heavy, but it is firmly fixed in several places so stability was not an issue.

Back side.

The mk2 from ROBOT Spirits and the L-Gaim mk1 from the same HI-METAL R. In the settings, the height of the mk1 is 20.7m and that of the mk2 is 22.6m, so the size difference has been mostly reproduced.

Just a few at a time.

The figure is in the same pose as Next Heavy Metal, with the Buster Launcher ready. The base support can be selected from the movable type from Act 5 or a long fixed type.

As mentioned above, the mobility is generally good, and the joints are stiff enough that you can hold the buster launcher firmly.

Some of the joints, such as the upper arm rolls, are quite stiff, so care must be taken when handling them.

Power launcher. You need to tighten the screws quite a bit, but you can also use the normal Tamashii Stage Act 4 support.

Replace the damaged head to make a Saber.

The neck and waist can rotate freely, so slashing poses are no problem.

Transforms into Flora form.

Just like in the movie, it is also possible to transform just the arms and have them hold the saber.

Elgaim suspension.

Even in parallel.

This concludes the review of HI-METAL R L-Gaim Mk-II.

There had been no news about the HI-METAL R L-Gaim series since mk1 in 2020, so I thought it had been discontinued, but after a long gap, mk2 was released.
The color is quite different depending on the scene in the movie, so it’s difficult to say, but the proportions are as imagined in the movie, there are almost no arrangements, and the design is free of quirks. It is made with attention to mobility, transformation gimmicks, and linkage with mk1, so the quality is pretty good.
Personally, I think the main machines released so far in the HI-METAL R L-Gaim series are enough, so I would like to see a renewed version of mk2 in ROBOT Spirits or METAL ROBOT Spirits soon.