Review 05: MG 1/100 Sinanju Stein (Daban Model)

My review on this kit back in Facebook had lots of typos. I hope I can remove these errors here in my blog.

I posted the FB review a bit late because I was waiting for my assassin's creed themed waterslide decals. I designed it using Photoshop and sent it to my friend ( he resizes the image and prints them out). But the weather was bad and it was ruined. I have no choice but to post the review and wait for the next batch or stocks of waterslide paper.



It was also the same time I got hospitalized and undergone surgery to avoid possible cancer. I was fortunate there were no other problems after the surgery.

So anyways, I hope this review for Daban Model's Sinanju Stein can help those who are planning to purchase it. If there are any errors in both terminologies and crappy grammar, please do correct me. I really appreciate it.

Unboxing:

I can't remember why I bought this kit. I'm not into UC that much either. Or probably because the idea of using Assassin's Creed themed decals would fit with Stein's color why I bought this quickly few days after it was released in the market.

Box size is the same like Sinanju ver Ka and I'm already expecting glossy plastic parts compared to TTH.

I started building this kit back September 18, 2015 (before I found out I have something "bad" inside my body).
The kit consists of 22 runners. I forgot how may parts were there but I did counted it out. I also noticed several parts for Sinanju ver Ka, and the idea of Daban making a Sinanju ver Ka might be possible.

There's also 2 different tones of white here. I'm not sure if that's white or just a very light tone of gray. lol XD

And you get waterslide decals here same as Bandai.

Body Unit:

Parts separation is good but not that amazing compared to Sinanju ver Ka. Gladly, There were no snap fitting issues here. Everything fits perfectly or maybe it's because of my usual routine of sanding the male pegs a bit. >_>

Tilting those female pegs meant for the arm were quite tight and I like it. It's because it will give you a nice hold or grip when doing extreme poses.

Head Unit:

I used Sharpie Silver for panel lining and then cleaned the excess ink with lighter fluid.

I'm supposed to use the Uni-ball signo metallic red for the eye sensors but the molding isn't as sharp as Bandai or of Dragon Momoko. I can't see the edges of the eyes that much and I don't want to get a bad result, so I switched to foil stickers on this part.

I used uni-ball signo metallic red here,

Arm Unit:

Please note that the encircled part is a bit fragile. Mine broke so I can't use the gimmick where the beam saber is taken out. I had no choice but to use super glue. T__T
Fortunately, the other arm was okay. I won't be using these gimmicks though, but it was disappointing I had an issue like that.

I love those manipulators. They were better than Daban Model's Nu ver Ka. The first thing I checked was the thumb and it's good. All ball joints move just fine and there were no flushes as well.

Since most parts were white and I suck in trimming nubs (honest statement), it was quite a breather to hide/trim most of them.

The arm features nice articulation as you see on the image and it can bend out that much. Credits goes to Bandai. Of course the outcome might change once you add the shoulder armor.

Upper Body/Shoulder Unit:

Very straightforward but I do like the simplicity of its design. No snap fitting issues here. :D

And yeah, I added some minor detailing using uni-ball Signo metallic red again.

Waist Unit:

Waist Unit:

No issues here either. The pegs fits just fine. I used the metallic red because I want it to match the color with my custom decals.

Halfway done :D

Leg Unit:

It's a shame I encountered an issue on the Arm Unit. I was hoping I could build the leg without any troubles, but I assumed wrong. See that encircled part? Do not use too much force or you might break the lock or c-clamp. :v
Overall, it's the only issue I encountered. Probably not an issue at all and this problem was just my own carelessness.
The articulation wasn't affected though. The leg can bend that far. 

-Side Skirts-

I broke that tiny white piece. :(
Fortunately, it's not that visible. The side skirts were very straightforward and simple.

Finally, my Sinanju Stein can now stand :D

Backpack Unit:

It's nice the thrusters have this red pieces to add color.

The fuel tanks have a tendency to fall off. Probably an issue not in the polcayps, but in the ball peg's molding.
I cured the issue with nail polish applied on the sockets for a good grip.

This is my SECOND work station or building area here in Antipolo, Philippines. XD
Well I can't build in my room because it's dark, no internet connection, and not that spacious.*

* - I already moved to a new room but the internet signal is low so I had to build my kits in this area again. 

Testing the articulation after attaching all of its body parts. The leg still shows that nice articulation and the side skirts doesn't hinder it that much.
The arms doesn't show any issues after adding the shoulder armor. 

Weapons:

High Beam Rifle

That's a huge rifle. :v
My mistake here is that I broke that small peg on the handle. >_> 

Bazooka

Good parts separation and there were no snap fitting issues.

Shield and Beam Saber

No issues here as well. :)

If only I had a waterslide decal with Assassin's Creed logo colored in white, I would be very happy. O_O

Unfortunately, we can't print "white" seals/decals.

Completed Model:

I would like to apologize I don't have other pictures.

Here's the image of the waterslide decals I mentioned earlier. It was ruined due to cold weather. The edges were not that sharp either. I guess I have to wait a little longer to complete my project.

So I'm done and here's my personal rating.

Plastic Quality: 8.5/10
I love it better than TTH. Nuff said. :D

Snap Fitting: 8/10
I may have encountered several problems but that doesn't mean I have to lower my ratings. Those issues, I will admit, are of my own. Just take note of those sections so you won't get the same mistakes I did.

Articulation: 8/10
Compared to Sinanju ver Ka, the Sinanju Stein has a better range for posing due to its simple design. Sinanju ver Ka had lots of hindrance from the rounded or spiky proportions. But this model don't have such problems.

Gimmicks: 6.5/10
Well the Sinanju Stein was the base MS of Sinanju, so most gimmicks or features from the red MS starts here. There are no other features on the backpack unit compared to Sinanju ver Ka.

Extras: 6/10
Aside from the bazooka, I think that's it. There were few parts left on the runners meant for Sinanju (red one), but I don't think they're considered as extras. :/

Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Yeah the only issue I encountered was back on the Arm Unit. Maybe it's my own mistake but I assure you guys I was very careful. :(
Also, I would still recommend getting Bandai. But if your pockets are not that deep if you know what I mean, then Daban Model will help you out with that.

I hope this short review will help you getting through with Daban Model's Sinanju Stein. Please do comment your opinions and suggestions below. :)