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1/100 MG MSN-06S Sinanju Stein Ver Ka Review

Sinanju Stein

1/100 MG MSN-06S Sinanju Stein Ver Ka

This is my first time reviewing an actual Ver Ka (blog style) so I want to give you guys a bang for your buck. 

The Sinanju Stein is the latest work from Katoki Hajime. It was released late February and it retailed for 7000 yen. It is the first MG model to be molded entirely in polystyrene inner frame. It also did away with polycaps which have been used up 'till now with all MGs/HGs. 

What makes the Stein unique? Is it better or worse than Sinanju? Mono eye vs two eye?

• The Stein comes with Ver. Ka hands or as I like to call them "PG MG sized hands"
• Full polystyrene inner frame

The hands were first introduced with the 1/100 MG Nu Gundam Ver Ka that was released 2 months prior to Steins release. Having two monumental MGs coinciding with one another makes it amazing yet a burden at the same time. Definitely leaves a hole in our pockets. The Nu represented major changes and improvements to the overall direction MGs are going now. The hands are not exclusive either. The upcoming MG Jesta will be the 3rd MG to have the newly designed hands. Now to explain the first point. The hands aren't just amazing because they are amazing. They introduce more realistic designs and improve flaws we usually see in most MGs. What flaw would that be? Weapons support, gripping, and connection.

The hands have a hidden peg which can be pushed out. The weapons have the same peg which goes into the hand next to the pushed out peg. This allows for more of a strong grip and does away with the sagging or dropping weapon attachments. Models like the MG Age-2 Normal have swap-able hand pieces which are used to grip its weapon. However the weapon easily falls off after a few minutes and it sags down because of the weight. 

The Stein comes with a massive rifle so of course I am not saying the sagging is any improvement but its grip is in tight and it will only break loose if you "play" too much. If the hands don't persuade you, the inner frame should. The inner frame as mentioned earlier is made entirely out of polystyrene. What is the difference between ABS and PS? Well ABS has more of a weight to it and it also makes the final price that much higher. So to put it frankly it isn't entirely cheap to make nor is it bad. It is strong and thick if you ask me which is what makes it heavy. The PS can look identical however it is made of lighter plastic material. This improves the overall weight structure of the model. The MG Unicorn for example is molded entirely out of ABS frame. This makes the overall model have support issues especially when it is transformed into Destroy Mode. We all should know the dreaded ankle issues it has. 

Some have stated that they prefer ABS over PS more. That ABS has more of a shelf life than PS. I can't fully go into that debate because I honestly don't see a major difference. The Stein has beautiful articulation which can provide beautiful poses. I can definitely tell you in experience that some MG ABS models may look nice but I always noticed some thickness and annoyance with them. The MG Red Frame Astray Kai for example has this feeling. The inner frame was entirely in ABS and it just felt too thick. The thickness caused some obstacles in getting a desired pose down. The weight didn't help either. 

No action base used. As seen in the picture you can see it can definitely balance on it's own and pull its own weight. The hands and PS frame aren't the only positives.

• The overall design
• Frame structure, detail, gimmicks

You might say how is the design going to get me to buy it? Well let us look at Sinanju and Stein. Both are strongly different in design. Whereas the Sinanju offers more of a synthetic, natural design. The Stein offers more of a statement, confident, mechanical design. The successor in this case (Sinanju) in my opinion has always had a natural, elegance to it. It shows great depth in design and detail. Shows how beautiful mechanical designs can go. The predecessor in this case (Stein) has more of a fierce, statement to it. It offers a intimidating look to it which gives it a different type of personality. The two eyes really compliment the design. This is where I really like the Stein. Some might complain that the model is too plain to be worthy but that's IT. I believe the Stein was intentionally released to give modelers a chance to do as they wish and make their own personal statement in designs or color applications. The Stein is border line Gundam in design and with a motivated modeler it can just as well be turned into one. I see the Stein as a piece of blank paper waiting to be written on. It's up to you what you want the paper to turn into. In this case the Stein.

It still has elegance to it but it honestly looks more intimidating and still keeps the mechanical aspect compared to the Sinanju. The successor has a major difference in design basically. It looks more elegant, and synthetic than the Stein. The structure has more of a complex detail to it than previous MG releases. Although half of the frame looks similar to Sinanju the prototype, Stein still has some complex workings to it.

 The legs offer the most in frame structure. The feet have a 3-point system I like to call it. The feet are able to support themselves if they were on a flat surface or if you had a base, into a flight-like pose. The feet are separated into 3 sections. The front, the mid, and the back section. The back has the least movement. The mid can move upward and downward. The front can do the same but achieve a higher angle. The mid and front work hand in hand in dynamic poses and style. 

The video explains the inner frame more. 

How well do the weapons work? I see no complaints with the weapons entirely working. The rifle is of course huge so it could sag down but with the right angle you can keep it up. A facedown rifle isn't less intimidating though nor does it remove positives in any overall pose. The beam sabers are quite fun as well. However, I came across something awesome when messing with the beam sabers. The beam sabers can't actually be held downward so it can only be held upward using the pegs. However I pushed the backs back down for both the saber and hand and attempted and the hands gripped it nicely. Allowing for a more intimidating look. Must take a Sinanju seriously when it's hiding a beam saber in it's back. 

The model comes with an included action base connector. You simply attach the grey piece (came from Stein) onto an Action Base and your good to go. Even if the model is light as a feature, no action base can support it unless it has a support bar to hold it up. Action Base 1 is recommended for all MGs. I have yet to see a MG on a action base 2 or 3. It could be achievable but I am pretty sure the end result will be a fall down and break experience. 

Picture to show this awesome frame structure with the amazing knee separation. 

AWWWWW YEAH!

Even though I like everything about Stein I wouldn't be alright if I didn't mention the flawed backpack. Compared to the overall complex structure of the model, the backpack lacks this. It is all connection on ball joints and if you look at the pictures the pieces are just too simple. TOOO SIMPLE! It can move like you've never seen so the articulation is fine but when you go into posing the Stein the backpack is just gonna make you want to pull your hair out. The 3 ball joint function is horrible. The first joint is the joint that turns 360 and that connects the mid pack to the side packs hence making it a backpack. This needs work honestly and even though its flexible I think it is a disadvantage. There is no control point. As for the second joint it is the joint that connects the top half and bottom half of the side thrusters. It is flimsy and falls off easily if held and moved for too long. The propellant tanks have no control either. It is connected on a simple ball joint and it is the most part that lacks control. The slightest touch ruins that epic pose you spent 30 minutes doing. 

I will literally get over there for those readers who decided not to buy this because of the backpack flaw and smack you senseless. Yes it might be annoying but it is DOABLE! I love this Stein to death and it is an opinionated review of course so I think every penny is worthy to be put into the Stein. Each MG makes you work off a sweat before you get it just where you want it to be. Stein is no different and I have yet to see one that is perfect. The Nu Gundam Ver Ka even had issues with its funnel attack mode poses. Man the amount of hours it took me to find a proper awesome pose to put that guy in. Horrible but worth it. My original favorite was Nu anyway until I got a hold of Stein. This model is definitely awesome. 

I will hopefully customize it over the summer. As for you.... GO GET ONE!

(that is of course if your wallets agree with you)

(lol)

Review

Stein Review

Inner Frame Build

Body

Head

Arm

Leg

Inner Frame Review

Outer Frame

ACTION BASE 1