METAL BUILD, the popular alloy toy series by BANDAI, has introduced a new addition to its line-up called “METAL BUILD DRAGON SCALE”. This new series celebrates the 10th anniversary of MB and features the highly anticipated “True Trinity Universal Man” as its flagship model. The METAL BUILD DRAGON SCALE series continues to deliver the beloved “attractive alloy feel” and adapts to the changing styles of character design. It incorporates new features such as movable mecha-like dragon scales and an internal structure with soul.
The True Trinity Universal Man is visually stunning, with its white and bright red main body and shiny metallic surface. Players can add arm blades and back wings as accessories to enhance its appearance. The arm blades can be installed without any division between left and right, while the back wings require the removal of small covers on the back before connecting them. Once completed, the True Trinity exudes a commanding presence, standing at approximately 22cm tall (28cm including the wings) and weighing around 740g. The wings can extend up to a maximum height of 45cm, adding to its grandeur.
The True Trinity’s facial features have been modified to achieve a more slender appearance. Its chin is more prominent, but when viewed from the side, it slightly affects the face shape. The legs prominently feature metallic parts, and additional metal components are used in the exposed areas of the feet and shoulder joints. The overall metal texture is visually pleasing. The armor has been redesigned with the incorporation of hexagonal lines, which complement the True Trinity’s design. Engraved lines have also been added, although some improvement is needed to enhance their accuracy and precision. Nevertheless, the original design elements and characteristics of the True Trinity are preserved.
Transparent parts are utilized on the shoulders, chest, and legs, allowing light to pass through and reveal the intricate internal details. While the outer armor of the legs can be removed to expose the yellow parts, only the light portion of the legs can be disassembled. The other parts can only be viewed through the transparent outer armor.
In terms of mobility, the True Trinity offers a range of movement. Its head can look up to 60 degrees and down to 45 degrees, with a 360-degree rotation. The shoulders have an interesting movable feature that adjusts as the chest armor moves. The arms can rotate 360 degrees forward or backward, and when raised flat, they move along with the shoulder armor to maximize space. The forearm can rotate, albeit with a limited range of around 100 degrees, while the fist can be moved slightly. The bending and side waist movements have a smaller range, and there may be some impact due to slight looseness in the waist joints. The legs can move forward or backward, but their range is limited, unable to reach 90 degrees and even less when flattened. A hidden movable plate behind the calf allows it to move back to the shoulder. The toes can also be lifted slightly, and there is a movable armor piece on the soles of the feet.
One notable issue observed during mobility testing is the loose connection between the legs and the waist. The joint utilizes gear joints, resulting in noticeable gaps between the gears. This affects the stability of the upper and lower body. In general, the overall physicality is not particularly strong, and the use of a stand is recommended for larger-scale movements.
The True Trinity comes with several oversized accessories. The redesigned purple-black giant black wings are visually stunning with a metallic purple color, imparting a sense of mechanical elements and a metallic feel. The wings have two joints, with one allowing limited forward and backward movement and the other enabling full flare-out in a straight line. The model also includes three arm blades made of plastic that possess a pseudo-metallic feel under the silver coloring. Larger arm blades can be easily replaced.
In addition to the solid fisting hand, the True Trinity comes with four additional hands. One of the hands is specifically designed to tightly hold the oversized weapon called the “Tomahawk.” The tomahawk is approximately 40cm long and features a shaft made of soft rubber, giving it a fragile appearance and a bendable feel. However, the front part of the tomahawk can be transformed into a sickle, with the front portion made of stable metal parts.
Special effect accessories are provided to recreate classic light tricks. The cover plate in the front belly can be removed to reveal these special effect accessories.
Overall, the METAL BUILD DRAGON SCALE series offers a visually striking and highly detailed model with various movable parts and accessories. Fans of the series can look forward to experiencing the True Trinity Universal Man’s imposing presence and the added features that enhance the overall experience.