HCM-Pro O Raiser

Change of tide?
HCM-Pro 00 Gundam isn't exactly complete without this little guy I suppose. XD





As shown previously in its dedicated reviews, HCM-Pro 00 Gundam is pretty good on its own. All its designated weapons at the beginning and middle of the anime series are given. This HCM-Pro O Raiser is almost like a mere add-on set for that Gundam, where the main feature would be the docking and formation of 00 Raiser. Two extra accessories given are the long beam blade parts for GN Sword II and the display base. I can't really imagine anyone would buy this just for O Raiser itself. Maybe there are folks like this out there, I just can't understand the point for that ^^;




I mentioned before that HCM-Pro 00 Gundam is a lot more complete as compared to the HG 1/144 scale plamo kit equivalence. Between the two, weapons like the shield and the ability to combine the GN Sword II are only available for the HCM-Pro version. However, resulting from that 'advantage', this O Raiser seems a lot less in terms of content. ^^; Cut away the backpack and GN Drive parts to be swapped onto 00 Gundam for 00 Raiser formation, the long beam saber parts, a special tool and the display base are the only extras given. At 1,785 Yen (inclusive of tax), it's quite an expensive add-on set. ^^; I got mine as a set bundled with 00 Gundam at a really low bargain price, so I got no complain at all, but I can imagine the trouble some of the fans had when deciding to get this for their HCM-Pro 00 Gundam when this O Raiser was released back in mid March last year.

A change of tide it seems: ^^; HCM-Pro 00 Gundam is much better in terms of content than the plamo kit version; but HCM-Pro O Raiser seems less attractive as an individual release as compared to the plamo kit version.

Would it be better if Bandai released the complete set of 00 Raiser right from the beginning? Not really, because HCM-Pro 00 Gundam is one of the first merchandises from "Gundam Double O" Season 2, revealing O Raiser right from the beginning would probably kill the excitement of its debut in the anime. Same case as Gundam Nadleeh (Season 1), GN Archer and Seraphim Gundam I think. I kind of feel that Bandai might had some trouble deciding how to release the individual sets of HCM-Pro 00 Gundam and O Raiser when they are still on the drawing board, or maybe not. ^^;

The combined set in designer's color is a much better choice if you don't have 00 Gundam. Then again, because the set release was out in between 00 Gundam and O Raiser (December 2008 for the combined set, March 2009 for O Raiser) I believe many people were having trouble deciding if they want to go for the combined set at 4,725 Yen (inclusive of tax), or O Raiser, which wasn't announced when the earlier is released.

Typical Bandai marketing moves there ^^;

Anyway, back to the figure itself.



Paper cutouts of Saji Crossroad and Louise Halevy on the flaps.


Box open.


Content view on the front


Content view on the back. Just the manual, no extra accessories.


All items are placed on the top tray. O Raiser is placed in a rather awkward position for the top portion of the figure to be shown through the clear windows of the box.


Backpack and GN Drive parts for 00 Raiser, and the long beam saber parts.




Manual



Extra leaflet introducing the release of Arios Gundam and GN Archer set.


O Raiser.






Details of the figure.


Mount rack to connect the figure to the clear display base.



Another point to add on to my comment about not many people would buy this as an independent release is the lack of articulation on this figure. Only the 4 little flaps and fins on the top and bottom portion of the wing binders move. There's no articulation for the base of binders or the tail like the plamo kit version. Too small to be implemented on the HCM-Pro version? Or maybe those extra features would increase the price? I'm not sure at all. ^^;



In before the 00 Raiser docking, which will be in the next posting. ^^
By the way, O Raiser is the last release from the regular HCM-Pro series. After it, Bandai only released items from the SHCM-Pro series.

A sad mark of the end of HCM-Pro series this O Raiser is. ^^;