1:4 Kos-Mos Version 4 Pre-painted (Cast-off-able)
Well, it’s still December 31st here where I live and I would like to wrap up this year by doing a photo shoot for the “just arrived” 1/4 Pre-painted Kos-Mos version 4 from the Gathering series (Happy New Year to the folks in Eastern Hemisphere though!). I have always been a fan of Kos-Mos and the Xenosaga series, version 4 in particular is my favorite. Over the years, there had been rarely any good Kos-Mos figure, the Happinet version was fairly close but the expression seemed a bit too blank, the Alter 1/7 version was ok but the face sculpt really didn’t deliver for me, but I think my favorite version up to this point is the Alter 1/6 Kos-Mos Swimsuit version. The facial expression was still a little bit off for my taste but that was the closest we got so far. It will probably take this brand new 1/4 Kos-Mos to dethrone the best sculpted Kos-Mos crown from Alter. This Gathering 1/4 Kos-Mos will stand up to 18 inches from the resting surface to the tip of the Gatling gun, so be prepared to free up some space! As usual with Gathering Pre-Painted resin, paint job is done very nicely, the sculpt is clean and well defined. It’s pretty easy to put her together. As good as it looks though, this version I have ordered is not without flaws (which we will discuss later), but from the overall appearances and attention to details, this is still the best looking Kos-Mos figure I have to-date. So, without further ado, let’s get started~
There are packing foam everywhere to help keep Kos-Mos secured.
A close up shot to the custom base offered by E2046, and the two swappable eye pieces. I will pass on the custom base and stick with the default myself.
There are magnets bury inside the hair piece and the eye pieces so they could be swapped out anything you like.
Here is the assembled views~
Close up on the head, I think they did a fairly decent job there~
Taking a peek from the side, there are decals just about everywhere~
A closer look at the Gatling Gun, the gun itself didn’t feel too heavy, perhaps it’s cored out in the middle to reduce the weight.
Side view, you can see Kos-Mos’ semi-transparent hair give off a slight grow and reflection off my light umbrella.
Kos-Mos has such beautiful flowing hair, just wonderful!
Zooming in a little closer, there is a little gold color plated chain and more decal of course~
I absolutely love the pattern in the stockings, just so pretty and detailed!
Another view from her back, nice behind!
I mentioned earlier that there some flaws in this pre-painted kit… so here they are.
With all the packaging didn’t prevent a small piece from breaking of Kos-Mos arm, but it was easily fixable.
See the white rectangular area? It’s a match up for the gold colored “H” shape piece… I just glued it back on and continue to chunk along.
The biggest flaw in this model, in my humble opinion, is these scribe lines they put on top of Kos-Mos’ oppai…. why did they do this? Why ruin a pair of otherwise excellent oppai is beyond my capacity of understanding… I suppose it can be argued that for “mechanical oppai”, it’s ok to have those scribe lines…. but who in the right mind would want something like these in a gorgeous pre-painted figure is once again, beyond me. After tracking back and check on the promotional pictures, I can see the scribe lines have always been there, but they were very difficult to notice… Well, while it doesn’t affect me too much personally since I am not big on doing cast-off on my figure, but for others, it could make or break a buying decision, so I feel it’s best to disclose this detail right here.
Another minor flaw is a slight paint chip on Kos-Mos’ left leg, it’s pretty small so it’s not easily noticeable.
In conclusion, I believe this pre-painted is still an excellent get for “me”. But for those of you who would much rather play with the “cast-off” option, you might want to think twice before getting this version.
In order to fit this new 1/4 Kos-Mos in my display area, I have to make some pretty drastic rearrangement and here is the new look of the 1/4 display area~
Student, Library Aide
http://mechavn.org/forum
Congrats Wolf. E2046 always seem to do a good job except for the skin part. Kos Mos skin seem awfully pale >.>
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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It's a bit pale, but not too bad, she probably has better skin than the other renditions of Kos-Mos by Alter.
College Student | Anime Figure Collector
http://neo-valkyrie.livejournal.com/
Not really. Her tone is almost ghost like compared to Alter' version.
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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I stand corrected, this Kos-Mos is more pale. However, after spending time with my 1/3 Dollfie Dream, anything that isn't at least 1/5 just look out of place for me.
Avid figma Collector
http://yuuichikun.wordpress.com/
Very nice ^^; it looks like she has trap doors on her pupils xD
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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Trap doors... you used a mighty interesting term there.
Avid figma Collector
http://yuuichikun.wordpress.com/
just in case someone decides to feel her up in battle? ;)
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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I would have continued this convo if we are in eroge game forum :P
Otaku Graphic Designer
http://neoprolacus.spaces.live.com
Well for starters Kos-Mos is a construct thus the panel lines... 0_0
Student/Writer/Editor
http://em-creations.blogspot.com/
Nice. Really nice. I can't afford it because I got the 00 raiser. Some of the panel lines look a bit poor in the close ups. Are the eyes decals?
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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Do they look decal to you? No, it's painted.
student / NEET
with that precision? i never apply any eye decal, but it seem decal to me (base on my PVC's figures i had)
Oppai Inochi
http://rockleelotus.wordpress.com/
wow shes already out! beautiful piece of work, lover her legs but the cast of oppai makes me cry XD
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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True that, I died a little inside when I saw that... but I can live with it.
student
Very nice, but a bit expensive for my taste
College Student | Anime Figure Collector
http://neo-valkyrie.livejournal.com/
I still like Alter's version more. I'm not too fond of her face. But everything else about her is gorgeous!
Admin
Hmm, 18 inches tall. That's about scraping the top of an Ikea Detolf shelf. Agh, if only there were some way to adjust the height of those shelves!
This Kos-Mos is a little pricey, but she's looking so nice. I've always been wanting to get a nice Kos-Mos. I've considered Alter Kos-Mos ver. 4, but gave it up after hearing about some leaning issues and how she falls off her base easily.
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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I don't think a Detolf even come close to have 18 inches of space per shelf.
Software Consultant, Business Intelligence
http://haruji.wordpress.com/
Two of my friends received their Gathering Kos-Mos as well. Seen is yesterday. The oppai has grooves due to them putting the magnet in then covering it up I believe.
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
http://tcwenterprise.com/wordpress/
That may be, but I am sure they can also clean it up afterward.
God, you are so fortunate that your Kos-Mos arrived pretty much intact for the most part. I had ordered the same figure and recieved mine the other day. However my excitement was subdued when I opened the box to find that her right hand (the important one that holding the gun) had broken off. Not only that, the upper armor piece on that right arm was also scratched up. Then to my horror, the left lower gold armor piece at the hip was also found broken off with one of the small tiny part that attaches to the thigh chipped off. Even if I were to glue it back there would still be a noticeable chip since a piece of the skin is now missing where this piece attached. For the price I paid (not to mention EMS express shipping), this is unacceptable. I dont think I could repair her in the state she is in. I had emailed E2046 but its New Years... (grumble) so they probably wont respond till after the holidays. This is sad because she is quite a spectacle... I even had a new shelf ready for her (yes another Detolf but modified).. but this is really sad. In my opinion they should have separated that hand. And they could have wrapped the main body in plastic as well rather than just the yellow wax paper. This is my first figure from E2046 (and first resin at that). Anyone have any experience with their customer service in terms of repairs and replacements and what to expect?
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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I am very sorry to hear what happened to your Kos-Mos. It seems like your shipping box has been abused a bit too much. I have a collection of Gathering prepainted resin and have yet to see this kind of shipping damage. I don't know how they will handle this one, except to take a bunch of pictures and show them you are at no fault here.
I also believe something could be done for the right arm, it's too close to packaging form.
Sounds like yours is worse than mine was. There's definitely a design fault with this on the gun arm. Mine was broken exactly like the one in the photos above, gold 'gauntlet' part snapped off at the joint. I believe I know why - I bet they test assemble these before shipping - you'll probably notice the gun puts a huge amount of pressure on the wrist and that gold part in particular - mine does at least. It's really easy to just snap it clean off, as I found when I put her together after glueing that part back on - I used the strongest superglue I have (I've used this stuff to fix pinball machine assemblies before), ping - straight off as soon as the gun went on.
I also had other issues - one of the decals for the stocking tops wasn't glued down properly along the last 3-4mm on one leg (fixed with glue but you can just tell, as it had been scrunched slightly), there were excess glue strings all over the gun barrels like a spider web (all came off leaving no marks), and the head surround which pushes in place around her jaw area wasn't stuck in on one side, I ended up having to glue that and restrain it with padding and elastic bands until it set.
As for the gauntlet - I actually ended up fitting a 5mm metal pin to that joint. The gun still tried to move it out of place even then, but it's all assembled and seems to be holding just fine now.
Very unhappy with this - the glue strings were so obvious I can't believe whoever packed it didn't notice, and the broken part is pretty much inexcusable, given the way it was packed (very well) I can't even see how the part reached the other end of the box unless it was broken when it was put in there to begin with. The box was absolutely pristine, including the outer shipping box.
I've sent a complaint to E2046, I'm waiting for a manager to reply.
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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I don't have as much of a problem with the gun as you do, you do know there is another attachment point at the backend of the gatling gun right?
There seems to some quality problem with the decals of the stocking not being glued down properly, I feel fortunate now that I got away with just a small ding on the paint.
Indeed I do, slips out sometimes - I'll probably have to put a tiny dab of glue in there too. Hooking up that extra point on the magazine only causes an increase in pressure on the broken gold part as it lifts the back of the gun against the angle of the wrist. Several times I glued it back in the exact location it should be, and the act of connecting the magazine was enough to break the glue. It's just 1mm out of place now but you can't tell unless looking from the back/underneath the part.
There's definitely something wrong there, it simply doesn't fit, and seeing two with an identical break (lets face it - it would be difficult for shipping damage to snap 4mm square of plastic AND the surrounding paint), and another with a broken wrist which suggests stress in the same area, makes me thing the casting is slightly out, and these are getting fractured or completely broken when they're test assembled before shipping. That test assembly is an assumption based on the damage.
So it looks like I'm not the only one. It seems that right hand is a big issue, and as I mentioned above its probably due to the packing. They should have separated that arm like the left arm leaving it up to the customer to attach it. The gold gauntlet on mine is still intact but the bad thing is the whole hand piece snapped off during shipment scratching the upper shoulder armor piece. The hand is pushed up against the side packing foam. I think thats the issue.
Sorry to hear about the cosmetic problems with the decals and glue. I dont know whats worse.. having the resin pieces broken or something critical as decals/paint done wrong because I have no issues with decals, glue, or paint anywhere (except on the scratches and parts that broken off). Despite the hand broken off I tried fitting it in the gun and its a loose fit most likely will need glue to hold it together.
Anyways, E2046 got back to me and they are suggesting I send it back to them. I'm only going the send the main body and broken pieces back because I'm not willing to pay more in shipping for this already expensive figure (a recast at that) after which I paid express EMS the first time. (I can only imagine what it will cost me to send the whole thing back given its size much less be able to pack it back again without risking further damage). Yeah, if only I had skill to paint my own, I would. Maybe I should take the time to learn to work with resin now. This being the first resin figure I own, I think this will pretty much be the last prepainted resin figure I ever buy.
I just hope they fix the problem with no sign that it looks "fixed" {problems masked by simply painting over} or replace it all together however I'm not sure if a replacement is ideal if I'm sending back the body only. I'd expect the other pieces are custom fit for each unique unit.
On mine, the packing was fine - that arm was padded below and not even touching the foam sides, I believe it was broken or at least fractured before it was put in the box, at least in my case. Added to that, there was a good 1cm of bubble wrap between the Gathering box and the shipping box, I just don't see shipping damage being the cause here.
I haven't had a reply yet. Since mine is repaired as good as anyone's ever going to get it, I'm not going to even consider shipping it back. I had another preorder open with them - what I've asked for is a discount against that, although truth be told I'm very nearly considering just cancelling it. It's an Asuka on Motorbike (the old type), they announced a shipping date a few weeks ago which has magically vanished again.
E2046 just told me it will take 2 months for repairs. I'm not willing to wait that long. The other option is to send the whole thing back so they could request their workshop for a new replacement but that will also take time as well. But if I send it back, its gonna cost me another $55 USD - taking the cost of this figure well over $400 now. Either way, it seems I'm screwed. I guess another option is to repair it myself. I could pin the right hand back and apply some epoxy. The scratches on the shoulder armor I guess I could live with, just consider it battle scars. BUT... I have no idea how to go about fixing the chipped paint/skin where the bottom armor piece broke off. Any ideas? Here's some photos:
http://tinypic.com/a/1jbk8/1
If it all anything I could ask E2046 for prepainted replacement parts.
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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@Skytoast11
Wow, that level of damage is very extensive and most certainly beyond what I usually see. I am very sorry to see the kind of trouble you got there.
This level of damage is just beyond what I would consider fixing it up myself, I usually try to limit that to broken piece that can be glued back together without being visible.
I honestly don't know what's the best course of action for you, I understand the pros and cons of getting it shipped back and fixed up or getting a replacement, bottom line is, there is no guarantee solution. You just have to gauge your threshold and decide whether it's worth 55 bucks for a chance at a fresh Kos-Mos body.
Mage
Great post. If I had the space and money, I would have immediately ordered KOSMOS too. Thanks for pointing out the grooves on her breasts. That would definitly influence my buying decision. I didn't see those on the Hobby Fan website. Otherwise she is a spectacle to see. What the heck is your day job? Sorry if its rude to ask. You seem to get a new awesome figure at least once a month.
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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I have to do what I have to do, as much as I like to say my figure is flawless, I have got to say the right thing. Job? See my info. Though I am a professional otaku at night, that's for sure.
Stocker
It looks like these are some type of doors or flaps. So maybe they took inspiration from Heavy Arms and she's hiding mini chainguns under them? She even has one big chain gun ^_^.
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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It doesn't bother me that much honestly, I don't plan on displaying her with cast-off
http://myfigurecollection.net/collection/Guy9394
Don't know if the trapdoors would really influence my choice. The part which I'm still debating about is the skin color(if it is not as pale I would have bought it instantly even if it is double the price). I have to admit it looks very nice and I would have gotten it if I first saw it on e2046 or hobbyfan. But since I just had to keep comparing their pictures with the initial pictures (like from Hobby round 2) from the Japanese blogs... You've got to admit there's a big difference there.
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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The skin color does look a little pale. I might have preferred more skin tone but then again, too much skin tone is no good either. You can't compare prototype pictures like that, you won't really know what you get until you open it yourself.
Service desk support
http://lookingglass.kokidokom.net
FYI, The originals didn't have "pupils" like in this version. The lines were there to point out where a different colour was meant to be. other versions I have seen have given it either a light blue or metallic look which covered the entire area.
Remember, she is an android.
Guess I should start work on my KOSMOS soon...
Mechanical Engineer, 路過的Kamen Rider, Dollfie Dream Savior, 太陽之子蒙面超人Black RX
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Well she may be an android, but those panel lines aren't doing her any good as a cast-off-able figure.
http://myfigurecollection.net/collection/Guy9394
But it is still a killer figure and nice photos!
Service desk support
http://lookingglass.kokidokom.net
Looks like they fixed most of the major flaws from the prototype, tho I still think she's leaning too much to her right compared to the original.
But it's much better than it was. There was quite a lot of noise regarding this number on the forums and they went thru at least 3 revisions before releasing it...
Student, Software Engineer
http://miettechan.wordpress.com/
Oh god I wanted to get this kit so much. I love Kos-Mos, for her I bought Xenosaga before I even had a PS2. Alas, the price was too steep for an unemployed student like me.
That aside, she is pretty big and looks really good.
vendor
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Nice figure still a "Resin" huh...congrats & sorry UYU
Full time nerd
http://www.dreaming-artemis.com
OH heaven! It truly is beautiful! Congrats on the figure! You have truly obtained a piece of great envy!!!!