Robot Damashii Dragonar-1 Custom

Metal Armor Dragonar (機甲戦記ドラグナー, Kikō Senki Doragunā
© Sunrise 1987) Bandai: Robot Spirits Dragonar no. 169

Ah Dragonar you continue to hold me in your grasp despite the fact that I'm not crazy 'bout ya as a series. There is no doubt that Dragonar as an animation is hardly all that original or gripping, but there is no denying that the robot design is stunning in it's execution.

By now everyone who is familiar with the show has figured out that it's basically Mobile Suit Gundam reformatted and delivered in a different package. In fact it would have been nothing really of note or interest if not for Mecha God Masami Obari who took the initial design of Kunio Okawara (the famed original Gundam designer) and reworked it in his own style.

Case in point:

from this:

Yawn...

to this:

WOW!!!

I hate to say it but had Sunrise decided to go with a different animator with their opening to this series, using the Okawara model sheet, Dragonar would probably never be on my radar.

Yet I still buy Dragonar merchandise. Why do I keep doing this to myself? What witchcraft is this?

I even bought the much hard to find Newtype 2nd edition!!! Cover illustrated by Kenichi Onuki.

What is this hold you have on me?

Never mind on to the review. The figure measures roughly five and a half inches tall and is a good match for any Gundam models in the 1/144th scale.

 


Anime version:

To be fair here is the second opening since it is the topic of discussion.

Overall a good figure, but a bit pricey considering it's size (currently about $60.00 USD). This may put off a lot of potential buyers, but the price point is really in it's engineering. I guess it depends on the tastes and pockets of the individual.

Designer Kunio Okawara