Xen

Sculpted by Tom Lishman

Designed by Piotr Czajka

Illustration by Jun-Ki Jeong

Painted version by Arkaitz Perez Vallecillo

Produced by Neko Galaxy Miniatures

Scale 75mm

Price at time of writing 52.00 Euros

Materiel Pink resin

nekogalaxyminiatures.bigcartel.com

Packaging and Contents

The model was ordered directly from Neko Galaxy in Poland and arrived well packaged and secure with no problems. At the time I ordered the model Piotr was away on holiday but I was contacted right away and informed of this which I really appreciated as I knew what was going on at all times.

Added to this was the fact that a day later I decided to order another model from them, once again Piotr contacted me saying he would refund me one of the postage costs as he would send them both together. For me that was really good customer service as I wouldn't have thought anything about paying two postage costs as I ordered them separately but what Piotr did was a nice personal touch.

Now onto the actual packaging. The box is made of sturdy cardboard with the art work on the front and the product info on the side and the packing medium is crinkled card which is great as it means it all can go in the recycling bin when I'm done with it. The parts came secure in a plastic bag which was stapled shut so all parts where held in place nicely.

The contents of the box includes 7 resin parts, these are the legs, the torso with head, the gun hand, the main bike body, the rear bike body, the handlebars and finally the bike front bumper.

As well as these parts we have a Neko Galaxy sticker which is very cute, who doesn't love a crazy cat sticker and also a art card featuring the concept art. The art card is business card size and the colours really pop, and that completed a really nice package.

Kit Components

Torso with Head and Gun Hand

The model is a nice 75mm model and as such has plenty of room for details. The torso has a main pour spout on the bottom and two smaller ones there as well, there is also four more small spouts linking the straps on the sleeves to the jacket. All of these will come of with a pair of clippers and will need minimum clean up after. The mould lines are very faint and wont need much work to remove and I really did struggle to find any so the primer would probably cover them up anyway.

I really love the design of this model and having grown up with 80's and 90's anime and manga it automatically makes me think of Akira with that amazing jacket. As I hold the torso in my hand rotating it while writing this review I still can't believe how intricate it is from the straps on the sleeves to pockets and badges and the hood all sculpted with loving care. But at the same time this would be so easy to paint, just a bit of under painting and some glazes of brown and you have a great looking leather jacket then just pick out the details. Even though it has a lot going on this model really doesn't feel intimidating to a painter which is a big plus to me.

Now the face does have a slightly anime feel to it but I have seen other Neko Galaxy models painted with a realistic paint job and it does change the feel a lot. So for anyone who likes this sci-fi look but not so much the anime style you really could paint it in a more realistic way. The face has some really nice hair which is stylised without looking cartoonish and the face has one of the best expressions of defiance and rebellion of a proper biker.

The gun hand will perfectly fit onto the torso arm in a casual resting pose which fits with the rest of the model very well. There are two spouts to be removed one on the wrist and one on the end of the barrel these will both clip of easily.

I really like the gun design as it feels familiar while at the same time having a futuristic look to it, I always like when sci-fi has it's roots in reality and this continues throughout the whole model.

Legs

The legs have little pour spouts on the base of the boots which will need clipping off, I have searched for mould lines but I just can't seem to find any it's been that well cast. As the legs will be the main bearer of weight for the kit I will put brass rods in both feet to anchor it to the base and also a brass rod in the crotch to secure it to the bike, this should give it a lot of stability and support.

The legs have been really well sculpted with a nice tight fabric that includes enough creases to really make it look realistic. Added to this are some really nice details like the stripe down the side of the legs the knee pads and the small circles on the thighs which break up what could otherwise be a plain area. And I have to mention it but with this pose leaning over the bike that is a derriere extraordinaire well done to the sculptor.

Last but by no means least we have the boots. A classic and cool biker boot design that would work with classic leather or some bright coloured look also. The sculpting is top quality and the straps look great and even, all in all it just blends with the legs perfectly and works with Xen' outfit.

Continued in the next post

Bike Main Body




The bike front has three pour spouts at the rear and the remains of a casting block and so far I can't find any mould lines on it at all. I really love the bike as it reminds me of one of my favourite anime films growing up Venus Wars, but this one is even better as instead of a single wheel it's a hover bike and who wouldn't want a hover bike.
A big plus for me is that despite it being a hover bike it looks like it would work, it has pipes it has exhausts, lights, a tank and all that a real bike would have. I love the little details on this piece like the bolts and the display screen at the front, it really is packed full of cool little things to paint in different ways. Added to all that cool and style is the design element, the handlebars have a perfect groove to fit into as does xen' legs on the seat and the back section will line up perfectly. This has really been designed perfectly to make it as easy as possible for the modeller to assemble and also paint.

Bike Back



The bike rear has three pour spouts on the bottom and the remains of one casting block all are minimal and as with the rest of the kit will need only light cleanup after removal. This is designed to match up perfectly with the front and the way it has been designed means you won't need to fill any gaps once the two pieces are together. I love the smart design of the rear with some nice looking fins and just under those some foot rests with a nice grip detail on them. At the very back you have exactly what you hope for with some amazing exhausts, these would look great just painted with some metallic paints or if you feel brave you could try a little osl painting.

Handlebars and Bumper



The handlebars have three little pour spouts on them and that is about it when it comes to cleaning this part. Now this is only a small part but you have some great detail on the grips with a twist pattern design and you also have some tiny wires on the bars as well. This piece will slot in nicely to the front of the bike and even though it is just a small part it has had some thought put into it's design and function.
The bumper has a single pour spout on it and also a plug to attach it to the bike body. Its a simple piece but like the rest of the bike it fits in perfectly and has some fine detail in the form of little holes on the front and grooves on the underside of the ends.

Final Thoughts

My experience with this kit was great from the start when I received excellent customer service and I do think that's important as it shows Neko Galaxy has a lot of pride in what they are doing.
The kit priced at 52 Euros and I think it's a very fair price, it's 75mm and you have a vehicle with it so you end up with two fun things to paint and both offering different experiences. I'm not sure if my photos show up the number of details all over this kit as every time I tilt it at a new angle I see something extra I didn't notice before, it really is a treasure trove of detail and creativity.
This for me is also a great example of how a 3D sculpt should be done. It has all the feel of a hand sculpt with the personality showing through and also the feeling that a person made this and not just a machine. And then you have the big bonus of 3D work, everything just fits like a glove. It's amazing how well designed the kit is and how easily everything just pushes together once the spouts and blocks are cut of, every little hole and grove has been made to fit perfectly and it does. I personally don't mind some putty work or some sanding but if I don't have to do it then all the better, and with this kit you simply wont have to, you will just be able to enjoy painting almost right away.
I would recommend this model happily to anyone as I think even if it's not someones taste or chosen subject matter it will still be fun to paint and just go crazy with. Maybe it will also be a nice break from the norm as I know often in our hobby we can get burned out from painting the same things over and over again, and that's why I'm discovering so many new companies trying to find fun things to add to my collection.
Now before I finish I wanted to mention one last thing. Neko Galaxy has cast this in pink resin as a way to identify there kits and alert people to recasts, recasters tend to use a cream or yellow resin. Sadly some of there kits are still being recast so if you do decide to get one of there kits I would recommend ordering direct from them but if you do order from elsewhere and you are unsure if something is a recast or not just give Piotr a email, he is really friendly and always happy to help.
Now after a long review if you made it to the end thank you very much and as a reward a nice picture of a painted version by the very talented Arkaitz Perez Vallecillo.

Gary

Glad you like the review Nap and it really was great customer service. I might just bite the bullet and make this my model to paint.
I will certainly suggest to Piotr to start posting here as I feel Neko Galaxy's models would really be appealing to the members.

Gary

another one on the wishlist

Hey Franck glad you like it. I have another review of a Neko Galaxy model to do, just waiting on one last thing before I write it up.

Gary

Keep an eye on Neko Galaxy. Got some great things to come.

Thank you for the review Gary! I have seen this figure before but didn’t know the manufacturer. Now I know where to order it! Thanks!
-Gerald

Hey Gerald I'm glad the review helped you find where to get the model. Just be careful because if you're like me once you go on the Neko Galaxy site you will want more than just that one model.

Gary

Awesome review indeed ! Just got my hands on one today (3 years too late ) and looking forward to finishing it with the new Vallejo Xpress Colors and Pro Acryl paints . Going to find a way to add in a cat as an homage to Neko Galaxy for producing this wonderful kit . Cheers!
Kenneth.