Megami Device

Overview:

Produced by Kotobukiya in 2016 from the ashes of Busou Shinki, Megami Device carries on with a similar premise, based around the premise of the titular Megami dolls fighting one-another. The Megamis are fully-functional robots from different manufacturers, though with the exception of Yggdrasis, those names are unknown. 

Out-of-universe, the toyline was the result of a long series of collaborations between Kotobukiya’s Masatoshi Aoki, Masaki “Apsy” Asai and Toriwo Toriyama.¹ The kits are advertised as 1:1 as the Megamis are that size in-universe, but in practice are closer to 1:12, so purchase with that in mind. 

Megami Device actually refers to a series of different model kit lines; in universe, these are different factions while out-of-universe, these kits are designed by a different artist, driving their different aesthetics.

• Women’s Imperial Space Marines/WISM, a line of Megamis based on sci-fi space marines based on an in-universe anime popular at the time. Artist: Fumikane Shimada
  
• Sonic Operation Lady/SOL, a line of Megamis based on rapid travel and traversing the battlefield with designs more reminiscent of Busou Shinki. Artist: Kuroboshi Kohuaku (known for character design on Kino’s Journey, Princess Principal and being the designer of hololive streamer Ninomae Ina’nis) is credited as illustrator, while Takayuki Yanase (Gundam, Valvrave, and Frame Arms Girl, as well as the original Frame Arms) is credited for design.
  
• ASRA, starting out with a ninja theme before veering into Japanese mythology akin to later line AUV. Artist: Nidy -2D- (Division Maneuver, Gun Sword.EXE, Zillion x Enemy TCG, some work in Vocaloid doujinshi  circles)
  
• Chaos and Pretty, magical girl and fantastical-themed Megamis. Artist: Nagi Ryou (Ar tonelico, the YU-NO remake)
  
• Bullet Knights, Megamis based around a vague RPG aesthetic while also using oversized weaponry. Artist: Yasutaka Isegawa (Gacha Girls Corps, The 6 Year Old Sage Wants to Hide in the Shadows)
  
• Accel Unlimited Vanguard/AUV, Megamis with very complex designs based on the deities of Japanese myth. Artists: Nidy -2D-
  
• Buster Doll, relatively cheap Megamis who use schoolgirl-themed designs reminiscent of Azur Lane or Kantai Collection. Artist: Parsley (Girls Frontline, Elf Village, character design for hololive’s Sakamata Chloe)
  
• PUNI☆MOFU, kemonomimi/animal girl-themed Megamis with an emphasis on cuteness. Artist: BLADE (Busou Shinki).
  
• Desire Maiden. Unlike the other lines, this line has no particular in-universe gimmick; out of universe, the entire creative team behind Megami Device is involved in their creation.
  
• Yggdrasis, a line of Megamis based around tactical military aesthetics and Norse myth, intended to be rivals to ASRA by their creators, Bifrost Technologies.² Artist: Nidy -2D-

In addition, the line also features crossover kits with the following:

• Frame Arms Girl: The line adapts Baselard, based on her variation from the anime, as well as giving her a magical girl variant.
  
• Alice Gear Aegis, a Japan-only mobage developed by Pyramid that began service in 2018. The game is notable for featuring designs by Fumikane Shimada, Kanetake Ebikawa (known for his work on Gundam and Full Metal Panic) and Takayuki Yanase. For more information, read their dedicated article at the end of the guide.
  
  As an aside, this game has other ties to Kotobukiya; Sousai Shoujo Teien’s Ritsuka and Emma are playable characters, using armor derived from Hexa Gear and Megalomaria designs.
• Busou Shinki: A Konami toyline from 2006, this line is well-known for being a spiritual predecessor for Megami Device, sharing many of the creative staff such as Shimada and Apsy. The collaboration between Konami and Kotobukiya on this line lasted only three of an announced five sets; Jaeger Edelweiss, Strarf and Arnval, before quietly dying.  At least several variants of the released kits were released years later. For more information, read their dedicated article here.
  
  One of the kits intended for this line, Taonyao Type Cheshire Cat, one of the cancelled kits, is notable because she was the predecessor to PUNI☆MOFU’s Mao, while the body design intended for her was instead given to the Alice Gear Aegis Aika and Ayaka kits.

Construction and Engineering

As the industry standard for girlpla, Megami Device is to girlpla what Gunpla is to mecha kits. Their sublines run the gamut of difficulty; the earlier and less complex lines are, though harder than the beginner-aimed 30 Minutes Sisters, still fairly easy to build, while the highly complex AUV kits are among the hardest and most intricate kits on the market, though not unfairly so – if you want to tackle the likes of Susanowo Souen or Amaterasu Eclipse, be prepared to block out more than a few weekends. 

Megami Device, having run as long as it has, has evolved in its architecture significantly, such that there are many distinct periods in its development. For more information, the Useful Links section provides a direct link to a layout of the various “Blocks” of Megami Device as a detailed explanation is beyond the remit of this guide.

Regarding plastic quality, most of the rather extensive toyline is fairly good, though we will say we did encounter plastic quality issues from the older WISM kits. This is not the general experience most builders have, however, so it is likely that if there are batches afflicted by iffy plastic, they are few and older in number, if at all.

Megami Device sets the gold standard for girlpla articulation courtesy of the Machineca body template; nearly every other girlpla line uses either Machineca or a variant thereof, with insane articulation and poseability that has only improved with later lines and that many other lines have copied or improved upon. An evolution from the MMS system used in Busou Shinki, Machineca is so fundamentally part of the girlpla landscape that it’s easier to find kits that don’t license it or pull very close approximations of it. 

To summarise, from the perspective of a rookie builder, Megami Device is the standard you should be looking for in model kits, and most people will be comparing the standards of model kits in relation to what Megami Device does, because it is almost certainly the best at it. Even hallowed giant Bandai can, at best, manage a shaky second place.

Aesthetics:

If 30 Minutes Label prides itself on letting you make your own perfect Sister, Megami Device prides itself on having something for everyone. With nine sublines (and counting) and several collaboration kits covering many different themes, there really is something for everybody in Megami Device. The sublines also set the industry standard for how a girlpla should look. 

Furthermore, Megami Device benefits heavily from being produced by Kotobukiya, who provides several lines of accessories to further modify the Megamis, from Little Armory’s guns³ to Modeling Support Good’s various accessories. Many fans have also become manufacturers that produce aftermarket parts for Megami Device, which makes customization even easier, a product of Megami Device’s license – a notable name in this space is Muscuto, whose products ramp up the sex appeal and are understandably much sought after.

Megami Device sets the standard for girlpla aesthetically and runs the gamut of modesty and immodesty; while the militaristic WISM, Shinki-like SOL and magical girl-esque Chaos & Pretty are modest in appearance, ASRA and Bullet Knights are fairly immodest, with PUNI☆MOFU in particular catering to the lolicon aesthetic through Mao. As such, if you are fairly averse to these kinds of designs, do keep this in mind – however, with such a wide variety of sublines to choose from, Megami Device has something for everybody and you will certainly not be left out.

Ease of Acquisition:

Given the wide range of kits, there is a wide variance of price and ease of acquisition. Most of the usual suspects (AmiAmi, HobbyLink Japan, Kotobukiya USA) will have them for sale, and from there it depends on the specific subline you want. WISM will usually retail for around ¥4000 (£18/$25) while the absolute titan that is Alice Gear Aegis Sitara Ver. Ganesha will retail for around ¥13320 (£62/$83). Research is key to you getting the most bang for your buck with so many different sellers and kits to choose from.

Personal Verdict?

As the industry standard for girlpla, Megami Device is arguably among the most popular girlpla lines on the market, and many a modeler will swear by it over their competitors in Bandai and across the ocean in China. With a host of different sublines with radically different aesthetics, you will not fail to find an aesthetic you might like. Moreover, the kits strike a balance between being reasonably complex while still being accessible to even relative newcomers to the hobby. 

Put simply, there is a reason why Kotobukiya practically corners the market on girlpla, and Megami Device is the jewel in their crown.

Personal Recommendations:

While our personal favorites were the WISM girls, some of the finest work in the entire line came from the AUV girls and girls who used AUV architecture, as well as both variants of Bullet Knight Executioner. We also highly recommend the Alice Gear Aegis girls in general.

Official Site: https://www.megamidevice.com/ (does have an English site, but the English site is largely outdated)

https://www.kotobukiya.co.jp/en/title/megamidevice/ (for kit information)

1.  As an aside, one of the predecessors that laid the groundwork for Megami Device were Kotobukiya’s Phantasy Star Online kits, also the product of collaborations between Koto, Apsy and Toriyama. More information can be found in that article. ↩︎
2. It is speculated that this might be a crossover cameo of HoiHoi-san, whose kits are also produced by Kotobukiya, as some of the Yggdrasis Megamis were secretly intended to destroy HoiHois. ↩︎
3.  As a side note, these are manufactured by Tomytec. They are, however, heavily crosspromoted with Kotobukiya kits, notably with Sousai Shoujo Teien. ↩︎