DISCLAIMER: There have been recent bootlegs of the Rosan and Liber Knight kits made by Yulong Fang Model of lower quality than the Bandai original products. Please be aware of these when shopping on sites like AliExpress and Taobao.
Construction and Engineering
While above their Sisters in difficulty, Fantasy does not exceed it by much. Someone migrating from Minutes/Sisters or even a HG is going to be thrown off by the build, but only briefly.
The low skill floor and entry required for Sisters is also true of Fantasy, including tool requirements.
While lacking the complex engineering tricks of non-30ML lines, Fantasy far exceeds the Sisters and their Missions counterparts in articulation, with insane amounts of articulation for a 30ML kit equivalent to a Machineca-derived kit.
Aesthetics:
Customisation is just as much the name of the game for Fantasy as it is for the rest of the line, especially with a series of Weapon Option Parts and Class-Up parts that are roughly compatible with the entire line – or parts designed for interconnectivity with Sisters.
Occupying the fantasy niche only targeted by a few other toylines (Arcanadea, Isekai Techo no Ryoko), 30 Minutes Fantasy distinguishes itself by its heavily armored aesthetic, with no skin to be seen anywhere on any kit, reserving that for customisation with its fellow Sisters line. Later kits in the line add more fantastical touches, such as the Dlro Skeletons and the Wyvern, giving this set a more “serious” fantasy vibe than the others.
Everything else in this section that is true of Sisters is also true of Fantasy, especially as regards complexity and customization.
Ease of Acquisition
Fantasy kits continue the tradition of 30 Minutes Label kits being cheap, costing roughly ¥ 2000 (£10/$13). However, there is a twist; class-up armors cost a further ¥1000 (roughly £5/7 $7) and are necessary for the more complex and impressive-looking kits. Furthermore, places that already sell other 30ML parts will also generally have Fantasy, without the P-Bandai restriction that blocks off some Sisters kits.
Personal Verdict?
Like Sisters, Fantasy is an ideal line to start with if you’re not familiar with model kits, with the added benefit of having a fairly unique aesthetic among model kits. With Bandai being at the pinnacle of their model kit prowess with Fantasy having learned their lessons from Sisters, Figure-rise Standard and Gundam Cos Heroines, Fantasy is well worth the time of any modeler in the hobby, from the person who has barely held a pair of nippers to the lad with a house full of kits.
Personal Recommendations:
We loved the initial kits (Liber and Rosan Knight), especially the Paladin Class-Up variants. We also loved the Archers, especially due to having properly adapted bows (which are infamously difficult to create in model form).
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