Overview
In the early 2020s, Bandai created three model kit lines that you could only get through their gashapon machines; the gunslinging Aqua Shooters, the fantasy-themed Gashapon Quest and the futuristic resistance-themed Link Travelers.
Gashapon Quest’s first set, Noah’s Town, dropped in 2022, releasing sporadically for the next two years and focusing on fantasy RPG tropes. The basic lore, at least for Noah’s Town, was that a young man, after playing a gashapon machine, was suddenly transported to the Capsule World, where he joined up with a party seeking to use the power of the Asakusa ruins to transport himself back to his hometown in Asakusa, Tokyo.
Construction and Engineering
Sporting surprising articulation and quality for a model kit line that is fundamentally intended to be pulled for from a gashapon machine, Gashapon Quest is fairly good for kits at an almost 1:24 super-deformed scale, and is surprisingly capable of poses and activities that significantly larger kits cannot achieve. We did encounter some fitting issues with the kits we had, however, with loose hip joints, and the option parts are not always compatible with all models.
Aesthetics:
No frills. This is a silly line based around classic fantasy RPG tropes with a bit of isekai spice, the sort you’d see in old Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. These kits are cute and surprisingly expressive for their size and shape, retaining surprising detail for a kit that can fit inside a tube of Mentos. If you’re looking for something a bit more complex in fantasy, you may be looking closer to the traditional 1:12/1:10 scale with 30 Minutes Fantasy or Arcanadea, but Gashapon Quest is certainly not lacking in character.
Ease of Acquisition:
Good luck.
The issue with Gashapon Quest, like Aqua Shooters after it, is that these kits are intended only for use in Bandai’s gashapon machines and are subject to being discontinued when they want to transfer to a new theme. Thusly, these kits have been discontinued already.
If you want them, you will have to go looking for them secondhand, and getting a proper set will set you back the equivalent of roughly £30 ($40) depending on where you look, even on sites like AliExpress. Some sellers may be willing to sell you individual weapons or characters for ¥2000 (£ 9/$13) on places like Mercari.
Personal Verdict?
With surprising charm and quality for their size, Gashapon Quest (along with its sister lines) is a quirky pick for the collection and a reasonable line to add to one’s collections. The main issue is trying to get your hands on one, as Bandai seems hellbent on making the experience of getting one as horrible as trying to prepare to hit a spark on Grand Order.
Personal Recommendations:
The Hero’s Daughter is our favorite by far, in both her basic brunette hairdo and her ascended form, though we also liked the Female Knight and Beast Boy.
Official Site: https://gashapon.jp/gashaponquest/ (in Japanese)
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