Overview
Masahiro Shimamoto is, perhaps, not a name you’ve heard of in the girlpla scene. However, he has a long and storied history in the modeling scene, having been working on garage kits since the 90s and working on 3D modeling at Namco for some time. IMDB does credit a Masahiro Shimamoto with work on the light gun game Time Crisis (a childhood favorite of ours).
In 2003, he began work on what would become Mobile-Movementess, setting out lore and the like. In Shimamoto’s MoMo, after a surprise invasion of the Earth by aliens, the enigmatic Xodd lent humanity the titular Mobile-Movementesses to stave off the threat. However, with the aliens defeated, humanity began to turn on each other using the MoMo units to fight, including a terrorist group intending to destroy all MoMo units.
By 2015, Shimamoto would begin releasing limited runs of action figures through the studio shinryaku-ROBO (itself having had a history in the garage kit scene since 1997), as well as a one-off with Toy Notch in 2024. Most relevant to this guide, however, are the two model kits shinryaku-ROBO put out in 2022, the white Orca and the red Dread Red.
While strictly speaking, these technically fall under mechapla once again, they fall into the same grey area that the Virtual-On, Gene Interference and Megalomaria toylines occupy, so we figure we can cover them also shut up it’s my guide and I do what I want.
Construction and Engineering
While the plastic quality is solid if not spectacular, the real attraction is the articulation. The kits really live up to the Movementess aspect of the name, with an absolutely ridiculous amount of articulation for a plastic model kit; that is, except for the head. The head, with a hairdo roughly describable as “Bruno Bucciarati with an afro and spikes” is remarkably stiff. We did encounter an issue with the fact that the provided scabbards aren’t too good at holding the MoMo’s swords.
Ease of building isn’t too difficult. If you’ve dealt with Megami Device, MoMo won’t have you too twisted. The kit isn’t particularly complex, with box sizes roughly equivalent to Sisters.
Aesthetics:
A tall leggy fembot with visible nipples isn’t exactly our wheelhouse, but Shimamoto knows what he likes and, judging by the fact we can scarcely find these things secondhand, so does his audience. Fans of mecha like the Strelizia or the Valsione will especially love MoMo. In all honesty, though, Shimamoto’s artstyle is a bit of an acquired taste, so if you find yourself a little weirded out, don’t worry about missing out.
Ease of Acquisition:
Being limited run items from a fairly small studio, your best hope for finding these model kits is secondhand stores – and this time, not even AliExpress or Taobao will save you, as these kits were basically only ever sent out from Japan. Original retail price for a MoMo kit was around ¥4500 (£21/$28); we personally lucked out and got her from Mandarake for ¥2200 (£10/$14), so we think it’d be a steal if you can get one for that much.
Personal Verdict?
An odd little pair of model kits, Mobile-Movementess is not too dissimilar with similar artist-driven lines like chitocerium and Guilty Princess, with perhaps an aesthetic and choice of subject that might be an acquired taste for most modelers. If you vibe with Shimamoto on a spiritual level, or always had odd fantasies about the Strelizia, this one’s for you.
Personal Recommendations:
Honestly, as the two kits are exactly the same bar color, it’s reader’s choice as to which one you pick.
Official Site: http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/optune/ (in Japanese, site not secure)
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