E2046 is an online retailer specializing in anime and Japanese modeling and garage kits. They also produce their own line of kits as well. Their kits come pre-painted, but unassembled, to allow collectors and and to have high quality items without the need to learn painting techniques. This is their “Gathering” line of resin model kits. E2046 was kind enough to supply us with one of these kits for review.
This review focuses on their Dante pre-painted Gathering model kit. Dante is based on the lead character from the Capcom video game series Devil May Cry. This model kit portrays Dante from the original games, and not the rebooted (and quite fantastic) DMC: Devil May Cry game. In the game series, Dante is a demon hunter, always looking for vengeance against those that killed his mother.
Packaging
Dante comes in a black, heavy cardboard, box. The front has a sticker showing the figure on the inside. The left and right sides are emblazoned with the Gathering logo. The box is strong and sturdy. Once opened, the kit is packed tightly into a styrofoam tray. Additional, die-cut pieces of foam cover the slots to keep the kit and its pieces nice and snug. All pieces are wrapped tightly in plastic. It’s meant to withstand long distance shipping and does a great job of keeping the contents intact with little to no movement inside the packing. However, this tight packing comes with a slight detraction. The parts are packed so snugly that great care needs to be taken when removing the contents. The plastic is a bit more delicate than some kits, and the detailed areas can be prone to breakage if not handled with care.
The Model Kit
Once removed from the packaging, Dante does require some assembly. However, it’s only a few pieces and they all slide and sit in place with little to no effort. The pieces include the sword, one of his trademark pistols, a piece of his trench coat and the two ends of his belt. I snapped them all in place in less than 2 minutes and set Dante on his base.
Once assembled, Dante sports some serious details, especially for the size of the kit. Dante stands 7″ tall from head to toe. You’ll notice immediately that the kit is extremely light weight. The skin and hair are painted in a matte, nearly flat color. The rest of the kit sports a variations of shinier paints to give the look of different textures. The coat, gloves, pants, shoes and belt all have a darker paint wash over it to bring out the details a bit more and add some depth to the sculpt.
Review
Dante sports a stylized anime look. He looks much closer to the portrayal in the Devil May Cry animated movie than he does the games themselves. As stated before, the sculpting is top notch here. The details in the sword, glove, and clothing is quite good. The gauntlet on his left hand is especially nice. His pistols, Ebony and Ivory, sit in their holsters and also sport some excellent detailing. The face is a little less detailed and much smoother as is all of the skin areas. It doesn’t mesh 100% in my opinion, when scrutinized up close, but the overall look is quite fantastic.
As I said earlier, the plastic on here can break very easily. I actually snapped off a piece of the sword hilt when unboxing. Thankfully, it was at a connection point and a little glue fixed it right up. And while the accessories and pieces all fit together nicely, I would recommend gluing them in place eventually, as the nature of their connections will likely lead to loosening over time. Not a necessity, especially when initially put together. These are minor quibbles overall, though. Basically don’t be an oaf (like I was) when handling it and the thing will never break on you.
Bottom Line
Like my previously reviewed Jinohga Armor Hunter, the Dante pre-painted Gathering model kit looks very impressive on display. The strong sculpt and paint details make it stand out. Just use some care when handling and you’ll have a great looking Dante for your shelf.
Check out a full gallery below. You can order the Dante pre-painted Gathering model kit by Clicking Here.
