DONE @p.4 +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami (NGE Battlefields; Max Factory kit conversion)

Dizzyfugu · November 19, 2025, 01:49:10 AM

The kit and its assembly:
This is a rather exotic project, and it took some weeks of preparation before I could start with hardware work. It is the attempt to create an anime character figure of which I do not think any model exists at all. The subject is Kotone Suzunami, and it's is not a shame if you had not heard of the character until now at all – even me, who has been quite interested in anime for decades did not know her and only became aware of the character but that is probably due to her media "origin".
Kotone Suzunami is an original character from (and created for) the Evangelion Battlefields computer game, introduced in Season 2. She is a newly appointed Evangelion pilot and popular content creator for an unnamed in-universe video streaming platform.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

My first impression when I saw her for the first time was that she was just a re-skinned Rei Ayanami with a wild hairdo, but upon closer inspection I recognized some differences on her plugsuit, beyond the different colors, and I thought that building a figure of her would be a nice challenge.

Since I am not a big sculptor it was clear that I would convert an existing kit, but finding one – either in The Stash™ or at retail/online – turned out to be more difficult than expected, due to different issues like posture or being original (and quite valuable) kits. I even procured a 3D-printed Rei Ayanami model as a potential basis but found it at ~1:6 scale to be VERY large and bulky (even though detail and fit are very good!). Eventually, I stumbled upon the two Max Factory/PLAMAX kits of Rei Ayanami in her white plugsuit. At first I thought that it was a poseable action figure model, but effectively it's a snap-fit statue with a fixed pose, molded in proper colors, so that you can put the figure together in less than an hour – but probably with a very good and presentable result.
Max Factory offers two versions of the kit: one "original" Rei Ayanami with her characteristic bob hairdo, and the other boxing comes with flowing long hair. This version comes from the 'Rebuild of Evangelion' new theatrical edition, a re-boot of the original anime TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Otherwise, both kits are the same, though.
I settled upon the flowing hair kit, because Kotone's weird hair style caused me some headaches since I had to create it somehow. To avoid sculpting with 2C putty I hoped that I could trim the flowing hair down and use the excess material (the WHOLE blue sprue below is only for the figure's hair!) for Kotone's overhanging hair, so that I'd also avoid material mix and use simple styrene glue to put the "wig" together.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Work started carefully with the arms – building this type of statue/kit is quite new for me, even though I had some experience with Bandai's 1:12 action figure kits for Star Wars. However, the fact that the PLAMAX kit is intended to be a simple snap-fit kit, to be assembled without glue and paint, created some issues. I could have built arms, legs and torso as complete modules and then paint them, but I wanted to use rattle can paint for light shading effects. This would be easier to accomplish when the differently colored sub-builds would remain this way until they had been painted, with a final assembly step. The kit's construction makes this impossible, though , or would require complex (and doubtful) masking. In the end I modified the parts so that they could be painted separately and then finally assembled, grinding away locator pins and other internal alignment aids. This move also offered the benefit of being able to safely PSR away light seams and other mismatches – even though the latter are minimal, the fit of the parts is really excellent, this is detail work on a very ambitious level.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

More to come soon, and this one will take a while to materialize!

Dizzyfugu · November 20, 2025, 12:29:35 AM

In parallel I also started with the legs – same strategy: no external changes yet, but internal mods to allow later assembly after painting parts with different colors. Due to their construction the upper legs required some light PSR. What's really neat is the kit's construction and production in differently colored material. For instance, the "stripes" on the upper legs are separate parts, so that they can be conveniently painted in a different color. Their shape on Rei's plugsuit does not 100% match those on Kotone's, but I leave them this way because I feel that modding these details is not worth the hustle and the potential flaws I add to the model. That might have been easier with a simple and massive resin kit.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

As another parallel work step beyond the model itself I created a display base for the figure. It comes with a neat hexagonal black base, but for a "uniform look" in my cabinets I adapted my standard base design. It consists of a square 4x4" melamine-coated press board base, flanks covered with edge-band and custom adapters made from sprue material that fit into respective openings under the figure's left foot. Some PSR was necessary to fill some dents, carpet tile material was used underneath, and later the whole thing was painted black with matt acrylic paint from a rattle can.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · November 21, 2025, 12:20:55 AM

Legs were assembled yesterday, and their fit si - again - very good, just some sanding was required to smooth out intersections. As another major body module, the torso came next and it required more work, because Kotone's plugsuit differs in some respects from Rei's.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Again, I made a compromise concerning details and what the kit offered as basis. The most obvious difference is the belly area and the zip at the front. Rei's suit features what I call "headlights" under the breasts, and these had to be removed - the kit makes this easy, because these are separate parts, but the leftover holes had to be filled and blended into the rest of the body. The zip is also shorter, and an area between the breasts had to be levelled out and PSRed, too. Due to the separately-colored/molded parts I also had to PSR the shoulder area, and the "0" on the suit's back (also separate parts) had to be hidden, too. However, Kotone's back is quite obscure, I only found a back picture of a quite rough Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. plastic figure of her, which suggests that her suits also has a similar shield and an "opening" underneath that releals the light grey "underwear" under the red suit. I'll not sculkpt this in hardware, but might try to add a painted solution.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Wardukw · November 21, 2025, 09:54:25 AM

Some rather simple sort of work here Thomas mate ,,but i think the paint job is going be where a epic is at

What colours are ya going to paint her in bud ?

Dizzyfugu · November 22, 2025, 12:42:25 AM

Well, it's not so simple as it seems, it's the details that take time and I am scared of the hair. But "we cross the bridge when we get there". Concerning colors I try to stay true to Kotone's appearance in the game, and I will use rattle cans to paint most of the parts/modules. Finding proper tones for the plugsuit (and slightly different tones to apply a light shading effect, too) was another challenge I had to sort out before building the figure. I went for RAL tones, RAL 3005 (Weinrot, and a Montana grafitti spray called "Royal red" for highlights) for most of the suit and RAL 7035 Lichtgrau (and RAL 7047 Telegrau 4 for shading; I wanted to avoid pure white because it would look very harsh in contrast to the red) for the suit's "inner sections". For good adhesion, opacity and contrast I will give all parts a thin coat of grey primer first, before adding the real color – also as thin as possible, because the OOB IP parts match (very!) tightly and too much paint would certainly impede the good fit.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Additionally, work on the torso continued with PSR, and the lower back has been added because I have to complete that area first to add the four "3D cheatlines" under the armpits. Early plan was just to use decals for them, but then I found that the extra effort to add them with some depth is worth it, despite painting challenges later.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Steel Penguin · November 22, 2025, 01:53:37 AM

following this with interest

the whys and wherefores of the decision making process give a good line to follow.

Dizzyfugu · November 22, 2025, 07:05:45 AM

Not much new to show. Work on the "ribs" takes longer than expected - they were created with semi-circular styrene profiles and some more PSR. Here the left leg has been dry-fitted to the torso to check the resulting seam.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Unfortunately I dameged one somehow when already in place, and repairing/replacing that took some time. Quality of that area will have to be checked with primer, though, which I hope to add tomorrow.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Old Wombat · November 22, 2025, 10:06:31 PM

Kinda weird looking build process (to me), but I'm watching!

Dizzyfugu · November 23, 2025, 12:50:22 AM

Yes, building figures/statues is VERY different, and creating one as an IP kit is a new challenge for me. I have built some 1:12 action figures with joints, but this one/type is a novelty. But it's also a good distraction from usual small-scale vehicles, calls for different solutions/techniques and some brainwork.

BTW, first parts/modules have received a primer coat, but I will do them in two "badges" because there are so many small parts to handle (and keep apart).

Dizzyfugu · November 23, 2025, 02:03:29 AM

Grey primer has been applied to the single parts/modules of the body. Quite a lot of bits and pieces, but this is due to the plan to paint the parts separately according to their colors and only then assemble them.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

This has to dry thoroughly now and I will have to check the surface quality here and there, at some seams and esp. on the torso - even though the area where Rei's "headlights" disappeared and were replaced with 3D ribs looks quite good for a first glance.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

At the moment the plan is to finish the body with paint first before I start with the head and the (*shudder*) hair, but since I might only be able to apply paint to the primed parts after inspection and potential detail PSR in daylight towards the next weekend, I might start earlier.

Dizzyfugu · November 25, 2025, 06:50:17 AM

Not much new happened in the meantime. Primed parts are still waiting for inspection and further prep, but the home-made "standard base" now received a coat of satin black paint:

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Addoitionally, a preview for the scary hardware things ahead: the head, esp. Kotone's weird hairdo. I did not expect that the kit came with a pre-printed face (on bare plastic, though), but since it looks quite nice and Kotone actually has reddish eyes like Rei, too, I will probably stick with this and start a fight with the hair parts...

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · November 28, 2025, 01:55:52 AM

Looks a bit like a déjà vu, but work on Kotone's body resumes. I'll do some surface inspections on the parts, but so far things look good and I might be able to use the daylight to bring forth the rattle cans and start painting the bits and pieces.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · November 28, 2025, 03:03:36 AM

Grey parts have already been spray-painted, now it's the red parts' turn.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · November 30, 2025, 12:42:59 AM

Couldn't post progress yesterday, but now there is a lot new to show. I was bit worried about too much paint on the parts and that this would impede assembly. But this worry turned out to be negligible, though: the painted parts fell very well into place, even the slender "cheatlines" on the legs went nicely into their narrow slits. The hands, which each consist of four parts, two painted in different colors each to match the gloves in- and outsides, went to together more easily and precisely than expected. A real positive surprise.

However, some detail painting still had to be done, like the light grey "ribs" and the zipper, and area on the back under the "satchel", and on the legs under figure's knees. Thanks to the spray paints' good adhesion on the primer there was no masking mess, though, and that process went raltively smoothly, too. The yellow "V" on the chest was created with generic yellow decal material, though, a more convenient solution for that prominent and bumpy area. Another yellow highlight, on the armlets (AFAIK buttons that let the plugsuit in- and deflate) was provided as a separate part molded in yellow plastic, and I used these OOB parts as intended - again, fit was perfect.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

In parallel to the final painting I eventually started with the mostly dreaded aspect of the figure: the head. To my surprise I found that the kit comes with some pre-printed parts, which includes the face. This is crisply done and looks great, but also bears the drawback that you can hardly paint the skin of the face and change the tone. However, since the moulded plastic's tone looked quite good and the surface has a very nice matt finish (unlike the glossy rest of the kit) I decided to stick with the printed face. One problem solved - but the real one now reared its ugly head: the hair!
O.K., a lot of the OOB material will be cut away, but before you cut you better "understand" how the hair was supposed to be built, its "construction". Because, unlike typical resin kits, the hair is not massive, it consists on this IP kit of layers and add-ons of "hollow" hair parts that somehow are supposed to fit into each other and eventually onto the head (which has tons of holes to attch them, like a Swiss cheese - looks a bit scary...!). So, as an initial step to re-create/scratch Kotone's rather wild hairdo from the OOB material, I started carefully to find out what and how belongs where, to define where I can shorten the hairdo.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Battlefields) +++ 1:8 Kotone Suzunami / 涼波コトネ (Max Factory/PLAMAX kit conversion) +++ WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

NARSES2 · November 30, 2025, 12:53:30 AM

Coming along nicely Dizzy

That last photo does make me wonder just how many old fashioned wooden clothes pegs we modeller's have laying around our benches, and if we indeed we are their last refuge ?