Kaiyodo Artpla Zoo sets: a review by Kikimalou

We've already talked about it a bit on the forum, and some of us have shared their disappointment, but I'd still like to introduce you to the Artpla series that kaiyodo has brought us in 2022.
I bought all the boxes because I couldn't resist the promise of a whole series of finely sculpted 1/35 scale animals.
As for the zoo characters and other scenery, I left them in their boxes.
Speaking of boxes, that's where the adventure begins, the figures are delivered in boxes that remind me of those found in 'science toy' shops in my youth.
The packaging is very pretty, certainly to make up for the gift inside: Heaps of parts to be scraped, trimmed and glued to finally appreciate the delicacy of the sculptures.
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The Lion's Cluster
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Once the models have been assembled, they still have to be made up with Plasto or Tamiya putty to remove the joints, and then painted.

Kaiyodo includes a painting guide in three of the boxes.
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Hours of stress and fatigue ahead…

The Zoo series so far includes 5 boxes containing a total of 18 animal figurines representing 11 African species and one from the Seychelles.

Here they are, box after box

Set 1: Zoo keepers & lion
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The Aldabra giant tortoise with the Britains Grand ma’
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The Honey badger
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The Lion and a Hausser Elastolin uncle
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The Warthog with a giant Starlux
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Set 2: Tourists & Giraffe
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The small Aldabra giant tortoise with Britains grand mother
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The Reticulated giraffe with a Starlux old lady
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The Shoebill with a Starlux flamingo
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Set 3: Zoo keepers & Baby gorilla
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The Aardvark with the old Prior
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The Reticulated giraffe calves with a Britains calf and also with their mom
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The Western gorilla baby with the Starlux mountain gorilla… Sorry
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The Spotted hyena with the Clairet striped hyena…Sorry again
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The White rhinoceros calf with the Hausser elastolin calf
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Set 4: Zoo keepers & White rhinoceros
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The African elephant calf with a Hausser elastolin
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The Dwarf crocodile (as far as I know first ever in the Toy universe) with the small Starlux Croc
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The White rhino with he Starlux one
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With calf
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Set 5: Tourists & Elephant
The African elephant with a Starlux and with calf
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At last the whole family portrait
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Congratulations Christophe for your courage to undertake this challenge. Remarkable photos, montages, very instructive comparison.
The animals have beautiful poses! Very promising set with additional characters! I really like that everything is on the same scale.
Too small for me. But I can't wait to see them painted Christophe, you will still need a lot of time and patience. Good luck As well as a good pair of glasses.

Do you think you'll paint them, or have them professionally painted?

Thanks for the comparisons. Great to see what they look like in reality rather than in the promotion picture. I think the bright colours give them their own charm when they are unpainted. I don't collect unpainted figures and I am too lazy and untalented to paint them. Hopefully one day, Kaiyodo gets the brilliant idea to paint them.

I'm sure you'll be busy for a long time. I love to enjoy each picture and comparison but the family portrait is the best one. Thanks for presenting us this alternative universe.

congratulations on all these amazingly detailed and intricate models Christophe!
They look very finicky to put together though so well done for making them up.

These look fantastic all together, and especially with the comparison photos. Nearly all of them could fit into a 1/32nd flock. I really love the giraffe babies, infact the box 3 is my fav but I really love them all.

I hope you enjoy giving them coats and colours, however they do look good in these pretty monochrome colours too.

Thank you all for your comments.
So what do we say?
Yes, I think they're very pretty with their pretty colours, my first idea was to collect them as they are, but the seams are really too visible for my taste.

So I decided to paint them and open the door to my 1/35 shelves.

No professional painters in sight, no budget either and I like a challenge so I'm going to paint them. I'll share my adventures and possible misadventures with you.

Clearly it's going to take some time, especially as I still have five models to finish painting and a good twenty or so waiting their turn.

Despite the unfortunate result of a job that Kaiyodo should have taken more care of, the family photo has its charm. What's more, the blister of the figures in such a bright purple is attractive to me unpainted.
As a curiosity to say that the hyena set has been edited in baby blue and pale pink.
I would love to see these figures painted by you in the future....

What a beautiful, detailed sculptures! I'd love to have at least one of this sets in the future. Painting such small figures sounds as a nice challange.

Thank you for them So I wish you will be able to catch at least one of them.

I will try to do my best to succeed in the challenge

Thank you.