[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BusouShinki_ArnvalMk2Box_7253.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Small, adorable, and fierce fighters]]

''Busou Shinki'' is a line of female action figures produced by Creator/{{Konami}} from 2006-2012. The figures, called MMS ("Multi Moveable System") figures, are highly poseable and [[CombiningMecha feature many interchangeable parts]]. Several body designs are available, but they are not all compatible with each other, even though they all use the same peg-sizes. Most figures consist of a basic body with add-on weapons and armor parts. Another type of release are the [[MechaExpansionPack EX sets]], which only consist of armor and weapons and require the buyer to already own a MMS body. Furthermore, blank bodies that include a stand are also sold for customization purposes or use with EX sets. Each figure stands about 15 cm tall, which amounts to 1:1 scale, as each Shinki is supposed to be a [[RobotGirl small robot]].

Each figure [[MerchandiseDriven includes a code that allows the figure to be unlocked]] in Konami's on-line Battle Rondo game and Diorama Studio. Each figure has been designed by a known Japanese artist.

Incidentally, this line of toys is the brainchild of Fumikane Shimada, who is also responsible for ''Anime/SkyGirls'' and ''Anime/StrikeWitches''.

The toys received two anime adaptations, the ''Busou Shinki Moon Angel'' downloadable episode in 2011 and the ''Anime/BusouShinki'' TV series in Fall 2012.

''Moon Angel'' covers the story of an Arnval MKII who was rescued and adopted by a boy, who then gave her the name Kaguya, naming her for the beautiful princess from ''Literature/TheTaleOfTheBambooCutter''.

The toyline had a tied-in web browser game, ''Battle Rondo'', which was later discontinued in favor of the ''Battle Masters'' series of Shinki games on the Sony PSP, and the original Arnval and Strarf MKI made appearances as guest playable characters in VideoGame/{{Otomedius}}, where they were portrayed as gynoids made by reverse-engineering alien technology.

As of late 2015, model kit manufacturer Kotobukiya has purchased the rights for Busou Shinki from Konami and has been working on modernized Shinki model kits of the original Arnval and Strarf MKI, with updated articulation and body structure based on the ''Machineca'' standard employed in ''Toys/MegamiDevice'' figures, which, in itself is an evolution of the MMS body-type. This new generation of Shinki adopted Koto's standardized 3mm pegs for weapons and accessories, as parts can now be interchanged between Kotobukiya's figure lineups, such as the original Frame Arms and their feminized ''Toys/FrameArmsGirls''.

In late 2017, Konami made an announcement: they touted a [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2017-12-29/konami-teases-revival-of-busou-shinki-franchise/.125871 revival]] of the ''[[https://i.imgur.com/WGczIKM.jpg Busou Shinki]]'' franchise, with several artists collaborating to design all-new Shinki. The aim, according to the project's slogan, is to "Re Arm, Re Boot, [and] Re Construct". Collaboration with Kotobukiya and a tie-in mobile game have been confirmed. By 2018, Kotobukiya announced the development of the B-Series Megami Device girls, who are basically Busou Shinki being built with the new ''Machineca'' bodytype, and started the lineup with all-new Shinki taken from the new mobile game.

----
!!Busou Shinki provides examples of the following tropes:

* AllThereInTheManual: The boxes, online bios, wikis, and [[AdaptationalExpansion video games]] give us the official info. on the characters, including official personalities.
* ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge: Xiphos is described as using a now ancient style of combat, making her an oddity in the battlefield. Same could be said about her traditionalist sister, Benio.
* BadassAdorable: Considering that every character is a RobotGirl with a varying amount of weaponry, this trope is rather prevalent.
* BadassBiker: [[http://www.xl-shop.com/xlshop/product_images/KONAMI/KONA_MMS_YDA.jpg Yda]] and [[http://xl-shop.com/xlshop/product_images/KONAMI/KONA_MMS_ACH.jpg Ach]] are of the speed bikes variety, and [[http://68.media.tumblr.com/01c6d9050aecda237490e531880105f4/tumblr_oai1vyZaoI1tyt4y8o1_500.jpg Estroil]] being of the kawasaki bike variant, and [[https://myanimeshelf.com/upload/dynamic/2011-07/25/658.jpeg Jill Rivers]] is another biker.
* BadassPreacher: Harmony Grace is a nun variant.
* BalancePowerSkillGimmick: Shinki are classed as [[MightyGlacier Heavy]], [[JackOfAllStats Balanced]], [[FragileSpeedster High Mobility]], [[DifficultButAwesome Aerial Supremacy]], and [[MechanicallyUnusualClass Support.]]
* BarbieDollAnatomy: Even on 'blank' bodies, Shinki lack certain feminine attributes. Fanmade unofficial custom bodies, however, ''may'' possess them.
* BattleBikini: Some shinki wear skimpier clothes in their battle form than in their normal form, while others have a lot of exposed unpainted skin-tone plastic under their armor.
** One such offender is Gabrine - in "normal" form, she already wears a short cut crop top with {{underboobs}} to match, and in "battle" form, a "top" that can best be describes as [[{{Stripperiffic}} "pasties".]]
** The Violin and Guitar Shinki, Sharatang and Baby Razz, have mostly skin-tone bodys with paint apps that suggest either swimwear or underclothes, as their armor is styled as clothing.
* {{BFG}}: Several Shinki come with oversized guns, like Arnval MKI's beam rifle, which has a body-length greater than her height, and Fort Bragg's massive shoulder-mounted cannon. There's Artille as well, who comes with a large artillery cannon and a shoulder mount that can seat it.
* {{BFS}}: Some of the melee-focused shinki have massive weapons. Tigris has a scissors blade sword designed for her large battle armor, while Strarf MKII and her Lavina repaint have a massive katana for theirs.
* BilingualBonus: "Murmeltier" is German for "Woodchuck". Because of this, Murmeltier's been given the nickname of "Panzer Voodchuck" by the english-speaking community.
* BreastExpansion: In a manner of speaking. Several of the Shinki come with breastplate armor that can be swapped with their "unarmored" breastplates. For a number of Shinki, their Armored Breastplates are at least a cup size larger. Maryceles and Proxima, the Tentacles and Centaur Shinki, are two of the Shinki with this phenomenon. Ianeira, the Mermaid shinki, has ''massive'' breasts on her 'battle' breastplate, which according to the official profile are actually her flotation devices.
* TheCameo: There's a rare shinki of [[http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/3290583680_73f02ee5ab_o.jpg Nagi Sanzenin]] from ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'', aptly named the "MMS Type ''{{Ojou}}''", and an even rarer shinki of [[https://danbooru.donmai.us/cached/data/__aisaka_taiga_busou_shinki_and_toradora__64c9c9b3ff536f43cf41e96917c53e3b.jpg Aisaka Taiga]] from ''Literature/{{Toradora}}'', naturally named the "MMS Type [[PintSizedPowerhouse Palmtop Tiger]]".
* CanonImmigrant: Tsugaru is originally from ''VideoGame/{{Beatmania}}''.
* CatFight: The premise of the games ''Battle Rondo'' and ''Battle Masters'' essentially.
* CatGirl: Maochao. There's also a ferret girl (Partio), a Tiger girl (Tigris), a Lynx girl (Artille), a dog girl (Howling), and a squirrel girl (Pomock). All of them are adorable.
* ChefOfIron: Double - subverted with both Mirienda (MMS Spoon), and Kohiru (MMS Chopsticks). Both come with combat utensils - that can't be used as actual utensils. Doesn't mean they don't have Good recipes and cooking skills with ACTUAL utensils,though.
* CombatTentacles: An unusual example. Maryceles can use her tentacles as shields. [[TentacleRope Or as arms.]]
* CombiningMecha: Several shinki 'wave sisters' have semi-official portrayals of their armor combined together into a larger two-toned mecha, like Vitillus and Tigris, and the Beetle Sister shinki.
* CrackIsCheaper:
** [[InUniverse In the lore]], a Shinki costs about the same as a high-end computer.
** InUniverse Shinki Masters spend significant sums of money buying clothes and doll-sized furniture and props of all kinds for their Shinki. In the anime series, several Masters own holographic or VR kits for their Shinki to roleplay and hold sparring matches inside of, while other shinki show off nice clothes their Masters buy for them, and a Shinki owned by a JSDF personnel was given camping equipment and portable field charging hardware by her Master.
* CrocodileTears: [[TheBabyOfTheBunch MMS Calf]] [[http://www.angolz.com/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/600x/17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1/K/O/KON13580_a.jpg Vitulus]] is regularly appearing in official art is crying. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=getKHIzNW-Y As shown in the third Battle Rondo opening,]] it's revealed that this is for setting up traps, when done in combat.
* CuteMachines: Well, Cute Robot Girls. The [=MMS3rd=] Small Shinki and the Kemono Shinki designed by Blade are especially adorable.
* CuteMonsterGirl: Some of the themed armor.
* EldritchAbomination: Maryceles, MMS Type Tentacles, is themed after the creatures from the Franchise/CthulhuMythos. Her bonnet can even be worn as a battle mask instead, and this is said to bring out the violent side of her personality.
* ElegantClassicalMusician: Sharatang, the Violin shinki. She is armed with a violin and has the motif of an elegant musician, with her performance hardware built into her sleek black/gold armor. which resembles an elegant dress.
* EmpathyPet: Maochao, Howling, etc.
* EvilTwin: The Dengkei exclusives of Eukrante, Ianeira, Arnval, and Strarf (well, more like good twin, but whatever), as well as Arnval MK. II Tempesta, Strarf Mk. II Ravina, Altines, and Zielbellen.
* {{Expy}}: Xiphos. Blond chick in silver armor over a blue dress and wielding a sword? [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Where have we seen that before?]]
* FloralThemeNaming: Flower and Seed Type.
* GirlishPigtails: Some of the Shinki sport this hairstyle, such as Lirbiete, Strarf, and Valona.
* GratuitousGerman: Panzer Type Murmeltier [[note]]Tank Type Marmot[[/note]].
* GreenThumb: Both Zaryadarya and Juvisy fight using unusual bio-weaponry, described as seeming alien to anyone not familiar with their models. [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]], in that Zarydarya has been known to activate peoples allergies to pollen.
* HellHound: Gabrine, who sports a spiked collar on her alternate chestplate and has a hellhound-themed helmet. She even has a pair of hellhound-headed gauntlets, which, true to her motif, have their own subprocessors and sensors, allowing her greatly-enhanced reflexes when battling.
* HotAsHell: Type-SUCCUBUS Valona. Her headgear and flightpack have a bat-wings motif, and her primary breastplate has cleavage while her secondary breastplate has {{underboobs}}. Her close-combat fighting technique is even described as looking like she jumps/crawls into her opponent's arms!
* IdolSinger: [[MagicalGirl Schmetterling]], who has a butterfly motif and is armed with a microphone and stand. She comes with a robot dog drone that has nuclear symbols plastered on it and can be transformed into weapons for her.
* ImprobableWeaponUser: There's a whole category on Battle Rondo and roleplay wikis for special weaponry that shinki can use. Such include [[GreenThumb bio-weaponry,]] [[ThePowerOfRock music,]] and more.
* [[JapaneseBeetleBrothers Japanese Beetle Sisters]]: Lancamento and Espadia. Both armor sets form their own beetles (Rhinoceros Beetle for Lancamento and Stag Beetle for Espadia.) and can also combine together to form a beetle themed robot.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Most of the Japanese-themed characters. Strarf MKII in particular has a [[{{BFS}} giant Japanese-styled sword]] that she can wield with the massive hands of her Armor.
* [[{{Youkai}} Kitsune]]: Renge. Her 'nine tails' are made of swords, and she has large ears and expressive eyes, as well as facial markings remiscient of some Japanese ''kami'' portrayals in traditional art. To complete her 'gatekeeper fox' motif, one of her breastplates has a Shinto shrine gate moulded into her collar, and she can be rather strict when scolding the player in the ''Battle Rondo'' web game.
* KnightInShiningArmor: Xiphos, who comes with a full suit of plate armor and a variety of weapons, including her large knightsword, several sidearm blades, and a polearm/lance.
* LaserBlade: A number of the Shinki, like both the MKI and MKII Arnvals, have these. The Vic Viper Sisters Lirbiete and Vivietta come with beam sword blade attachments for their transforming armor.
* LittleBitBeastly: About half of the line, usually with UnusualEars either using armor pieces or hair.
* MoeAnthropomorphism: All of them.
* {{Mons}}: The entire premise of the line.
* MoreDakka: Some shinki come with Gatling or machine guns.
* {{Miko}}: Asuka.
* MusicalAssassin: Sharatang is a classical musician who can put a whole town to sleep with her music, while Baby Razz, her younger sister, utilizes ThePowerOfRock.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Some shinki figures have extra arms for holding weapons attached to their armor, such as Starf models. Special mention goes to Maryceles, who has [[CombatTentacles four extra hands.]]
* MythologyGag: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJjLeWQz4Ek Tsugaru listening to music during the 2nd opening of "Battle Rondo"]]. See CanonImmigrant, up above.
* {{Ninja}}: Fubuki and Mizuki.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: A number of Shinki combine multiple archetypes of character design into a single package. For example, Asuka is a {{Miko}}, a fighter pilot ace, ''and'' her own plane at the same time.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent / OurDemonsAreDifferent: Arnval and Strarf (Type Angel and Type Devil, respectively) are the very first examples any Shinki fan could think of, although a few other figures use a similar theme.
* PaintedOnPants: Or very tight [[LatexPerfection body suit]]. The most famous example is Graffias, MMS Type Scorpion, whose outfit can be generously described as "Duct tape". There are also the exclusive swimsuit bodies for Arnval MKII, Strarf MKII, Athlene, and Altines, which were made as a tie-in for the TV series anime, and the exclusive repaint Summer Swimsuit variants of Oorbellen Lunaria and Zielbellen Amethyst, all of whom have essentially skin-tone Blank bodies that have had their swimwear painted on.
* PaletteSwap: About half of the exclusives are recolors of regular releases.
* PuttingOnTheReich: Murmeltier again, as she's based on a German tank. Yet no one can explain why her uniform's jet black color scheme reminds them of the Waffen SS that much.
* ThePowerOfRock: Baby Razz, Type Electric Guitar. She's armed with a guitar that has a switchblade built into it, and has speakers as part of her battle armor.
* RobotMaid: Strarf MKII Lavina invokes the look of a {{meido}}, with her black-and-white armor pattern and a neat little red tie on her breastplate.
* RoyalRapier: Subverted with both MMS fencer shinki. Instead, they use long swords and shields.
* {{Samurai}}: Benio. Her armor even comes with a fearsome battle mask.
* SantaClaus: Tsugaru, whose armor is red with white stripes. Her weapons can combine into a sleigh.
* SchoolSwimsuit: Two of the blank MMS bodies are essentially this, being featured in blue and white.
* SeashellBra: Ianeira.
* SensualSpandex: Without nipples or camel toe, but if Konami could have gotten away with it...
* ShedArmorGainSpeed: Xiphos and Benio are both described as being able to switch between heavier and lighter armor at will, in order to choose between defense and speed.
* ShoutOut:
** Lirbiete and Vivietta, the Vic Viper Sisters, are themed after the player's ships in VideoGame/{{Gradius}}.
** MMS Type KNIGHT Xiphos, with her blue armor, longsword, and blonde hair tied up, bears a significant resemblence to [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Saber]].
** Artille's black repaint, with the missile pack and railgun attached in a particular fashion and her helmet visor down in combat mode, has more than a passing resemblence to some of the {{VideoGame/Metal Gear}}s.
* ShowgirlSkirt: Maryceles's tentacles can be adjusted to waist height and fanned out in this fashion.
* SiblingYinYang: As many of the Shinki were released in pairs wave by wave, they are often collectively considered to be 'wave sisters' by the fandom. As such, they usually have some manner of contrast, like Arnval and Strarf being angel and devil shinki, Maochao and Howling being the cat and dog shinki, Benio and Xiphos being the Samurai and Knight shinki, Vervietta and Lirbiete being the Vic Viper and Lord British, Werkstra and Valona being the Angel Cop and Succubus, Oorbellen and Zielbellen being the [[Theatre/SwanLake White and Black Swan]] jewelled fencers, and so on.
* SmallGirlBigGun: There's ''lot'' of this going on, most notably Arnval MKI and her signature massive beam rifle.
* {{Stripperiffic}}: As a side effect of having the in-series conceit that Shinki treat any clothing they receive as "armor", their unarmored paintjobs can sometimes be revealing by human standards.
** Graffias, the Scorpion shinki, has a mostly skintone body with rather scant purple markings that resemble a skimpy exotic dancer's outfit.
** Ianeria, the Mermaid shinki, has a rather scant green paintcoat that either suggests swimwear or mermaid scales.
** Sharatang and Baby Razz, the Violin and Guitar shinki, have basic paintjobs that suggest swimwear or underclothes, as their armor is basically clothing.
** Gabrine and Renge, the Hellhound and Kitsune shinki, have a lot of skintone plastic exposed, and their battle breastplates show even more skin.
** The limited edition Oorbellen Lunaria and Zielbellen Amethyst, being both Light Armor shinki and a special swimsuit variant of the Jewelled Black/White Swan Fencers, have mostly-skintone torsos with just their swimsuits painted on.
* SuperIntelligence: Of the "Exceptional Perception" variety; Gabrine's described in her official bio as having 3 separate processing units, so as to enable hyper processing. In theory, this should also make her of the "Manipulator Extraordinaire" variety. In practice, [[MoreDakka she prefers to just mow down the enemy with as many bullets as possible.]]
* TemporaryOnlineContent: The online game Battle Rondo had several online-only shinki parts, none of which were made available in real life. It also had a free diorama to play in, also gone.
* ThisIsADrill: Maochao's armor set comes with a drill as one of its weapons.
* TinMan: [[http://images-e2046.com/images/products/c4ca4238a0b923820dcc509a6f75849b/81b2880de43cc4ea66dddb2541c05ed7/9137d02fa4cba520f682a59fff6144e0.jpg Justice]], one of the last made shinki, if not the last period, was designed to be a much more emotionless fighter than the rest, going off design. In practice, she more TheComicallySerious.
* TokenMiniMoe: The MMS 3rd Small body type invokes this image, with the 1st and 3nd Tall body types being OneHeadTaller (MMS 2nd is dedicated to licensed characters, the sole difference from 1st being that they lack a modular chestpiece design that would allow for hotswapping).
* TransformingMecha: Several armor sets, like the ones belonging to the Vic Viper Sisters and the convertible trike/quad vehicle-armor sets of Ach and Yda.
* {{Tsundere}}: Several shinki are described in their profiles as having difficult personalities in various ways, yet they can still make loyal and loving partners if cared for.
* {{Underboobs}}: Several Shinki, for example the Succubus Shinki Valona, sport this.
* VirtualPaperDoll: The ''Battle Rondo'' browser game allowed you to customize your virtual shinki quite extensively, and included something like a creative mode to let you run wild with your imagination.
* WeaponBasedCharacterization: Given the figure line's lack of characterization and backstories, each shinki gets different weapons to set them apart. Battle Rondo allowed you to give unique ones to your shinki. These ranged from things like [[BigBulkyBomb large missiles]] and [[ThrowDownTheBomblet hand grenades]], to [[HeroesPreferSwords swords]] and [[SinisterScythe scythes]], to [[BattleBoomerang boomerangs]] and [[RedBoxingGloves boxing gloves]], to.... [[FeatherFlechettes Feathers]], a silver fork, and [[ImprobableWeaponUser an ordinary pen?]]
----