Summer 2013

Summer time is when I get to usually remind myself that I actually have some time to work on my model kits. Unfortunately, 3 years have passed and I am still stuck with the same predicament of having this idea yet ending up doing only a fraction of my goal. Procrastinating me I guess. ^^

So these year, let me unveil my vaunted plan to get some of my kits done. Some are a wee bit old while some are literally brand new. As I have left all of the older ones unopened in their boxes (safely tucked away in some corner of the room),there are absolutely no worries about them kits being affected by father time. And yes, I do check on them from time to time and thankfully I have to say that they are in pretty much near mint condition. The intended kits are as below.     

From top - bottom, then left to right: RX-93-ν2 Hi-Nu Gundam, Double Fin-Funnel Set Custom for RX-93 Nu Gundam, RX-78-3 Ver. 2.0 G3 Gundam, RX-93 Nu Gundam ver. Ka, MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam ver 2.0, OZ-00MS Tallgeese I and the only RG in the lineup, RX-178 Gundam Mk-II.

Saying that I am a big fan of Amuro Ray is an understatement. Ever since I have laid eyes on my very first SRW games, he's turned out to be my favorite pilot. And that is even before I got to watch my first Gundam series, which was and always will be awesome. =)

Fanboyism is what fuels the appetite for any collection, and this has so far resulted in the acquisition of  the currently 3 yr. old on my shelf Hi-Nu, the celebrated Dec. 2012 release Nu ver. Ka, the companion webshop limited edition Nu Gundam Fin-funnel expansion set for Nu ver. Ka, and the '09 release but newly aqcuired G3 Gundam ver. 2.0. All piloted by that guy, yes. 

While I already have a MG RX-78-2 One Year War version, having more RX-78-2's wouldn't hurt (*wallet coughs*). I was actually choosing between this G3 and the original RX-78-2, which in truth are just the same sans the color scheme. Ended up with the G3 because it literally looks a lot cooler than the original. The subdued colors look like what you would expect from a real life military unit. Bright and  flashy colors just might not be the best idea in a battlefield. 

More shots of the G3 with his beam rifle and crusader shield. Yes that core fighter can be displayed independent from the main unit, which is a big plus. And since this is a ver. 2.0, one can always expect a great build. Rightly so, this is a great looking kit, with lots of accessories for lots of play options. Action base not included though.

1/144 Real Grade RX-178 Gundam Mk-II.

Moving on, also did get the RG Gundam Mk-II. This is just my second RG, my first being the Aile Strike. I also have this in MG ver. 2.0 form, but that too is also still sitting on my shelf in its box. =) 

RG's are know for their level of detail and articulation which can rival that of the bigger MG's. While they may be nice to look at, there are certain drawbacks which I can tell you based on experience. First is kit stability. After finishing my Aile Strike, I intended to arm it up then give it a nice pose. Granted the hand has almost PG articulation, but the simple act of getting the weapons fixed in the hand is such a pain. Getting it to pose will also be a pain with weight issues popping up here and there. I've also dealt with parts falling off from time to time but that is minor compared to the others I have mentioned before. Second is the so-called detail vomit. Too much details and stickers can make it look a lot less appealing. But you can always opt not to put on all the stickers really so in the end it all comes down to the modeler's preference.

While earlier RG's are expected to have those problems, MK-II is but a new release from 2012. The critics gave it a passing mark and is said to be a very fine and stable kit, a real step-up from its predecessors. We shall see soon enough. 

Webshop limited item Nu Gundam Ver, Ka Double Fin Funnel Custom Unit.

This Fin-funnel custom unit is made as an add-on to the Nu-Gundam ver. Ka of 2012. Got this from an HK retailer for a lower price compared to those being sold here. Initially, the Nu gundam has 6 of those remote controlled weapons of mass destruction included. This expansion will give it another 6, which can enable you to mount a double fin funnel configuration that turns this already mighty beast into one truly badass MS. 

And since we are talking about the Nu Gundam being a bad ass, how about adding some more to make it, well, even more bad ass. Effect parts!!! 

The MG Hi-Nu also have effect parts for the funnels but unfortunately they are not compatible with the Nu ver. Ka's funnels. This is the answer to it. It's pink, it's bright and its literally electrifying. It's the very definition of power. Well now, I can't wait to see how nice it would look once put on.

Oh but before I forget, also included are a set of waterslides that are completely identical with the ver Ka's. Some other MG kits will be happy to receive and have them on I believe. And lastly one more thing. A custom stand bearing Amuro's 'A' symbol is also included as a bonus. This is also the exact same stand that they issued together with the Hi-Nu and the ver. Ka. So now I've got a triple-AAA stand. LOL. Too bad you can't connect them together like you can with the Action Base 1's. 

HGFC Nobell AKA 'Sailormoon' and MG Tallgeese I.

The little dog is in the background. The Z623 speakers are up and running. The long awaited MG Tallgeese is finally here and is looking pretty sharp. But hey what's that on the side you ask? 

It's a sailormoon gundam! No mistake about it. =)

Side art of the box shows the Tallgeese in action. There's also that nice art from Hajime Katoki of all the OZ bad guys from Gundam Wing. Also some there are some ads for the ongoing manga adaptation of the Wing series. 

And from the other side of the box we get to see the Tallgeese all armed up with its powerful Dober gun and that defining rounded shield. This is the Endless Waltz (EW) version so people asking how come the big eagle decal isn't there and why he has a bit more yellow than usual should know. And yes that really fancy headgear of his makes him look like a gallant white knight / gladiator!  

 

More shots of the manual here. Granted the Tallgeese is the easiest build from this list (aside from the expansion funnel set), I might still opt to get it done last. Or first, that is if I feel like going by the way of the water. Which is finding the path of least resistance. =)

With everything still being a toss up, thing is I would be happy if I could just get on to finish 2 from this list. As things stand, I still have my MG 00-Raiser (didn't include this since it's an on-going project) trying to beat deadline and then there is this thing called real life. Will just have to re-up this once the reviews come in.

Last but not the least, some updates on the display case. 

Robot Damashii L-Gaim Mk-II

In the advent of the real robot genre in the 80's, one of the classics to come out was L-Gaim. It belonged to those who were thought of as mechas with almost realistic aspects in their functionality like say they use normal guns that run out of ammo at some point, well clearly the point being is that they don't just magically sprout off hands that just flew off their wrists and exploded in the enemy's face,  nor would they tend to shout out their attacks before proceeding to shoot their enemies (shouldn't the enemies have taken notice of that?) with colorful beams in the shape of an egg or a letter 'V' which would undeniably end in a cloud of mushroom of whatever shape or form, for that matter; real robot shows were spiced with militaristic flavor, added with the usual political intrigue, backhand dealings between rival arms dealers and their supporters/clients, displays of betrayal and loyalty and courage and everything in between, the occasional musicals that would either make you teary eyed or would make you want to puke, the protagonist who happens to be a child and a noob and surprise, surprise, he just might know better than the adults on how to save the day, thereby rendering them useless, and then there's this love conquers all thing...

Presenting the Robot Damashii L-Gaim Mk-II. Tomino. Stylish. Classic. And it comes in pretty big, eye catchy box! Everything on display on the window. 

 

By now you might think that just a bit more gravitas could be well afforded when it comes to referencing to these type of shows as compared to your usual diet of kiddie fare, but no. That's probably not the case. Why of course, these were primarily aimed at children, what else did you expect? Off with the introductions now.. L-Gaim came from the same creator of that wildly popular real robot franchise, yes that Gundam. I'm pretty sure you must have heard it already from somewhere.. Though a little more obscure from the masses, that shouldn't be the case with long time fans of Super Robot Wars games. Especially in older titles, L-gaim's story arcs are one of the major plots in the game. But sadly, there were not a lot of merchandise that appeared for the series after the new decade came along. 

Quite obviously it didn't get much love from the toy makers but the fans took care of that issue, making sure that Bandai knew that they would expect nothing less but a toy line from this series by having L-gaim garner the number 1 spot of 'which robot action figure would you want to have next' poll they conducted back in 2009 or 2010. 

Pretty long intro huh? Which of course by now you must have guessed that I don't have that much pics to share. But that aside, let me start of with this:

Now that's a closer look at the figure. Let me just remind you, this is an action figure and not a kit. It comes pre-painted and pre-assembled. Plug and play if you may. It comes with a very long mega beam launcher, named just like the Zeta Gundam's. I might just show you that, once I get to complete that Master Grade of mine which has been sitting in its box for about a year now. Aside from that it's got a pair of beam sabers, only this time in yellow which you just might see on the upper right of the first pic up top. Also it's provided with the same beam rifle as that of the original L-Gaim, which you can opt to use instead of the big gun, though I could say that it's not as eye catching. Also there are tons of other accessories, of which there are more than you might care to put in one posing.

                                                                                                             

So here he is, straight out of the box. He can sure do stand on his own with no problems at all. And all this after I have attached that neat looking little backpack of his. Only problem I encountered was that it was real hard to pose the arms when I try to use that Mega Beam Launcher. Given it's size, well it is to be expected that balance issues will come out of it. Meanwhile, MG Char's Zaku version 2.0 is right behind to extend a helping hand..

Well I just swear that the first thought that came to me was L-Gaim saying 'no you can't have it', just like a little child from whom you are trying to steal that piece of candy.. Such a bully.

Anyways for a Robot Damashii figure, this guy sure is tall. Pretty much they are of even height between them, but when it comes to width, the MG easily wins. That and the soft pink colors, just pure win for Char. =)

 

Now I just have two robot damashii figures at the moment, three soon if I am going to get lucky by tomorrow. But for a size comparison, here is the RD Victory 2 Gundam. It is miniature looking, if not for the damashii stage act 4 base it sits on. I actually tried out that base with the L-Gaim but to no luck. Matter of fact, the L-Gaim MkII has a special crotch connector provided but let me just tell you that it is pure crap. The connector isn't wide enough for it to sit on comfortably, and worse it doesn't lock into place. Sadly, in the end it is just not of any use for me. 

For display purposes I might just as well hold it myself. Having said that, maybe I'll try doing that for a week just to see how it feels. Oh and one more thing, the guy transforms into a waverider form, or something like a flying jet. But then I am not one for doing transformation on transforming toys, so I'll just leave you with some boxart samples at the very least.

Just the same pic, but since I got lazy I just inserted the box right behind. Lazy me. =D 

All in all, this is a pretty awesome figure. The details are top notch, bits and pieces move here and there, and it is just proportioned as so that when you see it on display, this figure would be sure to catch your attention. Sleek and sharply designed, futuristic, heavily armed, transformable and all in glorious white, need I say more? Only downside is the posing for its huge ass gun, the inability to make use of the stand, and then there is the price, which is quite high, given that it is Y4500 (Japan).

Just look for around hobby shops that would give good deals. Tell you what, I got mine off of Ebay for 70% off. Sweet deal for a great figure, no? 

HGUC GM Custom

This is a review of the GM Custom HGUC kit, released last Jan. 2011. The kit retails for 800Php, but I got mine at 5% off. This suit is from the 90's OVA Stardust Memory, and falls under the Universal Century timeline of 0083, just prior to the events that happened in the Zeta Gundam anime. 

For the uninitiated to the series, the GM Custom was the mass-produced mobile suit version that resulted from the NT-1 Alex Gundam (0080). I'm not really sure if this MS line was actually continued since the GM family had so many variants that came out
since none looked similar to it. Well, the GM Quel probably qualifies, but whatever. 

The most notable pilot of this suit is South Burning, Kou Uraki's senior officer on the Albion ship.  One event from the series shows Kou piloting the GP01 Gundam Ground-type (ha!) in space, and South used this MS to save the former's life.

All I can say is that this is probably one of the best looking grunt suits that ever came out, and along with the Jegan which is another favorite of mine, which I have yet to get. So on to more shots.

The kit does not come with a lot of equipment, just your basic rifle, 2 beam sabers, a number of optional hands some closed some open and a shield. As for the rifle, I am not quite sure what this is called, I can't remember if it's a bullpup machine gun or a GM rifle, but it's probably the former I think. My recollections from the series tell me that, but if I'm mistaken then feel free to correct me. =)

Peek-a-boo. A beautiful shield it is, and I think this is the same one used by the Guncannon Mk-II's, which are also from the same series. I've used the clear stickers on this one, which I've then covered with a flat coat so as to somehow relieve the cheap
taste when you just flat out put the stickers straight on.

Rear view to show the details. Just a simple backpack, but there are quite a number of thrusters/vents that come with it. Now that also translates to more paint work to be done since this bacpack just comes in its out of the box (OOB) pale blue green colors.

There are actually 2 beam saber handles, there is one that you can see sticking out of the back and another is provided so you can still have a pose with it handling a beam saber and the one on the backpack is still on. A neat feature. =) 
By the way, I also painted theplastic tubings on the knee joints gold to give it a more exotic feel. 

A side view just to complete things. I'm relieved that the effort I gave paid off, as most of the details stood out, especially those golden nubs on the shins. The inside of the vents have been painted red. Real stable and no major issue on the legs and feet, except for the shield, which I'll get to later on. Oh one more thing, I just wanted to say that I also painted the insides of the clear orange visor with titanium gold.

Now as a size comparison, I have it standing beside the HGUC Gundam Unicorn Destroy Mode. The Unicorn is actually one of the tallest Gundams in the UC line, so it's just normal to see that the GM Custom is a full head and chest shorter than the Unicorn.

For a grunt unit, the kit is justifiably priced. A few cons though, the shield attachment on the back of the arms, in this case a peg on a polycap, well mine is pretty loose. Just be careful with the shield when posing it. The hands, and like I've said it comes with a lot of them, are on a ball joint. Suffice to say they are also prone to getting loose, after making a few swaps for the poses that I needed to do for this and they were already quite wobbly. 

But as for the pros, I can say that the look of this suit is pretty sharp (the main reason why I got this in the first place), the details are pretty much the same when compared to its ancient MG version which means that's its okay. I think the only difference from that one was the shoulder armor orientation. 

All in all, the GM Custom is a nice, affordably priced kit. Fun construction and nothing too complex. Go get it.