REVIEW: HG FX-78 FULL ARMOR GUNDAM [THUNDERBOLT VER.]

The High Grade FX-78 Full Armor Gundam from Gundam: Thunderbolt.

A while ago when I first saw the design for the FX-78 Full Armor Gundam from the Thunderbolt series I didn’t really think anything of it and thought it kind of looked a bit dumb with too many shields.

Recently, I was really impressed by the High Grade Zaku I kit from Thunderbolt and thought I would give the anime show a shot. I absolutely love the  anime show and with it I got a real appreciation for the design of FX-78, and of course it’s pilot who seems more the villain when compared to the other characters.

Suffice it to say, I purchased the HG kit of the Full Armor Gundam and I’m glad I did.

The High Grade FX-78 Full Armor Gundam from Gundam: Thunderbolt. Some heavy duty weapons the Gundam is holding, but rest assured the arms and joints can take the weight.

The stand the kit comes with is a must if you want to get it any type of dynamic poses due to the giant backpack that weighs the kit down.

Absolutely love the mechanism in the backpack that allows the two extension arms to move the extra shields around. This Gundam is going to need all those shields in the anime series.

First let’s get to the subject that detracted me in the beginning off the table. The kit comes with four shields, two of which you can attach to the arms while the other two can be held by extension arms connected to the backpack. The system involved in moving those shields is pretty nice and allows a variety of positions to move the additional shields from protecting the front portion of the mobile suit to the sides.

After seeing the shields in action in the anime and having the kit and shields in my hands, it’s probably the best accessory gimmick on the kit; I’ve spent a lot of time adjusting the shields to different positions to make the Gundam look more formidable.

The kit also comes with a heavy duty backpack with missile pod, a large beam cannon and two propellant tanks attached. Having all that equipment in the back portion of the kit means it’s nearly impossible to have a dynamic pose without a stand which is provided with the model.

The Gundam’s main armaments are comprised of a twin beam rifle on its right arm and a five tube missile pod on its left arm. In addition, the weapons are attached to a shield. Even though each of these weapons are a bit heavy, the arms had no problem holding the weapons forward; the joints are pretty tight for this kit.

The rest of the weapons (like it needs anymore!) are two beam sabers which nicely compliment the mobile suit.

The HG FX-78 Full Armor Gundam from Gundam: Thunderbolt armed with beam sabers. Really love the look of the kit with the additional shields.

The HG FX-78 was a fun kit to put together, and just like the Zaku I it’s got a ton of stickers. I’m a big fan of stickers so that’s a huge plus for me.

After completing this grand kit, I realized that this needs to be a Master Grade. I’m sure it’s going to become one in the future, after all it’s the main Gundam in the series.

But the High Grade model is no slouch.

Even though it’s not as poseable compared to recent High Grades, especially in the knee and elbows, it’s adequate enough to position the kit in dynamic poses armed with its heavy duty and well designed weapons. The level of detail with the assistance of decals just boots the quality of the kit to a higher degree.

I know there’s only a couple of episodes left in the Thunderbolt anime series, but I hope there’s other kits in the future if the Zaku I and FX-78 is any indication of the quality kits on the horizon.

HG FX-78 FULL ARMOR GUNDAM [GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT VER.]

+ Sleek and different design aided by multiple shields which can be positioned in a variety of ways

+ Some awesome weaponry which can be posed with ease due to tight joints

+ Details and stickers give the kit a more stylized look

– Some limited movement in the elbows and knees when compared to other High Grades

Shields protecting the upper body and backpack armaments.

Lifting off to kick some Zeon butt.

PREVIEW: HG FA-78 FULL ARMOR GUNDAM [GUNDAM THUNDBOLT VER.]

Preview picture of the FA-78 Full Armor Gundam [Gundam Thunderbolt Ver.]

After pretty much impressed with the High Grade Zaku I from Gundam Thunderbolt, I went ahead and bought the FA-78 Full Armor Gundam, and this thing is pretty impressive.

At first I wasn’t really a fan of the design, but it really grew on me the more I saw it. Some quick thoughts: Great and different design for the traditional Gundam with some heavy duty weaponry and lots and lots of stickers.

Full review and pictures are coming soon!

REVIEW: HG PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.]

HG Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] from P-Bandai fully armed with machine gun, axe and shield.

The HG Prototype Gouf -Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Version- is a limited kit made by P-Bandai based on the regular release of the HG Prototype Gouf Tactical Demonstrator. Both of the kits are produced under the Gundam: The Origin series, but have not appeared thus far in the anime series and doubt they will since they are regarded as Mobile Suit Discovery kits which are experimental variations.

The main difference between the kits is that the regular regular release has the interchangeable arms and hands which include the beam whip, machine gun hand, and regular hand.

P-Bandai’s kit has regular arms and hands (2 fists, 1 open left hand, 1 trigger right hand), and includes a machine gun, a shield and two beam axes (a deactivated axe and an activated one). The design of the kit also has some notable difference in the inclusion of white parts in the arms and legs, as well as some nice white decals that line various areas of the body. Among the other stickers included is those denoting the number two which are displayed on the feet, lower chest and shield.

HG Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] from P-Bandai with beam axe.

HG Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] from P-Bandai.

HG Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] from P-Bandai.

This is my first Gouf kit and I was overall pleased with the design of the kit especially the big bulky shoulder armor and the head. The big cables throughout the body give the mobile suit a bulkier aesthetic, although the cable in the torso does limit significantly the movement of the area; the kit can slightly turn right and left.

Other than that issue, I found the poseablity to be pretty standard for a High Grade kit. There weren’t any real problems that I encountered. Even the shoulder armor has a mechanism that allows you to move it to allow greater movement of the arms. The head can be turned but not quite all the way around due to the large nose and cables.

Speaking about the head, one thing that I found a bit frustrating was there was no outline on the kit itself to place the eye decal. I think it would have been nice to include on not just the eye but for the outlying stickers found on the bottom and sides of the feet, at the base of the horns and around the skirt armor. The eye decal wasn’t much of a problem once I got it centered, but the outlying stickers proved to be a problem. I’m clearly biased since I recently purchased the HG Zaku I Thunderbolt kit which does include outlines on the kit for a good portion of the stickers including the eye.

However, once you get all the stickers on the kit it adds more depth and a better contrast to the regular release which I’m still planning to purchase in the future.

HG Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] from P-Bandai armed with beam axe.

Overall I really like the design of the this kit and has me itching to purchase more variations of the Gouf.

If you’ve been a fan all along of the Gouf, I would probably recommend getting the regular Origin HG release due to it having a bit more interesting and varied accessories, this kit’s accessories were adequate and a given (the axes).

The kit itself though has a fantastic design and has made me a fan of the Gouf.

HG PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.]

+ Interesting and varied design of the Gouf

+ A nice contrast compared to the regular release with stickers and some color variations helping to note difference

– Adequate accessories, but feels less interesting compared to regular release

– Cables significantly limit torso from moving side to side.

– No sticker outlines for eye and line decals

HG Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] from P-Bandai

HG Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] from P-Bandai with bazooka from System Weapon 006 from Bandai.

HG Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] from P-Bandai

PREVIEW OOB REVIEW: MS-05 ZAKU I [GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT VER.]

Picture of the High Grade MS-05 ZAKU I [GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT Ver.].

As I’m waiting for the my camera lens to come in to do a proper review of the PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.] I got around to putting together the High Grade MS-05 Zaku I from Gundam Thunderbolt after seeing some reviews on the kit which came out in 2014.

I didn’t plan to do a full review of this kit and was just going to throw up some pics, but this kit really rocks. As with the Gouf, the Zeon mobile suits are slowly growing on me since I got Char’s HG Custom Zaku from Gundam: The Origin. And this version of the Zaku I is just incredible, it’s not perfect by any means, but it’s pretty close.

I plan to do a full on review on the kit after the HG Prototype Gouf, but some quick impressions include: fantastic design and color choice, stickers (with application guides on the kit itself!), accessories galore, some limitations in movement due to the design of the armor, unusual backpack,  and fun to put together.

Full review coming soon.

Picture of the High Grade MS-05 ZAKU I [GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT Ver.].

GUNDAM WORK IN PROGRESS PT5 INKING AND CLEANUP: PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.]

Here is the Prototype Gouf YMS-07A-0 all inked up with some touch up paint work. It’s just about done and ready for a review hopefully by this weekend.

Inking was something I wasn’t really concerned about in the beginning.

Sure I did the occasional lines but it wasn’t a top concern compared to painting and putting decals on the kit.

But panel lining I’ve found really brings out more facets of the kit that may be overlooked without any inking.

I don’t ink all the sections that need it nor do I heavily ink the lines. It’s very modest and I use q-tips and and an eraser to thin out the lines especially those in light areas.

I think it does wonders for your kit, especially if you don’t intend to paint it.

 

 

GUNDAM WORK IN PROGRESS PT4 CONSTRUCTION & DECALS: PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.]

The Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Version). All constructed and decaled.

Here is the Prototyp Gouf YMS-07A-0 all put together and decaled. It took me about three hours to put together and put the decals on.

There’s still some clean up work to be done and of course panel lining.

I’ve got to say the armor in the picture came out pretty nice and shiny due to a number of factors. The biggest of course is the lighting of the picture where the lights are coming from behind, and the combination of Tamiya spray paints I used.

Usually I use the grey or white base Primer from Tamiya. This time around I used pure white Tamiya for a primer which gave the parts some gloss and really lightened up my Tamiya French Blue color.

The top coat I used was clear spray paint, again from Tamiya, and the first time I’ve used it.

Got to say it came out pretty well!

Some quick thoughts: love the design of this Gouf (my first Gouf and what a kit!), very articulate with the exception of the torso due to the cables, the stickers just adds so much to the kit.

Full review soon.

GUNDAM WORK IN PROGRESS PT3 PAINT FIRST COAT: PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.]

First coat of paint on the Prototype Gouf YMS-07A-0 is done and I’m really liking the Tamiya French Blue color.

I usually do two to three coats of paint and then a two coats of top coat.

For the top coat I’m going to experiment with Tamiya Clear Coat which I’ve already placed on the white armor pieces below.

First coat of paint on all pieces done.

First coat of Tamiya clear paint using it as a top coat.

First coat of paint on the dark blue pieces. You can see speckles of primer in the inner sections which will disappear following the second coat of paint.

GUNDAM WORK IN PROGRESS PT2 PRIME FIRST COAT: PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.]

For my kits I usually do more than one coat of primer, with the first a very thin and rough coat.

You could see the original colors of the Prototype Gouf in some of the parts and some excess paint in others which I usually clear up during or before the second coat of primer.

One thing that I really like about High Grades is the very little painting and time it takes to clean the parts up and get straight to painting.

Don’t get me wrong, the Master Grades kits are wonderful and are worth it when the end product turns out to be spectacular, but it just takes so much time and money to do.

I think from here on out, I will be concentrating on High Grades especially since the most recent ones, specifically The Origin kits, are a bit of a step up compared to previous High Grades. The advancements in the articulation, and the inclusion of some really nice stickers has me hooked.

Ever since I started building the kits, I’ve started to watch the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. I first attempted a while ago to watch it, but the animation was just a distraction. It’s very old and rough but what do you expect for a series that debuted in the late 1970s. Watching Gundam: The Origin before I delved in the original series (Not recommended) had me curious as to who these characters were. I also watched the movie versions of the original series which helped tremendously get me into the series as well as form my interest into the Zeon mobile suits like the Zaku and Gouf.

This prototype Gouf kit is my first Gouf and won’t be my last.

Prototype Gouf’s included machine gun. You could see the small bit of putty around the connection areas for the hand and the secondary handle. I’ve learned the hard way NOT to paint these. I have had some moving parts that just stick forever or won’t move since they’re painted.

The base part of the Prototype Gouf’s shield. First coat of primer with some cleanup work left to do.

GUNDAM WORK IN PROGRESS PT1 UNBOXING: PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.]

Continuing my absolute love of the Gundam: The Origin model kits, I’m taking on the YMS-07A-0 Prototype Gouf [Mobility Demonstrator Blue Color Ver.] as my next project.

This is an alternate version of the YMS-07B Prototype Gouf that was widely released. The version I’m working on is a limited version made available through P-Bandai. The main differences being the hands and wrists are the more traditional ones found in the Zaku kits, rather than the interchangeable ones found in the regular release.

Other differences include a pretty nifty machine gun and some stickers, notably those  showing the number “2” and other outline decals to make the kit stand apart from the original release.

But it’s not a substantial difference, case in point the kit comes with the original manual for the YMS-07B, but there is secondary manual which details the different construction of the arms and hands, and the machine gun.

The manual also details the varied sticker applications to the kit.

I like the differences in this model and I’m still  excited to work on this kit.

CHAR AZNABLE CUSTOM ZAKU II – THE ORIGIN – HG

High Grade Char Aznable’s Custom Zaku II from Gundam: The Origin.  The kit’s armed with the Zaku Bazooka and a Heat Hawk.

It’s been a very long time and it took me something grand to come back to this blog site and Gundam models.

Although I’m pretty late on the series, I got hooked on the Gundam: The Origin anime series which I think is pretty superb with the animation and the story.

Now to be honest, I never really liked Char’s Zaku, perhaps it was the colors that the original series used or the model’s colors, but this HG version from the new series looked superb and it looks even more impressive in Gunpla form.

This High Grade model is not the HG model I’m used to.

It’s very articulate, a bit more detailed,  more opportunities for panel lines,  and there are stickers included!  I love the stickers, although some are very tiny and hard to put on.

The accessories which are plentiful include a mammoth sized anti-ship rifle, Zaku bazooka, and two heat hawks.

The HG Char Aznable’s Custom Zaku II is a great addition to my collection, and I will be getting more models from The Origin, specifically Zeon!