MG Hyakushiki Review Part 2

So, here we have the part 2 of the review for MG Hyakushiki. As what you see from, this snap and fit version was almost same as the complete version if you decide not to do anything on the golden plate armor. 

So, first check on the proportion of the kit. I mentioned about the abdomen or lower torso area was a bit too short, then i feel it was quite acceptable after i complete it but again my first feeling came back to haunt me after slot in the palm unit. I think i'm really need to do something on it. Other than the lower torso, the second proportion flaw that i complain was the feet. It can be better if it slimmer a but it will require either cutting or sanding which will damage the gold plate part. Therefore, i'm not planning to do anything on it. These are the only flaws that i complain. 

In terms of articulation, we can't expect much from a old kit. There is one pictures in this post show how much i can bend its knees, feet and arms. If we check from side way, i can say the articulation is good enough for this kit but what make it look bad is the two proportion flaws that i mentioned (in my opinion). Although refining or repairing the proportion flaws can't help on articulation but sharpening the shape of certain part will make the whole kit loo more dynamic even the kit has limitation on the articulations.So, can it pose? yes but... depends.. 

In terms of detail of this kit, not much but sufficient. Although most of the snap and fit procedures were simple since this kit doesn't come with lot of parts but most of the area are cover properly. For example, the back of the skirt armors was cover which not like what we have from MG Strike gundam. Pipes at arms were molded separately and this kit should only require very few masking process for painting. If you think of adding panel line or plate armors, there are still lot of empty space around the torso (don't mess with the gold plate armors!!! i just feel its a waste if someone sand it off for mod. Haha).

My Review of the 1/144 HG Kshatriya

     In 2009, Bandai release the OVA Animated version of Harutoshi Fukui novel, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. This new series continues on the same universal century time line that the original Gundam first began. Among all the new characters and mobile suit that are shown in the first few episodes there is one mobile suit that really stands out from all the rest, the Kshatriya. A unique mobile suit in its own right, it was the improved model of the NZ-000 Quin Mantha from the ZZ Gundam series. Bandai released the 1/144 scale High Grade version of the Kshatriya in 2009 and it was one of their most popular kits. When ishop2go reach me out to ask what kit I should make for them I clearly ask for the Kshatriya.

     When building the Kshatriya the first thing that strikes me as WOW is how big in size this kit is. Far large then any normal HG kit it show its presence among larger HG kits like The O or Palaces Athens. One of its four binders alone is as tall as the MG Gundam 2.0. The construction of the basic features are easy to build like the Arm, Legs, Head, Torso, and Waist unit however, I decided to add more features to this kit to give it more depth. Using Pla-plate which is made of Styrene I began to detail this kit. This was my first time attempting this on a High Grade kit before but due to its size, I felt more comfortable to try this. Putting on the Pla-plate was easy and I wanted to do this on the main body first before I begin working on the binders.

 When I first saw how those binders look like I knew what I wanted to put on the upper and mid section of this part. Since the Neo-Zeon emblem is very familiar to everyone I began making a template using regular paper, with some trimming here and there I was able to get the right shape that will fit in the upper area of the binders. I was not having that much luck with the mid section since it had a steep curve pointing out from the binder. No matter what I try to do to make any type pattern it did not look right to me. At this point I decided to skip this and give it some detail around the binder and after the glue dried on the Pla-plate, it came out perfect.

My build took me about less than 2 weeks to make and six videos to post on YouTube. Yet with all the work I put in, I did not get the chance to paint this kit since the weather is too cold for airbrushing. I will re-visit this kit when spring hits here in the US and then I can begin painting this beast of a kit. For what is worth, I am glad that I got this kit and had the chance to explore some new ideas and possibilities on making a different kind of mobile suit. Many model builders keep asking me if Bandai will ever release a Master Grade version of Kshatriya. Please note that even if Bandai has the means to make it I really do think they will do this since this scale is prefect enough. For those modelers out these who haven’t consider getting this kit, Please…Stop reading right now and Buy IT!


Stryderprime

MG Hyakushiki Review part 1

I'm back with MG Hyakushiki review here this time. If you remember the poll that i made few months ago, this was the kit that have the highest vote and therefore i choose this kit as the review kit this time. This project should have start and done on November but due too many of things happened in November and December, i had to postpone this review. I think i has mentioned before that i always wanted to get this kit and today i finally get it and doing a review for it. There is one thing always haunted me for not getting this kit especially this version because as what we can for other version were either come in yellow beige color or the brown gold color for the HD version. This is the only version that i feel best suit for this MS because the anime want to show it really in gold color but of course the gold color in the anime was not like what we saw from Akatsuki in Gundam Seed Destiny. And the curse of the gold plated kit, Bandai always like to make plated kit in limited edition which make us difficult to get one of it. In my country here, the normal version and the HD version were cost around RM 140- RM 150 ++ but this cost about RM 169 and most shop only carry.. very very few units. So if you think of making money from gunpla for limited item, this might be a good consideration. Although this gold plated version was so special, some people don't like it actually. One of the reason that people don't like the kit might due to difficulty of handling those gold plated part on the cutting process from the runners. Once you screw up, it is extremely hard to recover (there are some solutions such as applying gold trim "paper") and since this gold plated version is more expensive due to it's "gold plated part", those who think to re-paint or re-mod this kit might not favor to this version. As for me, some of you know my style on modding (low level or simple type mod... XD) my model kit and that is the reason i pick this version. 

Not like most of the UC fans, I only saw it from the ZZ series but not the Z series anime but the action from the ZZ series is good enough for me to think of what pose should made in part 2 of the review. Unfortunately, ZZ series was more kiddy type as compare to the Z series in my opinion although i haven't watch the Z series (it just my own feelings after watching some short clip of Z series). As for the design on this MS, it look great in the anime (the real kit seems a bit out in terms of its proportion). Weapons come with this MS is simple as it only come with one beam rifle, bazooka and two beam saber. I was wondering why this MS doesn't come with any defense equipment or mechanism such as shield. Does it share the same defense system with the Akatsuki (from GSD series) beam reflector armor from its gold plated armor? or it has the fastest agility to avoid all incoming attack (but i don't see it got lot of vernier or thruster)? I think i should check it out from the Z series. Maybe i should let you guys to check out the photos before i continue...

 Some how the color from the boxart for this MS look even better (IMO) than the real kit or the MS in the anime.

RG Aile Strike AIF

Finally, project Aile Strike AIF complete. I had this kit during November if i'm not wrong and i has a lot of complain about this kit when i got it out of the box. Luckily the paint really done its job for helping me tightening the joints. I guess most of my complain solve except the palm issues.  As for now, lets check out the painting list:

-Mr.Surfacer 1000

-Mr.Surfacer 1000 white

Color Scheme:

-Blue color (mixture of character Mr.Color blue and Mr.Color metallic blue)

-Red color (Mr. Color metallic red)

-Gold color (Mr.Color gold)

-Silver color (Mr.Metal Color Silver chrome)

-Black color (Mr.Color metallic black)

-White color (Mr.Surfacer 1000 white)

The color scheme almost original except for adding silver and gold color in. The yellow color has changed to gold since there are not much yellow color part (i lazy to prepare another empty bottle for pouring out the yellow color). Most of the inner frame was painted in either silver or gold and the rest are metallic black which hide beneath the armors. The concept of the inner frame color was inspired from a post in www.modelers-g.jp/ but that guy done it on PG Aile Strike. This is the first time i'm using Mr.Surfacer 1000 white to replace the Mr.Color white as white color because i was running out of white color paint and it is definitely a bad alternative solution. There are two reason explain why it is an bad alternative solution, first is the surface is easily crack after the paint dry (maybe the chemical material is different from normal paint) and second is it come in matte surface which is not friendly for panel line. The Mr.Color character blue somehow made the entire blue color look a bit glossy and the red color is a bit over vivid again which make it look more like blood red.

Another challenge come from this kit is the markings and foil stickers. Most of it is extremely small and not easy to hold for application. As for the panel line, i bought an 0.1 unipin fine line which i mentioned before but it still too thick for this kit. I guess it enough for my frustration on my project here since i actually quite happy with the end result :) and lets check out the photos (Story of the AIF is on the bottom of this post)

FFX7 UC Hardgraph Core Fighter Review Part 2

To purchase, visit: http://www.ishop2go.com/productUR_001_PR_0000505_Prt_en.html
Released late February of 2011 for 4500 yen

The UC Hardgraph FF-X7 Core Fighter requires some glue for assembly and comes with waterslide decal sheet for 3 different variations

Part 2 is the transformation and final thoughts on the kit.
Visit part 1 for the unboxing, the completed kit, accessories, and features review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQRDRoZBlg

GUNPLA BUILDERS WORLD CUP 2011 Report

Gunpla Builders World Cup 2011 [GBWC] Report Video

iShop2go Top 10 selling in Nov, 2011

This video display the top 10 ranking in iShop2go.for the previous selling. We want to let you know what are the popular goods in our web site. Did you get one that inside?