In Preparation for MG 00 Raiser
I had just finished Gundam 00 for the first time when MG 00 Raiser was announced and I immediately pre-ordered it! It's here now, but I won't get to it until the end of summer. I've got a big project in the works and another HUGE project that I will hopefully complete before the end of August involving 9 kits, ping pong balls, some scrap plastic, magnets, wire, and a dremel tool... No electricity, though, so don't hope for LEDs.
Anyway, upon first seeing the 00 Gundam, I was none too thrilled with it's design. I didn't watch 00 while it was airing, so the constant stream of variations on the kit led me to feel annoyed beyond belief! We got the 00 Gundam, the 0 Raiser, the 00 Raiser, the 00 Raiser Trans AM, the Seven Swords, the limited Seven Swords G Inspection, the Designer's Colors, and then the Condenser Type, and that's just the 1/144 HG's! It was looking as though the 00 Gundam was going to surpass MG Zaku II 2.0 frames or MG Strike Gundam frames in number of releases! But at least those were different units, this was just the same Gundam over and over.
The releases stopped though and I started watching Gundam 00. Admittedly, the first time I saw the 00 Gundam in action, swinging the GN drives forward to create an energy barrier, I still thought the design was a little goofy. I mean, come on, all the energy from the two GN Drives was routed through those supports on the backpack? I guess. Then the 0 Raiser came along and the 00 Gundam reached it's full potential. That was when my opinions started to make a 180. When I saw the GN Sword 3, the Raiser Sword, slice through entire battle ships, I was hooked. I hadn't seen anything like that since Epyon took down Space Fortress Barge!
I wanted a 1/100 scale 00 Gundam to go with my 1/100 NG Exia and I wanted the Raiser and the GN Sword 3. I didn't need the fancy clear greed stand that came with the normal release, so I opted for the extra markings and LED unit and bought the 1/100 NG 00 Raiser in Designer's Colors. The lighter tones of blue and grey suit the desing of the MS very well, in my opinion. On with the kit:
The Box art is very cool, 00 Raiser in full battle ready gear gliding along with the Celestial Being emblem emblazoned on the box in the background. Simple and elegant.
Top end
Some details explaining the 3 LED units to light up the head and the two drives (note they are not compatible with MG 00 series kits).
The GN Sword 3 with affect parts to make the Raiser Sword.
The GN Sword's II also get the added affect parts.
The 00 Raiser wouldn't be, of course without the 0 Raiser! And there's a chocolate bunny in the background, to show how long ago I had started this.
Box open!
Parts for GN Sword 3
Parts for 0 Raiser
Stickers! and the A Plate
back of the A Plate...
Basically all the blue parts for the 00 Gundam, drives, shoulders, shields, torso, etc.
Blurry picture! Legs and such.
0 Raiser parts for the binders
AFFECT PARTS OF DOOM!
White parts for the Legs and Arms
Weapons! and parts for the drives
More 0 Raiser parts!
DITTO!
Clear parts for the head, drives, arms, legs, and GN Swords II
LED units
There's the parts all wrapped up, we'll take a closer look at plates in another posting.
Until Next Time: Happy Building!
