R01 Remastered 1/144 HG Aile Strike Gundam - Part 2

Runners and Parts

One of the big changes to the Remastered HG SEED kits is the colors of the plastic.  The kits boast a new color scheme that matches the new crisp color of the HD anime.  Unfortunately, I don't have the best of lighting at my work table.  In order to show the true colors of the runners I had to turn my flash on for a few of these pics.

A plate.  The red is kind of a standard fair.  Notice without the flash, it looks kind of like a Katoki shade of red, but it is in fact very vibrant.  The grey plastic is molded in a sort of metallicy-mecha-ish-gunmetal.  The blue is a very bright true blue.  I have to say, I like what I see thus far.

Runner B.  You can see there is separations in the runners where the beam saber hand and the parts for the Aile Striker Pack could be removed.  I'm betting they planned to release HG versions of the Sword and Launcher Strike and never got around to it.

Runner C is for the Aile Striker Pack.  This is molded in a true black plastic.  Most of the time Bandai's black is more like a very dark blue/green or grey.  This is real black!

Runner D is for the Striker Pack as well.  Again, it's a true red, not this faded orangey red.

I need better lighting so bad...

Pretty standard poly-cap runner for the time of release.

Here is the foil sticker sheet.  Pretty skimpy considering the amount of color apps this kit needs.

These are the extra throw ins.  An attachment for an Action Base 2 and the clear marking seals.

Here's a closer look at the markings.

EMPTY THOSE RUNNERS!

Parts for the Torso, flash on to show true colors.

Head

Very RX-78-2 looking face plate.  It get's painted the same colors too!

Hips.  The front skirt armor can (and will) be separated.

One of the arms.  The shoulder and elbow desperately need some painting.

Leg and foot.

Weapons

You can read the picture...

^what it said^

Next time we'll look at all the painting I did for this bad boy.

Until Next Time: Happy Building!

R01 Remastered 1/144 HG Aile Strike Gundam - Part 1

Box and Contents

I completely ignored the SEED model line when it was originally being released.  I skipped over it, mainly, due to my lack of interest in anything other than UC stuff at the time.  Yeah, I dabbled in being a UC elitist for a while, it's not so fun.  I realized I was limiting myself and missing out on some great shows.  I watched SEED in it's entirety about 3 years ago with the help of Netflix and it was a really good show.  I still didn't start collecting the models, though.  I'm glad I skipped over the line because all of the HG kits are getting re-releases.  I'll focus on those instead of the originals.

I'll start with the star of the show, the first Lead Gundam, Aile Strike Gundam!

Box shot!

Bottom side

Standard fair info about the suit.  These are painted by a pro.

Right end of the box, the other end is the same except covered by the
American warning labels about choking hazards...

Top Side of the box.

Unpainted build, pretty dull looking.

An advertisement for other Remastered HG SEED kits and the barcode with a price of 1200 yen.  

Same as the original price point.

When you open the box, you'll see the A runner and the foil stickers.

Move that over and we see the C and D plate.
That bag also has the new clear seals in it.

Moving that over we see the poly-caps and the B runner.
The addition of an action base connector is on the "Joint A" runner. 

Finally, moving that over, you'll see the manual.

For whatever reason, these pictures won't flip...
Here's a sideways glance at the front and back of the manuals.

And here's the middle of the manual.

Runners and parts review up next!

Until Next Time:  Happy Building!

Robot 4 Less Order

Christmas to Myself Part 1

I ordered for the first time from Robot4Less and I was surprised at how awesome their service was.  They made me feel like a VIP.  One of the best parts about ordering from R4L is they give you free shipping on orders over $100 as long as all items are in stock.  If you include pre-orders or out of stock items, they will split the shipments and all in stock items ship for free and you pay for the rest as it ships.

They also send out coupons in their E-mails if you subscribe to their news letter.  They are kind of few and far between, but they have one coupon that is always ongoing.  Every order over $100 you can use the coupon code BUY100 and get $20 off! plus you still get the free shipping.  When you use that code, be sure to put it in all caps "BUY100" because "buy100" won't work.  ON WITH THE PURCHASE!

Decent sized box, I hope it's full!

It's looking pretty full!

I ordered two of the G Gundam Up-Grade parts.  

One of them was left over from their Damaged Box Sale... but more on that later.
I got a second one for the Hyper Mode Kits that I got for Christmas that I hadn't posted about.

1/144 AG Spallow

1/144 RG Freedom

Remastered 1/144 HG Blitz Gundam

Remastered 1/144 HG Mobile Ginn

Remastered 1/144 HG Buster Gundam

That's it for the order.  Back to the Damaged Box G Gundam Up Grade parts.  I opened up the damaged box to find that the kit itself was... damaged? Not really damaged, but very clearly a returned item.

Here's what I got.

The sticker sheet was missing a sticker.
The main runner was missing a part for the Super Mode Shining Gundam shoulders.
Also, the chain for Bolt Gundam's hammer, the spring for Rose Gundam's Rose Bit launcher, and the small gold plated runner with the Shining Gundam's Shining Finger hands were all missing.

Here's a comparison shot of the complete set vs the damaged set.

No worries at all, though.  I E-mailed R4L and explained the issue and they were so cool about it.  They sent me a brand new one, rush delivery and didn't ask me to send the other one back.  Now I've got two complete sets and a mostly good set.  I've got extra extensions for my Dragon Gundam's arms!

Until Next Time:  Happy Building!

The Destiny Plan - Part 8

Getting Ahead of Destiny

Today, I finally get around to posting more on the Destiny Plan.  We're taking a look at the head units today.

Here are the individual parts for the head units.  As you can see, it is the same number of parts between TT and Bandai

The TT eye/camera piece (left) is surprisingly clear.

There is a little bit of bubbling in the TT piece, though.

The cuts in the face plate to show the "tears" are nice and sharp on the Bandai (right) and kind of soft and rounded for the TT (left).

The faceplate on the Bandai has a raised layer around the bottom edge, and it's very defined.  On the TT, it's there but sort of a gradual incline from the center to the bottom edge.

Perhaps a closer shot...

Last, but not least.  The red part that goes on the center of the V fin is supposed to have writing on it, like the Bandai (right) and it is completely absent on the TT.

So the TT Hongli head is lacking some details, but the parts are all there.  I have to say, though, the parts go together as smoothly as the Bandai version, it just isn't as crisp as it could be.

Until Next Time:  Happy Building!

No Title...

Doing a big photo shoot tomorrow so I'll be able to post some real updates.

To be Pictured:
1/100 Dynames
1/100 TT Hongli Kyrios
1/60 Wing Zero
1/144 HG AGE-1 Normal
MG Strike Gundam
MG Quanta
HG Unicorn both Destroy and Unicorn mode
And maybe a little bit of EXTREME GUNDAM!

I'll be dedicating some serious time this weekend to make some posts, a whole backlog of posts, so I can keep the blog updated semi-regularly!

What's Going On, Joe? #8

I recently lost my job.  I was terminated for using too many coupons in one day....  It's a long story.  But oh well.  With my severance pay, I'll be fine until mid Feb if I don't already have work by then.  No big deal.

This leaves me with quite a bit of free time on my hands, this week I'll be going on a cleaning spree, but after that, I've got nothing planned besides filling out the occasional job app or interviews here and there.  Which means, I should be back up and running with the blog.  I had been working retail, and it's the holidays so I had no time at all for my Gunpla World!

I have been building though!  I couldn't decide what kits I wanted to build after the 1/60 Wing Zero and then the MG Aile Strike with Bazooka.  So my fiance and I came up with a game.  She would play a song from her iTunes list (She has horrible taste in music, BTW) while I closed my eyes and blindly moved my pointed finger all around the pile of unbuilt kits I have.  When the music stopped, whatever kit I was pointing at, I put on the to build pile. This was the horrible music I had to endure while blindly pointing through my closet...

This video is not my production.  This video belongs to hollywoodrecords via YouTube.

We picked four kits.  Four times!  I had to listen to that awful awful music for whole seconds at a time!  *Shudder*  Anyway, we had the kits picked.

But then it was time to decide in what order I would build them.  But why not just build them in the order the were picked, you ask?  Well, that's simple!  Because she hadn't made me want to rip my ears all the way off yet!  So she assigned songs to each of the kits and added them to a playlist.  She got the list ready, hit the shuffle buttom and let the music play!  Every song was played through all the way, so I expect you all to play these songs like the good masochistic followers you are.  (Please don't make me suffer alone)

The first song to bust my eardrums:

This is not my video.  Video from celticwelsh via YouTube

This song was assigned to:

MG 00 Qan[T]

Perhaps Melissa knows of the Quantum Burst where the GN Sword Bits fly around the Gundam in a circle... But she's never seen the movie... odd.  The second song to grace my bleeding sound receptors was:

Video does not belong to me.  This video comes from bjoyfan via YouTube.

And that piece of trash was chosen by the woman I think I still love to represent...

MG Gundam F91 30th Anniversary Special with Clear Parts

Cecily Fairchild...  Yeah crazy girl, I get it.  But again, Melissa has never watched Gundam F91.... odd

Anyway, before I could contemplate suicide I second longer the next song start blaring from the laptop speakers!

Again not my video.  This is from elmoworld101 via YouTube.

Invisible microphones and pubescent boys singing magically in pre-pubescent voices aside, this song was meant for:

   

1/100 Aegis Gundam

" 'Cause it's pink like bubble gum and it reminds me of candy!  OH AND IT HAS TEETH IN MOBILE ARMOR MODE!  Like a sweet tooth for the bad guys!" - Her

"It is a 'bad guy' ..." - Me

"Shut up!" - Her

Luckily that little conversation distracted me just enough that I didn't burn the place down just before this little gem hit the airwaves of our office:

This video belongs not to me.  This video is from beyonceVEVO via YouTube

At least Beyonce is hot!

And, thank god this was the last song and therefore meant that this kit was the last to be built:

HG Extreme Gundam

And I was EXTREMELY happy that this medly of "music" was over!  Anyway, pics for the kits built thus far will be up soon.  In the meantime, I've got a bathroom to clean!

Until Next Time:  Happy building!

What's Going On, Joe? #7

LOTS!  My car issues, the Destiny Plan, and my first ever MG predictions! Read on!

My car literally fell apart yesterday!  I ran over one of those outer treads from a semi truck going 55mph and just did not have a choice between hitting it, a ditch, or on-coming traffic.  My exhaust is dragging (it was a rusted up POS anyway) and I think I've got a small gas leak under the front passenger seat...  So my gunpla buying for the year is most likely on hiatus, but I've got a LOT of backlog, so it's all good.

On to more pressing matters!

I have made an effort to get a series of posts on the Destiny Plan done on my Mondays off that will post throughout the week.  So hopefully that will come along a bit more smoothly.  Speaking of which, for the two posts about the legs of the MG Destiny kits.  Did you guy prefer the Side by Side pictures like I did for the parts post or did you prefer the grouping of Bandai and then TT like I did with the inner frame post?

Leave a comment and I will try to accommodate to my reader's liking.

Okay, here's the deal.  We've all seen some outstanding shots of the MG Sandrock for October, the abundantly armed Full Armament Unicorn Gundam, and now we finally get actual factual shot of the MG Heavy Arms EW!  What could Bandai be cooking up for 2012?

I think they will continue with their trend of releasing a RG every three months or so and that has tended to kill any chance of a MG release for that month.  Nov is RG Freedom, then Dec and Jan are MG releases. I'm betting on only 8 MG releases for 2012 and here for the first time ever, I'm going to give me best GUESSES as to what kits we will see in Master Grade form this coming year.  These are in no particular order.

1)  MG Age 1 - I think is a definite.  They've already announced plans for a MG release, I can't imagine they would wait until 2013.

2)  MG Tallgeese - They will have the five main Gundams done come January.  They would be fools not to ride that popularity with a Tallgeese release...  I'm going to guess it to be a Tallgeese I, but they may decide to release III first, just top upset me.

3) MG Jesta - I don't think I need to tell you why, that thing is the best looking Feddie Grunt EVER!

4) MG Aile Strike Ver 2.0 - The old one isn't a bad kit, nor is it that old. But with the 10th anniversary of SEED, they won't pass up a chance to milk it.

5)  MG Providence Gundam - SEED again

6)  Either NT-1 or something from the GP series as a 2.0.  All of the GP series kits are ancient, as is the Alex.  They are in drastic need of an upgrade!

7)  MG Epyon Pi - Because Bandai can't resist a recolor!

With Heavy Arms as number 8, I think that would be all we will get.  What do you guys think?  What do you want to see?  Leave a comment!

Until Next Time:  Happy Building!