You might be wondering why I have three model kit posts in a row. Normally this might be because I had the posts queued up for months, and just happened to publish them all during the course of a week. This time, however, I actually built all three in the span of a week. The family was out of town, and I missed them so much that I needed something to keep my mind off them. For seven nights (and two weekend days) in a row, all I did was sit in the basement and sling plastic and paint. It was intense, stressful, and yet still extremely fun. I doubt I will do anything like this again any time soon, but I have no regrets.
For our second Gundam kit, I saved the best for last, with the Gundam F91 (from the film of the same name). While the movie itself is extremely mixed in quality, the mobile suit is nothing but aces. I thought it was cool before seeing the film, but after watching it the F91 rose to the tippy top, becoming one of my favorite Gundam designs of all time.
There are many Universal Century mobile suits which we are told represent a “major shift in mobile suit design”, but most of the time it’s hard to tell. Visually these “evolutions” don’t look markedly different from their predecessors, and at least in many of the old shows and films, they aren’t animated in such a way that their enhanced performance is in any way noticeable. The F91 is one of the rare examples of bold new design that actually feels like one.
Start with the size. The F91 - as with most units from its era - is markedly smaller than many older mobile suits. Indeed, when Bandai makes model kits of it, they have to fudge the scaling a bit, otherwise it would look out of place standing next to kits of the same scale.
The reason for this is that mobile suits from the F91’s time period were made to be smaller and lighter so that they can be faster. I appreciate this explanation because it far more makes sense than some of the franchise’s previous attempts at explaining mobile suit design changes. They can talk about the use of “moveable frames” in Zeta Gundam all they want, but it doesn’t make a lick of difference in terms of how they look or move.
The F91 also uses all sorts of weird new technology. It uses an energy shield instead of a physical one, which may not necessarily be stronger than a physical shield, but is far more portable. Then there is its beam launcher. Same size and general shape as a bazooka, but it uses energy for its ordinance instead of a physical missile. I don’t know if it works better, but it is definitely a change.
Then there is the coolest tech of all, the VSBRs. These are two beam rifles attached to the back of the F91. They swing forward when in use, and they draw power directly from the suit’s reactor. The VSBRs can adjust their energy output in such a way that they can act as multiple weapons in one. Want small rapid fire shots? Got it. Want a single high powered sniper shot? Sure! Want to turn it into a beam saber? Go for it! The VSBRs are an extremely versatile weapons system, and the way they are both powered and equipped ensure that the F91 always has a weapon to fight back with.
The F91 also happens to generate a lot of heat from its reactor, and this influences its design a lot. The front chest plate, for example, is a giant heat sink, and there are vents all across its backpack, and even in its legs. The function of the F91 defines the form in a way unlike so many other mobile suits. Someone really put some thought into the whole thing, and it shows.
Funnily enough, despite being so practically designed, visually the F91 is one of the cleanest, sleekest, dareisay fanciest Gundam designs. It has way more curves than its predecessors, and its color scheme is extremely clean and simple. Mostly white, with touches of red, yellow and blue in very specific areas. Despite everything it has going on, it doesn’t feel ostentatious or overly busy. Even the VSBRs look more subtle than some of the backpacks and wings that are strapped on to more recent mobile suit designs.
Oh, and the chest looks a lot like the grill of a classic car. That might be one of my favorite things about it.
Let’s look at how this build went.
Runners
In our last post on the HG Dijeh, I remarked about how many runners the kit included. The F91 is quite the opposite - I am shocked at how few there are. How are we going to make a kit out of just this?
Weapons
The F91 has the usual array of weapons, though I do love their look. Take the beam rifle, for instance.
You basically have a standard, generic grey rifle that is wrapped up in a white candy shell. I say that jokingly, but there is some truth to it. There is no practical reason I can think of why the gun needs to be wrapped in a second layer of material, other than for the visual flair. I don’t say that as a bad thing, as it gives it a more elegant and futuristic look, which is the running theme of the F91 itself. Building it was extremely simple, though there was a lot of panel lining work to do.
Rather than a bazooka, the F91 has an equivalent device called a beam launcher.
Allegedly it fires “slow moving, high energy” beam energy payloads with the destructive force of a typical bazooka missile. Handwavey technology aside, I enjoy how both the front and back of the launcher look so unorthodox. Somehow they feel fitting for a weapon that doesn’t fire ballistic projectiles, but rather beam energy. Painting this sucker was tricky, as both the tube on the top, and the ammo pack on the bottom, are actually part of the white plastic that makes up the body of the weapon. Getting them colored in without getting paint on the rest of it was a fun challenge, and I think it came out well.
Feet
The are your traditional Gundam feet in most ways, though they are a bit more rounded in shape. The grey bits on the bottom had to be painted in, and I am glad I did, as it adds a much needed sense of depth.
Legs
The legs are also very smooth and round. I like the bit of grey that peeks out from the ankle area. Around the back, there are three small “fins” that can be opened up or closed shut (remember what we talked about earlier in regards to venting heat).
I added a bit of gold paint on the pistons that are visible just above the foot. I always like adding a little bit of “inner frame” detail when I can.
Like with most Gundams, the F91 has a wrapper/brace/whatever that goes between the leg and the foot. There are two spots on each that are supposed to colored yellow and grey. I did my best to paint this, but it was impossible to make it look perfect. The space is too small.
Skirt Armor
I wanted to paint this kit just like on the instruction manual cover, but after clear coating the skirt armor I realized I failed to do so.
See all the yellow arrows? Those are supposed to be colored yellow on the inside only with a touch of grey in the very center to simulate depth and shadowing. Instead I colored the exterior parts yellow as well. Initially I was with this “mistake”, but I later had a change of heart. We will get to that later.
Head
In its titular film, the F91’s face plate can open up, revealing that the engineers gave it a freaking mouth underneath. A lot of fans find this extremely creepy and off putting, but that didn’t stop Bandai from giving us both face variants. The top of the helmet is made to be easily removed, so you can swap the faces in and out if you wish. I will stick with the traditional one, as I find the Gundam mouth a little odd, in a “Michael Bay Transformers” way.
I had to paint the vulcan cannons on the head piece, which wasn’t difficult, but was also something I am not used to having to do.
Arms
The arms are extremely simple in construction, perhaps moreso than any other kit I’ve built. All the armor pieces are as straightforward as you get, save for the left wrist. This is where the F91’s beam shield emitter sits. When you want to equip the shield, you simply remove the dormant version of the emitter, and attach the extended version of it that is built into the shield. Clever!
Shoulders
One of the F91’s signature visual characteristics are the big, red letters that spell out “F91” on its shoulder armor. The characters are actually faintly etched into the plastic. If you want to use the included decals, this helps you figure out how to line them up, and if you want to paint them on instead, it serves the same basic purpose. This was a great idea, and I’m really glad someone at Bandai thought of it.
The F91 has a bunch of wing-like heatsinks that extend out of the shoulders. To simulate this feature, the kit come with two pairs of parts. One pair plugs in and gives the appearance that the wings are tucked away. The other pair makes them look extended. This is a reasonable-enough method of simulating this gimmick, as the kit is likely too small to achieve this with moving parts.
Painting these little wing things was no easy task. They’re only partially painted, and I kept having the paint seep into the little channels that are in the wings. I did the best I could.
Chest/Torso
The chest is visually complex, simple to build, and challenging to paint. On the front side, you have the only hint of blue on the entire main body of the mobile suit, along with a ton of grey. The front of the chest is much more square and angled than I thought it would be - it should be more curved in shape. Color me a bit disappointed.
The back of the torso is a flurry of vents. Or are they thrusters? I’m not entirely sure. There is nothing quite like this on any other mobile suit that I can recall. All I know is that I love how weird they are.
Painting the individual yellow sections was extremely challenging. Yellow is one of those colors that tends to get bullied around by the other shades in the rainbow. Any color you paint over with yellow tends to peek through, unless you apply multiple coats. But doing so leads to that crusty, uneven finish. The end result here is not my proudest work, though I did manage to make it look somewhat better after taking this photo.
VSBRs
Ahh, the VSBRs. The coolest part of the entire mobile suit.
They actually swing forward and are completely useable. Here is how it works (I took the arm off to make it easier to observe):
First, the VSBR is on a quarter circle-shaped rail system. This is what allows it to swing forward. Second, it features two points of articulation, which allows it to be adjusted in various ways in either position.
You slide the VSBR along the rail until it is facing forward. It won’t go any further once you have it in position, so you can’t really screw it up.
The outer shell of the VSVR now extends forward, exposing the controls underneath. This is extremely clever, and far more intricate than I expected from a High Grade.
Lastly, the handle swings out (Note that I had to mess with the lighting/exposure settings on this photo so you can actually see the handle):
And that’s it! I am still quite stunned that they managed to pull this off in such a small kit, though I do have one gripe. The hands can barely grip the handle of the VSBRs without popping off. You can’t really aim it that much. It just points forward … and a bit upward.
Visually, there is one oddity about the VSBRs. They are colored white white with a streak of blue, yet they use no blue plastic parts. Instead, they come with a pair of long blue decals. I went into the build having made up my mind that I would paint them, and not use the decals. However, when the time came I changed my mind. It was late, I was tired, and I was this close to finishing the kit. I figured I would give the stickers a shot, and if they didn’t work out, painting would be my fallback.
As it turns out, the decals worked nicely. I usually struggle with any decal that isn’t applied to a flat surface. They never seem to line up precisely enough. That was not the case here. Once I lined up one corner, the rest of the decal adhered exactly where it needed to go. With a bit of smoothing out, I’d say they look way better than I expected (and again, I can always go back and use paint instead if I change my mind).
The End Product
Here it is folks. A fully assembled, slightly customized High Grade F91 Gundam …
… I really did add too much yellow, didn’t I? As I said earlier, I decided to fix this, and fix it I did. Now allow me to introduce you to the (not) new, (maybe) improved F91:
I think that actually helped! The color scheme really does feel a lot cleaner and nicer now. This kit is a clinic on how even the smallest details or changes in color can influence the overall look and vibe of a model. In its current state, you get a hint of yellow at the bottom (knees), middle (skirt), and top (Vulcans) of the mobile suit. This pseudo-symmetry causes all of these spots to sort of blend in to the overall look.
On the other hand, the way I had it originally, the yellow in the skirt armor was much more dominant. It drew your attention immediately, and that’s when the obvious color clash between yellow and white became apparent.
Size
Holy crap is this kit small. I knew it was going to be shorter than other kits, but not like this. When you hold it, it feels more similar to holding an old 80’s-era GI Joe action figure than anything.
Let’s compare it to some dudes. Here it is next to the Real Grade RX78-2 Gundam. Great-Great-Great-Great-(Great?)-Grandpappy Gundam has almost a whole head on the F91.
Now we compare it against the High Grade Dijeh, the kit I just built right before the F91. It towers over the little guy, and its overall greater width and girth make the size difference even more stark.
Let’s keep this going. We now compare it to the High Grade Tryon-3, my largest High Grade kit by far. Looks like it gets to keep that title.
Okay, let’s get super silly now. Here is the F91 standing next to the Master Grade Wing Zero, who doesn’t even have time to look at his tiny comrade.
I have nothing else to elaborate on in regards to the size, other than to say that this was an enlightening look at just how great of a range in height the High Grade lineup can have.
Now let’s look at some poses and talk a bit more about the kit’s design.
Poses and Stuff
Here it is with the beam rifle. It fits snugly in the hands.
Now we have the beam launcher. This was a bit trickier to hold onto, as it tends to wobble around a bit even when gripped.
Now onto the beam sabers, which are a let down. They don’t stay together all that well, and they don’t stay in the hands either. Most kits have a space in the handle that plugs into a notch on the hand to keep it locked into place. That is not the case here, so any pose that involves holding a beam saber upside down, or even at a severe angle, is a no go. I have never seen this problem be quite this bad. What the heck were they thinking?
The shield plugs easily into the left wrist. Unfortunately it is so large that easily bumps up against the shoulder if you try and bend the arm at the elbow. Your action pose options are thus limited with the shield equipped, which is a shame, since it looks fantastic.
In this next shot, notice how the hands are bent so far inward. This is what I was referring to earlier when discussing how difficult they are to grip.
The High Grade F91 comes with a bunch of pieces that allow you to depict it in its “I am hot and must vent out as much excess temp as possible” mode. To do so, you just swap the head piece, swap the shoulder attachments, and open up the built in leg vents. Then you get this guy:
This “transformation” is cute and all, but I do not foresee keeping it in this form after taking these photos.
Balance and Articulation
The balance on the F91 is quite good, as evidenced here:
I also managed to capture it getting down and funky:
Hands
I have one complaint about the kit’s hands. Or is it praise? I’m not entirely sure. The F91 comes with two pairs of hands. One standard set of fists (which can still hold stuff), and one set of fists with the trigger finger raised up ever so slightly. They work exactly the same, with only a minor cosmetic difference between them.
I want to complain about this because I like when kits come with other kinds of hands, such as ones with an open palm, or a closed fist that actually looks like a closed fist. Maybe toss in some hand that can hold the beam sabers in place. The lack of hand variety is a real bummer. Bandai needs to standardize their model kit hands as muhc as possible.
Visual Quality
The F91 is a gorgeous design, and despite this kit’s size, and its status as a High Grade, this kit nails the details. I cannot think of any specific features that it fails to capture.
However, you have to work for them. So much of the color on this kit comes from painting. Failure to do so will make it look odd. The head vulcans, chest vulcans, and the entire backpack would be monochrome and weird looking. In other words, not only must you be willing to paint, but you must be willing to paint very small sections. I don’t really consider this is a beginner level kit.
Aside from that, my biggest compalint about the kit’s visual quality is that it looks like they tweaked the torso a bit to allow the VSBRs to fit comfortably. Specifically, it feels like the chest is a tad too narrow, at least when viewed from certain angles.
Conclusion
If you have the time, money, and ability to get the newest Master Grade version of the F91, I would recommend taking that route. The reason I cannot give the green light for this kit is that as impressive as it is for its size, there are too many compromises in regards to its accessories. The lack of mobility with the shield, the lack of articulation range with the VSBRs, and the struggles to grip a beam saber all hamper the kit’s potential poseability. I honestly think the situation would be better if they simply fudged the scaling and made the kit bigger.
As it stands, I don’t regret buying it. Far from it in fact. The HG F91 manages to justice to this beautiful, iconic mobile suit design. I just wish it was (more) color accurate out of the box, so that builders of any skill level can bask in this glorious Gundam.
PS - I have an album available containing photos of both this kit, and the other two kits I recently built. Find it here
PPS - I took this celebratory photo of the F91 and the Dijeh, to commemorate my success with them both. I quite love this snapshot, as it really does look like two buddies hanging out. Amazing how much personality you can coax out of these things.
