Runners
This kit has ten runners. You only see nine in this photo because I already used up the one that holds the beam sabers. Subtract that tiny orange runner in the photo, which houses some parts for the head, and you are left with effectively eight main runners. That’s a few less than the Zaku II C6, so I expect this to be a somewhat simpler build.
Color
Yes, I realize “Color” is not the name of any body part or component. I wanted to remark on the overall color scheme of this model kit. Most promo photos online make it look black and grey, and some people actually describe it as such in reviews. In reality, the main color of this kit is not black, or grey, but a very dark shade of brown. And before you assume that it is actually supposed to be black, but that they used brown plastic instead for some reason, understand that the official color guide in the instruction book also states that it is meant to be brown.
I was certainly surprised by this, but not upset. Rather, I found it exciting. My perspective on this kit changed entirely. This is not the design of some edgy teenager. No, this is a weird, 1970’s retro design.
Let me put it this way - the original Gundam arrived on the scene at the end of the decade, and kinda has a 70’s vibe. This mobile suit is supposed to be its immediate predecessor, so why not make it look even more 70’s. What better way to do that than by giving it one of the most popular color combinations of the era brown and orange? This is a weird metatextual decision that feels oh so right.
Head
This took me longer to build than I care to admit. I ended up dropping nearly every piece on the floor, and spent a lot of time crawling around looking for each. Thankfully nothing was lost.
This is a standard Gundam head with standard parts. Well, mostly standard. There is that red visor that goes over the eyes. That is definitely new, and it was a pain to assemble. It doesn’t snap into anything; you have to place it in front of the eyes, and keep it centered while you snap in the front half of the helmet.
For the record, the head still has eyes behind the visor (you can see them more easily without the visor on).
With the visor on, the head takes on a different look. Originally I thought it was meant to look like sunglasses, but now it reminds me of all the old 1970’s/80’s era science fiction characters who wore helmets that covered or obscured their eyes.
Chest
The basic shape is the same as the classic Gundam, but some of the individual sections are a bit different. The lower half (the cream colored section) has a sort of ribbed texture to it that, once again, reminds me of an older age of science fiction. You can find all sorts of examples of old sci-fi in which space suits and other materials had a similar ribbed/quilted look.
The model’s backpack looks very similar to that of the original Gundam, though this one has slots for five thrusters. It also has two holes in the sides for attaching equipment.
Lower Torso
I’m pretty sure this is exactly the same as the lower torso on the High Grade Gundam Ez-8. This means it is sturdy, though it also means that the front two skirt panels are connected, and cannot be moved independently.
Legs
I’m 99% sure these are the same shape as the original Gundam’s. For some reason they look and feel wider to me, but I know in my head that this isn’t really true.
There is more of that grey, ribbed plastic around the knees and just behind the skirt armor. This is what convinced me that this was a deliberate stylistic choice, and not just a coincidence.
Feet
If there is one aspect of High Grade kits that I haven never gotten used to, it is the simplicity of the feet. They never have any sort of articulation, and sometimes they don’t even try to fake a sense of part separation.
These feet follow the status quo in both regards, but make up for it somewhat with a solid amount of detail. Once again we get more of that ribbing going on.
Arms
The arms of RX78-type mobile suits are hardly what I would call exciting. They are usually nothing more than straight and stick-like. These arms, however, have a few things worth mentioning.
The first is that you get more of that ribbed texture right around the elbows (though I admit it is much easier to see from the sides). Second, the elbows are double jointed, so I imagine I will be able to get some good articulation from them.
The third observation is that, like the lower torso, the shoulder armor on this mobile suit is the same as the Ez-8/Gundam Ground Type, complete with the rails running along the top. I’m not really sure what they’re doing here, other than to emphasize the fact that this MS is also made up of the same types of spare parts as the aforementioned suits.
That’s … fine, I guess. But the rails had a purpose and function for those other models. Based on what I’ve read about this Gundam Local Type unit, I don’t see it using them for any of the same purposes. It is a design consideration that, albeit small, makes the design of the unit feel a little more haphazard than it otherwise would.
Machine Gun
This gun has a comically large ammo pack that really throws off all the proportions of the weapon. It feels too large to be a submachine gun, but too short to be a rifle. It feels like a gun that was made by people who weren’t quite sure what they were doing. This makes it rather appropriate, actually, considering this was an extremely early prototype mobile suit. But while it may be fitting, that doesn’t make it any good. Nothing about it feels powerful or menacing. It’s just … goofy, and in this instance I do not think that is a feeling you want to convey.
Shield
I apologize for sounding like a broken record, but this is the exact same shield used by the Gundam Ground Type and the Ez-8.
But you know what? I actually like this shield quite a bit. I guess it isn’t so bad to see it pop up agaiiiin waaaaaaaaaaitaminute. What is this? It has a working bipod that allows it to stand upright?
This feature exists due to the fact that this is a recycled accessory from the Gundam Ground Type, and we know the Ground Type has a fondness for doing stuff like this:
What’s weird, however, is that the same shield on my High Grade Ez-8 does not have the bipod feature. Why is it here, but not there? It isn’t like the Local Type can take advantage of it. Do you really see it needing to balance that stubby machine gun along the top of the shield for stability?
Shoulder Cannon
Finally, a brand new piece!
This is one of the highlights of this entire model kit. I’m a big fan of shoulder-mounted weaponry on robots and mecha. It gives them some guaranteed firepower in any situation, and keeps their hands free to do other things, like holding swords, or punching people.
This particular gun looks like an odd mix of old and new. The front half feels a bit futuristic, while the back half looks like the magazine from a WW2 Bren light machine gun.
Weirdly, the kit does not come with foil decals for any of the camera lenses on its weapons. I ended up using red for the machine gun, but blue for the shoulder cannon. That’s how it is portrayed in the manual, and I thought it was an interesting, unorthodox color choice.
And with that, we’ve covered all the pieces. In the next post we put them all together and see what we get.