About RX78-2 Model Kits
I am going to take an educated guess and state that Bandai has probably made more model kits based on the original RX78-2 Gundam (AKA Grandaddy Gundam) than any other mecha (and if I’m wrong, I still assert that the count is close).
There are a lot of reasons why this is the case, but they all come back to the fact that the Grandaddy Gundam is the most iconic mecha in the franchise. It doesn’t matter how old it gets. The original is still notable and cherished by fans of all generations. And that means it gets the deluxe treatment when it comes to plastic models.
Any time Bandai needs to celebrate an anniversary:
Or launch a new product line:
Or cross-promote another business:
The Grandaddy Gundam is the obvious choice.
And that’s not all. Sometimes they’ll make a new RX78-2 kit for other reasons. For instance, when Hajime Katoki makes a Ver Ka version:
Or to celebrate the new movable statue parked outside Bandai’s new factory:
The result of all this is that there are a lot of models of the Grandaddy Gundam, and no, they are not all the same. Different variants may have differences in color, part separation, level of detail, scale, and even proportions. Some kits are meant to look big, bulky, and old school, while others are sleek and slender and modern. Some strive to mimic the flat, simple TV show look as much as possible, while others try portray the Gundam as if it had stepped out of the real world.
The presence of all these variants is both a good and a bad thing. As a fan, I think there is something interesting about coming up with alternate takes and interpretations of such an iconic-looking mecha. On the other hand, there is still an undeniable smell of “cash grab” emanating from some of these variants, especially these last two years, in which Bandai went overdrive on Grandaddy Gundam variants.
It can be challenging to keep track of the differences between each one, which in turn makes it difficult to tell which ones are worth your time. Imagine building the Grandaddy as your very first model, only to discover that there was another, better variant out there that you were unaware of. The pessimist in me thinks that this is, in part, the point. Bandai would like nothing more than for you to learn from your mistake by spending more money.
"Good Enough" is the Enemy of Perfect
Here is another interesting wrinkle. As Mecha Gaikotsu points out here, a lot of Grandaddy Gundam variants are good, but few are anywhere close to perfect. I'm not saying Bandai is intentionally sabotaging its kits, or holding them back, but I do think that maybe they know what they are doing when they flood the 2019 and 2020 lineups with Grandaddy variants, only to announce a new Perfect Grade that they know people will double/triple/quadruple dip for.On Buying Duplicates
Until now, I have never purchased a repeat of a model. Sure, I have variants. For example, I have Char’s Zaku II and a standard green Zaku. I have the RX78-2, the Gundam Ground Type, and the Gundam Local Type. But I don’t have two green Zaku’s, or two RX78-2’s.
That finally changes with this High Grade “Revive” kit of the Grandaddy Gundam:
This is one of the kits I got at Target to show my support, so this was less a case of “I feel like I need a second RX78-2” and more “I want to support Gunpla at Target, and this is a mobile suit I like. Might as well get it”.
Having said that, I was curious about what this particular variant was all about.
About the HG Revive Gundam
This kit was originally released back in 2015, in celebration of Gundam’s 35th anniversary. It was one of the first High Grade “Revive” kits ever made.
Going to the Revival
The High Grade line of models as we know it began around the year 2000. For a while, it's goal was to continue cranking out new kits of "new" mobile suits (new in the sense that they didn't yet have a High Grade). This went on for so long that some of the earliest kits in the line became old, outdated, and in some cases, hard to find.
The purpose of High Grade Revive kits, then, is to replace those older models with newer ones, with modern features and technology.
For a while, the Revive kits were being released in roughly the same order as their predecessors. For example, the Guncannon was the first High Grade, and sure enough it got the first Revive kit. After a while, however, Bandai seemingly got bored with that, and began using arbitrary criteria for which model to revive next.
One could argue that the RX78-2 wasn’t really in need of a Revive kit. The very first High Grade kit for the Grandaddy may have been from 2001, but it isn’t like no other HG variants were released between then and 2015. At the very least there was the G30 High Grade released in 2009 to celebrate 30 years of Gundam. That one was based on the design of the original Gundam statue (just like the Real Grade model), and it looked pretty spiffy:
Then you look at this 2015 Revive version, and well ….
… it looks like a downgrade, with a severe lack of detailing and parts separation. What gives?
As far as I can tell, the RX78-2 Revive is trying to do a few things at once:
- It is trying to replicate the classic, TV show-esque look.
- It was trying to be a cheap, affordable, and simple kit for beginners.
- It was one of the first High Grade kits to use what is known as a “partial inner frame” in order to feature levels of articulation never before seen at the 1/144th scale.
It is that last bullet point that is most important. All my research suggests that articulation is the name of the game on this kit. Almost everything else was sacrificed in the name of making this more poseable than ever.
I guess we shall see whether the articulation is noticeable or not.
Predictions for the Build
I predict this one to be quite simple and straightforward. Aside from the weapons, there is not much to paint or detail even if I wanted to. I suppose I could try hand painting the entire thing, or using a gloss clear coat. I could try weathering it to look old and rusted. However, I plan on bringing this one to my desk at work, so I want it to look halfway decent.