In our last episode, we built the accessories for the Real Grade Wing Gundam, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The build was straightforward, and the everything looked amazing. You will forgive me, then, for assuming that this trend would continue while building the body.
As it turns out, the build continues to be simple and straightforward, but the body of this model … weird. The TL:DR explanation is that Wing Gundam is quite possibly the least “Real Grade” of all models in the Real Grade line. RGs have a number of signature traits, and on this model many of them are either missing, or exist in a diminished form. When you consider that Real Grades command a premium price, the omission of these features is damming on a technical level.
Yet on a practical level, the Wing Gundam still looks pretty good despite its shortcomings. In fact, I’d argue that this may be one mobile suit that actually benefits from a simpler touch.
Or does it. Honestly, I’m not sure. Let’s go though the build, and you can be the judge …
Feet
One nice thing about Real Grades is that, thanks to their high degree of part separation, it’s easy to do detailing. You can take a brute force approach to painting, since any excess paint simply will not be seen.
Once assembled, the feet look … fine. They use the standard red/white color scheme, and the shape of both the foot and the ankle armor are pretty standard:
If only there were a way to make it look better. If this model was a Real Grade, it would have a whole bunch of panel lines, and a lot more decals.
Oh wait, that’s right - this is a Real Grade. But you could hardly tell from the looks of it.
Legs
Real Grades don’t just have a ton of detail on the outside. Their inner frames have all sorts of extra flourishes, such as conduits, piping, cabling, etc. None of it is functional, but it all works to make the model look like a realistic piece of machinery.
The Real Grade Gundam Mk II is a fantastic example of RG detailing. The inner frame, the outer armor, and the decals are all on point:
Now compare that to the RG Wing Gundam:
But it just isn’t the look of a Real Grade. Yet the model costs the same premium price as a Real Grade; indeed, it’s arguably on the high end of the RG price spectrum, as most stores are selling it for $35-$402. And there are critics out there who (understandably) believe that if you are going to charge that premium price, you better give people their money’s worth, regardless of the overall visual quality.
Frame Detail
What makes this situation even more frustrating is that there actually is some nice detailing on the inner frame. You just can't see it once the armor is applied:
Lower Torso
As is typical of transforming mobile suits, the inside of the torso is more complicated than the outside.
Still, this is the only section in the lower half that actually feels like a Real Grade. All the blue pieces have excellent pane lining, and the rear skirt armor has quite a few decals.
Speaking of blue, it looks absolutely phenomenal. So bright, yet not overpowering.
When we put it all together, it starts to kinda/sorta resemble a Real Grade, but it still isn’t quite there. Nevertheless, it does look quite good. I appreciate how it segregates its colors, so the red is one place, and the blue in another. It is a far cry from the Wing Zero, which tosses its colors together with reckless abandon.
Conclusion
If it sounds like I am disappointed with this model, the truth is that I’m not sure how I feel about it. I like what I see, but I dislike that it isn’t quite what it’s supposed to be. At this point, I can’t draw any conclusions, not when there is so much more to build.
Other Thoughts
One of the Youtube videos I linked to is from a channel called Hobby Clubhouse. It’s my first time watching one of their videos, but I must say that I’m a fan. The host goes into a ton of detail about the model - it’s exactly the kind of coverage I strive for in this blog, only he actually manages to nail it!
Anyway, the host of the video has a pet theory that something went awry during the design and production of this model kit. Maybe it was infighting, or maybe it was miscommunication between the engineers and the corporate folks. Whatever it was, Mr. Hobby Clubhouse believes that at some point the model was going to be more detailed and feature-rich before things went sideways.
One of his pieces of “evidence”, so to speak, is this little thruster on the rear skirt armor:
You can pop it up and out, but doing so serves no purpose. It isn’t a feature native to the mobile suit, nor is it necessary for the transformation. The only reason it might be there is because it was originally part of some larger change to the model that was never implemented. At least, that’s the theory. We may never know the real story behind its design. But if there is any credence to the theory, then it would explain a lot of things.