This is it. I promise this is the last post about the Master Grade F91.
Cracking the Code
I finally, finally figured out the root reason why the High Grade F91 doesn’t look right. You can see it in this side profile comparison:
It’s the chest. It doesn’t stick out as far, and this fundamentally changes the look of the mobile suit.
However, it’s not a change that is super obvious in isolation, without something “correct” to compare it to. This explains why I had a hard time fingering what, exactly, felt “off” about it. But now I know - with a smaller chest, the HG F91 just doesn’t look as mighty.
My Future with Master Grades
At the start of this build, I said that I considered Master Grades to be something you build occasionally, and only if you really like the mobile suit in question. I want to amend that statement:
Master Grades are something you build occasionally, only if you really like the mobile suit, and only if the kit in question doesn’t have a lot of flaws.
I like the look of this Master Grade. I like it a lot, enough that I don’t regret building it. But I read a lot of reviews about it ahead of time, and I encountered a lot of red flags. Granted, some of my issues with it went completely unreported, but there were enough warning signs that I simply ignored. I should have known it would find ways to disappoint me.
And I hate to say it, but these kinds of problems only make me feel less willing to build more Master Grades. If a High Grade has some shortcomings, so be it. I can only ask for so much from a sub-$20 kit.
But when I’m shelling out $50+ for something called a Master Grade, I expect working holding hands, and I expect a variety of them. I expect the limbs not to fall off the body, and I expect the entire model to be able to remain secured to an Action Base. If these things aren’t possible, then why am I even bothering? I might as well buy a statue or an action figure.
The Square Cube Law
A lot of the problems I encountered remind me of similar issues I had with my previous Gundam Wing Master Grades, including the body parts flying off, and the difficulties in keeping them on the Action Base. All of which is to say that I have reason to continue to believe in my long running theory that Master Grades of _any_kind suffer from the effects of the Square Cube Law. I can’t shake the feeling that their larger size makes them less solid than High Grades, because of their increased size and volume.
I can’t prove it, but so far, after three MG builds, I also haven’t seen anything that convinces me otherwise.
Will I buy more Master Grades?
I certainly won’t be buying any more this year, not unless I get a chance to scoop up one of the Victory Gundams. And even then, I’m not even sure if I see myself buying even one per year. As I said, as great as they may look, I’m not sure all the potential headaches are worth it.
I find that unfortunate. The one thing the F91 did prove to me as that the extra size can make certain gimmicks much more effective, and I’d hate to miss out on those benefits because of a whole pile of problems.
Burn Out
One other thing I learned during this build is that perhaps I was more burnt out from Home Alone 2022 than I originally thought. It’s the only explanation for why made so many easily avoidable mistakes during the build, or why it took me so long to take photos and truly wrap the build up.
And it gets worse. Since finishing the F91 in mid-July, I’ve been unable to commit to and finish either of the other two builds I’ve tried to start. I’m not going to say what they are until I’m safely close to wrapping them up, so as not to run into a situation like this one, where the posts are spread out over a month and a half.
I think it might behoove me to take a slightly longer break from Gunpla. Maybe I’ll go and finish watching some of my backlog of Gundam shows, or get in touch with other hobbies. This build ended on such a bittersweet note that I think I need some distance. Let the sparks of passion sit and burn in the embers for a little while until they build up and burn bright.