Gunpla Build - Entry Grade Nu Gundam (Part 1)

I know I didn’t do build posts last time, but I think I will for this one. This is only my second Entry Grade kit (well, technically my third if you count this one), and I’m still interested in examining how the build process compares to High Grades.

Let’s start off with the parts layout:

If we exclude the tiny blue runner, then we get five of them in various sizes.

In comparison, the Entry Grade version of the Grandaddy Gundam came with four fairly small runners:

Now to be clear, one of the Nu Gundam’s runners is devoted entirely to the fin funnel, so if we take that one away then both kits have the same number of runners. However, the Nu’s are still a bit larger on average, and they don’t contain any weapons or accessories. All of which is to say that even minus the funnel, the Entry Grade Nu almost certainly has more pieces than the Grandaddy.

This makes a certain amount of sense: the Nu is a taller mobile suit, and is at least marginally more intricate. Consider, for example, the beam saber holster in its left arm, or the fact that it has much more color separation in general. You’d expect it to have at least a few more parts in total.

That being said, the jury is still out as to whether the finished model is going to look more complicated. Only time will tell.

Fin Funnel

I’m so fascinated by this thing that I knew I had to start the build with it. Sure enough, it failed to disappoint.

At the risk of sounding dramatic, this is unlike anything else I’ve built at this scale. It’s more complicated than just about everything I’ve assembled for a High Grade (though it’s not quite at the level of a Real Grade).

It also uses a few color correcting decals, but these too are different than what you usually get from a HG. They have no filmy, transparent edges, but rather have a nice matte finish. Even without a layer of clear coat, they look really nice.

Let’s walk through the assembly step by step.

First, we start off with the “core” of the funnel:

Add two color correcting red decals, and this is what you get:

Next we add some cool looking fins to the top of it:

And then some more decoration along the top and the sides:

Now for the barrel:

That piece on the bottom is what holds the two sides of the barrel together. The kit comes with two of them, one that makes the barrel look closed (pictured above), and one that makes it look open (pictured below):

Here it is assembled and with the decals applied:

And finally, here’s the whole damn funnel:

The level of part separation and parts layering here is incredible. Also, after building so many older High Grades, it was a huge sigh of relief to not have to worry about seam lines.

And again, I can’t imagine anything on a High Grade being quite this intricate. It’s a reminder that the “Entry” in Entry Grade is more of a commentary on the difficulty of assembly, rather than the quality of the final product.

Feet

The feet aren’t made of many pieces in total, but they don’t really need to be.

I’m glad that we get a separate part for that yellow bit in the toe. That could have easily been a color correcting decal if this were a High Grade.

And despite the small number of parts, the model manages to pack in two different joints: a ball and socket in the toe (to add a bit of pivot and lateral movement), and a hinge joint in the ankle (for up and down movement). Pretty impressive stuff.

Legs

Not a lot of parts here, but there’s some nice parts layering going on. We’ll start with the upper leg, where you can get a good glimpse of one those hinge joints I just mentioned:

Now we switch to the lower leg and put together the “interior”:

Then we close it up:

And lastly we add the finishing touches:

As you can see, there is some nice detailing here that you can bring out with some paint, though again it’s not strictly necessary. For example, those thrusters are covered up so thoroughly that even if you do decide to paint them, you’re not going to see much of your effort.

Lower Torso

On a typical High Grade, the lower torso contains the “female” end of the joints for the legs and skirt armor. But that only works when you’re using polycaps. That’s why the Entry Grades do it in reverse, with the “male” ends on the torso:

Just like on the EG Grandaddy Gundam, this kit uses part separation, rather than a decal, for the crotch V.

We also get that French flag-looking decal on the right skirt:

On the backside, we get some amount of color separation, but not as much as on the Real Grade Nu. Compare this:

To this:

Interestingly, if you look at the photos in the instruction manual, not even the folks at Bandai bothered to paint in those vents. Considering how small and narrow they are, I chose to follow their lead, simply added some panel lines. It’s not like anyone’s going to be looking at them, especially not if the funnel is strapped to its back.

Oh, I almost forgot the side skirts!

Upper Torso

I’m amazed at how few parts we’re dealing with here:

And yet with some panel lines and a bit of paint for detailing, it looks fantastic:

That is such a phenomenal shade of blue.

Backpack

When I first looked at these parts, I had no idea how they’d go together. But it makes perfect sense once you see it assembled:

You can literally see where every part goes in just this one photo.

Anyway, this is an excellent recreation of the Nu Gundam’s backpack. In fact, it even 1up’s the Real Grade Nu, using a piece of plastic where the RG uses a decal:

Beam Saber

The Nu Gundam has two beam sabers, but only one of them is useable in this particular model. And once again, it’s a fantastic recreation:

It’s got a foldable hilt and everything.

Head

Not much to say here, other than there’s a lot of nice surface detail:

Just like the Entry Grade Grandaddy, there are no eye decals here. It uses shadows to create the black area around the eyes.

It’s been said that the shape of this model’s head is much better - and more accurate - than the head of the Real Grade Nu. I haven’t yet compared the two, but at the very least this one looks quite nice:

Arms

The Nu has asymmetrical arms, but on this model they’re almost identical in assembly, save for one or two pieces on the forearm. I’ll show you the full assembly of the right arm, and then just the part that’s different on the left.

I like how we get the yellow bit in the center of the shoulder armor:

The elbow joint is actually a pretty standard looking joint, as opposed to the hinge style used in the lower body:

On the other hand, the shoulder joint is a bit weird, being made of two halves, with one pivoting around the other:

I do like how the shoulder armor just fits right on top of the shoulder joint:

Now for the left arm. Here you can see the second beam saber, which is molded right into the plastic:

Though you can’t really tell once you slip the blue cover on top:

And that’s it for the assembly folks! Come back next post to see how it all came together.

Other Thoughts

My biggest pet peeve with the Entry Grade Grandaddy is that its shoulder joints are visible when viewing it from above:

As far as I can tell, this was a way to allow the model to pull off the “Final Shot” pose without the polycap-based trickery used in the High Grade Revive. Personally, I don’t think the hit to its aesthetics was worth being able to pull off the pose. Thankfully, it’s a non-issue with the Entry Grade Nu.