Let’s take a look at our lowly lovely GM:
This model reminds me so much of the High Grade Gogg, which actually make a lot of sense. The two kits are of a similar vintage, which means they’re similar in terms of their assembly, as well as in terms of their flaws. Those flaws include not just visual things like seamlines and lack of out-of-the-box color separation, but also things like extremely limited articulation.
But they’re also similar in the sense that despite their age, they both hold up visually. Aside from the blue plastic being a bit too blue, this is still an excellent rendition of the GM. There’s lots of little details that you can paint, highlight, and otherwise bring out if you so choose, and to my eye there’s nothing about the proportions or the overall silhouette.
It may require much more work compared to a modern kit, but you can bring a lot of potential out this guy:
Due to the lack of articulation - and also due to the lack of compatibility with an Action Base - I didn’t take too many action shots. Just enough to give you a sense of things.
With Other Weapons
I’m pretty sure the GM’s generator can power other beam weapons. So let’s toss some on.
Let’s start with the Gundam’s iconic Beam Rifle:
You know what? The GM looks pretty damn good with the Gundam’s gun and shield. Indeed, I think it looks far more intimidating and capable this way.
Now let’s swap it for another, even bigger weapon from a model that I’m currently working on. Can you guess which it is?
Even with this big rifle, the GM cuts a great pose. I think this is a testament to its design. The GM is so simple and straightforward that you can slap whatever weapons you want on it, and it will take on its characteristics. Maybe that makes it unassuming in its default state, but it also makes it fun to play with.
Comparison Shots
Let’s do some comparison shots of the GM next to some of its mates. This one was obvious:
The Gundam and the GM were made to stand together. And they make a pretty good pair!
Though looking at these two particular models side by side, it’s interesting how the GM’s torso seems much wider than the Gundam’s. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be, or whether this particular Gundam model (it’s the 2015 High Grade Revive) for the sake of its great articulation.
The GM Cold Districts Type was one of the GM’s immediate successors from late in the One Year War, which makes it a great point of comparison:
Visually they’re largely the same, but some of the Cold Districts’ body parts are just a little bit fancier, and it adds up to a lot. It looks that much more like a military-grade piece of hardware.
Finally, we have the GM Custom:
This one’s an unfair comparison. The GM Custom is arguably one of the most powerful pre-Gryps GM variants, and is easily one of the coolest. Anything shy of the GM Sniper II is going to fall short in the looks department.
Conclusion
The GM has a big sturdy shield, and a beam weapon, and a beam saber. On paper, this is a highly capable mobile suit that should be excellent on the battlefield.
Sadly, reality hasn’t been so kind. In the original Mobile Suit Gundam, it had to be cannon fodder, otherwise Zeon wouldn’t look scary as the villains.
Of course, later on a willing director could have easily put together some scenes in any given film or OVA where one or more GMs get a moment to shine. Unfortunately, subsequent generations of Gundam production staffs became increasingly infatuated with Zeon, such that the GM had to become even more embarrassingly expendable (at least that’s the way I see it).
And that’s unfortunate, because the GM is cool. This model kit is cool. If you like grunt suits, and you’ve got a bunch of extra gear lying around, you give this guy a shot. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how adaptable it is.
Other Thoughts
- The HG GM comes with two pairs of holding hands, including an open hand and a trigger finger hand. This is always appreciated it, especially in these modern days where many kits only come with a single pair.
- As you can see from the post date, I got this build finished right before the end of the month. Thank goodness I did, otherwise my monthly build streak would have ended!