Okay, so maybe the build wasn’t all that great, but maybe Calibarn can make up for it with a great photoshoot. Right?
Right …..?
Let’s get one thing out of the way - this is not a bad looking kit, not by any stretch of the imagination. In particular, the level of detail in the head is impressive, as is the color separation in the lower legs.
But … I dunno. I’m just not that excited about this one.
It starts with the fact that the rainbow Permet is way too hard to see, particularly the lines on the shoulders, the legs, and in the center of the V-Fin. I tried making adjustments to see if anything would help, but nothing led to a dramatic improvement:
Without the rainbow Permet, the Calibarn is just lacking in color. Even the Nu Gundam - which the Calibarn’s color scheme is very clearly based on - has a bit more color than this.
And so what we’re left with is a Gunpla that’s just not visually interesting - especially when you compare it to one of its siblings:
I once said that the Ilfrith was the most interesting design in all of GWitch, and so far nothing has changed my mind about that. I think it was a bold choice to make a Gundam that’s bright pink. And I love that it has rabbit ears instead of a traditional V-Fin.
And some of its subtle details - like the shape of its feet and its backpack, and the surface details on its chest - give it a slightly janky, slightly skeletal look that’s fitting for an early prototype mobile suit. The design tells a story that’s perfect for its role in the show.
Calibarn doesn’t have anything like that. It doesn’t look old (despite also being an early prototype), but aside from the thrusters, it doesn’t look super high tech either. It’s just kind of … there.
I realize that my opinion is contrary to the Collective Internet. And I don’t expect anyone to agree with me on it. But it’s just what I’m feeling right now.
Oh well. Let’s do some poses and try to make the best of things.
Calibarn with GUND Bits
Here is what Calibarn looks like wearing all of its GUND Bits on its body:
Not only does the extra wrist armor feel unnecessary, but it’s also asymmetric. It definitely feels as if the designers had extra GUND Bits lying around that they didn’t know what to do with, so they slapped them wherever they could (if it had a traditional rifle, perhaps they could have attached to that instead, but I digress).
But all the rest of the armor looks pretty good, especially in flying poses:
Those GUND Bits sticking out of the thrusters make the unit look even faster, which is impressive.
I still like that so many GWitch kits use blue beam saber blades, particularly this particular dark blue.
Lastly, we have some poses with the broom gun:
The model comes with a stabilizer arm that connects the gun to the backpack. It’s useful, in that it keeps the gun in place, but it’s also a hindrance, as it doesn’t move very well, and it tends to get in the way.
It felt like I couldn’t do all that much with it, and so I really didn’t try.
Conclusion
This kit is a disappointment for me. It’s not quite at the level of “ I wasted my money”, but definitely at the level of “I’m embarrassed that I let the Internet whip me up into a frenzy and get overhyped about this”.
Ah well. Time to put it on the shelf and move forward.
Oh, and while the kit may have been a bust, my motivation for building it this month still stands. Happy Pride Month everyone.