Let’s crack open the box on this action figure and see what’s inside:
We’ve got an extra pair of holding hands, two beam sabers, some highly stylized beam saber blades, a glowy Shining Finger hand, and a swappable face for Shining Finger mode. Oh, and the backpack too.
A few observations:
- It would have been cool if the backpack could transform into the Core Lander, but I’m not surprised that it can’t. I feel like that’s one too many gimmicks to expect from a Gundam Universe figure.
- The left holding hand is just a regular fist-shaped holding hand, but the right hand is actually a trigger finger hand. This is my second Gundam Universe in a row where this has happened, and I’m starting to believe that Tamashii Nations simply haven’t created a fist-shaped right holding hand for these action figures, probably as a cost cutting mechanism. If so that’s … not great.
- I really like these beam saber blades. It’s not just that they’re so stylized and dynamic looking, but also that they’re covered in a slightly glossy metallic paint. They look a bit classier than the G3 Gundam’s beam sabers, but not nearly as tacky looking as the Sazabi’s beam tomahawk.
Out of the Box
Here is the figure as it looks (mostly) straight out of the box. As you can see, I started doing a little bit of panel lining before I remembered to stop and take a photo:
In terms of color accuracy, it’s only missing a little bit of black, some white trim around the blue thrusters, and some green on the rear head camera. That’s pretty good all things considered.
That being said, it still looks and feels extremely toylike. It’s just missing that little bit of … something. So let’s plus it up!
Plussed Up
Now that’s much better:
As you can see, there is a ton of detail that isn’t easily visible out of the box. On a certain level that’s unfortunate, but I’m also glad that it’s there at all. Because when you bring it all out, it makes the figure look so much more complex and mechanical.
As I said in the intro post, I waffled for a while about whether or not to get this figure, largely because it looked so blah on the shelf. But after doing all this detailing, I’ve become a fan of this design. It is a great looking version of the Shining Gundam, one that brings out its best aspects without looking goofy.
One thing that’s crucial to point out is that the detailing process was surprisingly time consuming. Between having to let paint dry, and having to clean up panel lines (panel lining marker does not wipe cleanly off of this kind of plastic), everything took roughly 2-3 times longer than it would on a model kit. And while I did technically get it alll done in a single night, I was shocked at just how late it was when I wrapped up.
All of which is to say that in the time it took me to plus up this figure, I’m pretty sure I could have built a simple High Grade and had it prepped for top coating. And I think that’s another knock on the Gundam Universe product line.
Why buy a figure for $25 and spend X hours making it look good, when I could spend $15 and X hours building a model kit that will look just as good, or maybe slightly worse (though it would probably have more accessories and gimmicks). The math just doesn’t add up.
Poses and Articulation
Here’s another problem; the articulation on this figure is not quite good enough for a mobile suit that specializes in martial arts.
It’s easy enough to do some basic kicks and punches, or even a fancy uppercut:
Kicks, on the other hand, are pretty busted:
Thankfully, the Beam Sabers are there to mix things up:
And of course, there’s the Shining Finger mode. We just need to swap out the faceplate and the right hand, and we’re ready to go:
This hand of mine glows with an awesome power
Its burning grip tells me to defeat you!
Shining Finger!!!
Okay, so admittedly these action poses are pretty lame. But that’s what happens to me when I deal with bad articulation. I might be able to do a better job if I fight with the joints long enough, but I just can’t be arsed to.
Let’s round it out with two more poses. First, here it is floating in the sky like it does in the first opening to G Gundam:
And lastly, here is my best attempt to paint the words “G. Gundam” onto the Beam Saber, just like in the intro:
It’s not perfect, but honestly I am surprised I managed to pull it off at all.
Conclusion
Do I regret getting this figure? Not really. At the very least it means that I can one day buy the High Grade kit and put it into permanent Super Mode, so that’s nice.
Also, I do still think it looks great (at least once it’s touched up).
But all of the problems I have with these Gundam Universe figures are all still present here, and as a result I’m still not convinced that this figure is worth its asking price (or if it is, it’s only barely so). Tamashii Nations still isn’t beating the allegations with these things. They just fall short of what I (and apparently other fans) expect, and while this is probably the “best” one I’ve found so far, that’s only in relative terms.
Perhaps things will improve, but I’m not holding my breath.