I hate to say it folks, but this is a case where the model looks a lot better in promotional photos than it does in person. I think this is one of my least favorite Ippei Gyoubu designs so far.
I’ve got three main problems with the Moon Gundam. The first is that the design is half assed. This is supposed to be a Neo Zeon mobile suit - a proto-Sazabi at that! - but if you look at the legs, feet, backpack, and even the arms, they already look very Gundamlike.
That’s not bold enough for me. I get the impression that someone, whether it be Ippei Gyoubu himself, or some executive, said “since this is going to become a Gundam eventually, we ought to make it look a bit like one already”
But no! They should have made the Varguil look as Neo Zeon as possible, so that when it turned into the Moon Gundam the effect was that much more jarring. The current design feels too safe in comparison.
The second problem I have is with the control arms, which are mounted on the backpack to help mount the Psychoplates:
On the Varguil, this area previously stored two racks of Sazabi-like funnels, which were then destroyed in battle. I really don’t like the idea of replacing them with two control arms, especially when you consider that you really only need one to mount the Psychoplates.
Having two is a complete waste. They could have swapped one of them out for more funnels, or a gun, or a sensor, or literally anything else that might be more useful in battle. It would make the mobile suit feel more capable, and also give it a nice asymmetric vibe (something Ippei Gyoubu had success with)
My final problem with the design is that, while it may be a proto-Sazabi, it lacks the Sazabi’s grandeur. Case in point:
The Sazabi has the size and the grandeur and the “oomph” factor that all put it over. You just don’t get that from the Moon Gundam. Aside from the Psychoplates, everything feels so small and timid.
Sadly, I think this one is a bust for me. But I still took a lot of photos, so let’s go over them.
Falling Apart
Moon Gundam may have some fancy engineering, but it turns out that it does f*ck-all to make it solid and sturdy. The legs constantly popped off, on account of using a very short connector:
The arms had a similar problem, though not to quite the same extent. Still, it made it a lot harder to pose when all the main limbs kept dropping off.
And then there is the matter of the Psychoplates. They’re similar to the fin funnels on the Real Grade Nu Gundam, in that they don’t like staying together for very long. They constantly popped off, to the point where I didn’t use them for most of the action shots.
I suppose this is why the instruction manual suggests plugging the Action Base 5 into the backside to keep them from falling down:
Another problem with the Psychoplates is that they’re not very interesting to play with. You can re-mount them in a weird sandwich configuration:
And you can also mount them to the arms to use as a sword or a shield:
But I don’t think any of these fits look particularly interesting. Maybe if the individual plates were longer they’d look more threatening when mounted to the arms, but as it stands they’re just kind of there.
By far the bigger problem is that the Psychoplates aren’t easy to use when detached. I was kinda sorta able to prop a few of them up using the Witch From Mercury Weapon Display Bases, but it wasn’t easy. Most of the plates lack any sort of natural mounting point; I had to sort through all the adapters, try cramming them into any hole or opening I could find, and hope it fit.
In the end, I was able to get it working well enough to mount four plates, though I sadly broke one of the adapters in the process:
That’s not the first time that’s happened, and I’m getting to the point where I might not have enough adapters to use these Display Bases with actual Witch From Mercury models. I guess that’s what I get for using them so much outside of their intended purpose.
Anyway, let’s wrap up with a few more action shots, and then we can move on.
Conclusion
I was wrong on this one. I fell for the hype, and I ended up with a purchase that I now regret. It sucks, but when you’re in this hobby long enough it’s bound to happen from time to time.
The only saving grace is that everyone else in my family is quite impressed with it, so maybe one day it will be conversation starter when others see it on the shelf.
Still, I wish I could go back in time to use the money I spent on this one to buy one, maybe even two other High Grades I would have liked more. For now, all I can do is try and bounce back with a build that I might enjoy more.
Thankfully, I have just the one in mind.