Since I just built the Real Grade God Gundam, I figured I might as well follow it up with another build just like it:
It’s the Real Grade Shining Gundam!
About the Mobile Suit
I wrote about the Shining Gundam last year when I built the Gundam Universe action figure, but the post was so bad that I rewrote almost the entire thing from scratch (and left a note about the edit). Since that post is now nice and detailed, I have nothing more to say about the mobile suit itself. I suggest you check it out if you want to learn more.
About the Model Kit
I got the Gundam Universe figure in August of 2024, and at that time I had no idea that Bandai had any intention on creating a Real Grade version. In fact, if you had asked me back then, I would have told you the odds are extremely low. I figured that if they were going to do it at all, they’d have done it before releasing the RG God Gundam, not after.
Still, as I was working on the GU figurine, I pined for a Real Grade, hoping that somehow, some way, it might see the light of day.
Then in November 2024, it was announced. I’m not saying I somehow willed it into the universe, but I’m also not not saying that 😀.
Anyway, my guess (and my hope) is that it’s going to be roughly the same level of quality as God Gundam, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Other Thoughts
I was pleased when Bandai started putting full English translations for all of the text in their instruction manuals, but now I’m happy to report that they’re now starting to include Spanish and French translations as well:
It’s fun reading these paragraphs full of foreign language; it turns out I remember a lot more Spanish than I thought I did - and with the French version right by it, perhaps I can pick up some things about that language as well.
But in all seriousness, I’m glad to see this. By including the three most common languages in North America, it makes it clear that Bandai wants to cater to the entire continent, rather than just part of it.