I began building this model over a month ago and finally finished it to my satisfaction after many intrusions from the real world stealing my time. My cat has undergone two of his six weeks of recovery after his knee surgery. He's doing well!
It really needs to be said that the Master Grade GM Kai is a fantastic kit, one I found shockingly underrated. The price is very low on these kits (~$30 - 35) since they're older but they definitely do not lack quality. The design of the MS is excellent, a perfectly convincing update to the original GM that is still aesthetically in line with classic suits. I have grown to love the clean, understated design which isn't afraid of leaving areas bare, especially on those curving shins. There's just the right amount of complexity and detail to make it not feel retro.
The only real criticism I can field is that its articulation is rather low in the ankles, making dynamic poses almost impossible. The ball joint that the shins pop into is just fine, it allows for a huge range of motion, but unfortunately it's handicapped by the large ankle guards. That said, it looks gorgeous just standing there, it's far more menacing than the 0079 GM ever was.
There's a good composition in the look of the GM Kai. It's pleasantly asymmetrical with a single beam saber on its back as well as a delicate antenna on the head. It's quintessentially Gundam and serves as a great example for what I like so much about the design vocabulary of mobile suits. The colors are very bright but such a restricted palette (light green, dark green, red, gray) that they feel in harmony with each other. The light green of the body will most likely be toned down a bit when I paint it, in person it's very green.
Here you can really see the limitation of the ankle guards which make pulling the toe upwards rather difficult. The rest of the joints are solid and have good range, each leg has two screws and numerous sliding pistons which make for another feature I enjoy a lot - underneath all that simple armor is some mechanical and visual complexity. The back side of the shield, for example, has a great deal of embellishment including space for both beam sabers, a nice contrast to the calm and flat red face.
The arms have double elbows which give the hands great range. You can actually pose him pulling the saber off his back with ease. Again, get used to the upright pose!
The back has some nicely contrasting detail, I'm a big fan of the quad thrusters but unfortunately the two on the left side aren't as snug as they should be and they tend to droop, ruining the symmetry of the jets. Maybe when I'm done I'll glue them in place to avoid the issue. The rear part of the suit's waist opens up and accommodates a gun rack that can store the disassembled rifle. Also note that the rifle has a couple types of barrels and magazines so you can customize it. I happen to like the look of the extra-long rifle.
What makes this such a fantastic kit for the low price is the unusual detail like the fabric tubing behind the knees. You get a single tube of rigid fabric piping which you cut to 4 x 13mm and slide on to a plastic piece. They don't move at all so you don't have to worry about them getting messed up, however the process of cutting and placing them can be frustrating as they lose their tube shape a bit and flare out if you mess with them too much. It adds a really attractive detail that I appreciate for the price.
I've still got the Earth type in my storage which is almost identical save color, weapons, and a few minor details. I'm more excited to build it now than I was before, this is a kit I definitely recommend as a quality build (if you're okay with limited posability).
I've still got the Earth type in my storage which is almost identical save color, weapons, and a few minor details. I'm more excited to build it now than I was before, this is a kit I definitely recommend as a quality build (if you're okay with limited posability).
