Big thanks to the guys at Japan Craft for selling me this kit. And it's quite convenient that they had the AEUG version in stock as well. Umm...yeah, I'm out of ideas, time to put the "not sponsored" catchphrase out to pasture, methinks. I figure most people would know better than to assume otherwise anway.
Minor format change this time. I'm not doing a full Build Diary with photos at almost every step like I normally do, because I mostly did this kit at my own pace off-camera. I say "mostly" because the inner frame of this kit was done in its entirety live on my Twitch channel (SHAMELESS PLUG!).
But I do at least want to give some takeaways on this kit that stuck in my mind after completion. This kit (and its AEUG variant, by extension) is one that frequently comes up in recommendations for Real Grade kits, and I mostly agree. But I still feel there's a few things you should know if you ever want to pick up either version of the Real Grade Gundam Mk.II.
Firstly, the inner frame. I bring up the fact that I assembled it in its entirety because this is in that era of Real Grades that placed emphasis on the inner frame. i.e., you build that first, then build the armour around it. I've never built a kit that specifically asks you in the manual to do this before (HiRM kits don't count), but it's quite cool to see it come together, and it does that thing where movable parts come attached to the runners, which I quite enjoy (for as fiddly as they often are to cut out). That being said...
Second thing to note: the fabric tubing. The back of the legs and the backpack all require these pieces of fabric tubing with copper wires inside, and you're given lengths to cut. Be warned that the legs require really small lengths of tubing, with really awkward space to jam them into. Hell, one of the highlights of the livestream was me spending an eternity trying to fit the first one into place and ending up losing one of the lengths of wire. I remarked that I'd never hear the end of it if that length of wire doesn't show up. At the time of me typing this, it's been roughly two weeks since that stream and it still hasn't turned up. Don't get me wrong, I've worked with fabric tubing before, but it's noticeably more fiddly on a kit of this scale, so be ready to work with it even after finishing the inner frame.
Thirdly, the customization. I'm not just talking about the choice of rifle, shield and bazooka (all of which, plus a second bazooka clip, can be stored on the Gundam itself). I'm particularly referring to how there are alternate parts and stickers to build the test-type version of the kit. If my memory recalls correctly, it mostly applies to the vents on the side of the legs. Oh, and on the topic of stickers...
Fourthly, some of these stickers are tiny. I know it's a Real Grade, so tiny stickers come with the territory, but some of the chrome accents the kit provides you with are taking a not inconsiderable amount of piss. Genuinely, there were cut-off pieces of runner and trimmings left over from the kit that were bigger that some of the stickers, so is it any wonder I ended up losing a few in the process of alignment? It's a shame too, because the added texture and colour variety that comes from the accentuation and stencils portrayed with the stickers really help give this kit some personality, particularly if you're looking at the darker Titans variant.
And fifthly, if you want me to be a bit petty, I'm not so keen on the way the bazooka loosely fits on the back. Perhaps I interpreted the manual wrong, but I cannot for the life of me get it to fit securely.
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| I had to tilt the bazooka back into position right before I took this photo. |
Having said all that, I enjoyed my time with this kit. It's been too long since I worked on a Real Grade, and although I feel this is a case of liking the results more than the building experience, it's still a good choice if you're shopping around for Real Grades. Honestly, get this or the AEUG variant because there really aren't all that many differences outside of the colour scheme.
Anyway, this definitely won't be the only after-action report I have planned - I have another kit I'm currently in the process of painting, along with a High Grade kit that might be a much better candidate for livestreaming than this one.
Stay safe and keep clipping, folks!
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