BB Gundam Exia - Side-Project Part 1

Here's a small side project I've just started and only can be done during free days, mostly during weekends though.

Yesterday I went to the local hobby shop to see if there were any new Gunpla are available, yes, I'm looking for you MG Sword Impulse. Though completely obvious it was not gonna be available so soon, I just came to ask when it was possible for it to be available. Looks like I have to wait till next month. Ah well.

At any rate, I kept thinking whether to deviate from my budget planning a little to buy the SD Exia, in a sense to fill up my Exia collection, which is almost done, just need a few more. ^^

After 20-30 minutes worth of standing in the shop and a little bit of chatting(since there were my seniors there, one of them works there), I decided to buy the SD Exia, so that I do not walk in and stand awkwardly in a shop then go out without buying anything. I did want to buy a second cutter, but I was afraid I might not have enough cash for when the MG Sword Impulse comes out later, or some other budget planned Gunplas. At the same time, I managed to get a sneak peek at the Dengeki Hobby April Issue, just a little bit, since it does not belong to me. ^^

So, I bought the SD Exia, thinking of building and painting it a bit yesterday, but my body has felt come really painful cramps due to holding something heavy for long periods of time. Gah.

So, today I start this little side-project, which might take 3-4 weeks if I just do on the weekends. Oh well, better than never.


I know some of you might get sick of me and my obsessions with Exia, but it can't be helped, the SD looks so cute. ^^ Priced at 600 Yen, it isn't such a bad deal and I wanted to try building, well painting a SD model kit.


There were not so many parts as the SD is relatively cheap and were meant to cater the younger or beginning modelers. If you do not paint it, anyone can finish building it within 30 minutes and put it up for display already. Though, in all seriousness, you'll be horribly unsatisfied since the SD is not detailed enough out of box.


The parts. Not much and as stated before, can be done really fast.


To me, I saw a "nightmare" when I look closely at the runners. Less parts means less detail. Less detail means lots of painting needs to be done and time taken to paint is quite long as you need to let the pain settle for one night before you can do much with the finished product.


Look here. Yep, clear green parts! Nice, now I do not have to paint these parts. Really nice.


Problem #1: Why can't they make these parts white instead(looks at the blue parts)!? If they are white, it'll be much easier to paint as well as the ironic fact that white is the majority of the parts color.


Looks like you cannot really bend the arms and legs, well, it was already obvious it is impossible due to its smallness... maybe.


Stickers! Though not enough to give most details needed by SD Exia...




Parts for the head.


Head after painted and put together! Too bad I don't have the light purple marker to paint that part on the head where it looks a bit weird completely white. Don;t you think it came out rather nice?


Rear view of the head.


Next up, the GN Drive, which looks...


...rather detailed for a SD Gundam. I painted the white parts with some gray on the needed areas and left them to dry as I continue up with the main body, where the true painting hell starts.


OMG. Only THREE COLORS! Worst of all, the body antennas are white! They are supposed to be yellow! Lots of painting needed here and is very hard to do with just Gundam Markers.


A bit of painting later... I didn't paint it completely as of now, as the next part will be for next week.



At any rate, here's the GN Drive after it dries a bit and some excess paint scratched of. ^^

Well, that is all I've done for now. The promised review for the other models will come soon-ish as they take a while to write-up and haven't do any posing with them. ^^;

Ja, mata ne.