Friday, January 6, 2012

HG 1/144 Gundam AGE-1 Normal Review - Part 2

Part 1 HERE.

Okay, lets continue this review after a nice Christmas and an interesting beginning to my New Year, well, except that the flood recently caused a number of problems. ^^;

I actually waited until I have at least caught up to the recent Gundam AGE episodes (as I stopped at episode 4 before this) but I was caught with a sudden disappointment at how they are progressing the story. Blandness, over-explanation and improper use of tension made the story feel disappointing for me to watch. What happened to all the excitement from the earlier episodes? :/

Nonetheless, I'm still impressed with the HG and this review will illustrate that.

Section 1: Overview


The AGE-1 Normal looks nice standing there, well, except that the spoiler looks off since it isn't a Core Fighter like we initially thought. ^^;
Then again, it may well be since Flit's arc is still currently running...

There is more minor details placed onto this Gundam as the design can be said to be rather simplistic unlike what we have from Gundam 00 and Gundam Unicorn. I felt some parts look nice but some were just added on for the sake of more detail which, at times, made the model kit look awkward. Overall, it looks alright and sharp.

Section 2: Articulation & Gimmicks
Shoulder articulation.

Side articulation. Double jointed elbow is win. Rear skirt can actually move which is quite rare amongst standard release HGs.

With that said, the AGE-1N can do a pretty good high kick. As seen in episode 5, AGE-1N is quite agile.

Waist articulation.

Link
Pretty much the same as the HG 0 Gundam.

Neck articulation.

You can switch the orientation of the arm-guard for shield use. I decided to leave them in a way to make it look slant from the front - making it less "square" looking from the front.

Section 3: Action!
One-hand beam rifle. Technically its called the "DODS Rifle".

They should do this for Flit's arc climax. Final shot!

I personally find AGE-1N holding the rifle with two hands looking totally awkward like this, especially since it isn't a BFG or anything.

Basically kneeling test and AGE-1N does it tremendously well.

Beam dagger action. Wished I had a Gafran to stab when I was doing these shots actually. >.>

My favorite part of any Gunpla review, beam sabers! Oddly enough, AGE-1N really has that Turn A feel here. Hm...

Interestingly enough, AGE-1N looks nice in the air with the DODS Rifle.

Section 4: Conclusion
Pros
  • Great articulation following the later HG 00 releases.
  • Great part-color separation. Stickers usage are minimal as well. Painting in details isn't really required unless you really want to.
  • Good attention to detail. For example those added lines and grooves gives the AGE-1 an added sense of complexity from its simple construction.
  • Full beam saber set, which is REALLY rare to see.
  • Great price @ 1200 Yen.

Cons

  • None*.

*I was initially worried about the ankle armor but nothing went wrong with it so...

This is one of the best model kits I have ever owned. It doesn't even have any cons to mention. Everything is done well for this model kit. Looks like Bandai have done their research properly from past projects. Now, I wonder how good the other model kits in this series will be? Will they continue AGE-1N's level of build quality?

That's all for now. I just hope I wasn't biased though since this model kit is really that good. If you already have one in hand, you may agree with me. The only thing people may have against it is the design of the Gundam. :/

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