TT Hongli HG 1/144 Dynames Review

I bought this for RM18 while I was at Miri at June this year. Pretty reasonable for that price but if you are at KL and you can go to Jalan Raja Laut, you may be able to get bootleg Gunpla at a much lower price like RM10.50 per HG. Otherwise, RM18 is one of the most reasonable prices you can get for bootleg HGs. The original costs 1200 Yen which is about RM45-50 currently.

Brief Summary of MS;
GN-002 - Dynames. It is the 2nd mobile suit used by Celestial being which is piloted by Lockon Stratos. Mainly being a sniping unit, Dynames is mostly seen far away from the core of the battle, sniping away its targets. It also comes with an orange Haro! Haro helps to control the shields of the MS while Lockon snipes the targets. =)

Pilot: Lockon Stratos + Haro
Height: 18.2m
Weight: 59.1t
Armaments: GN Sniper Rifle, GN Beam Saber(2), *GN Pistol(2), GN Shield, GN Full Shield
*Not available in this HG version, you need to get the "HG GN Arms Type D" for the GN Pistols...

Read on for the full review.

Part 1: Box

Standard China bootleg boxing with TT Hongli's familiar Chinese & Engrish translations.

Part 2: Box Open!

As usual, 1 plastic bag holds all the runners and a Chinese & Engrish manual.

Part 3: Runners

Almost everything looks well and close to the original except the color for the GN cable which is green-yellowish for this bootleg...

Part 4: Manual

Okay, manual scans are now here!

Sorry that the scans aren't big and clear enough to be easily read. ^^;

Part 5: Building Process, Notes, Warnings and Pain
Part 5.1: Starting Off...
Before building any bootleg models, make sure your hands are in good condition especially in strength. If you're tired, don't try to build a bootleg as it will be painfully annoying as some parts will require extra force to put together.

Also, you may want to make sure you have a small carving knife or maybe just a stationary knife just in case some parts have excess plastic in them which will need you to shave them off in order for the parts to be connect-able.

For most 00 model kits, I like to paint the underside of the clear parts with the green metallic marker from the Sangokuden Marker Set. If you want to use that too, make sure you DON'T shake the marker before use to make sure the paint that comes out if translucent. =)

Part 5.2: Torso

The front torso requires a lot of stickers or painting if you want to paint it instead.

The GN clavicle is a bit lose and lot of force is needed to make sure the whole torso is connected.

Part 5.3: Head
Prepare to spend a long time here. The sticker for the eyes are annoying to put on and the helmet halves doesn't like to be put together easily. The top part of the helmet is also rather lose. I suggest some cutting or superglue to make sure the head ends up proper. The head also connects rather loosely to the neck joint due to me not doing any extra needed mods on the head...

Part 5.4: GN Sniper Rifle

Looks alright? Yes, the sniper seems to be alright except for the "2nd handle" which doesn't want to stay on.

Part 5.5: Arms

Some cutting will be required to make sure those gaps don't show for this kit. Prepare to add in a lot of force when building this part also.

The arms show good articulation for a HG, especially one that was designed in 2007 IIRC.

Part 5.6: Legs

Just like the arms, you'll need a lot of force to put these together. You hands might also get tired by the time you reach this secton of the body. =/

Good leg articulation.

Part 5.7: Waist

This part was relatively easy to put together unlike the other parts of the body.

Part 5.8: GN Shield

Not much effort needed to put together the shields as well. Easy building here.

Part 6: Dynames

Obligatory boxart pose.

Compare with a 500ml bottle.

Part 6.1: Up, Left, Down, Right

The final product seems to look fine and dandy at a quick glance which I think gives this bootleg kit a good impression to me.

...if only the kit doesn't have so many gaps though. You may want to put some extra effort to close those off if you want this guy to look nicer. =)

Part 6.2: Compare With Original
*Left is bootleg while right is original unless stated otherwise.*

Sorry if the pictures are a bit dim. Can you easily spot with is the original and which is the bootleg?

The bootleg is glossy and have a dull yellow color.

Looks almost the same, no?

Too bad the "2nd handle" of the bootleg doesn't want to stay on. I removed it so that I won't lose it in the end.

The shield may look identical at first but the bootlegs is missing some details...

Interestingly, the rear section holds very few differences and only the GN cable color gives the sense of difference between the 2.

"Any last words, bootleg?"

"..."

Part 6.3: Without Shield

Without any of the shields and sniper in hand, the Dynames still looks pretty darn nice IMO. =P

Part 6.4: Articulation & Gimmicks

The shoulder connection to the chest allows it to move in and out.

Pretty good articulation there though the "ass thrusters" can block the feet.

The "ass thrusters" can move quite a loot at its ball joints.

The shoulder part which holds the shields and sniper can move around to maximize the shield's usability.

Sniping mode "mono-eye" camera.

The shield's gimmick gives it some headroom for a lot of poses.

The connector is set like this if you want to use the shield in "Full Shield" configuration.

Or set the connector like this for a basic Dynames.

That's how Dynames looks like without the Full Shield equipment and the sniper holstered at the shoulder.

Part 6.5: Action!

*PEW**PEW**PEW*

Part 7: Conclusion
Wow, what can I say? The Dynames itself is a wonderfully designed MS that has a lot of gimmicks! So many poses you can put it in as you play around with the shields but the sniper doesn't have much "nice" poses it can go in. =P

As for the bootleg in question...
Pros

• Decent price at RM18. If you're lucky enough to be living in KL and manage to go to Chow Kit, you can get this for as low as RM10.50!
• Very sturdy. Most parts of the body is very sturdy and stiff!
• Very close to the original except for the GN cable color and head.
  

Cons

• Needs a lot of force when building it.
• Straight building without extra cutting work will give the final product lots of gaps. Some parts can get a bit lose if you don't try your best put the parts together until you can't anymore.
  
• Inaccurate color for the GN cable.
• The head is a bit off...
• "2nd handle" of the sniper doesn't stay on(minuscule problem to me though).
  

Overall, I have to say, is that I'm pretty impressed with this guy. Sure, the effort needed to put it together can be quite annoying but at least the final product is quite pleasing. If you don't mind to put extra effort when you are building you model kits, this guy can really impress you, especially when its done.

~Fin~