Here it is - my completed Gundam Mk. II.
I’ll try to keep the commentary short, and let the photos do the talking.
Overall, despite the negativity I expressed throughout this build, I think the finished product looks pretty good. The topcoat really helped out, and the discoloration on the leg and head are less noticeable when vieing the model as a whole.
One nice feature of the Mk. II is that you can attach its beam rifle to its hip. This allows it to essentially carry all of its weapons around, regardless of which one it is holding.
My previous two models came with two sets of hands - one a regular fist, the other a set of with moveable fingers, which could handle weapons. The Mk. II comes with a third type - a single, premolded hand meant solely to hold weapons. It offers a better grip than the poseable hands, and removes the risk of losing a finger while posing.
Every single component of this model is sturdier than the other two. At one point I dropped the legs and torso on the floor, and not a single piece flew off. This inspired this first, sheepish attempt at an action pose.
Here’s an attempt at mimicking a pose from the side of the box. I like how the Mk. II looks interesting with or without its weapons.
A few more observations:
I made a home made lightbox to take these photos. I think it helped a lot, but I still struggled to get the lighting right. I have a lot to learn about photography.
I’ve always been of the opinion that the decal sheet is a fundamental aspect of the Real Grade line. These kits are highly detailed already, but they’re still small. The decals help to highlight different parts of the model’s body that you might not focus on when viewing it from a distance. They also sell the line’s promise of offering more “realistic” portrayals of each mobile suit. Most of the small, white decals represent instructions and/or warning messages meant to keep pilots and mechanics safe during maintenance, something you wouldn’t be surprised to find on an actual spacecraft or high-tech military vehicle. I’ve seen photos of Real Grade kits standing side by side with their Master Grade counterparts, and while they both look great, it is clear that each one offers a different interpretation of the mobile suit in question. That’s a good thing in my opinion, as it gives a the RG brand a (no pun intended) real justification for its existence.
The beams of the beam sabers are yet again too long. Hence why they don’t show up in any of these photos.
The next post will be the last in this series. I’ll be going over some final takeaways, and will post one more (related) series of photos. For now, I’ll leave you with the remainder of my shots.
