The time has come.
Core Change. Docking … go.
First things first - this is a pretty damn impressive transformation gimmick. The first thing you immediately notice is how well “hidden” the Core Gundam is. It’s not that you can’t see it if you know it’s there - it’s more like, if you don’t know it’s there, then you likely won’t be able to tell that this is actuall a tiny Gundam wrapped up in armor. Instead, it looks like a pretty standard High Grade.
In terms of visual design, the Earthree is very clearly a Kanetake Ebikawa design. It’s very sharp and very angular, with a bright color palette. It feels like a cousin to Ebikawa’s designs for Gundam 00.
But I actually like this better than those 00 designs. The Earthree leans a bit more into the spikiness, without going too overboard like many of the worst designs from Gundam SEED. It’s very much a “modern” style of Gundam, but it feels good.
I know, I know, that’s an extremely vague way of explaining why I like it. Here are a few specific things I’m fond of:
- I like the wings on the backpack. It gives the sense that it feels at home in the air. That’s important for an “all ‘rounder” mobile suit design that’s supposed to be versatile and capable in variety of situations
- I like how many of the body parts are two-toned. There’s a lot of blue on the Earthtree, but because the color is frequently broken up, it doesn’t feel overwhelming
- I mostly (mostly!) like the fact that it’s rifle is so large. The Earthree may not bring special offensive weapons to the table like the other Planet armors, but it makes up for it by having a main weapon that packs such a punch
- This is the rare time where I like a Gundam having a chest gem. In this case, it’s because the shape of the gem matches the overall shape of the mobile suit, so it feels fitting
- It looks extremely tough. It presents quite a lot of intimidating, “don’t F*ck with me” energy. Considering its role within the show, this is extremely fitting.
I do have some complaints though:
- While the model is fairly sturdy overall, some of the armor is prone to falling off. In particular I struggled with the front skirt armor, and the shoulder armor (which doesn’t really lock into place, so it slides off easily)
- Unlike the Core Gundam, the shield actually does mount to the wrist of the Earthree. But the hand grip is still there too, and you have to use both of them. It looks awkward, and it makes it difficult to position the shield naturally
- While the rifle looks cool and tough, it’s also a bit too big for certain poses. It would have helped a lot if the kit came with an open palm hand
All things considered though, I had a lot of fun playing with and posing this model, which hasn’t been the case since, I dunno … last summer?
I’ll admit, though, that action poses were not always easy:
This is one of those models where the best poses come from having it just standing there looking cool:
Though I suppose not all the action poses look bad:
Oh, and I actually remembered to take get a shot from behind!
Let’s wrap up with the Earthree’s big gimmick - combining the shield with the rifle:
They go together easily enough, though you do need to position the arms just right in order for it to hold on.
As you can see, the tip of the shield bends inward to reveal a second green sight:
This may not be quite as powerful as the Uraven armor’s sniper rifle, but it’ll do just fine.
You’ll notice that I had to use an Action Base to keep it propped up in its kneeling pose. I always struggle with kneeling poses, and I honestly should have done something like this a long time ago.
No Top Coat
I did not Top Coat this model, and I’m not sure I’m even going to go back and do it. I don’t know if it’s the level of detail, or the finish of the plastic, but I think it looks pretty great the way it is. I don’t think the extra “goodness” I’d get from a matte coat would be worth the trouble it might cause when attaching or removing the armor.
Conclusion
If this build only gave me the Earthree Gundam, I’d be pleased. But the fact that it also gave me the Support Mecha (which is way cooler in-person than I expected) and the Core Gundam (not quite as cool as the others, but still a nice bonus) makes it that much better. This kit looks great, it has a cool gimmick, and it’s fun to play with. It’s everything Gunpla should be, and for that it is a resounding winner.