I knew I was going to like this model, but deep in the back of my mind I had a few doubts and concerns. Things like “What if something goes horribly wrong during the build?”, and “Is it really going to look quite as nice as I think it will”
But today I am happy to report that:
- Nothing went horribly wrong
- Yes, it really does look as nice as I thought it would. In fact, it might look even better.
It’s not just one thing that makes this Master Grade. It’s everything. It’s the colors - the mix of white and grey, the mix of different reds and blues.
It’s the detail - the way the armor is split into different panels, or the bits of metallic copper.
And of course it’s the markings, which make it look so much more real and mechanical and technical.
But that’s not all. There’s something about the silhouette - the shape of its head, it’s proportions, etc - that just … clicks. In my mind, this is what the RX78-2 should look like.
The Real Grade model has long been one of my favorite designs ever, and building this Master Grade only reinforced that opinion. Seeing it at a larger scale, with better decals and topcoating, I love it even more.
But Can it Pose?
Look gorgeous is all well and good, but the bigger question is - can you actually pose the darn thing?
If you take the Internet’s word for it, the MG 3.0 is so fragile and finnicky that it isn’t worth trying to pose. I found that the truth is somewhere in the middle. It definitely can be finicky, in that parts will detach. By my count, I dealt with the following while taking photos:
- One particular part kept popping off the front right skirt
- One finger popped off one hand
- The arms sometimes got loose on the shoulder joint, and the shoulder armor once came apart
- The entire upper torso disconnected from the legs twice
That’s not exactly a small list of problems, but in the model’s defense, I will say that everything was easy to reattach. And it’s not one of those situations where trying to fix one thing caused something else to fall off. A part comes loose, you pop it back on, and you keep going.
In fact, on a whole I ended up taking more photos of this model than the Origin Master Grade, for the simple reason that that one had such loose fingers that it was impossible to get it to hold its weapons for long enough to strike a pose.
On the 3.0, the weapons were still kind of hard to attach due to the way in which they plug in, but the hands themselves were extremely cooperative, so once the weapons were in place, they stayed in place. As it turns out, that goes a long way toward making the photoshoot tolerable.
Now having said that, I still didn’t take a ton of photos, but that’s because I didn’t want to risk scratching off any of the waterslide decals. I went for “quality over quantity” during the photoshoot, and I’m pleased with the results.
Interestingly, the hardest thing to equip was not any of the weapons, but rather the shield. It has no mounting peg whatsoever; instead, it’s held up by having the model actually grip the handle, then having the mount wrap around the wrist. Like this:
It does work - or at least it can - but doesn’t stay in place too easily, so you have to be careful when moving the arm around. Sadly, it kept me from using the shield as much as I would have liked to in my poses.
And that’s a shame, because it is such a gorgeous shield. All those extra marking decals give it such a unique look.
(And ironically, what photos I did take with it don’t really show the front the shield at all. Whoops!)
I wanted to say something about the head. While it may not look as mean as the Real Grade, it still looks excellent. The shape and the proportions and the stare. It’s just right.
The instruction manual (and even the front of the box) loved showing this thing dual wielding, so let’s do it:
This model is surprisingly sturdy when propped on an Action Base 1. At no point did it feel like it was going to fall over or tip.
And while we’re at it, let’s make a meme:
Some shots with the Hyper Bazooka:
This is one of those models that just can’t help but look cool and capable no matter what it’s doing.
A simple middair pose that I liked a lot:
Comparison Shots
Let’s start with the Real Grade:
My Real Grade model is only the second ever Gunpla I built, so it’s not exactly in great condition. But it still looks right at home next to its big sibling. I would say that it’s impressive that they perfectly replicated a Master Grade in 1⁄144 scale, but the Real Grade actually came out first, so it’s the other way around! But that just makes it more impressive.
Now here it is next to the Origin version:
I was feeling lukewarm after I built it last year, and now that feeling is only amplified. It just … doesn’t look very good, especially when standing next to the 3.0.
In particular, I’m struck at just how wrong some of the proportions are. The head in particular is extremely tiny relative to the body (to say nothing of how derpy it looks), though the same is true of the shoulder armor as well.
The one thing the Origin version does better is that the upper torso is tighter; it lacks the gaps that are in the 3.0. But overall, I’d still take the 3.0 any day of the week.
Lastly, I have a few shots with that my kid wanted to take alongside her very own HG Revive Gundam, which she proudly built all by herself:
These two models sit on opposite sides of the spectrum; one is as simple and classic as can be, while the other is hyper detailed and modernized. But they both manage to capture the true essence of Grandaddy Gundam in their own special way, which is why I love them both so much.
Conclusion
Right now, I think this is my favorite build of the year so far, which is saying quite a lot considering all the great builds I’ve done. For my wants and needs and personal preferences, the 3.0 is just about close to perfect.