As I teased a few weeks ago, I stripped all the stickers off the GM Night Seeker II and replaced them with the waterslides I got for Christmas. Today I finally got around to taking some photos.
Is it Worth it? (Lemme Work it)
So here’s the thing with this model. Some of the OG stickers actually looked great. Not just “acceptable”, but full-on “you can’t even see any of the transparent border around the marking”. This was true even for some of the stickers that were on the (relatively dark) blue parts of the legs and torso, which usually never happens.
But then there are also some stickers never looked good, like the wraparound ones on the backpack:
And don’t forget about the wraparound one on the leg, which I had to clip short because of how bad it looked:
Taken as a whole, most of the stickers on this model looked fine enough, but the ones that didn’t, really didn’t. So that brings us to the big question - was it worth it to buy a whole sheet of replacement waterslides?
My cheeky answer is “Yes, because when you get them as a gift, you’re getting them for free”. But my more serious answer is … maybe? It really depends on how much you like the model.
Because here’s the thing. When you’re done applying the decals to this model, you’re going to end up with this many left on the sheet:
That’s … a lot …
Now to be fair, the reason there are so many leftovers is because these are Delphi Decals, and Delphi likes to give extras. Some of these are backups in case you make a mistake, while others are alternately colored versions of the stock markings. Still others are literally just extras for you to add as you see fit.
But the point still stands: you’re paying for a full sheet of waterslides (plus shipping in all likelihood), and you’re not going to use them all. And since they’re so heavily customized toward not only the look, but the shape of the GM Night Seeker, it’s unlikely that you’ll even be able to use them all on other models.
So you have to ask yourself - is the cost and effort worth it for the improved look of the model? I’m not so sure.
Third Party Waterslides really ARE Better
I know that third party waterslides are better than Bandai’s. I’ve had enough experience with them that, academically, I understand this concept to be true.
And yet I still found myself pleastantly surprised at how these went on.
In some cases it was because the Delphi Decals were simply brighter than the original stickers. This was most evident on the backpack. Take a look again at that photo up above, and then take a look at this:
Those red and white stripes look so much sharper now.
But I also marveled at just how well the decals adhered. With Bandai’s waterslides, any particularly large decal tends to get wrinkly and crinkly once you apply it and start moving it around. You have to patiently work on it a little bit at a time to tamp it down and get it flat.
But with these Delphis, everything looked nice and smooth and just worked. Consider that wraparound decal that goes on the left leg. It clung so tightly to the plastic that I was able to see the panel line underneath (which I happily filled in):
Though I guess it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. On the other side of the leg, I discovered that the decal was so tight that it actually snapped apart in one place:
At least I think that’s what happened. This occurred sometime between when I applied the decal and the next day, so I didn’t actually see it. Thankfully it was easy enough to fix with a spot of white paint.
Action Shots and Comparisons
Okay, we’ve done enough talking. Let’s look at some more photos. But first, for the sake of comparison, here are some of my old shots with the stickers:
If you don’t know where to look, you might reasonably believe that it doesn’t look too shabby with the stickers. But if you do know where to look - places like the thrusters, the feet, the inner leg, and some parts of the chest - then the silvering around the stickers is unbearably obvious.
Now here it is with the waterslides on:
I don’t know about you, but I definitely notice a difference.
It’s not just the lack of silvering, though that is very important. It’s also the fact that it came with extra deals to put on the guns, as well as on the outside of each shoulder:
Not only do these decals add extra detail, but in the case of those yellow ones, some extra color as well.
Conclusion
This is a tough one. I feel the same way I did with the LEDs we just looked at; since it was a gift, it was totally worth it, since I didn’t have to pay.
But would I have shelled out my own cash (plus shipping) for these decals, for this model? I’m not so sure. There’s no doubt that it looks better than it did before. But is it that much better? Especially for something that I took a dozen new photos for, and is then going back on the shelf?
In this particular case, I think the answer is yes. For one, it’s a Premium Bandai model, so it looks and feels extra special. But also, if I ever do any serious (or funny!) group shots involving multiple GM’s, chances are I’m going to be pulling this one down to be part of the shot. There’s a very good chance that you’ll see the Night Seeker and it’s lovely decals again some time in the future.
But I don’t know if I’d feel that way for other models, or if I were spending my own money for the privilege. I don’t see myself necessarily turning this into a habit.
Though having said that, I just remembered something - I do have another sheet of aftermarket waterslides for a High Grade kit, and I did use my own money to get them:
That means I can put my theory to the test. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but hopefully some day this year I can give these a whirl.