Bandai Gundam Exia 1/60 Scale Model Gn-001 Review

Review by VF5SS

I've had a rather long love affair with Gundam plastic kits (Gunpla). I've been building them since I was a wee lad just I've never been that skillful at it. I've congenital everything from the erstwhile glue and pigment kits to modern Perfect Form kits. Sometimes I like to keep it simple, and here's where Bandai'southward one/60 calibration Loftier Class Gundam Exia comes in. The notion of a High Grade level kit of this size is nothing new. This was done starting with Victory Gundam mode back in 1993 and continued through 1000 Gundam and Gundam Wing. Unfortunately, these models reflected the Loftier Grades kits of the time. The amazing engineering nowadays in current models just wasn't at that place. Everything was crude and full of obnoxious balljoints that could never hold a pose at 1/144th calibration allow lonely ane/60th scale. Fast forrad to the SEED era, where a few years of High Grade Universal Century kits and better Perfect Form kits accept yielded many improvements to the design process of large Gunpla. Every bit such, Bandai revived the line of 1/threescore scale High Grade kits with the release of a Strike Gundam and Liberty Gundam. While I practice enjoy a good Perfect Grade kit, in that location's something inviting virtually building these big High Grades. They are very much made for beginners and experienced builders alike with full color manuals and many hidden seam lines. I love the Gundam Exia, and then this kit was a definite buy for me.

This Exia is big. Really big, similar you may think your Master Grade Nu Gundam is big merely that'south just peanuts compared to Exia. Hands a foot tall, Exia looks gear up for battle right after assembly. The kit consists of 16 parts trees and is very like to a typical modern Loftier Grade 1/100 kit. One nice matter nigh a kit this size is that nigh of the large areas are made from separate parts so piffling detail painting is required. The GN Particle transmission cables (those lilac panels) are made from a rubbery cloth that slides between the arm and leg parts. My kit has not been painted in any fashion.

1 area that could have benefited from a few extra parts would exist the shield portion of the GN Sword. Information technology has a few gray pieces that could have cast equally split up parts, all the same the size of the kit makes painting them easy. The blade itself is missing some lite greyness details and at that place are no stickers provided for these details.

I thing I appricate virtually this kit over the HCM Pro toy is how easy it is to outfit Exia with all of its weapons. The arm weapons plug in very smoothly and the GN Long and Short Blades are attached via two extension pieces that plug into the hips. You have to simply motion the white hip caps and replace them with the mounting parts. The mounting parts may also accept the white hip caps to complete the illusion of extending mounts. These mounts can rotate a full 360 degrees then as not to impede leg articulation when the blades are attached. The GN Bulldoze cone on the back uses a combination of clear parts and green stickers to replicate the GN Particle generation consequence.

The details for the chest are provided by a set of paper stickers sandwiched under a clear cap. Each of the GN Capacitors plant on Exia's knees and elbows take this same decal setup. Exia's shoulders take a compound joint which allow the figure to shrug its shoulders up and downward also every bit swing them back and along a fleck. Sadly, Exia's waist joint is a simple peg and hole joint just information technology serves the figure well enough. In fact, Exia has very few balljoints. At that place is i in each ankle, 2 for the hips, two for the wrists, and one for the neck. The residuum of the joints are all peg and hole style, which more often than not final a lot longer than polycap balljoints.

This kit is large enough to characteristic a simple opening cockpit gimmick complete with a miniature Setsuna F. Seiei. The kit's fingers can open up and shut with the alphabetize finger being separate from the other iii.

Equally a large scale High Grade kit, Exia is simple and fun to pose.

At one/60th scale, the GN Sword is about the size of a dinner knife.

The kit'south joints are overnice and stiff. Exia tin fifty-fifty hold its massive blade parallel to the footing. The kit is too very stable even when hefting its massive blade.

"One thousand y proper name is Setsuna F. Seiei. You killed my comrades, prepare to die."

When the GN Sword can't cutting it (its a boring blade sadly), Exia can reach for its twin GN Blades.

Each of Exia'due south weapons have two slots which plug into rectangular pegs in each palm. The kit's fingers are potent enough to hold its weapons without these pegs.

After the GN Blades, comes Exia's iv GN Beam Sabers. 1 is mounted on the back of each shoulder pauldron.

Exia comes with two full sized axle blades and two dagger sized blades. These are interchangeable among the four saber hilts.

Exia often uses its aft mounted blades equally throwing knives. These are mounted on double hinged joints for piece of cake admission in battle.

Upwardly close you can see the stick item for the wrist mounted GN Vulcans. The sticker does an alright job, merely again the size of this kit makes painting these little details so much easier.

Fresh off the assembly line, the large Exia kit compares well with its smaller toy counterpart in terms of detail.

At ane/60th scale, Exia is a true diplomat to other robots of this size. It is ever forging alliances...

... and making friendships.

At the cease of the day, the big Exia is only good simple fun. Sure a Perfect Grade kit will give you unparalleled detail, merely there'due south something to be said well-nigh straightforward High Grade. My but lament is during Bandai'south initial preview of Gundam 00 trade they had mock-ups of all four get-go season Gundams in 1/60th scale. What an awesome sight it would have been to take all four Gundams in this size. Regardless, Bandai'southward one/60th scale Gundam Exia is a not bad kit for newbies and experienced modelers alike.

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Source: https://www.collectiondx.com/toy_review/2007/high_grade_160_scale_gundam_exia