MG#075: Wing Gundam Zero

[tagabukidph]

tagabukid's Wing Gundam Zero review

Specs
Model#: 075
Model: XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero
From: Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
Scale: 1/100
Release Date: October 2004
Size: 33 x 24 x 12
Weight: 0.83kG
Manufacturer: Bandai
Parts: 270
Pilot figure: Yes, x2
Water slide decals: Yes
Dry-transfer decals: Yes
Model display stand: Yes


tagabukid's Overview
The most famous suit of the Wing canon, only Heero Yuy's Wing Zero is able to grace the Master Grade lineup as of 2008. This kit is faithful to the mobile suit's appearance in Endless Waltz and offers a wide array of posability thanks to Bandai's inner frame system. Snap-built out of the box, this could take a couple of days to finish due to the color accuracy and glue-free work.

Details include two 1/100 unpainted Heero Yuy figure (one sitting to be placed, obviously, in the cockpit and one standing), sliding ZERO cockpit, shoulder canons that can be hidden and revealed, opening wings and rubberized "feathers". Bonus is the display stand that is much simpler than those commercially available display bases but does the job well.

Included weapons are the famous massive twin buster rifle which could be separated/joined and two beam sabers whose handles can be stocked at the wing binders.

Additional touches to the finished kit are offered by dry-transfer and waterslide decals. Foil stickers for the eyes and number of lenses are also included to assist snap builders.

For the bold and advanced individuals, color guide are provided in the manual but as useless, most preferred creating their custom color scheme.


Build
The following review is based on the page-by-page build offered by the manual. Although most advanced kit builders have a knack to skip some parts according to their mood (like me sometimes lol), it is still the best practice to build according to the manual.

The build begins with the ZERO cockpit and the torso frame, all the way to the completion of the upper body. If you're addicted to details, you CAN'T proceed to complete the torso unless Mr. Yuy and his ZERO cockpit are painted.

Miniature detailing

Upon the completion of the body, a noticeable gap can be seen between the chest and back armors.

Unfit

I am not sure it this applies to all models but I've encountered this in the two models that I've built. Or perhaps am just that unlucky.   A little epoxy filling and priming helps in this case, though.

Fill, Mask, prime, base-coat

Anyway, after building the body, the head follows. Foil sticker for the eyes, forehead and back lenses are supplied, but the results look best and less "plasticky" when painted with silver+clear green.

Lenses are painted with silver in the back and clear green in the front

What follow are the arms which is just a basic build, no big deal. Seams are present, of course, so you may take the road of fill/mask/prime/base-coat if you want to get rid of these nasty seamlines. The hands consists of the "palm", thumb, pointer finger and the rest of the three fingers combined. The basic logic behind the separation of the thumb and the pointer is for grasping weapons. Shoulder blades are also to be built before jumping to the next page.
The next page greets you with the building of the waist. No big deal. Really, as seamlines are perfectly not given here. Whew! Then you'll be building the feet.

Next is where the inner frame is the most to be worked on - legs. The leg frame alone consists of nine parts (and since there are two legs, eighteen parts in total) plus five polycaps (then again, ten in total). The end result is a more poseable legs as compared to the lower grade models, not to mention the solid feel compared to the "hollow" build of inferior models. Then, you will be applying the leg armors plus the ankle plus the feet.

Eighteen parts make up the legs

You will be then instructed to combine the upper body and the lower body together... just think of the Voltes V crews shouting "let's volt in" for that added pump in your adrenalin.

In the succeeding two pages of the manual, you will be dealt with how the wings are built. Followed by the construction of the wing binders and how the wings+binders will be attached to the body (in the back, of course).

Next page is the twin buster rifle assembly, which Bandai didn't dived into details as the killer weapons simply contained two big parts and seven tiny ones. Since it's a "twin" buster rifle, you also need to assemble the other one. The construction of this WOMD (weapon of mass destruction) only takes two line of the manual, perhaps Bandai's way of deceiving people as to how deadly this armament was? Anyway, since the parts are limited, expect seamlines to be present. Concluding the page is another two line that shows how the simple but effective base should be built.

Second to the last page is for showing how this kit will be posed in its trademark shot (watch Endless Waltz and you'll know it when you see it ), and how the kit will be placed on the base.

And finally, the last page offers decal placement guide but this is pretty much a user-preferred option that you can do without.

Turn the page and you'll notice that you're staring at your desk. That means... CONGRATULATIONS! You're done building this kit!


tagabukid's Impressions
As this kit jumped off from the cockpit, the level of detail immediately caught me. Especially when I learned that this cockpit could slide open once the kit is finished to reveal the details poured in to the seated Heero Yuy and the ZERO cockpit:

Revealing the cockpit


You can also easily mimic the signature pose as compared to the lower HG lines (1/144 and 1/100), thanks to how the shoulder frame was designed:

"Are your shelter shield activated?"


How about the dramatic box art pose? No sweat:

Box art imitation


The placement of the beam saber is well-considered, as this model can "actually" reach for his sword:

Ready for duel

And I said "well-considered" because how the kit can reach his weapon is physically possible, and not just for some wizardry that his weapon will be instantly at his reach (think of the H-Arms custom and Sandrock Custom 1/100 models: their weapons can be carried at their back but how the hell will they reach for them?!)


The beauty and the ugliness of this kit lies on its wings...

What's in a name?

Beauty as it is the main attraction. The eye candy. The wow factor. G-Wing fan or not, the wings never fail to attract. Especially now that the wings on this kit can be opened/closed. However, major drawback is the lost of "grip" due to number of poses. It will eventually wear the hold of the wing binders, causing the wings to sag overtime. Therefore if you intend to have this kit for keeps, pose it once or apply super glue in the binders to PERMANENTLY hold the wings the way you intend to have it displayed. Another minus due to number of poses is the unwanted possibility of the "feathers" falling out, as these are only connected by joint without any protection to prevent it from detaching.


Minus factor again is the mechanics of the shoulder canons. The way it was designed, the head needs to be tilted back and looking up in order to reveal the shoulder canons, who will only open slightly, thus possibly injuring the suit when fired. Pretty stupid design, you may say.


tagabukid's In comparison
This kit seats next to the throne of the Perfect grade. For those uninitiated, the following are the lines in which Wing Zero Custom was offered:
a. Perfect Grade 1/60
b. Master Grade 1/100
c. High Grade 1/100
d. High Grade 1/144 Fighting Action
e. Super Deformed


Blood brothers


- compared to Perfect Grade: I personally prefer this kit over big brother. Anytime. The height is just right. Although not the same as big brother, the build is pretty solid, too. I prefer how the cockpit opens in this kit, but I will gladly choose big brother's cockpit when it comes to the level of details.

Big brother's shoulder canons opens and closes with ease, a stark contrast to this kit's.

Again, hands down to this kit when it comes to the wing architecture. Big brother's poses are pain in the beep no thanks to its gigantic wings. Also, how the wings are designed, big brother's wing seemed impossible according to physics. Big brother's wings, personally, is for aesthetic purposes only. Plus it never opens.

Inner frame, nothing beats big brother. The hydraulics. The joints. The details. The resulting skeleton. This kit will surely pale in comparison when we speak of the inner frame.

Poseability, as already mentioned, favors this kit over big brother due to its wings.


- compared to High Grade 1/100: Yes, same size. But the comparison ends there. The wings are boring. The shoulder canons remain shut. Signature pose is next to impossible. Panel lines? Forget it. Pretty hollow, too.


- compared to High Grade 1/144: Special on its own class, 1/144 requires a little dab of paint here and there to fully represent its actual colors. Again, shoulder canons are shut, wings are boring, panel lines lack details... but are forgivable given the scale.

For the two High Grade kits, Master Grade is, well, the Master. Duh!


- compared to Super Deformed: No contest. No contest. Super Deformed is cute. Master Grade is great.


tagabukid's Rating
Got to build three of this kit so I suppose it's pretty much recommended for Wing and non-Wing fans alike. A definite must in your display cabinet. And I believe it will blend well with the Extreme Blast Mode version of Destiny.

The verdict? Extremely recommended! (as if it's not that obvious, eh?)


Hope you liked this personal review. Feel free to post your comments/suggestions/violent reactions...

Rock'n'roll!