HGCC WD-M01 Turn A Gundam

Truly The Amalgamation of all good and bad of gunpla Damn near perfect, its mold on finishing the model is completely show accurate down to the unique hand sculpt that reflects the opening theme. Going by sheer fact of bias it'd be perfect. But considering time of release all of the red, grey/black, and yellows could have been their own parts. tabs in the knees are secure but may break over time and the elbow joints are too thin and will break without modding, buy in tandem with the ballden arms set to replace those joints and keep it looking the same.

The Gentleman Gundam Turn A Gundam is a one-off series that never made it to the American mainstream and the titular mobile suit is just as strange and mysterious. Released as part of the All-Gundam Project, the HGCC Turn A really is its own animal. Based on the instantly distinguishable design by sci-fi legend Syd Mead, this High Grade features plenty of Gundam staples but seen through a mirror darkly. You'll no doubt be aware of the particular design before you even see the box, but what you might not realize is that this MS has about 2 to 4 meters on your standard Gundam. That means that the Turn A has legs for days and the whole model feels like it's almost a size up from your average High Grade. Almost every part of this design is rounded in some way, which both makes it an interesting fusion of sharp and soft and an intriguing kit to build. I'm still a novice, so removing nubs from so many curved planes proved an engaging challenge. On my kit, the sockets for the hands seem a little loose and shallow, something that a coat or two of nail polish hasn't quite corrected. The hips are also deceptively slight and their connections are the other loosest part of the kit. The shoulder armor is interestingly designed in such a way that you'll have to fiddle with it a bit to get the most out of the articulation, but it's a pretty clever way to represent the design without upping the price. The last warning is that the awesome ankle armor really does restrict the foot, so an Action Base won't hurt. Still, though they might not do all that much, it's pretty cool to be able to move the interlocking fins in the back of the leg... Besides these minor issues, the suit looks great and has a whole lot that it can do. In terms of weapons you get the shield, a beam rifle, and two beam sabers, including clear pink effect parts and two different pairs of shoulder mounted holsters, depending on whether you want to mount the other weapons on the back. The kit also includes alternate front and back torso plates to represent the complex, missile filled insides of this strange Gundam; a separate core fighter; and an alternate stock for the beam rifle that allows for a two-handed grip. The rifle feels a little bland and bulky to me and doesn't pose as well as some of the other accessories, but it's a welcome part of the kit and I imagine those who have seen the anime have fond feelings for it. There are so many distinct and interesting lines on this kit. If panel lining is a chore for you, you may be sad to hear it, but I had a blast figuring out the right colors and approaches to all the different kinds of details. The Turn A includes a fairly small sticker sheet and most of them are both inoffensive and seemingly easy to replace with paint. The worst offenders are the stickers on the rifle, which wrap around the barrel. I was uncertain, so I took the opportunity to take my first dive into paints to correct it and I think it turned out pretty well. I also opted for paint on the small turned A symbol on the head, which was easy because, as is the case for pretty much everything on this kit, the detail is molded for you if you would like. I feel like you probably buy this kit for its distinctive style. In that there can be no complaints. It's a sizable and unique HG that has plentiful accessories and gimmicks and poses about as well as the Mead design allows at this price point. If you don't care for this interpretation of the Gundam blueprint I don't know that this kit will hold much for you other than the novelty, but I find the White Doll endlessly charming and there's plenty to keep your attention while building. There are some elements that benefit from some extra attention, like removing the mustache flags or even painting the pilot molded into the cockpit, but even an out of box build is bound to look great with the stark colors and alien aesthetic. In a franchise full of incredible mecha designs, protagonist Gundams can, unfortunately, get a little samey sometimes. The Turn A doesn't have that problem, not in the design and not in the build. There's a lot to like and explore here and the HGCC Turn A offers something striking and unique.

Mustaached Fun! A very quick and easy kit to build with a very unqiue look. Panel lining is a must to help bring out it's extra details. This kit is actually quite large too, which is nice.