Monday 27 June 2011

Bandai MG 1/100 Gundam F91 Review



  
Gundam F91 with Hyper Bazooka
Standard Beam rifle and V.S.B.R (Variable Speed Beam Rifle)
Beam Saber and Beam Shield
Rafflesia themed Display base
Conclusion
MG Gundam F91 is a mini mark of achievement in the Bandai Master Grade history, in that it is one of the first "small" mobile suit, being under 16cm tall compared to the 18cm tall RX-78-2 and 20+cm tall giants likes ZZ Gundam. It doesnt' sound like much, but it is enough to cause problem to places like elbow and knee joints, where the area are too tight for both the innerframe and polycaps. this in turns give rise to a new (and sometimes considered mistaken) innovation: Polycap-less Master Grade.

By molding the joints directly onto the innerframe, and making the innerframe out of more ductile and "grippy" POM instead of Polystyrerne, the MG F91 has retain all the poseability of a Master Grade and the detail innerframe without any polycaps. This trends will then be followed in many small MS Master Grade (Crossbone, Victory), 1/144 high grade (various Gundam 00 kits), and even large Master Grade (Unicorn, Shinanju).

Being the forerunner of technology does cause problems though. In the case for F91, there are many instances of modeler complaining the elbow and knee joints being too loose and not holding poses, or even falling apart. or some joint parts veing too small and began to fracture when assembled. 

Luckily, these issues seems to happen less and less in each releases. In fact, ever since the introduction of POM into Bandai model kits, more and more intricate mechanical details and moving part gimmicks are introduced in model kits (see Shinanju's moving pistons all over its innerframe!)

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