MG RX-78-02 Gundam Origin Ver. WIP02

Well, I finally got it to Out of Box build.

Here it is... without stickers or any form of weathering.

If you think it looks weird, you are right. The shoulder are so close to the body, that it looks like a kit from 80s. 

Don't worry, the shoulders do have joints. 

So you CAN pose this kit in an awesome pose.

Now lets talk about the kit.

 Form the beginning, this kit was different from other MG RX-78 kit.

Look.

There is no Core-Fighter. 

I was confused because I do remember seeing a core-fighter in manga, so I read it again. Turns out, it was on an upgraded version of RX-78. This is the original version. The one with core-fighter is slightly different like on shoulder weapons. I wonder if Bandai will make it. 

Because  there is no core-fighter, the waist moves differently and more freely. The hatch opens differently. Like the old MS designs, it opens wide showing the figure inside. I might paint the figure too.

Here is the picture of the shoulder weapon. The Gatling gun and the missile launcher. The cover for the Gatling  gun is sometimes shown as yellow. The kit does include the yellow plastic piece if you choose to go that route. I decided to go with blue.  

Here is the gun on its arm. I think it was anti-personnal weapon. Either way I think its a nice addition.

There is also an extra piece for the right arm. So you can pose it for firing both of them.

And finally its effect part. Here it is, Gundam firing at poor foot soldiers on the ground. I kinda wish there two effect parts for the arm, but of well.

Here are the ones for the shoulder weapons.

The one of the left shoulder is suppose to be firing missiles. You can kind of see it, but you have to paint it to really get it.

And the weapons... Lets start with the back weapons. That gun you saw on its left shoulder.

First you have to take this beam saber mount off.

Than attach the gun

Which folds out to firing position, and its magazine can be removed. Now... mechanically speaking, I don't know how that magazine feeds the ammo, but oh well, it looks cool.

Here are the other weapons. Unlike other RX-78 kit this comes with another different looking rifle. I am not sure what it is but it looks bigger and more bad ass.

The shield and the beam effect part.

Now lets talk about the mobile suit itself. The articulation is good. Like how this arm bends. I do have a hatred for that new hand they use. While it is greatly pose-able, it is weak and breaks easily. In fact, its wrist is unable to hold the big gun straight.

Now alot of people complain about the leg articulation not being great. Here is why. See that top part of the thigh armor? it touches the frame and it can only achieve 90 degrees.

However there is a pivot point on pelvic area where it can be bent this way.

So if used properly, it can achieve proper poses like this kneeling pose. In fact, in this pose, the body is straight and it was stable.

Few pictures of the kit in action pose. I was only able to take few because battery light started to go out on my lights.

Look at all those weapons...

Finally next to the MG RX78-2 ver 3.0. That one is also straight box build with flat coat and water slide decals. Only paint I used on it was the gold part.

I still think the Ver 3.0 looks better, and overall better kit. However The Origin version has this grunt suit style or feeling that I really like. I do recommend to get Ver 3.0 if this is your first MG kit. Even without painting that kit looks gorgeous. 

Now, I am going to take the kit apart and prepare it for painting. I have decided to go with the original color, including that off white color. Also because it feels so much like grunt suit, I am going to weather it heavily. I wonder if Gundanium Alloy even rust.