With me looking forward to the MG ReZel release (which looks quite awesome in its colored proto shots), I was actually surprised that Bandai announced this MG release, just a couple of months after the movie’s release. Although not really an actual curveball, and seeing the timing of its release and the movie’s release, this was something rather expected after a bit of thinking. Makes me wonder though what kind of unique gimik this kit will have compared to the previous Gundam 00 Master Grade releases.

Here are some scans picked up from Ngee Khiong’s blog.

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Checked out some of my favorite modders and saw some recent updates. Two have released new mods, complete with photos, while one has a teaser on a Master Grade that a lot of fans have been asking Bandai to manufacture for decades.

This is Keita’s latest masterpiece, a modded version of the Master Grade GN-X from Gundam 00. In his site, he details the changes he made on the original model kit. The difference between this and the original release is just staggering. He never fails to amaze me with the amount of detail he is able to apply on these model kits to further enhance them. I just wish he had included shots of the GN-X with the GN Drive lit up.

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So when I thought they had altogether ditched the idea of giving the 00 Gundam the Seven Sword system which the Exia had, an MSV pops up with a Seven Sword system designed for the 00 Gundam and by George does it look awesome.

Marked what I believe would be the seven swords. The two swords mounted on the calves appear to be the pieces that used to be attached to the GN Drives mounted on the 00′s back. Then the twin blades on its hips are now replaced with a shord and long sword which brings it back to the days when the Exia had the same two swords  on its hips. The standard pair of beam sabers are still mounted on its back and then the seventh piece is the buster sword that mounted on the left GN Drive which can swing backwards like it was sheathed at the back of the mobile suit. Pretty neat!

Another thing I noticed was the green-tinged edges of the smaller blades. I remember melee weapons with Phase Shift Armor capabilities, allowing them to cut through PSA-capable mobile suits. Perhaps this is a GN Particle-covered blade? Would it glow green? All we have to do is wait and hope that this MSV sees action in the TV series. This is an MSV. I don’t think this is already official-for-television.

Btw, that buster sword reminds me so much about the Astray Blue Frame 2nd L. Looks like it can even double as a shield. Any modders want to do a take on this MSV?

Snagged this bit of news from SRW Hotnews.

I saw this scan in SRW Hotnews. It’s an MSV of the Nadleeh and it’s called the Nadleeh Akwos. It appears to have pretty much the same structure as the Nadleeh but with more armaments, more armor panels a slightly different head and no hair.

Lately, I’ve been wondering if the Gundam 00 design team has a fascination over sentai (i.e. Bioman, Hurricanger, Dekaranger). Although the team is not composed of five people like the standard sentai team headcount, they’re all decked out in different colors, have units in the same color as their uniforms and recently, the rumor that the four new Gundams are able to gattai because one of them has this hulking huge head at the backpack.

And now this. The Nadleeh Akwos has a shield with a large Gundam face on it that detaches to become a sword. Since this is from the 00V series which is the main storyline, I can’t determine if it is a unit that will jettison from the Selavii Gundam which is supposed to be the successor of the Virtue Gundam where the original Nadleeh jettison’s from. I cannot help but draw a connection since both the Selavii and the Nadleeh Akwos have parts that have that large Gundam face on it (the backpack for the Selavii, the shield for the Akwos).

All we can do now is wait till the series starts and see if the rumors of the gattai ability are true or not.

Remember the Miku Hatsune inside™ and Gurren Brigade inside™ that I made last week? Well I made three more and this time, they’re from Gundam 00 and Code Geass.

Edit: I made more. ^_^

Here’s my current queue:

1. Chobits
2. Core Drill
3. MGS/Solid Snake
4. Skull Squadron (Skull/UN Spacy Logo)
5. Mikuru
6. Saber
7. Knightmare Frames
8. Banpresto/SRX
9. Keroro Gunso
10. Zaku

My good friend, Joey was the one who suggested that I change the Geass icon from Active to Contract. He also suggested the Skull Squadron version. Marvin requested the Newtype and Coordinator Pilot inside versions. And of course, the Dancing Trooper icon as a nod to Danny.

Gundam 00 season 2 will be airing soon and Bandai is not missing a single beat in releasing Gundam 00 merchandise to cash in on the fans’ anticipation of what’s going to happen to Celestial Being’s four Gundam pilots/meisters.

00 Gundam: flexibility for dynamic poses, to rival Revoltech

Bandai’s HCM Pro line will be releasing two Gundam 00 unit this September: 00 Gundam and Cherudim Gundam. The designs for all four mobile suits are blockier or pointier but what I noticed is that the mecha designers appear to be obsessed with pairs, particularly with these units. The 00 Gundam no longer has the seven sword system. Instead, it now has two GN blades of the same size that can turn into beam rifles, two beam sabers and of course, its two GN drives mounted on its shoulders. The flexibility appears to be even more improved now. The range of the joints are greater now and the opportunity for making dynamic poses with the 00 Gundam appear to rival those of Revoltech.

Nurrr, Strike Noir pose, nurrrr.

The other Gundam to be released this September is the Cherudim Gundam. When the previous design had panels, shields and a large rifle, this one has a smaller rifle that can be converted to a shorter beam rifle (which is probably for assault and rapid fire). And as if by some twist of fate, someone from SEED Stargazer managed to get past security and put in two beam handguns on the Cherudim Gundam. I’m not liking the Strike Noir pose. Couldn’t they make a more unique style? One of the nice things about Gundam 00 was that it was in a different league compared to SEED. I did watch SEED, SEED Destiny and even Stargazer. I liked Stargazer but I couldn’t stand the mecha cheese that oozed from SEED and SEED Destiny. But then the season has not yet started. Perhaps this Cherudim Gundam will be popular just as Lockon made the previous unit popular.

View more images of 00 Gundam and Cherudim Gundam at Amiami.com.

Bandai will be releasing a 1/100 high grade Gundam Avalanche Exia. This is the same Exia with additional armor that makes it look like Shin Musha Gundam’s long lost blue brother. It comes with interchangeable hands rather than the flexing fingers of the master grade series but we can start noticing some of that inner frame technology moving down the quality ladder. The feet have an additional joint already, similar to the flexing feet of the Gundam ver. OYW and practically every other model kit that came out after that. Gundam BASE Side 1 had previously released pictures of the Avalanche Exia but now, they have a whole gallery of the promotional photos for this model kit. Looks like an interesting buy to me.

It’s been quite some time since I last talked about the Type F. Now, we have actual merchandise pics of the 1/100 model kit. Come have a look.

Box art reminds me too much about the RX-78-2 ver. OYW box art where the classic image of the RX-78-2 slashing through a Zaku is shown.

I’m actually liking the dark, metallic face of this one. Gives the mobile suit a very threatening look.

I’m interested in the fact that this one comes with that large blade that appears to be an earlier version of one of the pieces of the Seven Sword System. Build looks nice and color scheme is also nice although I would have preferred a less pinkish hue for this one to make it look menacing. But then, if it was too red, the details on the panel lines and whatnot end up appearing to be lost.

At the moment, the only Gundam 00 MS that I’m considering buying is the Exia, in 00 Region fashion. If they were to release this in 00 Region, then I might want to buy it. As for a kit, I might not be that easily bothered to build it. ^_^ But that’s just me. I’m quite picky with the kits that I buy and build.

The image in the far right is obviously the Gundam Exia which Setsuna pilots. The two other robot images are from the recently-published design of the 00 Gundam. Here are some of the more obvious cosmetic changes:

• green orb on chest is gone
• one more green orb for each arm
  
• blue wrists
• thruster backpack instead of hunchback cone design
• traditional red forehead piece on the V-fin
• flat strap wiring on the shoulder-to-arm is gone
• knees actually remind me of the RX-78-2
• while the hips remind me of the PG Strike Gundam
  
• new arm design
• yellow fins on the collarbone appear to have migrated to the head as the additional V-fin
• and the crowning glory appears to be two GN drives mounted on the shoulders and they swivel into the back or outwards to the sides

Nice? Ehhhhh… I’m still wondering what the weaponry looks like. Will it still be the seven sword system or will it be something different? Are those hardpoints on the arms for mounting weapons like in the Exia or are they just cosmetic keepsakes with no purpose whatsoever? Will it be a cheeser like how the Freedom and Strike Freedom turned out to be or will it remain realistic? To be honest, the 00 Gundam doesn’t look as sexy and slim as the Exia so its agility is put into question whereas the Exia could do acrobatics while slicin’ and dicin’ enemies.

Again, the unit has yet to be seen in action. But from what I’ve been reading in the past, the Exia’s GN drive will definitely be part of this new mobile suit since it was previously mentioned that the 0 Gundam’s GN drive was not compatible with the 00 Gundam.

Hmmm…we’ll just have to wait and see, I guess. More images of the 00 Gundam at SRW Hotnews.

HGUC Kämpfer – August
HCM-Pro Gundam Sandrock – July, 2,940 yen
HCM-Pro Tallgeese – price & date not set (another source says August for 2,940 yen)
GFF Gundam Alex – w/ Chobham armor and frame system, September, 4,725 yen

Got this information from Gunota Headlines. Interesting stuff I find here is the GFF Gundam Alex with the Chobham armor.

I wonder if they’ll ever release Nightingale as a kit…

Picture Update:

Got some pics from SRW Hotnews of some really ugly mecha designs.

First up is Raigo Gundam from Gundam SEED Astrays. Is Bandai/Sunrise forcing Kunio “please-let-me-retire-in-peace” Okawara to make more designs for Gundam SEED Astrays? Can’t they get BEECRAFT or the original designer for the Astray Gundam to make more mecha designs?! This one is just absolutely horrendous I don’t know where to begin calling it ugly. It’s obviously just a mashup of different MS parts from previous mobile suits and doesn’t offer anything new to the table, design-wise at the least. Plus from this small picture, the face looks like it’s suffering from a severe underbite.

Next up is the Throne Varanus from Gundam 00. I know some people who are fond of the Throne designs. I’m definitely not one of them. This looks nice because it’s neat and clean but the rest of the Throne, I just find absolutely ugly much less the fact that they’re useless opponents in the series.

I do love the Gundam designs of Gundam 00. They sort of grew on me over time. But the Thrones are just…ugh. Ugly is a generous description for it. But again, it could be worse.

Well, this one’s definitely not an ugly design although it looks bulky and tedious and I have a feeling it would also have problems remaining standing. But Avalanche Exia does look nice. It makes me want to get this and get the Musha Gundam and mix them up together and see what happens. Btw, the Avalanche Exia will be released as a HG 1/100 model kit, coming out this July.