Is the prototype RX-178 Mk-II worth your money?
Witness this shiney blue Gundam.
As a huge Gundam fan I’ve been building Gundam model kits for ages, it’s actually my favorite hobby. I discovered Bandai’s Real Grade line of modelkits during my stay in Tokyo, but didn’t really bother to pick one of the kits up. My mission was obtaining Master Grade and Perfect Grade modelkits that were absent in my collection. After two years I’ve decided to pick up a couple of RG’s and put them to the test. This is part 2 of my RG line reviews and It’s focused on the RX-178 Mk-II Titans.
The RX-178 Gundam Mk-II is an upgrade of the famous RX-78-2 Gundam that served in the One Year War.
Building a Titan
As with the Zaku II, I had a great time building this model. The advanced ms frame looks even better and I really didn’t even want to add any external armor. The frame features all sorts of sliding and bending mechanisms that we all love so much and make the RG line a perfect choice for beginning modelers that need an affordable alternative to a Master Grade or Perfect Grade kit.
The next step is snapping on all the different armor parts that come with the RX-178. I chose to build my blue Titan as Unit 3. What I really dislike about the RX-178’s armor is the fact that it isn’t colored in so much different colors as the Zaku II is. Adding the markings and some black and/or gray panel lining while really bring out the details on this kit. Without the extra two steps it looks a bit bland if you ask me.
The RX-178 Mk-II Titans version is armed with a Bazooka, Machine Gun retractable shield and two Beam Sabers. The shield is the most impressive. It just looks great in different poses and the gold foil stickers really bring out the details of the shield.
RG Gimmicks
I was really skeptic about this new grade of Bandai modelkits before building the RG Zaku II,
The RX-178 comes with a set of tubing to give your modelkit an authentic mechanized look. The RX-178 also has a cockpit hatch that can be openend and feautures a little pilot seat, a gimmick that is usually reserved for MG and PG kits. Unfortunately Real Grade kits do not include a seated pilot figere, even though it would be really easy to customize the standing pilot figure that comes with all RG kits. As with the Zaku II and RG kits in general, get ready for lots of decals. The RX-178 Gundam Mk-II Titans version comes with a whopping 148 decals to add loads of detail to your already wonderful modelkit.
Thanks to the advanced ms frame, articulation is magnificent on the Real Grade models. Want your RX-178 to hold his bazooka over his shoulder? No problem! The RX-178’s shield is articulated and can slide in and out to give it much more motion and pose ability. The shield can be pegged into either arm so that really increases the playability.
The one thing I don’t like about this kit are his vernier thrusters. They feel loose and at least one always falls of after the lightest touch. For some reason every RG model has a problem with a specific part that doesn’t always want to stay on. For the rest this kit is actually really sturdy and well designed.
Conclusion
I am slowly but surely falling in love with this line. The details, decals and colors are amazing on the Real Grade kits and I can’t wait to build more. If you like Zaku II’s you could also try out Char’s red version of the Zaku II. It has a couple of subtle differences and costs the same. Even though the RG models are a bit small compared to MG’s, they look great when you display them on a nice looking action base. What are you waiting for!? Go order one now and see for yourself.
Part 2 of my RG Excitement Embodied line reviews will focus on the Federation’s RX-178-2 Titans version, stay tuned!