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Turn A Gundam Master Grade

Comments

10 comments posted
You Beat Me To it!

I just recently bought this kit toi review for DX but you beat me to it! haha!

What a great kit and the TURN A Gundam look. So many Gundam series were starting to look the same and I like how they thought outside of the box for this series with it's Hayao Miyazaki tone in look. It's a great review of the kit but I think the most amazing part of the kit is that it comes with 14 Sprue runners! there are so many parts to this kit it's mind blowing. It will be my first MG kit and looking forward to building it. Thanks for such a great in depth review and the background information about the show, hopefully they will release the show on DVD in the USA soon.

One last note: it has been said Tomino originally wanted Turn A to wrap up all his cartoons together including Xabungle and Ideon but the produced just wanted him to focus on Gundam. I think that would have been great if was left alone to do that especially in regards to the ending of Ideon.

Thanks!
LF

We'll fight them on the Beaches!

Showapop's picture
Posted by Showapop on 25 June, 2008 - 14:32
Thanks!

Comments are always welcome, and sorry for beating you to the punch, but hey; Gun-Pla's what I'm here for. If I can't build it, I can't write about it. This is a really great kit, and I'm certain you'll enjoy building it just as much as I did.
As for your input, I did mention that the Turn A is an entirely Plastic Master Grade without the use of Polycaps, its not the same as mentioning the number of runners, but it gives the idea of how many plastic parts are involved.

And yes, Turn A was the answer (then) to being the End-All-Wrap-Together for Gundam; hence the usage of the "Turn A" symbol. I suppose now we'll see another end of things with Gundam 00's setting in the Modern Calendar. For all we know 00 might just wrap up with the birth of the Universal Century which will then bring things to a full circle at the Correct Century.

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Rob
The Gundam Model Guy

Gunpla Rob's picture
Posted by Gunpla Rob on 25 June, 2008 - 15:25
nice review

I really enjoy your MG reviews. This is a kit that I have been hesitant to buy, mainly because I never watched the series. Having the pictures I immediately ordered one.

I just finished building the MG impulse gundam, so regarding the polycap issue, seems like Bandai is flip-flopping on its decision cos some of the recent kits (esp SEED kits) do use them a lot.

slee915's picture
Posted by slee915 on 25 June, 2008 - 18:53
Its becoming More Mainstream

This is something that Bandai has been adopting for a number of reasons. It was an article about two years ago with the plans to produce the MG F-91, one its economic because its one less production cost, and two that it makes room for more complex assemblies.

You see in a Perfect grade How polycaps are mostly used as a gasket or as attachment points for moveable armor. Otherwise the more intricate joint assemblies are constructed without them. The same can be applied to the MG scale, but by using fewer parts or just by changing the plastic grade. Since you've built the Turn A Slee, you know what I mean, with thicker parts used in the construction of the Turn A's armor attachments and joints.

One More thing: I want to thank the editing staff member for correcting my publishing errors. I'm sorry but I'm still getting used to the format.
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Rob
The Gundam Model Guy

Gunpla Rob's picture
Posted by Gunpla Rob on 25 June, 2008 - 22:22
I'll quickly throw my $.02 in here

I'll quickly throw my $.02 in here. While it is a cool general-purpose giant robot, and a very nice change from the Gundam-y look all the time, the only objection to Syd Mead's design is the white mustache; that one little detail prevents me from gushing all over the Turn-A. If the antennae had come from the ears- a la Victory Gundam Hexa- or the typical forehead, I'd have had no objection whatsoever. Yeah, it's missing a rocket backpack, the back of the legs' internal mechanisms are completely exposed, and the rifle isn't blocks and cylinders, but I think it's a daring and striking incarnation of the franchise's leading robo.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind getting the regular 1/100 of this guy; MG is too complex for my needs.

Now, regarding the model displayed here, I was really taken with the very thin panel detail highlighting you did. Those lines are a trademark of Mead's art, and you brought that out very well.

One question, though: in a few of the pictures (particular the 3rd one down from the top) the Turn-A has some white panes on it's chest. I've never seen those before, Rob. What are they for?
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 25 June, 2008 - 22:49
If I remember correctly,

If I remember correctly, it's an alternate chest piece. It may just be there because they felt like it, or it may be based on concept designs. I'm not sure.

Mike's picture
Posted by Mike on 26 June, 2008 - 00:27
Bingo!

Mike's got it on that one. According to the manual or at least what I can understand based on reading the pictures is that the white chest pane is based on the Turn A's Concept art, while the blue pane comes from the final clean up/animation model.

I'm with you on some of the look Eva, but Once you put your hands to the design, it really feels nice. It'd be interesting to see if they ever revisit Turn A with the "Version Katoki" design I saw floating around the web a few years back. And thanks for the compliment on the panel lining, it really is one of the most intricate parts of the whole assembly, a combination of Gundammaker GM-01 Black and my trusty Rapidoliner .25mm.

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Rob
The Gundam Model Guy

Gunpla Rob's picture
Posted by Gunpla Rob on 26 June, 2008 - 08:55
I have always liked the

I have always liked the desing of the MS. It's different, but still Gundam-y enough to be recognized as such.

Rob, do you focus mainly on MG and other 1/100 scale kits, or do you ever delve into the 1/144 scale stuff? Just curious, as this is the scale I focus on.

Heavyarms
thatsjustprime.blogspot.com
addictedtoplastic.blogspot.com

Heavyarms's picture
Posted by Heavyarms on 26 June, 2008 - 11:12
All Scales All the Time

I'm really all over the place. HGUC, PG, MG, HG 1/144 and 1/100 scale. It all really depends, MGs are great and even doing some of the designs in their counterpart scales like for the SEED verse when I did both the HG 1/144 and 1/100 scale Strike and Freedom Gundams and later their Master Grades. Most times though for the Alternate Universe series I go for the 1/100 scales. It sometimes depends on whats the better build for the deal. HGUC's you've got no other choice for some MS designs like the Blue Destiny assortment or my all time favorite Cannon-Fodder: the Powered GM from Gundam 0083.

Master Grade's a great line, but sometimes its just too pricy and other times its a point of "I really wish they'd make that one" like the Jegan. With the burst of Char's Counterattack in HGUC, I think its about time to see the Jegan made.
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Rob
The Gundam Model Guy

Gunpla Rob's picture
Posted by Gunpla Rob on 26 June, 2008 - 17:57
this review made me look at

this review made me look at my turnA model with a different perspective. GREAT!

life needs to be bittersweet;
you work the sweet side, and i'll manage to embitter it.

lurino's picture
Posted by lurino on 28 June, 2008 - 04:06