Kimi The Builder

Finally, am building a gold shiny kit.

Release Date: Late March 2017

Retail Price: MYR 140.00*(USD $33.15*)

*The price is subject to change, depending on the situation.

Hello and a very good day to our readers! I’m back once again with a new unboxing and first impression! Today we will be unboxing and talking about my first impressions of the Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatsu Mina. Though I should let you guys know that I wasn’t really planning to be getting this kit, to be honest, it’s only because I was commissioned that why I’m building this. Plus, it’s good change for me to be able to build more RG kits (been focused more in HG and MG kits recently) and as well I just realized that this is my second RG kit that I featured here in this blog. I should really talk about the RG kits more here, honestly.

Really the main reason why I’m not thinking or even considering getting this kit is mainly due to the gold parts present in this kit. Most of the time I try to avoid these kinds of kits with lots gold parts; ie. the Hyaku Shiki HG Original, HG Revive version and the MG 1.0, 2.0. Since the nubs and the shit that it would leave when you get rid of the nubs really puts me off in building gold plated kits (I believe most of us felt the same way too when building these kinds of kits, not just me I feel).

Though I do feel now that its high time that I pick up on this challenge and challenge myself in building more gold colored kits and not miss out on them.

To get around of the issue of the ugliness I decided for this kit to try painting the gold parts in making it look better and not leave a crap mark on it and try my hand in painting. Yes, I know this is a very risky move considering this is a commissioned work and all but I figured it is a risk worth taking and plus I would be more focused on the gold part instead of the black parts on this kit. Hopefully, by doing this it would make me more confident in approaching and fiddling more with painting and airbrushing my kits in the future.

Though before all of that can happen lets us first go through the Unboxing and give you all my first impressions.

First, let’s get into the box art of this RG kit. As you can see there is nothing much to say about the box art since it really has the same look as most of the other RG’s, but regardless it does set a precedent for how the kit would look overall and unlike most kits from the other ranges ( the MG and HG) the box art really captures the exact representation of how the kit would look completed.

You can say that I do appreciate the RG series to keep it real here.

As I was going through the runner parts, I find out how detailed some of these parts were, even the black parts were filled with details. I always loved black colored kits but on this black parts look awesome as hell even though undeniably the black parts are shiny (that means we have to build this with some extreme caution, ha-ha. I’m not looking forward to that). Though I was at first quite unexcited with the kit, as I were to open this up it made me become more and more excited to see how everything would play out. The gold parts as well were looking good, though I was disappointed to see some of the gold parts wasn’t the same color. There are a two-different gold color parts for this kit. I preferred the darker gold color as compared to the lighter (and brighter) gold, but overall, I liked the details that I can see here.

Even though I do find myself quite unexcited for this kit, unboxing this and looking through all the details on the runner parts does start to make me feel quite excited for this. I am really looking forward to seeing how this kit was to look overall when it’s finished. The gold parts as well were looking good, though I was disappointed to see some of the gold parts didn’t share the same color. There are a two-different gold color parts for this kit, darker gold and a very bright (and quite light) gold color. I actually preferred the darker gold color as compared to the lighter (and brighter) gold but overall, I liked the details that I can see here.

Plus the Darker gold is much more prominent than the lighter one, and I can always paint it up if I don’t like how it looked. So it’s not that bad I guess.

Finally lets us talk about the manual, the meat of this Unboxing. After unboxing this kit I was looking forward to reading and enjoying the lore and some of the backstory of this kit, all thanks to how good the runner parts looked. As I first opened up the manual I find that there is a lot to read about since it was quite decently translated, I was quite excited to know more of this kit and to learn more of it. Unfortunately, until I get to the Maganoikutachi section and the weapons section, things just…well let me first share the pictures of this manual.

Yes, as you can see by the pictures above, it looks like the translation machine for the manual just decided to stop working halfway through. It’s like Bandai forgot to pay the translator halfway as he was doing his work. I was massively disappointed because I was really looking forward to reading about the lore of the backpack system and the weapons system that was equipped for this Gundam. I just don’t understand why Bandai don’t just translate this part, I feel there is a huge part of the lore of this Gunpla that was inaccessible just because Bandai decided to cut corners.

Bandai please don’t tease us like this. If you want to translate your manuals, do it all the way. Please don’t do it halfway through and just expect us to be fine with it. I rather you don’t bother to translate the manual at all, that would be better than to be teased by it and later on be disappointed. It’s either you give us or don’t.

I know that I might be spoiled to bring this up and I know to most of you here feel that this doesn’t come as a real issue at all. It’s just that I am just quite annoyed by this because I was really looking forward to reading the official lore here in this manual. I was hoping that the more I know about it the more that I would be tempted to get the MG (the P-Bandai version) of this Mobile Suit. Though honestly, it wouldn’t affect the overall enjoyment of building this kit.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter as much the manual being inconsistent as it is as long the kit turns out to be brilliant. I believe that is what we all hoped more in the end.

I just hope that this kit turns out to be brilliant and make me keener in getting gold-plated kits in the future. I’m looking forward to finally sink my talons on the Gold Plated Phenex or the Hyaku Shiki. If only this works out well. haha.

That’s all for the unboxing and my first Impressions of the Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatsu Mina. This one does give me some mixed feelings but I am still looking forward to building this kit and I really hope this would turn out be a good one. As well I do look forward in reviewing this kit since this is my very first shiny gold kit and a very first one that I try my hand in painting most of the gold parts. I am looking forward to seeing it fully finished.

I do hope I don’t suck too bad at this. Haha! I do look forward to be listening to your stories and opinions of this kit. As well as to hear about your own struggles with the gold parts for this kit or the other kits that you’ve built that has a lot of prominent gold parts.

We will be back again this week with a new Let’s talk Gunpla segment, we will be talking about the further revelation of the PG kit that was just recently revealed. There is really a lot to talk about, but all we can say here now is that it is looking to be a cracker indeed. We do look forward to seeing you guys for let’s talk Gunpla segment and for the upcoming review as well! Kimi here signing off and I’ll look forward to seeing you guys again soon! Please do have an awesome weekend and an awesome Gunpla time!

Till next time! Ciao!