Kimi The Builder

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The two good looking and disappointing release announcements to talk about

HELLO! We are back! 

In today’s 304th edition of our Let’s Talk Gunpla segment, we will be going back to some of the other P-Bandai release announcements that we missed from last week’s batch of P-Bandai release announcements. But unlike the ones that we saw last week, we are left feeling quite disappointed after spending time looking at the promotional materials on the kits they have on offer this time around. 

Yes, we are going to now talk about the two P-Bandai Messer F-02’s release announcements. 

So, without further ado, let us get into it, shall we? 

HG 1/144 Me02R-F02 Messer Type-02 (HGUC)

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Release Date: September 2021

Estimated price: JPY 3,190 (MYR RM 119.34* / USD $ 28.99* / EUR € 23.90*)

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

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Let us first start with the one that didn’t piss off all that much, the standard version of the P-Bandai HGUC Messer F-02 kit. 

But before we start, let us just first put it out there that we all here are a fan of the HGUC Messer F-02’s overall design here. Yes, even though it is just basically just the same kit as the Retail’s HGUC Messer F-01 with some changes here and there. But what little change that it had here was enough to entice us into the idea of getting it. 

Well, that is if the HGUC Messer F-02 gets a retail release. But since it is getting a P-Bandai release instead, we are not as interested in the idea of getting it. 

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There is a good reason for this, and that is because, for the HGUC lineup for the Hathaway anime series, there isn’t a lot of grunt kits listed here. So understandably, we are upset to see the MS variant that would make a decent retail release locked away as a Premium release. 

The Hathaway anime already do not have a lot of kits released under its name. To see more of the Grunt types getting the P-Bandai treatment doesn’t help to promote the already a year-late anime movie. 

Not to mention, we are sure that they could’ve just made this into one singular ‘COMPLETE’ release under retail, considering that it still reuses a lot of the same parts as the Standard version.

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Yes, from what we can see here, it does look like we will be getting all the same parts as what we get with the standard release of the HGUC Messer F-01.  

So why does this version needs to get the P-Bandai treatment then? Especially when they already have…

HG 1/144 Me02R-F02 Messer Type-02 (Commander Type)(HGUC)

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Release Date: September 2021

Estimated price: JPY 3,300 (MYR RM 122.76* / USD $ 29.82* / EUR € 24.84*)

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

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This? 

Yes, they as well planned to release the purpled colored “commander type” Messer F-02 alongside the standard colors. 

Honestly, unlike the Standard colored HGUC Messer F-02, we are not as pissed to see this getting the P-Bandai treatment. In fact, this is the kind of kit that we are expecting to see released as one.  

But that doesn’t mean that we are not as pissed at this release as we are with the P-Bandai’s standard colors of the HGUC Messer F-02. We are, in fact, more pissed at this than we are with the standard version. 

But mind you, we are not pissed at the fact that this got a P-Bandai treatment. But mainly because this is looking like a lazy P-Bandai release. 

Why are we making that claim?

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Well, even though this version of the P-Bandai Messer is just a recolored version of the Standard HGUC Messer F-02, but what sets this version apart from the Standard variant is that it comes with an uncolored leg part.  

The actual part in question here is the leg part that was supposed to convert the HGUC Messer F-02 into the Messer F-01 version. Apparently, P-Bandai was too lazy in releasing that particular leg part into a separate runner in the right colors. 

But that isn’t the only thing that we are concerned with because if this version of the F-02 Messer requires you to color the leg part in the right color, and the leg skirts part only looked like it covers a portion of the leg unit with the original armor attached. Does that mean you’d had to do the same thing on the Standard colored HGUC Messer F-02 as well?

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If that is the case, count us out, man.

I mean, I get it when people are upset when we complained about the parts not being in the right color. Or when we complained that you have to put in a bit of work to make the said kit look good/decent. But that is if what we are getting here is a cheap, easy to replace retail HGUC kit. Not an expensive, limited-release ‘Premium’ kit that you have to sell half of your organs to get. 

That is why we seriously wouldn’t mind having to do so if we are getting the standard version of the HGUC Messer F-02 released as a retail kit. Because at the very least, if we screw up in working on it, we can easily replace the whole thing up and not have to sell our soul to the dark lords to replace the entire goddamn thing up. 

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Plus, not everyone is lucky enough to find time to spend painting their Gunplas, nor would they be lucky/allowed to have a huge painting booth at their houses. 

But then again, that’s capitalism for, ya, huh?

At the very least, from what we can see here, you can choose to leave the “commander type” legs unpainted, and it still would look good even in its F-01 form. But if you were considering leaving it unpainted as an F-02 variant? Well, unless you are confident in your painting skills, well, by all means, get it. But then again, if you do have sick painting skills, why waste it by repainting in its original colors?

But to be honest, looking at how good both of these releases are, we hope that we are all wrong about the leg issue. Because honestly, if the said parts really turn out to be unpainted, that would definitely kill our interest in getting one.

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That is why even though we are a fan of the Messer F-02 design, we might be giving this one a pass. Because honestly? We deserve a better rendition of the Messer F-02 in HGUC form. 

With that concludes our 304th edition of the Let’s Talk Gunpla segment. Finally, we managed to cover all of last week’s P-Bandai releases. It has been a while since we are this pissed off after seeing a P-Bandai release. Because honestly? Both the retail side and P-Bandai side have been doing such a good job. So to see them release one of the laziest HGUC conversions that we’ve seen to date, well, understandably, who wouldn’t be pissed off after spending time looking at how bad this is. 

We hope that this isn’t a trend that continues with future Hathaway HGUC Retail and P-Bandai releases. 

Yes, we are aware that there are a lot more new releases made this week to talk about, which we are looking forward to spending time talking about them in this coming Saturday’s (hopefully) post. So, please do look forward to that! 

Oh, one more thing before we go, it would be a tremendous help to us all here in the blog if you guys were to leave a like on our posts and subscribe to the blog if you find yourselves enjoying our gunpla/plamo related posts. We would appreciate it if you guys would take the time to show your support by leaving an upvote on our R/Gunpla posts and by leaving a like on our Facebook and Instagram posts or pages! 

We are as well open to any good and bad feedback, so feel free to write away.

Hopefully, by sharing our love and passion for building and writing about gunplas or other plamos here, we hope that it’ll help to inspire all of here to pick up on the hobby. Or better yet, reignite your love and passion for the hobby.

Anyways, we shall see all of you again soon, and we as well hope that you all here have a splendid day and week ahead! Oh as well, do have an excellent time building your awesome gunplas there and until next time.

Ciao!