OZ-00MS Tallgeese | Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz【Part 1 of 2: Unboxing & Pre-Assembly Review】

 While I'm aware I had said there wasn't going to be anymore 'Unboxing & Pre-Assembly Review' blog post uploads, yet here we are ... yet another such post, this time on the Bandai Real Grade plastic model kit of my all-time favourite mecha from the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz series i.e. the OZ-00MS Tallgeese. Well, technically I prefer a later variant called OZ-00MS Tallgeese Flüegel, which has wings on its back. But that's a post for another day. What we have here is the base variant.

1/144 scale Tallgeese EW | Mobile Suit Gundam Endless Waltz 0Z-006MS (front box art)

Bandai's 28th plastic scale model kit from their Real Grade line (side box art, short end)

Images of a fully-assembled Real Grade Tallgeese EW (side box art, long end)

Info about the characteristics of a Real Grade Tallgeese kit (side box art, other long end)

 With the kit being a more recent one - it was released in 2018 - there are at least some English translations for the Japanese instructions (see below). But the kit is old enough that the backstory write ups are still only in the Japanese language. The later kits have more English translations on their instruction booklets but this 28th Real Grade scale model kit isn't one of them.

Front cover of the instructions booklet showing a head-shot of the Tallgeese

Back cover of the booklet showing decal placement suggestions and a color guide

A snippet of the assembly instructions as well as backstory/information boxes

 Below are the runners/sprues included with the Bandai Real Grade plastic scale model kit of the OZ-00MS Tallgeese EW. Descriptions of the runners/sprues will be included in the picture captions.

Runner/Sprue A: Multi-colored parts - white for the side/back skirts, mid/lower torso armor, rocket vernier/thrusters casings, head and side waist armor; dark gray for fin on head, leg joints, metal bits on torso; yellow for the back rocket verniers/thrusters, wrist, bits on the lower legs and groin section

Runner/Sprue B: Dark gray 'Advanced MS Joints' comprising complex pre-assembled mechanically moving parts for the Tallgeese's arms, legs, and feet.

Runner/Sprue C: White parts for the shield, upper torso, more side/back skirt armor, shoulder/neck armor, more casings for the rocker verniers/thrusters as well as a 1/144 scale figure of Zech Merquise

Runner/Sprue D1: Orange yellow parts that make up the stripes on the shield and shoulder armor, vent-like parts for the chest/head, and sub-parts for the rockets

Runner/Sprue E1: White armor parts for the Tallgeese's head, arms, elbows, legs, feet, rocket fins, waist, knees, ankles as well as parts used as the beam saber handles

Runner/Sprue E2: Duplicate of a section of Runner/Sprue E1, excluding parts for the head

 Quality-wise I'm mightily impressed with the glossy finish on the white armor parts, which form the prominent sections on the Tallgeese EW scale model kit. At this early stage, I believe it's good enough to be displayed as is, without having to be painted. And while the non-white parts look good too, some will require painting. For example, the gray parts that are supposed to make up the metal sections of the mecha will have to be repainted in metallic paint to increase realism, among others.

Runner/Sprue F: Dark blue parts for the weapons i.e. the Dober Gun; weapon connector pieces that attach the gun to the shoulder; as well as parts for the shoulders, hands, feet, etc.

Runner/Sprue G1: Gray parts for the joints, shield, weapon ammo clip as well as the inner frame for the body, limbs, and rocket verniers/thrusters

Runner/Sprue G2: Duplicate of a section of Runner/Sprue G1, excluding parts for the shield, waist, etc.

Runner/Sprue H1: Clear part options for the beam sabers, which are good for use in a custom paint job as well as clear lenses for the mono-eye and Dober gun

Runner/Sprue H2: Red part that forms the plume on the head armor

Runner/Sprue SB-12: Clear red parts for the beam sabres, which are the usual options found in most kits

 If you have been following my scale model kit projects, you would already know how I feel about sticker decals. I hate them. I prefer either water decals or dry transfer decals. And while I don't object to foil stickers, they can be hit-or-miss at times. On a reasonably flat surface, foil stickers can work wonders. However they tend to peel off when the surface they attached to are overly curved or round. For the Tallgeese, I plan to do what I usually do with Bandai's Real Grade kits i.e. use a combination of third party water decals and the foil stickers that came with the kit.  

Sticker and foil stickers for the Real Grade Tallgeese EW scale model kit

 Below is the video upload on my YouTube channel (FourEyedMonster Miniatures) of the unboxing and pre-assembly review on the Bandai 1/144 scale Real Grade OZ-00MS Tallgeese EW plastic scale model kit. If you prefer to see the parts in close detail, then please check out the video below.

 Just so you know, the only reason I'm still doing an unboxing blog post is because I had forgotten about the photos of the runners/sprues that I had taken earlier. Since half the work was already done, with only the write up left to do, I decided to upload this unboxing post of the Tallgeese. In future, I'll still post such content for some if not all the scale model kit projects I'll be working on.

 As with all Bandai Real Grade plastic scale model kits, they are a tad complicated. And I'm making things harder for myself by attempting to paint a selection of the parts before assembly. But it's something I have to do as my hobby-related OCD tendencies refuses to accept toy-like or plasticky finishes to a scale model kit project. There's lots of work to do so I had better get started. Until we meet again in the blogosphere, enjoy your weekend, be well, and be happy!

Evangelion Unit-08a [Unboxing & Pre-Assembly Review] - Bandai Real Grade Plastic Model Kit

 Due to time constraints arising from attempts to generate more content on my YouTube Channel FourEyedMonster Miniatures, this will be the last photo/text-based unboxing post I'll upload to my blog. Instead, any future 'Unboxing and Pre-Assembly' related content will be done via video only. Anyway, the following is a detailed and closeup look at the sprues and runners included in the Bandai Spirits Real Grade Evangelion Unit-08a plastic model kit.

Bandai Spirits Real Grade Evangelion Unit-08a (front view of the box art)

Bandai Spirits Real Grade Evangelion Unit-08a (first side view of the box art)

Bandai Spirits Real Grade Evangelion Unit-08a (second side view of the box art)

More side box art, this time a closeup image of the Evangelion Unit-08a

Instruction booklet (view of the back and front cover)

 Real Grade model kits are more complicated than regular ones so it's no surprise that there were so many sprues and runners included with the kit. Having the parts on these sprues/runners molded in a myriad of colors allows for a color accurate EVA Unit to be assembled from scratch without worrying about having to paint the parts. However, if the parts look too plasticky or toy-like, then they will still need to be painted so that the final build will look good.

Runner/Sprue A: Light pink parts for the heel, ankle, shin, and leg

Runner/Sprue B1: Light pink parts for the shoulder, arms, body, leg, etc.

Runner/Sprue B2: Yellow parts for the shoulder and arms

Runner/Sprue C: Black/dark gray parts for the inner frame, palette knife, etc.

Runner/Sprue D: Black/dark gray parts for the inner frame

Runner/Sprue E: White parts for armor on the arms

 Thankfully, the finish quality of parts that make up the Evangelion Unit-08a model kit is pretty decent on the whole. And because the colored parts that make up the majority of the EVA Unit's color scheme  i.e. the ones in pink and white have a nice matte finish to them, I don't intend to repaint any of the other parts as any plasticky or toy-like sections will be kept to an acceptable minimum.

Runner/Sprue F1: Dark red parts for the shoulder, back, and power plug

Runner/Sprue G1: White parts for the armor around the abdominal area, and knees

Runner/Sprue H1: Yellow parts for the knuckles

Runner/Sprue H2: Dark green parts for the feet and spine

Runner/Sprue I1: Dark brown parts for the neck, clavicle, and ammo belt for the 209mm Assault Rifle

Runner/Sprue I2: Yellow parts for the feet and knees

 While I don't intend to repaint the armor, I still plan to do some top-coating if need be if the plasticky sheen of the non-pink and non-white parts, especially the yellow sections, become too jarring to the eye. Ideally I should paint such parts, but for now I don't plan to. 

Runner/Sprue J: Multi-colored parts with dark gray/green for the 209mm Assault Rifle for the heel, ankle, shin, and leg; and light grays for the hands

Runner/Sprue K: Silver parts mainly for the umbilical power cord, and gun barrel

Runner/Sprue L: Clear red parts for the core organ, and forehead

Runner/Sprue N: Multi-colored parts with yellow for the shoulder fins and chest; and black/dark gray for the shoulder pylons, arms, chest, upper body, etc.

Runner/Sprue O: Multi-colored parts with green/reds for the shoulder patch; and light pink for the chest body armor, shoulder pylons, and knee

Runner/Sprue R2: Dark pink parts for the crotch area

 And although this scale model kit provides sticker decals and foil stickers to apply onto the EVA Unit-08a build, I plan to only use the latter and not the former. I have already bought some third-party water decals to replace the sticker decals. Those of you who have been following my Gunpla builds would know by now how I feel about these stickers. Not only do they look bad most of the time, but they also tend to peel off sometimes. Water decals are infinitely better than sticker decals. However, I will make exceptions for the foil stickers here. Since they have a chrome-like finish, the foil stickers will save me time from having to paint the parts in the metallic paint equivalent.

Runner/Sprue U: Multi-colored parts with light pink for the feet; and pink/whites/purple for the head

Runner/Sprue V: Gray parts with yellow for the sniper rifle

Runner/Sprue W1: Yellow parts for the nape, and yet more knuckles

Runner/Sprue W2: Clear green parts for the eyes

PVC wire for use as the umbilical cord

Sticker decals and foil stickers for use on the model kit

 Below is the YouTube video of the unboxing process as well as the pre-assembly review.

 So what's next? Since there isn't any painting in the works, the next upload should have photos of the completed build of the Evangelion Unit-08a with both the water decals and foil stickers applied as well as some selected top-coating on the yellow parts, which together with red ones tend to look the most plasticky and toy-like in a straight-out-of-the-box build. Well that's it for what is possibly my last 'unboxing blog post' (note: future ones should be uploaded as videos on my YouTube Channel - click on banner immediately below this paragraph to get there). See you back again soon with the completed photos of the EVA Unit-08a either next week or later. Till then, be well and be happy!