IronRaptor

I agree that the trend toward a lot of kits being snap-build and color-separated (especially mecha kits) has conditioned many modelers into expecting too many model kits to be easy. It must be a real shock for someone who has only built Bandai kits to learn that some models require glue and *gasp* painting. Still, For me as a Gundam fan the large abundance of well-engineered kits in a subject matter I enjoy is a very nice perk. As a Star Trek fan and fan of aviation models. I honestly think a lot of companies could learn a thing or two from Bandai in terms of mold quality and part separation. Mostly because most Star Trek kits are kinda poorly engineered, and have not been updated in decades. Save for the new discovery and SNW enterprise that has been released by Polar Lights. What I'd really like to see more companies adopt is a middle-ground position. Well-engineered kits that are sensitive to things that are more of a pain than a challenge to deal with. Like having to re-scribe panel line detail when a part seam runs through the joint of two finely molded parts, or ugly mold seams that could be easily eliminated if the part breakdown on some subject matters was along natural seamlines. Thoughtful engineering is always a plus. Never a negative IMHO. It's also been my experience that Japanese model companies like say Bandai or Hasagawa are just better model makers than a lot of other companies. So much more thought and love seems to go into the crafting of their model kits. On the other hand, not everything has to be color-separated, especially when it overcomplicates the model and in some ways reduces the structural integrity of the model as a whole.

I just wanted to share some images of my latest build. Also, some thoughts. Overall, the proportions on this kit are very nice, IMHO, and they look very anime-accurate in a way that a perfect transforming figure probably could not pull off. The engineering on the model leaves something to be desired though. I was very annoyed that they reused the upper shoulder and lower thigh parts for both arms and legs. Leaving the part seams ultimately asymmetrical making it absolutely necessary (at least for me) to glue, sand, and putty the seams away. Still I'm fairly happy with how this kit turned out after I gave it a little TLC.