Hi folks :) I think this will be my last review for 2011, the MG Wing Zero Custom by TT Hongli/Gao Gao... as I've said before, 2012 shall the the world of Gundam W for the bootleg ;)
Manufacturer: TT Hongli/Gao Gao
Scale: 1/100
Grade: MG
Origin: Gundam W Endless Waltz
Price: RM80 - RM90 (1st batch inclusive of the Angel Wing additional feather effect)
Part 1: Runners
The runners are almost exactly like the original, but I've spotted 2 extra mouth/face pieces that are not used in this model... Guess Gao Gao already have plan to reuse the mold for a different kit... the EW 败者たちの栄光 version of Gundam Wing I supposed ;)
The detailing are pretty nice on the parts, and the plastics looks fine too. In my opinion, the overall quality is better than the usual TT Hongli/Gao Gao quality :)
Part 2: Decals
As usual, TT Hongli gives dry-stickers and dry-transfers, similar to the original.
The dry-sticker is a bit thick and would leave a thick layer if used on colored surface such as chest and arms, but it is not obvious on white surface... I would recommend to not use the dry-stickers on the chest. The dry-transfers are pretty nice thought ;)
Part 3: The Extra
For the 1str batch, Gao Gao increases the price but included a set of Angel Wing additional feathers effect... this is a pleasant surprise as the effect would really give another level of finishing to this kit ;)
I had a friend who bought the Angel Wing effect from a online seller and that cost him a good RM50... now getting the effect plus the kit itself for RM80-RM90 is really a good bargin ;)
Part 4: Skeleton Build
Well, let's move on to my usual skeleton build for MG kit ;)
The Legs
Pretty nicely articulated but since this is consider an older model, ball joints were used for the hip which kinda limits the movement :(
The Waist
Pretty straight-forward ;)
The Chest
The pull-out mechanism would allow the shoulder joints to be pulled out for more dynamic posing. The neck employed a dual-joints so the head could slightly tilt upward and downward, as this is crucial for flying pose ;)
The chest cockpit is also moveable ;)
The Arms
Great articulations for the arms :) These arms does not comes with full skeleton as you can see below but they are nicely done IMO. This kit comes with 2 sets of hands, one in white and the other in gray... This kit is supposed to use the white hands so you could use the extra for other kits (i.e. Deathscythe).
The Head
The head is pretty nicely done with decent detailing ;)
Completed Skeleton
Although some older technology (i.e. hip ball joints) were used, overall articulations are still good ;) I have no complain so far.
Part 5: The Legs
The leg is a bit plain since there's not much detailing so to speak... articulations are nice and the outer armor does not get in the way while posing ;)
Part 6: Waist
Pretty straight-forward :) Parts separations are very well done and the skirt armors are highly moveable so the hindrance to posing is minimum ;)
Part 7: Chest
Parts separations are very nicely done (credit to Bandai) and Gao Gao replicated this excellently :P
Part 8: Arms
Nicely done ;) I took these pictures with the grey hands but my completed kit would be using the white hands instead ;)
Part 9: Head
Well, I'm just using back the same pictures in the skeleton built section :P
Part 10: The Completed Kit without the Wings
The completed kit without the Wing ;)
Part 11: Weaponry
I'm sure all of us know that Wing Zero Custom's famous weapon is the Twin Buster Rifle ;) I did not take any individual photo of the twin buster rifle but you could observe from later photos.
Part 12: Backpack/Wing
This is the signature of this kit, the Wing ;) The quality is very good, and there's no fitting problem at all :) The only issue here is that one of the joint for the left small wing is a bit loose but nothing couldn't be resolve with the superglue technique so all is good to me ;)
Part 13: Completed Wing Zero Custom, with Decals
As you could observe below, there's not much difference between this bootleg and the original ;)
The only disappointment for my kit (could be an isolated case due to shipping problem) is that my Twin Buster Rifle is a little bend to the outside :( It is pretty obvious on the first 2 pictures but not so obvious in other angles... anyway, I planned to pose with separated Twin Buster Rifle so no issue here :P
Part 14: Wing Zero Custom, with Angel Wing Effect ;)
This is the premium comes with the 1st batch of the kit, the Angel Wing effect ;)
The feathers sets are actually molded in very thin plastic... yes, there are not normal papers ;) You would need to detach the feathers from the plastic sheet and use modelling glue to attach them onto the wing... I use UHU glue instead ;)
The finishing is satisfactory to me and you can see the front and back of the wing below after attaching the feathers ;)
Time for some posing with the Angel Wing ;)
Part 15: Wing Zero Custom, with Deathscythe Hell Custom ;)
The GOOD and EVIL :P
Quick Review
Plastic quality
The detailing and plastics quality is better than the usual TT Hongli/Gao Gao kit... I guess bootleg does improve over time ;)
There is still need for slight trimming and scrubbing here and there but overall still excellent for a bootleg... I would say most of us wouldn't be able to differentiate between original and bootleg if they are placed side-by-side ;)
The Angel Wing is a fantastic add-on to this kit and Gao Gao made the excellent choice to include that as the 1st batch premium ;)
Articulations
Articulations are pretty good for an older MG :) All credit here goes to Bandai as Gao Gao only replicating the success ;)
- Head/Neck: Excellent!
- Shoulder: Fantastic! Very highly pose-able with the pull-out mechanism.
- Arm/Elbow: Excellent!
- Wrist: Normal.
- Hand: Normal.
- Waist: Good.
- Skirt Armour: Good.
- Hip/Tight: Good overall; excellent if compare to other ball-joint-used kit ;)
- Knee: Excellent.
- Ankle: Normal+, with the ankle armor getting in the way limiting the pose-ability.
Looks and Feels
Very decent and very very close (95% or more!) to the original ;) My hope to complete my Gundam W series with Gao Gao / TT Hongli is coming true! If you have the extra money, do support the original but I would highly recommend this bootleg to all.
Fin ;)