Exia, Perfect Grade (Bandai)

Hi guys, happy 2018 :)

To kick start the new year, I'm presenting Bandai's latest Perfect Grade, Gundam Exia :)

This review kit is provided by Gamers Arena, and is now on display at Berjaya Time Square branch.

Manufacturer: Bandai
Scale: 1/60
Grade: PG
Series: Gundam 00
Price:  Around RM1300

Section 1: Runners

What do you expect? This is a Bandai :P

This set with comes with the LED system, and a stand with battery compartment.

Parts separation and detailing for this kit is very nice. As technology is advancing day by day, wiring for the LED system was made simple, and instruction manual is also very clearly illustrate the step-by-step. Due to wiring, I am following the manual and did not do my usual sequence :p

As one of the kit's feature, we can compete build the innerframe with the LED system, then attach the exterior armor. This means any future add-on like Repair mode, Trans-AM mode, Astrea, Astrea Type-F and etc could just comes as exterior armor set instead ;)

The dry decal is very nicely made, and barely show any mark when applied on the kit.

Section 2: LED System & Stand

The LED system is very nicely made. It has 4 modes to choose from, and the 5th mode is an automatic cycle of mode 1-4.

The battery compartment is integrated into the action stand, and the LED system designed in a way that you need to plug in the GN drive for the system to work ;)

You can also plug the GN drive onto a special compartment on the action stand and display the Exia in maintenance mode.

Here the core of the GN drive. The upper pic is the connection to the LED system, and the lower pic is the back of the unit with 9 SMT for the GN drive start-up effect.

Section 3: The Inner Frame

I am following the wiring instruction, thus making the inner frame first ;)

The kit is pretty sturdy, but the torso section is not so tight, and easily falls apart. You will know which part when you are building it, just hold the upper body and shake gently, and you'll see which 2 pieces disconnect :P

You may consider applying a bit of modelling glue at the 4 corners of the 2 pieces to hold them in place. It does no harm as long as you don't glue the wire in the middle. UHU glue is a good choice since it is less watery.

Section 4: Various LED Mode on the Inner Frame

Mode 1, only GN drive and the head is lighted.

GN drive start-up effect can be seen when this mode starts.

Mode 2, normal operation mode. GN drive lights up in green, head in green, and blue GN particle flows thru Exia.

Mode 4, Trans-AM mode. GN drive lights up in yellow, head in many green yellow pink, pink GN particle flows thru Exia ;)

What is mode 3, you ask? Well, it is just switching between mode 2 and mode 4, which cannot be shown in still pictures :P


Section 5: Attaching the Exterior Armor

Attaching the exterior armor from leg and up :)

Exia looks thin at inner frame, but turns out to be quite macho.

It can be displayed as hatch-open maintenance mode too.

Section 6: Perfect Exia :)

Just standing :P

Section 7: Weaponry

The original 7-Sword: 2x GN beam daggers, 2x GN beam sabers, 1x GN Long Blade, 1x GN Short Blade, 1x GN Sword. And a GN Shield.

The GN Shield have a deploy mode too ;)

Section 8: Fully Armed Perfect Exia

This is cool, but unfortunately Bandai still unable to solve the GN Blade mounting issue ever since the 1st of Exia 7-Sword... the mounting looks silly to me, and I rather keep the GN Blades under-stand (yes, there's a storage compartment for 4 pairs of hands and all the weaponry minus the GN beam dagger/saber under the stand).

Section 9: LED System on Perfect Exia

Mode 1

Mode 2

Mode 4

My Personal Experience 

This is a very nice Perfect Grade, with a pretty well-balanced features, complexity and play-ability built into one kit :)

The LED system is very nicely done, and Bandai can even consider to remake PG Unicorn with this renewed LED system allowing it to switch between deactivated mode, Red Psychoframe mode, and Green Psychoframe mode :P

I must add that the LED wiring is also very well-designed to ensure it won't hinders the movement and posing of the kit. This does mean you can turn the joints on a 720 degree but posing potential is not affected ;)

This kit is awesome with 2 minor flaws... one's being the loose torso inner frame which is easily resolved by a bit of UHU glue, and the other being the mounting point for the GN Long/Short Blade, which no good solution has been presented to date, despite the 10-years anniversary :p

This is a must-have for Exia lovers :) There will surely be many variation in store from Bandai in the coming months.

Overall Rating (Not giving points, just what I felt)

Assembly Experience: Excellent! 

Plastic Quality: Very good :)

Parts Separation: Excellent!

Color: Very good :)

Detailing: Very good :)
Posing Possibility: Very good :)

Recommendation: Highly recommended :)

Articulations

Head/Neck: Good
Shoulders: Excellent
Arms/Elbow: Excellent
Waist: Good
Skirt Armor: Excellent
Hip/Tight: Excellent
Knee: Excellent
Ankle: Excellent
Feet: Good

See you guys around :)