MG Exia - Trans AM mode - Photoshoot

I thought I would never get this done. I finally bought the SB-700 flash unit . Time to have fun with it !!

From TransAM Exia !

From TransAM Exia !

From TransAM Exia !

From TransAM Exia !

From TransAM Exia !

From TransAM Exia !

From TransAM Exia !

From TransAM Exia !

Stay tune for the next photoshoot ! MG Strike Gundam + WISP !

MG Exia - Trans AM mode - Phase 03 Final

Holy crap, it's November already ! 2 month since I last entry about the MG Exia.Actually, Exia has been completed and putting on display for a few weeks already, just that I have been so lethargic to do anything these days.

I am a man with many hobby but only finite time. There are so many things that I wanted to do, so much I wanted to learn and so much more I wanted to achieve but there is only 24 hours a day and I can't do anything without sleep and energy. Sigh. May be I can only truly involve in Gunpla after I retire ?

Anyway back to Exia . . .

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

The "pink pearl"

The thing about buying special coated Gundam kit is that you probably think it saves you the trouble of painting it and achieving the effect yourself. And you are probably right. Assembly the kit , apply the labels , clear coats and its done !
Yet by not applying the manual paint job, there is no way hiding surface defects and the nip marks. Although I tried the water sanding technique, the result is not far from the original state. It is more of a technique to repair scratches than to really make it more shiny.

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

Why did I get a special coated kit?

The reason of getting this special coated kit is that I feel I can't get the right mix of color combination if I'm going to paint it myself. Yet after completing this kit, I can't help thinking I should probably get the normal kit instead.

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

GN Swords

Exia specializes close quarter melee combats. It is armed with 2 dagger GN swords, 2 beam sabers, 2 beam daggers and 1 gigantic GN sword ( prominent in the below pic ). That is the biggest design contrast in Exia design. The mecha is thin and slender yet its right armament seem to fell out of proportion. But that is the biggest allure in Exia's design. The depiction of small character wielding huge weaponry seem to be dominating Japanese pop culture. Unlike the American counter parts where heroes are normally muscle pack with or without multiple guns , Japanese prefer slick slender looking character wielding a huge sword , guns , whatever bad ass looking weird stuffs.
Seems to depict the notion of "strength is not seen from without , but within".

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

After thoughts:

This might be the first and last time I get a special coat kit.
I still have a titanium coated MG RX-78 Gundam in my cupboard but seeing how much they are selling locally, I decide to keep it as collector's item.
Time to move on with my other kits . So many more to do . So little time . Yet even more exciting kits are coming out !

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

MG Exia - Trans AM mode - Phase 02

A sneak peak at the almost completed Exia Project . . . .
.
.
.
.
.

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

Alas, only a "tiny" step away from full completion . . .

1) surface buffing

2) decaling

3) clear coat spray

MG Exia - Trans AM mode - Phase 01

"Marina... Ismail...
By the time you read this...
I'll already be gone.
Armed Interventions to put an end to war...
I'm unable to do anything but fight for Celestial Being...
You taught me what it means to fight.
Back then, just like Gundam.
I wanted to know..
Why our world is so terminally distorted?
Where did the distortion come from?
Why there are people who are unconsciously evil?
Why people don't know that their evil hurts others?
Why is humanity an existence that only conflicts with itself?
Why are there people to rule, and those who are ruled?
Why do we wound each other?
In spite of all this, why do people go on living like they do?
I wanted to ask you.
Please think of an answer, if we may meet again.
That being the case, I will seek out the same thing on a different path than yours.
Down the path towards mutual human understanding for the answer.
I'll keep looking for it, together with my Gundam.
Together with... My Gundam..."
- quoted by Setsuna F Seiei , pilot of Exia

This work is my most painful Gundam making experience, literally. Just as I started building this one, my back shoulder is hurting like hell the morning I woke up.
Seek TCM for help but . . . Nah, let's not talk about it .

Here I gave you , the inner frame.

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

This inner frame assembly does make me feel full of possibilities of the poses that the finish model can have .
Although the instructions seem complicated, the parts still comes together quite easily. Anyway like I mentioned in the previous post, the major challenge is not with the assembly. It is the nip marks which I still don't quite find a good solution for it . Probably has to make do and see how it goes.

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

The hand of Exia is at first glance, quite standard MG design: ball joint for the thumb and index finger while the other 3 fingers are formed as a piece. Below is a comparison of hands from my Strike Gundam IWSP.

From making of MG Strike Gundam IWSP

Both Gundam's hands design are 1 thumb , 1 index finger and a 3 finger piece.

Exia hand is bigger, there is an additional joint at the end of the palm to allow it to bend perpendicularly from the arm, but most notably,

the 3 joined fingers, there are ball joint for each of them ! That makes a simple mode here !

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

With a "simple" 2 cuts, I seperated the 3 fingers piece into 3 seperate fingers !! Just wondering why Bandai don't just seperate them in the first place but I'm really happy with this design as I finally have a Gundam with 5 seperate fingers ! WOOT !

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

There is a rectangular extension in the palm which I can attach the weapons to . This is good because it will not be having the grip problem of holding the weapons like Strike Gundam and the rest ! Brilliant !

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

The GN-drive unit! My first Gundam that comes with LED blink-blink! (Batteries sold separately)

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

From WIP - MG Exia - Trans AM

Stay Tune !!

Starting 2010 First Gundam Project ! - Master Grade : Exia Trans AM mode

I am finally starting my 2010 Gundam Project .
Gundam Exia - TransAM mode from the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 animation series.

From Japan trip 2010 - gundam quest

Trans AM mode is a color variant from the original blue and white color scheme of the mecha.
It is to reflect the "hyper" mode in the animation series where the mech glows pinkish red.

Since all parts are pre-colored, I should be able to finish it in no time right ?
Wrong ! There is still the problem of the dreaded nip marks !
As I am not going to use the surfacer and paint technique to cover the marks up , I will have to research and try out new methods to get rid of them . Delays to be expected.

This is also my first Gundam kit with LEDs. The 2 LED units require 4 LR41 batteries not included in the kit.
They are part of the "GN drive" which is installed in the mecha's chest area.

I have also setup the "celestial being" display base which I bought in Japan.

The urge to complete this kit in the rush is as much as the urge to make it perfect.

SD Exia

The thing about SD Gundams model kits : they are cheap , they are simple . So simple that most of the time 1 single piece contains many different color parts . The panel lining is no more simpler. And my skill in panel lining don't really help. Yet I'm quite satisfied with this outcome. Atleast now my SD Exia looks closer to something that resemble the anime rather that just cookie cutter plastic color.