Runner design for variation release that never came outGoing for smaller and smaller kits after
HGM 1/550 Dendrobium. ^^ Starting to work on BB Senshi Force Impulse Gundam now. ^^
Personally, I'm not really a big fan of Force Impulse Gundam. It's a decent design in my opinion, but nothing too outstanding. It's certainly unique, with the 3-piece mecha docking formation design is inherited from the original Gundam. There are a few lead Gundams before Force Impulse Gundam that use similar concept, for example Double Zeta Gundam, S Gundam and V Gundam. However, the separate components of these Gundams can transform into fighter-jet like mecha that are functional outside the Gundam formation. Can't say the same for Impulse Gundam though. The Chest Flyer is obviously the upper body of the Gundam with the arms folded around the head to try to hide it and with the rifle pointing forward. How to view it as real supporting mecha is beyond me. XD
I like the idea of the slight transformation gimmick put into the design of the separated components. Its first docking sequence when the Gundam debuts in Episode 1 of "Gundam SEED Destiny" is quite cool to watch, but I don't find it to be that remarkable over time. On the other hand, I really love the MG treatment of this Gundam, which gave it an even more complex docking gimmick with a much sharper redesign. ^^ The design from the anime doesn't seem all that great to me, but the MG version is so much more outstanding.
Apart from the "Gundam RX-78-2 factor", element of designs from Strike Gundam are inherited as well. The Force Silhouette is pretty much the Aile pack of the later. As a matter of fact, all of Impulse Gundam's weapon packs are modeled after the ones used by Strike Gundam, just a lot more powerful I believe.
For this BB Senshi kit, while the entire docking gimmick is absent, most of Force Impulse Gundam's features, including the weapons, Core Splendor and Force Silhouette are given. A few points from these features are missing as well, which will definitely be mentioned through this review series, but they don't really make this kit bad. A display stand is included, with a little bit of its own nifty features to somewhat make up for the omitted gimmicks. If not mistaken, for quite a while when it was released, this is the only BB Senshi kit with a display stand included. Many other BB Senshi kits from "Gundam SEED Destiny" that came out after it are shown posing on a display stand in their manuals, but all of them refer to the one in this kit, which you need to purchase separately of course.
The Gundam itself is from the time before BB Senshi Sangokuden, where the kits have more parts and are slightly more articulated. Another BB Senshi model from "Gundam SEED Destiny" that I built,
Destiny Gundam would be another "testament" to the "pre-BB Senshi Sangokuden" era kit design XD
Content.
Runners A2 and A1 - Contains parts for the Gundam.
Runner B - Contains parts for the Force Silhouette and weapons.
Foil stickers and polycap set.
Unused parts between different poses can be store behind the display stand.
Hints on runners A1, A2 and the entire B for the possible release of Impulse Gundam's variations, namely Sword Impulse Gundam and Blast Impulse Gundam.Possible release as mentioned, but the chances are pretty slim. This BB Senshi kit was out more than 5 years ago. I don't see why Bandai would go back and release the secondary Gundams of a previous show, with the BB Senshi line focusing on "SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors" right now, and that all the newer kits are no longer using the same articulation design from that product period. Plans for variations were made, but never received the chance to be released unfortunately.
Unfortunately again, because of the design for variations incorporated on the runners. The colors of certain parts are totally omitted. ^^; Some tedious paint job to make the finished kit close to the intended color scheme is well expected for Force Impulse Gundam. ^^;
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