1/100 Gundam Exia Roll Out Color Ver. Part 1

Not-so limited limited item
Like the previous review on Shiho Hahnenfuss from MS Gundam Seed Heroines 8 gashapon set, starting this new Gunpla project now would be just right to maintain the spirit of bringing back categories of review that seem to be absent on this blog for quite a while. ^^


This is 1/100 scale Gundam Exia Roll Out Color Ver. Supposedly an event-limited release for the 48^th All-Japan Model Hobby Show (第48回全日本模型ホビーショー) held in mid October 2008 and a few other subsequent hobby exhibitions, I managed to get mine about a year later for an average market price close to that of a regular 1/100 Gundam Exia. ^^ There were plenty of similar instances where certain special limited merchandises became available at market rates outside Japan. The 1/48 scale Unicorn Gundam Head Display Base is one of such stories, albeit not as direct as this special version of Gundam Exia. ^^ What was the exact arrangement that lead to those limited items been "stripped" of their limited status? I have no idea and couldn't be bothered to speculate on the answer. ^^ The triumph of getting a legitimate piece of those limited item is always exciting, especially when the price is good too. XD

Not exactly a brand new kit on the work list, some parts from this kit were selected, painted and detailed collectively with many more from other Gundam Exia-type Gunplas as early as February 2010. ^^ Some of them were parts for the first 1/100 Gundam Exia assembled and reviewed back in January 2011. So, instead of branding it as a new Gunpla project, finishing up on old kit started a long time ago would be more accurate to describe the nature of this review series I suppose. ^^ In many ways, that's indeed the case as this Roll Out Color version is the last Gundam Exia kit to be worked on from the All Exia Project. ^^

Still, this is still not the last Gunpla version of Gundam Exia yet to be assembled in my collection. ^^ By the look of it, the Master Grade version will be the last one to be featured, unless a brand new exciting kit of Gundam Exia is announced, or I suddenly have the desire to get the 1/60 scale version which might cut the queue. XD As of now, I'm very happy to be revisiting this Roll Out Color version. I'm sure my prior experience with the first 1/100 Gundam Exia, then Gundam Avalanche Exia, and finally Gundam Astraea is going to be mighty useful in my work on this kit. ^^


(Left) The special "Roll Out Color" label.
(Right) Instead of the more common "MS Gundam 00" merchandising seal seen on all the regular releases in this Gunpla line, the Sunrise-type can be seen instead.



Introduction of the kit on the box sides.
Just like the box art, the design is all the same as that on the first 1/100 Gundam Exia, albeit printed in grayscale.


Content.




The instruction manual is exactly the same as the one included for the first 1/100 Gundam Exia. ^^
A look at the different runners - since all of them are identical in design to the ones from the first 1/100 Gundam Exia just molded in different colors, I'll refer you to the introduction of that kit on the details.


Runner A


Section of clear parts with their rear sides painted using green highlighter.



Change in molded colors for the parts: white → light gray, yellow → light yellow and red → gray


Runner B


Runner C


Runner D features no change in molded color as compared to the same runner in the first 1/100 Gundam Exia.


Runner E, an ABS runner features no change in molded color as well.


Runner F with the same shade of gray from the first 1/100 Gundam Exia maintained as its molded color.


Runner G


Change in molded colors for the parts: blue → gray.


Runner H is copied directed from the first 1/100 Gundam Exia, and Runner SB-8 for the four beam sabers/daggers.


Polycap set PC-116.


Foil sticker sheet.


While the overall design is the same, the pieces for the GN Drive and GN Condensers have metallic green borders and textual labels added. ^^


All removed parts are organized and stored in individual paper containers.


All of the painted and panel lined parts from the All Exia Project.


As usual, the entire segment holding the clear parts are separated from the rest of the content. The sword is stored separately to prevent any scratches on its painted surface.
Most of the harder-to-detail components, especially the head and GN Sword were already done since a long time ago. What remains now are the tasks of panel-lining and painting all the other parts, which won't be too difficult I believe. ^^