RX-78-5 Gundam G05 (Asian Release)

Synopsis: If one Federal forces Mobile suit has had its numerous variants it is the RX-78 model.  With RX-78-1 through RX-78-7( 4-7 are based on designs from Kunio Okawara), RX-78 GP01 through RX-78GP03, and of course RX-78 NT-1 Alex. 

   Like some of my latest reviews This Figure did not appear on the series.  The RX-78-5 design was adapted from the MSV line for a manga called Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Space, To the End of A Flash.  This design always caught my eye, I guess its in part due to the massive gatling gun it sports. 

 
The Figure: I bought this figure in the hopes that like some of their latest releases Bandai would give the figure the Version 2 treatment unfortunately that proved not to be the case. 

  The head is well painted and the sculpt depicts its RX78 linage in that it seems less ornate then other later gundams.  Not to take away anything from the paint job, which is top notch as face jobs are concerned.  Head rotation is 360 although it can not tilt up or down at all despite the ball joint it rests on.

  The arms are common to most version 1 figures in articulation while the paint job is nice even without that much panel lining.  One trivial fact to point out is that the shoulder armor plating is not exact to design illustrations I have seen in regards to color scheme, there should be more gray present.  Forearm slots on the side are present to position on the shield.  5 hands came with the figure, 2 closed fists, 2 sword hands, and one right gun hand.  The right gun hand is prone to warping and become loose if the gatling gun is held for a long time though that may be an individual flaw.

  The legs are well painted.  And articulation is great even if it is using only Version 1 joints.  Hip movement is great as well as ankle movement since there is no obtrusive armor.  Only the fuel tanks on the back can potentially hinder movement.

  The Torso is blocky yet designed to look more modern then RX-78-2 for most of those people reading this the best comparison is the torso of Alex while the waist resembles RX-78-2's waist.  The skirt armor is flexible made of the same material as the Gundam RX-78-2 version 2's waist.  The waist can rotate 360 degrees unhindered.  The backpack is well detailed and well painted.  The thruster nozzles do not move and the fuel tanks are immovable as well.  Slots are found on each fuel tank allowing the ammo drum and even the gatling gun to be housed on these sides.  I had learned about housing the gatling gun on one of these slots after looking at a Japanese MSiA site.  There is also a hook on the back of the waist armor that according to the box is meant for something however since I do not read Japanese characters I don't know what its for.  I can only surmise that it holds the ammo belt of the gatling gun out of the way.  Beam saber hilts are housed on the top of the backpack typical of the RX-78 line and they are very snug so falling off the backpack is not a problem this figure.

The Accessories:

   Beam Rifle:  The rifle is small and compact, unfortunately the rifle barrel is prone to warping due to the narrow plastic in fact my figure came in box with an already warped barrel.

  Gatling Gun:  One of the primary selling points of the GundamJ.  The gun is well detailed and features two handholds so that it can be held by both hands which is the recommended way of holding the weapon.

  Ammo Drum and Bandolier: The drum can attach to the slot on the fuel drum while the Bandolier fits into a slot on the Gatling gun.  Unfortunately the bandolier takes a little work to fit it on if the slot on the gun is misshapen in any way leading you to want them connected at all times.

  Shield:  The handle of the shield sits on a ball joint.  The shield also has a conventional peg that connects to a slot on the side of the forearm.  The detailing is good as well as the paintjob.

  Beam Sabers:  the figure only comes with two hilts and two saber blades so the hilts on the backpack are the only ones to house the blade.  This cuts down on extra hilts if you already have too many extras.

Play Value:  A gundam with a big gun, is there a better combination?  You can never go wrong with having a good guy with a large weapon to fight you Zeon army.  Only factor hurting this figure's play value is the pain it can be to reinsert the bandolier should it fall off the gatling gun.

Display Value:  This figure holds a unique color scheme and a large weapon, two elements that can help this figure stand out in a collection.  Although it lacks version 2 joints to strike really dramatic poses it can achive a fair amount of poses with the range of motion provided.

Dollar Value: This was an ebay purchase totaling around $21 with shipping included.  Equaling the shipping and such to import from Japan via HLJ or other online import store.  The figure looks good and has a decent weapon loadout along with the fact that this figure will most likely not be available in primary domestic markets makes this figure meet the value although when spoiled with other version 2 figures you are left wanting more.