Random Modifications Part II: The PG 00's "Wings"

When I posted "Random Modifications" here and across the forums, I got a "friendly" challenge from someone at Hobby Fanatics to do this:

Which isn't really hard to do (at least for me).

I simply modified the blue armor parts of the drive wing support to increase its swing range.

I could still make the angle more dramatic later on.  The swing angle is also limited by how the articulation is designed. I didn't want to alter that unless I really have to, since I might damage it inadvertently.

The thing is, owing to how the drives function in season two of the anime, doing that sort of pose is pretty useless.  There's also a scene (or a picture) where the drives are swung completely forward so that the 00 can speed backward, so at this pose, will the drives hold the 00 at a hover, or let it fall dowards fast?  The Exia can execute all sorts of movement regardless of the drive's orientation, so, it's either a plot oversight, or it really doesn't matter so as long as it can do a "kewl" pose.

My Top 10 Favorite Mobile Suits

 
I'm not really planning to make any top 10 list, though I did start a blog named the X-List a while back but that's an entirely different story.  I first posted this at MAC Forum, and owing that I'm still a tad slow on the updates, I'll just put this filler for the meantime.

1.  The Sinanju - this monster, as the lore has it, was based on the Sazabi's frame.  For me, it's quite an improvement from the Saz, with all the right curves on the right places, a very balanced contrast of smooth curves and pointy edges, and a balanced overall weight to width to height ratio.  Lore-wise, it's the meaner brother of the Unicorn (which I actually didn't like up until recently when I made the Chimera) in terms of development since both were developed and created by Anaheim.  Full-Frontal, as it turns out, specifically directed the development of the Unicorn for him to have a worthy opponent.

The MG construction itself is sturdy, and looks good as it is out of the box.  There is little one can do in improving its look, but the likes of Toymaker has done wonders for this beast.

2.  The Exia - I first saw this MS design three years ago when one of my artists gave me a "copy" of the series.  I was no longer collecting Gs at the time, as my previous other collections were "destroyed" by my kids, mine proof that Gundam kits AREN'T toys (but technically, they are) since they don't stand up well enough against playful hands).  It was a gradual liking of the design itself that led my to buy the 1/100 version a year after and thus restarted my Gundam collection. 

3.  The Red Frame Astray - After the Exia, this was the kit I got from Great Toys (which was still at Goldcrest/Glorietta at that time).  This is the ONLY kit I really like from the Seed series.  I mangled my 1/100 version quite fast, as it turns out, this kit has rather brittle plastic as compared to the NG Exia.  Because I like this MS design so much, I got the PG version as soon as it came out, and has just recently acquired the MG.

4.  The Full Cloth Crossbone X1 - There's something about this kit that drew me in after having bought the F91.  It's a tad small, only 15 cm in height, so it was but natural for me to wish it was bigger.  As it turns out, scale-wise, The MS in the series itself is actually small because the developers didn't have enough money to make the Crossbone taller (which, if you ask me, is a load of bull if you look at the Xbone's armaments).

5.  The GN X - I'm not much for protagonists MS design (I don't like the Zaku or any of its incarnations and redesigns much, and the only one that grew on me is the White Wolf), but this is actually one of those fresh ideas that is neither Gundam nor Zaku in terms of design. 

6.  The Wing - Like most people I know, I started my first collection AFTER Gundam Wing was shown here in Manila.  The MG was a bit of a disappointment in ways I'd rather not discuss.  I have both the vKa and the MG versions, and I'm torn between the individual flaws of each.

7.  The Deathschythe - 'nuff said.  I had the original 1/144 HG TV version of this a while back, and got a1/100 on sale at Landmark more than 7 years ago.  Suffice it to say that this was one of those that got mangled up pretty quick.  As far as the MG version and the DS Hell are concerned, I have the same issues as with the MG Wing, and have delayed getting one.

8.  The Hi-Nu - I am impressed mainly with how the MG was constructed.  This was one of kits that really drew me in back into collecting, and was the first kit I ever painted. I got the MG Hi-Nu After, as well as the MG Nu verKA.

9.  The Turn A and Turn X - These two share the same spot because both are also radical designs that don't quite look like Gundams nor Zakus.  Unlike the Unicorn though (which didn't make it to the list), I actually liked the Turn A rather easily maybe because it's human-like in structure, and the Turn X because of how fierce it looks.

10.  The Dynames - I like the concept behind this Sniper Gundam, especially its very long range sniping capabilities of hitting a target at low earth orbit.

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Congratulations to Elbert Isaac for winning the Best Straight Category of GG's G-Shot Photo Contest with his Cleanly built MG Exia Ignition Mode.

Height Proportions

This tip was brought on courtesy of a question Krescenhaze asked regarding height proportions of Gundams (or any MS design for that matter. I used to teach a little comic book art back in the 90s, so I'm quite familiar with the subject in human anatomical terms.

My reply:

Regular human proportions is 7.5 heads tall (1/0.5/2.5/3.5) for the head/neck/torso/legs respectively, or 3.5 from head to groin and 4 from groin to feet. Ideal "heroic" proportions is 8 heads (1/0.5/3/4) This proportion is used to balance the bulk of heroic or muscled characters. Most Gundams and other MS designs do not follow any standard proportions but follow mostly the flow of the design of the MS, so some are like 4/5, with the head too small and looking as if it's hammered down the shoulders, with the neck not visible in most cases. So far, only two are "almost" human in proportions; The Strike, and the Exia.

I know you're asking this mainly for the Unicorn, because so far that kit has the WORST proportion, around 3/5.

Check this link out for reference

Try this yourself though; you can gauge proper proportions when you do this; sit down, then prop your knee toward towards your shoulder. You'll see that the tip of your knee should just be about the same level as the base of your neck.

The link above provides images I am too lazy to reproduce, so let me just credit the author for having it done, before allowing my lazy @$$ hotlink his post. It was quite coincidental I found it having relative images for both human and Gundam proportions.