This is an unboxing review of the Tamashii Nation 2012 – Metal Build Freedom Gundam Prism Coating Version. The prism coating version is the same as the regular one – accessory and construction wise. When we say prism coating (in terms of how Bandai do it) we usually get a glossy car-like finish. Anyway, I must say that the figure excels in articulation. A lot of the armors are segmented to allow the figure to move freely, heck I was even able to make it sit like a baby. However, we did notice a lot of quality control issues. Some of the parts have scratches on them and some pieces are loose. With regards to paint on some tiny details, the colors tend to bleed or cross over to other parts. We also noticed that the clear coat turned yellow especially on those areas where the clear coat is tick. The issue is common among all types of white paint with clear coating but can be resolved easily with some known industry techniques. Perhaps they just did not pay much attention or Bandai’s Quality Assurance team in their China factory were sleeping in the job.
SPECIAL NOTE!
We have observed that the figure suffers from clear coat tarnishing or “yellowing” as some may call it. The phenomenon is not a surprise since many things aside from toys suffer from it. This is common on WHITE and CLEAR COAT combinations. The clear coat tends to turn yellow or beige in time or due to heat. Well the causes are really uncertain but clear coats do get to that point eventually.
Is there a remedy for clear coat turning to yellow?
Well some people claim that adding a bit of blue or magenta to your clear coat mix can help reduce the effects of tarnishing. But I am yet to prove that one.
I must say that due to the quality issues such as paint scratches and bleeding colors, I can conclude that the manufacturing process for this product line is not monitored properly. I remember some reviews before made by other people claiming that their regular version of MB Freedom has severe quality issue. Well one of them reported that the face of Freedom cracked into two pieces. So I am not really surprised to see that my Prism Coating version has some scratches on the shield. It was not some small scratch, it was one big ugly scratch. Luckily it can’t be easily seen unless you know where exactly it is.
So 4/10 for BANDAI not making sure that their metal build is made properly. The MB 7 swords and MB Trans Am I have got far more superior workmanship… Did they change workers? hired another company to do the product? I dunno? But since it is made in China, I wonder….
******
BOX
- minimalistic design
- grey and red with several icons and logos
- very different compared to the regular version box – you can easily spot this from afar
CONTENTS
- has only a few items
- the only stuff in plastic shell are the wings and extra hands
- the rest of the accessories and figure itself are on the styrofoam
MANUAL
- one long sheet
- folded to make 3 pages on each side
pretty much sums up all the accessories you will find in the package
WINGS
- seems 90% plastic materials
- some metal parts are located on the backpack and some joints
4 Extra Hands
STAND
RIFLE
SHIELD
BEAM SABER HILTS
BEAM EFFECTS
FREEDOM GUNDAM
ARTICULATION
- like I said before, the figure has excellent articulation!
- the elbows and knees are double jointed to allow full bend
- some armors like the one on the shoulder is segmented and lifts up to allow free movement
- joints are stiff which is good
- the figure is sexy but weighs heavy
look who snuggled inside the box of MB Freedom while I was taking the photos…
Anyway, back to the topic…
The articulation is so good that it can sit on the ground like that
seems like he is singing some rock song
perhaps a scene from GLEE???
WINGS ATTACHED
ADDING THE SHIELD and RIFLE
MORE PICTURES!
CLOSE UP SHOTS on DETAILS
CAN’T SEEM TO FIND A GOOD ANGLE
THE OTHER METAL BUILD GUNDAMS
- left is the MB Seven Swords 00 Gundam
- right is the MB Trans Am 00 Raiser
-END
Gundam Philippines 