I've loved 08th MS Team since I was a kid, when it aired on Cartoon Network, so when I decided to dip my toes in Gunpla (and plastic models in general) for the first time, the RX-79(g) was the obvious choice. First off, being new to this, I was really impressed with how the model is designed for color separation. There are some parts that need paint to be "screen-accurate", but it's been designed for the important parts to be molded in the proper color, so it still looks good assembled straight out of the box. A yellow Gundam Marker and a black ultra-fine marker (I used a 0.03 Copic Multi Liner) were all I needed to be happy with the details on the Ground Gundam, though it's still not quite screen-accurate. The articulation is impressive. Once it's assembled, it's like I've just built my own action figure. If I hadn't already done a ton of reading before making my purchase, I wouldn't have expected a model to be so poseable. There are a couple downsides; the shield tends not to hold securely, so when you're posing it, the shield likes to fall out. It's also easy to pop the hands apart when posing weapons, but they snap right back together, just try not to lose the tiny pieces. Lastly, it's a bit smaller than I had hoped; I read that these High Grade (1:144) Gundam models stand roughly between 4.5" and 5", but it didn't register just how small that would be until I saw it in front of me. Still, there's a lot of detail and quality packed into it, so I don't mind it much. One thing to keep in mind if you're looking to get into Gundam models is the cost of tools. If you don't already have modeling tools, you'll probably spend more on that than you do on your first kit; you need a quality pair of nippers (AKA side cutters or flush cutters - I used a Xuron 410 and they were great) and a quality, sharp hobby knife (#2 X-Acto is perfect) at the very least, plus whatever finer detailing tools you might want like markers, paints, and extra utility blades. Overall, I loved building and displaying my Gundam, and I've already got four other Gundam model kits on the way.
