Daban MG The O - Review

Happy holidays plamo nerds! Today I'm sharing another review for a kit many of you are eager to know more about - Daban's MG The O!

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Build

Despite the intimidating size of the box, the kit was surprisingly simple to build. I'd say it took me a total of 6 hours to snap everything together. The fit is a rather tight especially for the larger hollow pegs. Some needed a bit of trimming to get them to slot in, which I recommend you do for all the pegs on this kit if you plan on painting it.

Look and Feel

This kit is gigantic for a Master Grade. It has some pretty good detail for it's size, and it's got huge surfaces for extra panel lines or pla-plating if you're into customization. I personally think it looks great out of the box, and my only gripe is that most of the red power cables and details are done in a rubbery kind of plastic which will not take paint very well.

Articulation

Don't hope for much in the articulation department.  This kit is meant to stand there and scare the minovsky particles out of your everyday mobile suit, so don't expect it to do any Jigen Haoh moves. That said, the arms are double jointed at the elbow, and the secret groping*err*grappling arms can flip out from under the front skirts and wield an extra pair of beam sabers. Weight is well distributed thanks to it's huge feet, and most of the shoulder and leg armors are independently movable.

Issues

The plastic itself is a good thickness, but a little brittle compared to previous Daban releases like the Buster. It's kind of easy to stress, particularly in spots where the internal frame and armor come into contact. I've also noticed a few sink marks and flash here and there, but nothing too difficult to fix if you practice modeling basics. Some parts like those in the elbow joints lock in pretty tight even after peg trimming, so be extra careful in following the manual because it will be a major pain trying to disassemble stuff. Lastly, for those who paint their models, you might want to replace those rubbery power cables...some necklace chain should do the trick.

 

 Verdict

In spite of the issues described above, the sheer size of this model makes it worth the effort. If you're looking to add another imposing model to your mono-eye collection, this is definitely it. I give it a solid 9/10. I never expected Daban to produce such an old design after doing the GAT boys in succession. There must be some sort of customer survey behind this release. Whatever the case may be, this thing is surely taking up some major space in many collector's cabinets.

This review was brought to you by Gundam Central.

Until next time, keep building plamo!