Click on the Read More link for the rest of this post...
I got this Devil Arts Providence kit recently from Gundam Central (now GundamModelCenter.com), a long time partner of the blog, and I wanted to show the contents of the box and share my first impressions on this relatively new release from a new brand. The box itself is pretty low key, not much information on there except for the kit's name and brand logo.
I'm not sure how they pulled it off, but Devil Arts actually unleashed their version of the Providence way before big B did. It raised quite a few eyebrows when it was announced, especially with the preview images showing a ton of detail that made many think it was just a hoax. I'm holding the sprues in my hands now though, and I can say without a doubt that this thing delivers what it promised!
The details abound and are super crisp. The parts are molded in good quality plastic, if a bit soft to the touch. The edges are clean and even the tiny vents that tend to have flash on them are flawless.
The V fin is actually sharp out of the box, and I was relieved to find it free of any damage. Some parts that protruded from the sprue were a bit bent at the gates, possibly due to getting stacked during shipping - but there was nothing seriously damaged or missing.
Did I mention the details? I can't tell you enough how nicely detailed this kit is. It's so good in fact that I'm having trouble imagining how to customize it. I might just actually do a clean build for this one and paint it up to highlight those details and improve color separation.
The colored parts are vibrant, but the shades are a bit too Gundam Age for my preferences. The kit comes with clear effect parts in the box for some dragoon launching love.
As for the polycaps (marked runner L in this case), they're flawless. Not a hint of flash can be seen, a far cry from older Hongli models that appear to have more flash than actual polycap. It comes with 5 sets of fixed pose hands, which in my opinion are better than articulated ones when it comes to painting.
The manual is nice and glossy with clear white pages. The diagrams are scaled up for clarity, though it can get a bit confusing when looking for a specific part in the runners due to the size difference. Devil Arts was generous enough to include a sheet of waterslide decals as well.
Spacing on the sheet is a bit cramped, but it includes 4 pieces of waterslide decals for the eyes, which is a nice touch and is actually forward thinking because they can be a chore to put on. Some of the loose clear runners for the head have no letters on them, but if you've built a few master grades it isn't that difficult to figure out.
Other than a few handling issues, some less than ideal gate placement on small parts, and an almost negligible amount of flash, I think its a good deal and I'm really happy with the kit! I don't know if I got lucky with a good batch, but if this is the level of quality Devil Arts brings to the table then it's a challenge to it's competitors. The bar has been raised yet again, and I hope the other brands step up their game in response.
Here's a video for those who prefer youTube:
I'll assemble this thing so I can do a full review soon, so stay tuned for that if you still aren't convinced - but if you're ready to purchase, hit up Gundam Central / GundamModelCenter and order this superb model now while it's in stock!
Until next time, keep building plamo!
No comments:
Post a Comment