Post by E_Wing on Jan 14, 2011 16:47:53 GMT 8
Kit: GN-0000GNHW/7SGD2 00 Gundam GN Heavy Weapon Seven Sword / Gun “Inspection Type” (Chara Hobby 2010 C3 X Hobby special; c/o Hobby Japan)
Scale: 1:144
Grade: High Grade 00
HG00 #: 61 (original normal/blue version)
Series: Kidō Senshi Gundam 00V Senki (Mobile Suit Gundam 00V : Battlefield Record)
Release dates: August 28-29, 2010 (Main venue (Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex) only)
Price: ¥2,200 (inclusive of tax)
Number of Parts: 198 plastic parts (193 actual parts (158 Polystyrene (PS) + 35 Polyethylene (PE)) + 5 unneeded parts) + 1 piece 11.5mm single-strand, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated copper wire (of unknown gauge) + foil stickers
Total Number of Runners: 5 + polycaps
Polycap Number: PC-001
Plastic Colors: White, Red, Salmon Pink, Yellow, Gray, Clear, Clear Green, Clear Pink
Weapons and Accessories: Twin Drive system, Seven Sword / Gun weapons configuration (GN Buster Sword II x1, GN Sword II Long x1, GN Sword II Short x1, GN Beam Sabers x2, GN Katar x2, GN Sword II Blaster x1)
Kit Gimmicks: GN Sword II short extension gimmick; dual configuration of the Buster Sword and the Sword II Long (either shield or sword form, and either sword or rifle mode respectively); simultaneous mounting of all weapons in their respective hardpoints; possibility to mount the GNR-010 0 Raiser, GN021XN XN Unit, or the GNR-010/XN XN Raiser (with the Buster Sword and the Sword II Blaster removed from their respective hardpoints; possibility to reconfigure the GN Sword II variants as a sword-staff similar to the original 00 Gundam; compatibility with the Action Bases 1 and 2 and stands from most other kits.
HISTORY:
This unit only appeared in Chapter 10 of Gundam 00V Senki (serialized in Hobby Japan and published by Hobby Japan Co., Ltd.) in a simulation battle against the GN-006 Cherudim Gundam, GN-007 Arios Gundam, GN-009 Seravee Gundam, and the original GN-0000GNHW/7SG 00 Gundam Seven Sword/G to test a new Twin Drive System using only improved GN Condensers (c/o Sherilyn Hyde, designer of the GN Heavy Weapon equipments for the 4th generation Gundam and their respective upgrades (SAGA, Ascalon, and the 3G pack) the Full Armor equipments of the GN-000 0 Gundam, and as well as Ian Vashti’s disciple). This was to identify the two Seven Sword G drive configurations, with the original blue 00 Seven Sword G using a single GN Drive with a single GN Particle Storage tank configuration. The data from this simulation test will be later used to make the GN-0000RE+GNR-010 00 Raiser Condenser Type.
PRELIMINARY REVIEW
Author’s note: This review can also be used as the review for the original 1:144 HG00 #61 00 Gundam Seven Sword/G since their difference is just the box and the color scheme used; both kits utilizes the exact same parts. This review can also be used as the review for the 1:144 HG00 #22 GN-0000 00 Gundam in general.
Box art
Front:
Plain white-and-red box, with the Chara Hobby 2010 on the top right. This design is shared with another Chara Hobby 2010 limited kit: the 1:144 HG00 CB-001.5D2 1.5 Gundam “Type Dark” (by Dengeki Hobby), albeit in a white and blue scheme.
Sides:
All sides of the box are presented the same way as the front section, minus the Chara Hobby 2010 logo. The north face of the box includes the assembly and the tools requirement notice, which was first seen in the MG GN-X and used by newer kits after that.
Kit contents:
Runners:
The kit contains a total of 162 parts and 36 polycaps, enclosed in a total of six runners. The runners are labeled A-C, then F-G (with D and E for the GN Sword III and other effect parts which is not included in this kit), with the runner C expanded to incorporate the additional blue (or in this case, red) parts for the 7SG weapon system. Runner B includes four unneeded parts, namely the original GN Sword II blades and the knee cap parts. Runner F includes the clear green parts for the GN Katars and some other parts, which I believe must also be the color used in Runner A instead of the clear ones. The kit also includes a single-strand insulated copper wire for the GN Sword II Short’s extension gimmick.
Manual:
Note: This kit uses the manual of the original blue variant, which is almost always the case with recolored, special-edition kits.
Front page:
Typical HG 1:144 manual from the Gundam 00 series, which shows the similar (if not the same) pose as shown on the box. The front page also shows the mech and pilot’s info, lineart, and screenshots.
Manual “centerfold”:
This is the manual's “centerfold”, except that this is one of the pages located on the rear, colored side of the manual. This section of the manual contains the weapon and mechanism info of the mech, as well as the explanation of the series this mech came from. The lower portion of the second page shows the MS piloted by Setsuna F. Seiei in their kit form.
MS Evolutionary Tree:
This page shows the mech’s evolutionary tree, showing where the mech developed from. This tree extends to the manual’s front page, with the mech itself shows last on the line. This evolutionary tree also includes the GNX-607T/AC GN-XII Sword, wherein the data from its GN Buster Sword (derived from the GNW-002 Gundam Throne Zwei) was used in the development of the Seven Sword system, particularly the GN Buster Sword II.
Color Guide:
The kit’s color guide is shown below the evolutionary tree, but it is for the normal version of the kit. As with all Bandai kits the paints used are GSI Creos' Mr. Color paint series, although a pre-mixed Mr. Color color set may be available for the kit’s normal color scheme. No color guide or pre-mixed paint set exists for the Inspection variant.
Building instructions side:
As opposed to the colored half of the manual, the other half of the manual contains the black-and-white instruction pages (except for the last page, which is colored). On this side the building notifications, parts list, spare parts order slip, and the building manual proper are located.
Building notifications:
The building notifications are located at the top of the manual’s first page, which is the first page of the manual proper. Only nine out of 14 are not grayed-out, meaning that these are the notifications that are used in this kit.
Parts list:
The parts list of the kit, which is one of the things to check out before buying.
Spare parts order slip:
The order slip for ordering spare parts of the kit to Bandai, located at the right corner of page 1. The price list for each part is located at the lower left of the page (not shown). Not to mention that the order slip can only be used in Japan though.
Building directions:
The main directions for building the kit starts on page 2 of the manual, with in this case the body is being built first.
On the top right of this page shows the directions on how to remove the clear parts from the sprue (the clear parts are molded using the so-called “undergate” molding process).
Manual last page:
The last page of the manual, in complete Technicolor. Since this page is located on the “colored side” of the whole manual, then this page is to be colored also. There are also cases wherein two pages of the instruction manual that are on the colored side, not only one (for example the HG00 #05 Kyrios Gundam, which has one and a half portion of the manual on the colored side).
MAIN REVIEW
Note: Some foil stickers are applied to this kit as directed by the manual. All clear parts (not the clear green) are not assembled to this kit except for the eye/rear head sensor, and the clear parts on the GN Sword II variants. Any scratch marks are produced from dry-sanding the kit. Any large seamlines present on the kit are the result of trimming the underlying male pegs for disassembly preparation, unless stated otherwise.
Body parts:
Head:
The kit’s head, which is exactly the same as with the 00 Gundam. (Infact, this kit is about 90% the same as with the 00, except for the weapons, a relatively few parts, and in this case, the color scheme). This part is divided into five main sections: the left and right halves, the face plate, the back “headband”, and the v-fin. The top and front of the head sports an irritating seamline, which needs to be removed (or at least made into a panel line). Four clear parts are used in this part, with only one (the eyes/rear sensor(/GN Condenser?)) attached. Yellow stickers are used for the yellow portions of the v-fin.
Body:
The chest and backpack of the kit, which is kinda similar to Exia’s except that the 00 does not have a GN Condenser on its chest, no GN Drive on the back, and there’s no portion on it that can move independently. It has four ball socket polycaps for the shoulders and the GN Drive binders, with the ones for the shoulders a little bit special since it can swivel to the front for additional articulation for the shoulders.
The upper waist part of the kit. This kit is (probably) the first 1:144 kit to feature an independent waist portion that can bend forward or backward, similar to the MG Wing Ver. Ka / Wing Zero Ver. Ka (aka Endless Waltz version). This feature requires the use of two ball joints, that can allows the kit to bend forward or backward, and also sideways. The upper waist only consists of just one part, with a ball joint polycap on top of it. A ball socket is located under the part for the attachment of the lower waist.
GN Twin Drive:
The main powerplant of the mech. In the series, the twin drive consists of the GN Drives of Exia and 0 Gundams, due to which the other three drives being insufficient to reach at least 80% synchronization rate with the 0’s GN Drive (which is their spare), not to mention that Exia has gone missing with Setsuna for five years. The small drive chassis is made possible from the adaptation of the more advance drive technology from the GNX-609T GN-XIII and GNX-704T Ahead, which are more efficient and compact than the third generation Gundams' drive chassis. The drive cones used in this configuration is the result of the combination of the cone design of the third generation Gundams and the three-thruster design of the GNY-001 Gundam Astraea.
In its kit form, the whole GN Drive binders are made up of four parts, as well as two polycaps. The GN Drive itself is made up of just one part, with gaping holes on the thruster sections (presumably left as-is because of possible obstruction with the attachment of the wing binders from the GNR-010 0 Raiser). The GN Drive chassis is connected to the binder arm by a peg through a polycap, and the binder arm through the backpack by a ball joint. The hardpoints for the GN Sword II Blaster and the GN Buster Sword II are located on the chassis, near the drive cones.
Arms:
Typical construction of the arms from this series. The two parts on the elbows provide shearing action, with a polycap in-between them. The wrist can move independently. The kit also includes an open left hand just like the Exia.
The arm’s movement range
Lower waist:
The kit’s lower waist, which is connected to the upper waist part via a ball polycap. The front and side skirts can move independently thanks to their own ball joint polycaps. The rear skirt armor cannot be moved but the attachment slot for the beam sabers are located there. The side skirts include an attachment slot for the GN Sword II (or in this case, the Sword II’s long and short variants).
Legs:
The leg assembly of the kit. The assembly is divided into five major sections: the hip joint, upper leg, knee cap, lower leg, and the feet. The knee joint is incorporated in the upper leg, therefore a pre-paint modification is needed before sealing this kit. The knee cap (aside from the weapons) is the only difference of a normal 00 and the Seven Sword-equipped 00, because of the hardpoints for the GN Katars. On a normal 00, the knee cap is just a single white piece. A long gray sticker is provided for the lower leg portion of the kit. A single part (part A34) is used to connect the two legs together, then it is connected to the lower waist portion. The stand is connected at the bottom of this part, with part A44 covering the stand slot when not in use.
The leg’s movement range
Weapon systems:
The Seven Sword / Gun weapon system
GN Sword II Long and Short:
Two of the Seven Sword armament, which is based from Exia. These are the variants of the 00’s GN Sword II, which has been remade to look like Exia’s. Similar to the GN Sword II, these variants can go to rifle mode as well. The Long variant is used for long-range combat, hence the additional handle. The Short variant on the other hand was developed for use as a projectile weapon, replacing the Exia’s GN Beam Daggers. The tip of the blade is attached to a wire, and can be launched and retracted as many times as needed. It is unknown if these variants can be used as beam sabers like the original. The swords are mounted on the side skirt armors when not in use.
The extended GN Sword II Short.
GN Beam Sabers:
The GN Beam sabers, which are the only weapons that are fully retained from the 00. In fact, these are always present in all variants of the 00, except the GNT-0000 Qan[T]. The hilts are made of just one plastic piece, as well as the beam blade. The hilts are placed on the rear skirt armor when not in use.
GN Katars:
The GN Katars, whose blade is made up of the same material as the GN Condensers. The design is based from the 00’s modular shield. In theory, it is possible to attack at temperatures higher than the material’s temperature limit, since when the GN Particles change into heat, the heat is transferred to whatever is in contact at the moment. This concept was later perfected and was later used in other designs.
The Katars are predominantly made in white and red parts, with the clear green plastic protruding from the white parts. A gray part is included to form the extending handle. It is noted that the Katars used the two out of four clear green parts, with the last one at the Blaster. The Katars are mounted on the side of the knee caps when not in use.
GN Buster Sword II:
The GN Buster Sword II, in its binder (storage) form. The design of the Buster Sword II was based from the GN Buster Sword that was stolen by Fon Spaak from the GNX-607T/AC GN-XII Sword. During the testing of the repaired 00 Gundam, the Buster Sword II is also installed with the same stabilizer equipment that was used on the 0 Raiser, though the exact reason this was installed is unknown. The Buster Sword II is kept on the left GN Drive binder when not in use.
The Buster Sword II when completely expanded/extended. A gray frame is located beneath the red parts, making the expansion and retraction of the parts possible.
The same sword when fully retracted.
The Buster Sword II in its sword mode.
The Buster Sword II in its shield mode. A secondary/shield handle is included to hold the sword in its shield mode.
GN Sword II Blaster:
A new weapon developed for the 00 after the events of the series’ second season. The Blaster’s design closely resembles the GN Buster Rifle used by the CB-0000G/C Reborns Gundam/Cannon, with a GN blade at the bottom of the rifle.
The rifle is made up of predominantly gray parts, as well as a red and the last two clear green parts. The main body of the GN Sword II is incorporated in the rifle, and therefore can be used either for long-range or close-range combat, with more emphasis on the long-range. The rifle is stored on the right GN Drive binder when not in use.
PROFILE PICTURES:
Front view:
Rear view:
Left side view:
Right side view:
Various attack poses:
Comparison with the normal 00:
As what I’ve said before, the only difference between the Seven Sword/G and a regular 00 are the weapon sets and the knee cap; in the Inspection Type’s case also the color scheme. Here, all blue parts are then recolored into red, and all previously red parts became salmon pink. The white, yellow, gray, and clear parts remain the same.
00 weapons comparison:
The comparison for all weapon systems of the 00 Gundam (excluding 00 Qan[T]). For the physical blade weapons the GN Katars is the shortest of them, and the XN’s GN Buster Sword III (either in single or in combined form) the longest, albeit in close match against the GN Bister Sword II. In the beam category the GN Beam Sabers is the shortest, and the Raiser Sword (GN Sword III version) is the longest.
CUSTOMIZATION:
Since the 00 is a modular kit, various customizations exists for this kit. These can be the addition of the 0 Raiser, XN Raiser, XN parts, GN Sefer, and even another Seven Sword/G weapon system (particularly the Buster Sword II and the Sword II Blaster), in any combination the owner wishes (but about two of a time only: some kits share the same hardpoint after all). Also, since all GN Sword II variants (original, Long, Short, Blaster) share the same body/handle, they can be combined the same way like the original does, but it requires the OA2 part found in the 1:144 HG00 #35 GNR-010 0 Riser, and all 1:144 HG00 00 Raiser kits. Further more, the GN Sword III can be used in this kit (since because this is the 00 after all), but (possibly) not the GN Condenser parts from the 1:144 HG00 #70 GN-0000Re+GNR-010 00 Raiser GN Condenser type (because the upper part of these parts may obstruct the mounting of the Buster Sword II / Blaster, but possible if mounting the 0 Riser’s wing binders).
JUDGING CRITERIA: (Note: applicable criteria involved. 10 highest)
Construction: 8 out of 10 (minimal masking and pre-paint modifications)
Parts sealing: 4 out of 10 (for a 1:144 kit, that is understandable)
Foil sticker use: 2 out of 10 (only the legs require stickers that wherein it is possible to mold that portion in color; the eyes always uses foil stickers, and the ones on the GN Condensers can be used even when the kit is painted)
Articulation: 9 out of 10 (for a 1:144 kit, this is very articulated. The knee caps are not articulated in 1:144 kits)
Detail: 8 out of 10 (detailed kit)
Kit modularity: 10 out of 10 (owners of this kit are very satisfied with the options that this kit has, and most of them prefer to customize it with non-canonical combinations)
Quality vs. price: 10 out of 10 (as stated above, combined with the $20~ price (for the regular version))
Collectability rating: 11 out of 10 (same reasons as above, plus one since this is a one-time release kit)
Rating formula:
[(Construction – Parts sealing – Foil sticker use + Articulation + Detail + Kit modularity + Quality vs. price)/5 + Collectability rating (extra)]/2
KIT RATING:
9.4 out of 10
Scale: 1:144
Grade: High Grade 00
HG00 #: 61 (original normal/blue version)
Series: Kidō Senshi Gundam 00V Senki (Mobile Suit Gundam 00V : Battlefield Record)
Release dates: August 28-29, 2010 (Main venue (Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex) only)
Price: ¥2,200 (inclusive of tax)
Number of Parts: 198 plastic parts (193 actual parts (158 Polystyrene (PS) + 35 Polyethylene (PE)) + 5 unneeded parts) + 1 piece 11.5mm single-strand, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated copper wire (of unknown gauge) + foil stickers
Total Number of Runners: 5 + polycaps
Polycap Number: PC-001
Plastic Colors: White, Red, Salmon Pink, Yellow, Gray, Clear, Clear Green, Clear Pink
Weapons and Accessories: Twin Drive system, Seven Sword / Gun weapons configuration (GN Buster Sword II x1, GN Sword II Long x1, GN Sword II Short x1, GN Beam Sabers x2, GN Katar x2, GN Sword II Blaster x1)
Kit Gimmicks: GN Sword II short extension gimmick; dual configuration of the Buster Sword and the Sword II Long (either shield or sword form, and either sword or rifle mode respectively); simultaneous mounting of all weapons in their respective hardpoints; possibility to mount the GNR-010 0 Raiser, GN021XN XN Unit, or the GNR-010/XN XN Raiser (with the Buster Sword and the Sword II Blaster removed from their respective hardpoints; possibility to reconfigure the GN Sword II variants as a sword-staff similar to the original 00 Gundam; compatibility with the Action Bases 1 and 2 and stands from most other kits.
HISTORY:
This unit only appeared in Chapter 10 of Gundam 00V Senki (serialized in Hobby Japan and published by Hobby Japan Co., Ltd.) in a simulation battle against the GN-006 Cherudim Gundam, GN-007 Arios Gundam, GN-009 Seravee Gundam, and the original GN-0000GNHW/7SG 00 Gundam Seven Sword/G to test a new Twin Drive System using only improved GN Condensers (c/o Sherilyn Hyde, designer of the GN Heavy Weapon equipments for the 4th generation Gundam and their respective upgrades (SAGA, Ascalon, and the 3G pack) the Full Armor equipments of the GN-000 0 Gundam, and as well as Ian Vashti’s disciple). This was to identify the two Seven Sword G drive configurations, with the original blue 00 Seven Sword G using a single GN Drive with a single GN Particle Storage tank configuration. The data from this simulation test will be later used to make the GN-0000RE+GNR-010 00 Raiser Condenser Type.
PRELIMINARY REVIEW
Author’s note: This review can also be used as the review for the original 1:144 HG00 #61 00 Gundam Seven Sword/G since their difference is just the box and the color scheme used; both kits utilizes the exact same parts. This review can also be used as the review for the 1:144 HG00 #22 GN-0000 00 Gundam in general.
Box art
Front:
Plain white-and-red box, with the Chara Hobby 2010 on the top right. This design is shared with another Chara Hobby 2010 limited kit: the 1:144 HG00 CB-001.5D2 1.5 Gundam “Type Dark” (by Dengeki Hobby), albeit in a white and blue scheme.
Sides:
All sides of the box are presented the same way as the front section, minus the Chara Hobby 2010 logo. The north face of the box includes the assembly and the tools requirement notice, which was first seen in the MG GN-X and used by newer kits after that.
Kit contents:
Runners:
The kit contains a total of 162 parts and 36 polycaps, enclosed in a total of six runners. The runners are labeled A-C, then F-G (with D and E for the GN Sword III and other effect parts which is not included in this kit), with the runner C expanded to incorporate the additional blue (or in this case, red) parts for the 7SG weapon system. Runner B includes four unneeded parts, namely the original GN Sword II blades and the knee cap parts. Runner F includes the clear green parts for the GN Katars and some other parts, which I believe must also be the color used in Runner A instead of the clear ones. The kit also includes a single-strand insulated copper wire for the GN Sword II Short’s extension gimmick.
Manual:
Note: This kit uses the manual of the original blue variant, which is almost always the case with recolored, special-edition kits.
Front page:
Typical HG 1:144 manual from the Gundam 00 series, which shows the similar (if not the same) pose as shown on the box. The front page also shows the mech and pilot’s info, lineart, and screenshots.
Manual “centerfold”:
This is the manual's “centerfold”, except that this is one of the pages located on the rear, colored side of the manual. This section of the manual contains the weapon and mechanism info of the mech, as well as the explanation of the series this mech came from. The lower portion of the second page shows the MS piloted by Setsuna F. Seiei in their kit form.
MS Evolutionary Tree:
This page shows the mech’s evolutionary tree, showing where the mech developed from. This tree extends to the manual’s front page, with the mech itself shows last on the line. This evolutionary tree also includes the GNX-607T/AC GN-XII Sword, wherein the data from its GN Buster Sword (derived from the GNW-002 Gundam Throne Zwei) was used in the development of the Seven Sword system, particularly the GN Buster Sword II.
Color Guide:
The kit’s color guide is shown below the evolutionary tree, but it is for the normal version of the kit. As with all Bandai kits the paints used are GSI Creos' Mr. Color paint series, although a pre-mixed Mr. Color color set may be available for the kit’s normal color scheme. No color guide or pre-mixed paint set exists for the Inspection variant.
Building instructions side:
As opposed to the colored half of the manual, the other half of the manual contains the black-and-white instruction pages (except for the last page, which is colored). On this side the building notifications, parts list, spare parts order slip, and the building manual proper are located.
Building notifications:
The building notifications are located at the top of the manual’s first page, which is the first page of the manual proper. Only nine out of 14 are not grayed-out, meaning that these are the notifications that are used in this kit.
Parts list:
The parts list of the kit, which is one of the things to check out before buying.
Spare parts order slip:
The order slip for ordering spare parts of the kit to Bandai, located at the right corner of page 1. The price list for each part is located at the lower left of the page (not shown). Not to mention that the order slip can only be used in Japan though.
Building directions:
The main directions for building the kit starts on page 2 of the manual, with in this case the body is being built first.
On the top right of this page shows the directions on how to remove the clear parts from the sprue (the clear parts are molded using the so-called “undergate” molding process).
Manual last page:
The last page of the manual, in complete Technicolor. Since this page is located on the “colored side” of the whole manual, then this page is to be colored also. There are also cases wherein two pages of the instruction manual that are on the colored side, not only one (for example the HG00 #05 Kyrios Gundam, which has one and a half portion of the manual on the colored side).
MAIN REVIEW
Note: Some foil stickers are applied to this kit as directed by the manual. All clear parts (not the clear green) are not assembled to this kit except for the eye/rear head sensor, and the clear parts on the GN Sword II variants. Any scratch marks are produced from dry-sanding the kit. Any large seamlines present on the kit are the result of trimming the underlying male pegs for disassembly preparation, unless stated otherwise.
Body parts:
Head:
The kit’s head, which is exactly the same as with the 00 Gundam. (Infact, this kit is about 90% the same as with the 00, except for the weapons, a relatively few parts, and in this case, the color scheme). This part is divided into five main sections: the left and right halves, the face plate, the back “headband”, and the v-fin. The top and front of the head sports an irritating seamline, which needs to be removed (or at least made into a panel line). Four clear parts are used in this part, with only one (the eyes/rear sensor(/GN Condenser?)) attached. Yellow stickers are used for the yellow portions of the v-fin.
Body:
The chest and backpack of the kit, which is kinda similar to Exia’s except that the 00 does not have a GN Condenser on its chest, no GN Drive on the back, and there’s no portion on it that can move independently. It has four ball socket polycaps for the shoulders and the GN Drive binders, with the ones for the shoulders a little bit special since it can swivel to the front for additional articulation for the shoulders.
The upper waist part of the kit. This kit is (probably) the first 1:144 kit to feature an independent waist portion that can bend forward or backward, similar to the MG Wing Ver. Ka / Wing Zero Ver. Ka (aka Endless Waltz version). This feature requires the use of two ball joints, that can allows the kit to bend forward or backward, and also sideways. The upper waist only consists of just one part, with a ball joint polycap on top of it. A ball socket is located under the part for the attachment of the lower waist.
GN Twin Drive:
The main powerplant of the mech. In the series, the twin drive consists of the GN Drives of Exia and 0 Gundams, due to which the other three drives being insufficient to reach at least 80% synchronization rate with the 0’s GN Drive (which is their spare), not to mention that Exia has gone missing with Setsuna for five years. The small drive chassis is made possible from the adaptation of the more advance drive technology from the GNX-609T GN-XIII and GNX-704T Ahead, which are more efficient and compact than the third generation Gundams' drive chassis. The drive cones used in this configuration is the result of the combination of the cone design of the third generation Gundams and the three-thruster design of the GNY-001 Gundam Astraea.
In its kit form, the whole GN Drive binders are made up of four parts, as well as two polycaps. The GN Drive itself is made up of just one part, with gaping holes on the thruster sections (presumably left as-is because of possible obstruction with the attachment of the wing binders from the GNR-010 0 Raiser). The GN Drive chassis is connected to the binder arm by a peg through a polycap, and the binder arm through the backpack by a ball joint. The hardpoints for the GN Sword II Blaster and the GN Buster Sword II are located on the chassis, near the drive cones.
Arms:
Typical construction of the arms from this series. The two parts on the elbows provide shearing action, with a polycap in-between them. The wrist can move independently. The kit also includes an open left hand just like the Exia.
The arm’s movement range
Lower waist:
The kit’s lower waist, which is connected to the upper waist part via a ball polycap. The front and side skirts can move independently thanks to their own ball joint polycaps. The rear skirt armor cannot be moved but the attachment slot for the beam sabers are located there. The side skirts include an attachment slot for the GN Sword II (or in this case, the Sword II’s long and short variants).
Legs:
The leg assembly of the kit. The assembly is divided into five major sections: the hip joint, upper leg, knee cap, lower leg, and the feet. The knee joint is incorporated in the upper leg, therefore a pre-paint modification is needed before sealing this kit. The knee cap (aside from the weapons) is the only difference of a normal 00 and the Seven Sword-equipped 00, because of the hardpoints for the GN Katars. On a normal 00, the knee cap is just a single white piece. A long gray sticker is provided for the lower leg portion of the kit. A single part (part A34) is used to connect the two legs together, then it is connected to the lower waist portion. The stand is connected at the bottom of this part, with part A44 covering the stand slot when not in use.
The leg’s movement range
Weapon systems:
The Seven Sword / Gun weapon system
GN Sword II Long and Short:
Two of the Seven Sword armament, which is based from Exia. These are the variants of the 00’s GN Sword II, which has been remade to look like Exia’s. Similar to the GN Sword II, these variants can go to rifle mode as well. The Long variant is used for long-range combat, hence the additional handle. The Short variant on the other hand was developed for use as a projectile weapon, replacing the Exia’s GN Beam Daggers. The tip of the blade is attached to a wire, and can be launched and retracted as many times as needed. It is unknown if these variants can be used as beam sabers like the original. The swords are mounted on the side skirt armors when not in use.
The extended GN Sword II Short.
GN Beam Sabers:
The GN Beam sabers, which are the only weapons that are fully retained from the 00. In fact, these are always present in all variants of the 00, except the GNT-0000 Qan[T]. The hilts are made of just one plastic piece, as well as the beam blade. The hilts are placed on the rear skirt armor when not in use.
GN Katars:
The GN Katars, whose blade is made up of the same material as the GN Condensers. The design is based from the 00’s modular shield. In theory, it is possible to attack at temperatures higher than the material’s temperature limit, since when the GN Particles change into heat, the heat is transferred to whatever is in contact at the moment. This concept was later perfected and was later used in other designs.
The Katars are predominantly made in white and red parts, with the clear green plastic protruding from the white parts. A gray part is included to form the extending handle. It is noted that the Katars used the two out of four clear green parts, with the last one at the Blaster. The Katars are mounted on the side of the knee caps when not in use.
GN Buster Sword II:
The GN Buster Sword II, in its binder (storage) form. The design of the Buster Sword II was based from the GN Buster Sword that was stolen by Fon Spaak from the GNX-607T/AC GN-XII Sword. During the testing of the repaired 00 Gundam, the Buster Sword II is also installed with the same stabilizer equipment that was used on the 0 Raiser, though the exact reason this was installed is unknown. The Buster Sword II is kept on the left GN Drive binder when not in use.
The Buster Sword II when completely expanded/extended. A gray frame is located beneath the red parts, making the expansion and retraction of the parts possible.
The same sword when fully retracted.
The Buster Sword II in its sword mode.
The Buster Sword II in its shield mode. A secondary/shield handle is included to hold the sword in its shield mode.
GN Sword II Blaster:
A new weapon developed for the 00 after the events of the series’ second season. The Blaster’s design closely resembles the GN Buster Rifle used by the CB-0000G/C Reborns Gundam/Cannon, with a GN blade at the bottom of the rifle.
The rifle is made up of predominantly gray parts, as well as a red and the last two clear green parts. The main body of the GN Sword II is incorporated in the rifle, and therefore can be used either for long-range or close-range combat, with more emphasis on the long-range. The rifle is stored on the right GN Drive binder when not in use.
PROFILE PICTURES:
Front view:
Rear view:
Left side view:
Right side view:
Various attack poses:
Comparison with the normal 00:
As what I’ve said before, the only difference between the Seven Sword/G and a regular 00 are the weapon sets and the knee cap; in the Inspection Type’s case also the color scheme. Here, all blue parts are then recolored into red, and all previously red parts became salmon pink. The white, yellow, gray, and clear parts remain the same.
00 weapons comparison:
The comparison for all weapon systems of the 00 Gundam (excluding 00 Qan[T]). For the physical blade weapons the GN Katars is the shortest of them, and the XN’s GN Buster Sword III (either in single or in combined form) the longest, albeit in close match against the GN Bister Sword II. In the beam category the GN Beam Sabers is the shortest, and the Raiser Sword (GN Sword III version) is the longest.
CUSTOMIZATION:
Since the 00 is a modular kit, various customizations exists for this kit. These can be the addition of the 0 Raiser, XN Raiser, XN parts, GN Sefer, and even another Seven Sword/G weapon system (particularly the Buster Sword II and the Sword II Blaster), in any combination the owner wishes (but about two of a time only: some kits share the same hardpoint after all). Also, since all GN Sword II variants (original, Long, Short, Blaster) share the same body/handle, they can be combined the same way like the original does, but it requires the OA2 part found in the 1:144 HG00 #35 GNR-010 0 Riser, and all 1:144 HG00 00 Raiser kits. Further more, the GN Sword III can be used in this kit (since because this is the 00 after all), but (possibly) not the GN Condenser parts from the 1:144 HG00 #70 GN-0000Re+GNR-010 00 Raiser GN Condenser type (because the upper part of these parts may obstruct the mounting of the Buster Sword II / Blaster, but possible if mounting the 0 Riser’s wing binders).
JUDGING CRITERIA: (Note: applicable criteria involved. 10 highest)
Construction: 8 out of 10 (minimal masking and pre-paint modifications)
Parts sealing: 4 out of 10 (for a 1:144 kit, that is understandable)
Foil sticker use: 2 out of 10 (only the legs require stickers that wherein it is possible to mold that portion in color; the eyes always uses foil stickers, and the ones on the GN Condensers can be used even when the kit is painted)
Articulation: 9 out of 10 (for a 1:144 kit, this is very articulated. The knee caps are not articulated in 1:144 kits)
Detail: 8 out of 10 (detailed kit)
Kit modularity: 10 out of 10 (owners of this kit are very satisfied with the options that this kit has, and most of them prefer to customize it with non-canonical combinations)
Quality vs. price: 10 out of 10 (as stated above, combined with the $20~ price (for the regular version))
Collectability rating: 11 out of 10 (same reasons as above, plus one since this is a one-time release kit)
Rating formula:
[(Construction – Parts sealing – Foil sticker use + Articulation + Detail + Kit modularity + Quality vs. price)/5 + Collectability rating (extra)]/2
KIT RATING:
9.4 out of 10
keeping the site active as a place to dump info for easier backtracking. 