Building a RX-78-2 Gundam [Beyond Global]

The RX-78-2 [Beyond Global] HG 1/144

Last year I was reintroduced to the Gunpla hobby, partially due to discovering the Cutting Mat podcast. As a result, I ended up building a few Bandai plastic kits, including a Gouf and a Zaku II from the Gundam Universal Century, and Eva Unit 01 from Neon Genesis Evangelion. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Gunpla, Bandai created a redesign of the original RX-78-2 Gundam, deemed the [Beyond Global], in their HG 1/144 scale. The model was intended to show how far Bandai has come since 1980 with their injection molding technology. For less than $25, it seemed like a great kit to build and see what Bandai could achieve for such a low price point!

The kit has excellent color separation, eliminating the need for any stickers. A single sticker is included that covers the eyes, designed to frame them in black. I opted for painting the areas surrounding it black rather than using the sticker. The yellow eye piece in the head, for example, extends to create the vulcan cannons inside the head.

Even without panel lining, the model looks excellent, with good coloration and thoughtful placement of mold lines, which get covered during assembly.

Even without glue, the model goes together securely, maintaining stability and rigidity even after extensive posing.

The RX-78-2 is small and sleek next to the hulking Imperial Knight.

In the same scale, the RG Sazabi is massive next to the RX-78-2.

Another image of an Imperial Knight beside the RX-78-2.

For such a low price point, the RX-78-2 [Beyond Global] was wonderful to build, impressing me with its simple construction, while maintaining a high level of detail and stable posing. I was particularly impressed with the degree of color separation on the kit, with each section of the model being a layered series of different colored parts, to build a fully colored whole. It is refreshing to be able to build a model that looks presentable without the need of painting or even extensive cleaning of mold lines. The model also has an impressive amount of articulation, despite being a part of their HG line of models. If you have not assembled a Bandai Gunpla kit, I would highly recommend the RX-78-2 [Beyond Global], if only to give you an idea of how much plastic molding technology has improved over the years, and how differently Games Workshop approaches making plastic models than Bandai.

- Eric Wier