MS Mechanical Bust 03 [Gundam Aerial]

“MS Mechanical Bust are a series of models sold as Gashapon capsule toys. By combining the Inner Frame with one of two Outer Frames, a highly detailed display bust is created. Additionally, the Inner Frame is packaged with a Luminous Unit that may be used in one of two positions to light up the model.

Inner + Outer Frames

Luminous Unit in lower position

Luminous Unit in upper position

Clear Frame

Quinn’s Opinion

Cheers

+ There’s no denying the Luminous Unit looks spectacular in either position. Please, Bandai,……may I have a Perfect Grade Unleashed Aerial?

+ There is depth to some of the details that you just don’t get in Gunpla kits, notably the yellow vents in the head and red permet sections in the chest.

Cons

– Assembling the Clear Frame by itself without an Inner Frame was a tedious balancing act.

– I needed to clip off a misaligned peg inside the skull of the Inner Frame as it would only bend out of place instead of socketing into the tube.

– Due to everything being friction fitted instead of snap fit, there isn’t much optimism for disassembly/reassembly. This is why I am not posting media of just the Outer Frame or Inner Frame + Clear Frame.

– Needing two Inner Frames to get two Luminous Units for the same model is a no-go for me, regardless of how neat it’d look.

Closing Thoughts

This was my introduction to the MS Mechanical Bust lineup. Although I appreciate the attention to detail in the finished product, the build process is drastically different from any grade of Gunpla. The plastic is firmer (including the yellow being painted on) and everything is held together with pegs & holes, friction & your hopes for the future. It wasn’t a miserable experience, but was more like assembling a puzzle than a model kit and consumed a significant amount of my patience.