I’m officially in the zeitgeist of Gundam SEED FREEDOM when I started building the HGCE Rising Freedom Gundam earlier this week, and I now understand where the large sticker sheet comes from. I think most of us in the community have been made aware of the rather sizable sticker sheet this model kit comes with. And after opening the box, I believe I’m not alone in saying that this is a fair compromise with the amount of plastic you’re getting.
First of all, I started this kit just like any other ones and built the head and torso to get a feel of the engineering, and to have something to show for this post. While the design is a far way off from those we saw from The Witch from Mercury, the color separation of the head unit is amazing. Just note of that red jewel piece since it is really small and can be easily lost, so be mindful when attaching this part. Building the torso is similar to the HGCE Destiny Gundam, but with wider side-to-side motion.
Afterwards, I went for a detour and proceeded to the backpack unit because that’s where the majority of painting is needed. Fortunately, these are mostly the white pinstripes and other details which require typical masking. Other than the backpack, the only major area that needed paint is the beam rifle, but this one is relatively easier compared to previous ones. And with the long weekend coming because of the Lunar New Year holiday, I am targeting to make as much progress as possible.
Overall, I am satisfied with what I’m seeing so far. The design isn’t the best one but building this kit makes me appreciate it more. I am still hoping for a local screening of Gundam SEED FREEDOM sooner than later but until then, this and the other upcoming kits will have to do.
