A lot of the new SEED kits feel rushed in their engineering, and this is the quintessential result of not taking time to make it as good as possible in order to get this out while the SEED hype train is still going. They had to cut corners in order to make the release window, causing it to suffer.
My opinion: Bandai missed opportunity to develop an RG 2.0 frame for the Strike and its relatives (and other similar GAT suits like the duel and buster) that the Akatsuki could use. Overall, not surprised - if this kit had a new frame + the gold coating the price would be high.
I thought the same thing. But here’s a thought: the price is already high, and I think it would have been worth it to invest in that RnD both in the short and medium-long term.
@@lucasurquiza554 I have to agree. I guess if Bandai thought of milking the hypothetical RG SEED frame and churn out all Strike 2.0 variants + all possible SEED MS that can use the frame, maybe the new mold investment could have worked OR bandai is pulling a big brain capitalist move, sell us this Akatsuki, sell us a new 2.0 Strike, sell us a 1.5 Akatsuki (like Freedom ver GCP)
I'd rather this be as expensive as an average PG kit but be as good as possible, instead of being top-end MG with a fatal flaw. Like you said, missed opportunity to develop a new RG Strike frame with current engineering. But no, they saw how people praised the GCP Freedom and reused that philosophy for the Akatsuki. But if there's one takeaway from this, it's that the GCP approach works less often than it does. Detailed argument was made in the video.
I had purchased the old HG Shiranui Akatsuki _just_ before the RG was announced. I was kicking myself a little while for the timing... turns out I was actually dodging a bullet. 😂
The HG also isn’t too bad, it game out when Bandai was trying out a new experimental double ball jointed shoulder so it actually has decent shoulder movement compared to most old seed HG which only had a straight peg in the shoulder
@kxgr9522 Even still, model kits are meant to be posed for display. If it can't do even that due to preventable issues, then it deserves to be dunked on.
@@mj2005gundam pick a pose and glue it It's not that difficult to modify it It won't start loosening immediately For an action figure,there's the HG and it's a solid kit Though I'm not exactly in favour of this kit. I'm actually laughing cause Bandai finally showed negligence to a modern SEED kit which I genuinely thought was impossible.
@kxgr9522 If further investment is required, then it's an issue worth pointing out. If the issue is as large and preventable as this is, for a kit with large production investment, then it shouldn't exist in the first place. If the solution is to brick it because it's loose, that's using a problem to correct another problem. That's my stance, do with it as you will
@@akhdannaufaldy1693 Which is why I disregarded its status. The fact that the kit can't handle its legs is bad enough already. And Bandai had the gall to expect people to pay a Premium premium just to recreate what it did in the movie.
They did make the impossible possible, by ruining our consistent praise for the line and reassuring that they've learned nothing from the HG Tristan of sticking too closely to lore.
This is literally just the RG Sinanju all over again and I'm baffled Bandai keeps making the same damn mistakes again and again and thinking surface level beauty is enough to sell a kit. Good review for this sadly not so good kit. Pain...
The RG Sinanju was a fumble, this was cost saving for everyone involved Bandai trying to cut costs by reusing the frame makes it cheaper to produce and buy for us consumers. Molds costs $$ which would add to development time and shelf price, given the price of recent RGs + the gold coating the kit could easily rival pbandai MGs for costs The main problem I see is they could have invested on an RG GAT frame for Strike 2.0 and its relatives, which the Akatsuki could reuse for its frame. I smell an Akatsuki 1.5 if they release a Strike 2.0
- New RG line with the cost of 2 MGs - Using the dreaded old pre-molded RG Strike frame for "cutting cost" reason - gold plated instead of gold injection Yeah, big NOPE Good thing i got the HG Shiranui Akatsuki already, dodged me a fatal bullet.
> be me > love Akatsuki design > want some decently modern Akatsuki kits > bought DM Akatsuki reprint > Bandai announced RG Akatsuki > "Oh no, I should've wait a little longer" > see it use advance MS joint for arms and legs > "eh....Bandai wouldn't be that stupid right?" > controversy came Glad I bought DM MG Akatsuki tbh. if anything it's still A LOT CHEAPER than RG one.
Every time I see gold chrome plated parts like this, I know it's going to be a nightmare to assemble without chipping the parts. It makes me glad the MG Musha Mk II I have on hold doesn't have nearly as many plated parts
It’s like a jewel. It’s shiny, it’s pretty, needs care when handling so as not to mark or damage and it does little more than sit there and look nice. Most of us Gunpla builders need not bother, but to those who this thing appeals to, I’m sure you’ll be happy with how it looks.
All the analogies of the Akatsuki would have been in a single kit, I'd say. If Cagalli is the jewel and the Akatsuki the shield, its initially planned katana now at the hands of the Mighty Strike Freedom would have been its sword, but production of that was halted when the Akatsuki project was shelved, only resurfacing when the Proud Defender was under development.
My point exactly. If one is after an updated aesthetic of the Akatsuki in 1/144 scale, this kit does that to perfection so long as the decals are left off.
You'd think with the effort that went into the redone parts and the high price, they'd have made this as good as it can be. I don't care if an entirely new frame jacks it up to 10k yen as long as it's as good as possible. They've phased out the AMS Joint frames for a reason, and hyperbole aside, this is definitely a backstep.
Finally, English review of RG Akatsuki that I’ve been waiting for. I just need to spend 10 minutes of my time to know the whole review of this kit. Thank you, MJ! So I might assume your most hated kit is still that gigantic arm hrairoo? 😅
10 minutes for more information than 52 minutes total, I'd say that's a bargain ;) But seriously, as much as this kit is an expensive letdown, at least it doesn't have heaps upon heaps of useless parts that make up 20% of its price tag, so it's not my most hated kit ever.
Yeah I already heard from a good amount of people that this particular model is a huge letdown especially when I found out that they didn't really do anything to update the frame. So the fact that while they did take the GCP frame it definitely doesn't look like that they actually improved on it for this thing because they did not redo it from the ground up and just give you the same frame parts from the older models with no improvements. There's lazy and then there's just straight up in competence on bandai's part. At this point the only good thing about this is it still looks really pretty but outside of that it's it's just a trophy that's made to stand still and not do anything. Another good review as always!
They didn't take the GCP's frame, but taken its engineering philosophy. And it goes either way, either they were cutting corners to release it in time before the SEED hype dies, or they were doing that because of pure laziness. Whatever the case, and the fact there's yet another misprint in the manual, Bandai is really starting to fall whenever they see any opportunity to reuse old engineering just so they can make it easier on themselves, often at a greater cost than jacking the price up to make a kit as good as possible.
@mj2005gundam Yeah they've definitely been dropping the ball because how did we go from something as great as the grand daddy 2.0 and The Epyon to this and the Force Impulse spec 2? Oh right most likely laziness.
I mean, what this kit does best is look the part. I'd love to see a whole assortment of the Akatsuki in different grades. That is if I can see them at all before they blind me
*sigh* Alright, this will give me a reason to buy the old Oowashi and Shiranui Akatsuki HGs. At least the Shiranui isn’t locked behind a P-Bandai paywall there.
That should've been the approach if I'm perfectly honest. That way those who mount the Zeus on will not see an inconsistency in the amount of surface detail.
@ but it is kinda crazy that we need to get shinarui pack separately for the RG then get the connecting parts only for the Zeus. Still need to buy the HG destiny + Zeus seperately, so to get the RG akatsuki + Zeus is like buying an MGEX Strike Freedom in total price (maybe even more depending on the retail price) 😓😓
Reposting my thoughts about it which I posted on my FB page: For starters, Bandai probably wanted to keep it within 2024 aka the "Year of SEED Freedom"; but needed a quick and easy way to release it. As we know, we got the RG 2.0 RX-78-2 just a couple of months ago; and anyone who has built it would know just how intricate it is. We can therefore assume it must have taken a lot of investment such as cash and manpower just to develop that one kit; so unfortunately, the other RG, namely the Akatsuki, had to get the shorter end of the stick (Perhaps the pic of the Akatsuki below firing its cannons while on the ground was a telltale sign all along). There is also the upcoming G-Quuuux anime next year; and if Bandai delayed it just to let it cook a bit more, it will end up either overshadowing the upcoming mainline kits or the other way around. In short, Bandai wouldn't want to have competition between their Gunpla kits; which may definitely end up losing them money. (I'd like to believe this was the case when G-Reco was released concurrent to Build Fighters Try in 2014) But then again, Bandai must have also thought that it is still SEED anyway, so people will still buy it. We know that most SEED RG's (sans the Impulse) are hand grenades; but being that they are from a beloved series, that charm worked at the time of their releases. P.S. I'm not a person of business, so I can only give surface level observations and speculations. Seriously, we need more geeks in the corporate world.
Which goes to indicate that it's more than likely that they cut corners to rush the release just to make it before GQuuuuuuX releases. Then again, there's the HG Z'GOK coming out in February, so overshadowing the new releases is probably not a concern as that's gonna be much more popular than the new series for the character and memes. But the last thing I want is for Bandai to be complacent, thinking that they can release crap with the SEED tag on for people to suck it up regardless. That's how Hollywood has been failing with entertainment in the last few years, growing complacent over titles knowing that they'd be too popular to fail no matter how bad the product is. Whatever the case, the result is not pretty, and even disregarding the internet hyperbole for the RG Akatsuki's flaws, it's still a terrible investment of 8000 yen to have a flaw this detrimental from my experience, especially if you're just gonna get this for the Zeus Akatsuki. I'll be here to document how badly that'd end up.
@mj2005gundam Which is why I said we need more geeks in the corporate world to circumvent whatever crap the old corpo boomers are throwing at us; and hopefully turn the tide in favor of us true fans. But yeah, with Bandai and Hollywood, must something disastrous happen first before real change happens? Sigh..... (Did I just sound like CCA Char there?] Oh, and SEED Freedom kits still must have sold well despite being sticker-heavy. In contrast, G-Witch (and possibly G-Quuuux) designs are those whose designs take a bit of getting used to; hence why Bandai made more effort in their color separation to make it more appealing.
Of course it suffers from RG Sinanju syndrome. After that disaster of a kit, why in God’s name would Bandai do the exact same thing? And the fact that Bandai did not show anything regarding the inner frame in the marketing for this kit proves that Bandai KNEW people would be pissed about this and chose to do it anyway.
other companies: recalls and fix bad/faulty designs bandai: keep printing shitty kits and even have the audacity to make special coating designs because their fans are dumb and too egotistic to admit a kit is bad or badly designed
I had to clear up that there's no hypocrisy between criticizing this kit and praising the Freedom GCP, despite them using the same engineering philosophy. One is a redo of an old kit, this one is a new design of the line that had no reason to reuse anything from old times during a period when the AMS Frame is being phased out. The fact they threw in an AB7 out of necessity is full knowledge that this kit would fail itself without external support. If this had a new frame, all that needs contending to is the weight issues on the ground, to which the AB7 would be a massive help towards solving.
Kinda makes me glad I'm passing on it because I have the NG 1/100 Akatsuki. That said, you can glue the ball joints or paint the frame. Honestly I'd probably end up stripping and repainting the gold coat too. Gold chrome is easy. Paint regular chrome then a mix of clear yellow and clear brown. I do 1:1 but the ratio can be adjusted to make different shades of gold. Decals aren't an issue because I use 3rd party waterslides because Bandai decals typically suck and they're bad about giving us stickers. Use a few layers of gloss coat to make the decals blend. You need a few layers of gloss coat if you're painting chrome anyway. Plus stripping and repainting means I get to detail it.
The NG sounds like the far better deal at this point. Painting the frame is risky because it's made of ABS, but not impossible. As for decals, I wish they'd have take the path of even past RGs where some had gloss decals instead. But thanks for the tips of making homemade chrome if I do need to in the future
Because Bandai. I don't think I can really say much here since the Banshee Norn has relatively the same overall height as the Phenex with the shield mounted as a booster.
@mj2005gundam I mean that on top of being a big suit, it's also painted gold. Still, I think the Phenex would look pretty fine without the gold paint, just like that RG Akatsuki that one japanese dude took the paint off ( it would look like the line art of Narrative )
Is there not any way you could use some panel line accent on the molded details to make them pop more? Or are you just saying that there's nothing you can do to make them pop since the gold will constantly be literally flashing in your eyes anyways?
You'd be risking destroying the gold chrome if you do anything to it afterwards. The other plastics are fine, but I won't dare panel line gold chrome. That, and what you said. It's blindingly gold
@mj2005gundam Ah, I wasn't aware it was so delicate. Is it more about the coating being easy to chip and scratch? Or is it some sort of chemical reaction from the panel liner or markers that would meds it up?
I'm surprised you didn't mention that the rifle uses the barrel tip from the RG Strike, making the coloration look wonky by combining the Strike's glossier gray with the Akatsuki's more matte gray (like, how hard would it have been to mold all the rifle parts in the same runner?).
@@mj2005gundam Oh yeah, that was definitely the most egregious part of this kit. Just didn't want to reiterate something you've probably heard opinions on a bunch now.
I'll take the fall for you. I just ordered mine, so the vid might come in Feb or March. It's not gonna be listed in my top 10 as it's a booster pack, but I'll still cover it anyway.
i have a feeling that bandai rnd for this kits started way back when it still used the premold frame,which explains why they stubbornly kept the older premold for this new "modern" rg,its much easier to use available mold and blueprint instead of actually designing personalized frame for this kit,plus seed kits have always been bestsellers regardless of quality so they know no matter how shitty the kit is some ppl will suck up to bandai
That's the unfortunate truth about the market. Bandai is starting to look like post-Endgame Marvel, where the name itself sells, and not the quality of the product. Sadly, no matter how loud we holler about the issues, it doesn't matter as the larger consumer base will just suck it up to them. And for the Akatsuki, I have a feeling that it was rushed to meet a release window, before the SEED hype will die off, hence turning out the way it did. Of course there are various factors that I don't know of, but from a wider lens, this was made to coincide with its movie appearance, which means the Zeus Silhouette. Price aside, the fact that Bandai thought it'd be enough to just use band-aids to solve the issues the reuse of the frame will bring, and put that in a premium expansion that not a lot of people will have access to is terrible. Which means, those who don't buy the Shiranui expansion set will have to be stuck with the saggy legs or fix it themselves by any means, despite it being an issue that should stay in the past given how the AMS Joint frames have been completely phased out in recent years.
it's funny how my older RG Freedom and GP01Fb's legs don't flop like that. (I'm guessing that the ball type joint is the main problem and it couldn't handle the weight of the leg)
It's precisely that. It's much better to have a swivel instead of following human anatomy. We have muscles, ligaments, and tendons holding our skeleton together, this kit doesn't have those bonds. Together with the material of the AMS frame, that caused it to suffer immensely.
There are plenty, so the easy answer would be most kits between the release of this and the RG Unicorn. But if I had to pick one, the RG Granddaddy 2.0 is the best balance between solid structure and fluid motion.
@@mj2005gundam The unicorn has that god awful translucent swivel elbow joint that snaps off. People say this and that about soaking it in water but if a kit out of the box is fatally breaking because of unintended faulty design it is a bad kit It's because of that reason I decided not to bother with Real Grades because they all are too fragile for me.
The Akatsuki is based on the Strike. Well, the RG Akatsuki is based on the highly problematic RG Strike. Lore accurate, but achieves all the wrong things
While it's not the same scale, the 1/100 Akatsuki Gundam released for Seed Destiny is what I would consider way more worth it to get since it's not only cheaper than this thing (at least last time I checked), but you get everything this kit has *and* the Oowashi pack as well. Hell, if you can track it down the Dragon Momoko MG Akatsuki I would consider it the best Akatsuki Gundam kit to exist since it comes with everything and is built from the MG Strike RM. Seriously, this is disappointing.
The old no grade 1/100 Akatsuki kinda sucks, coming from someone who's built it. Looks nice but it's basically a brick; mine can't even hold up its rifle.
It says a lot to have a kit of a larger scale and include more content be cheaper than that of a smaller scale with reused engineering and less content. Had the RG used a new frame, I'd be less mocking of the fact. But no, it just had to take itself down because of the reused engineering.
@@mj2005gundam Look man, I understand that the RG deserves flack for bandai's poor decisions, but calling the old no grade a better kit is just preposterous and reeks of recency bias
Does top coating or nail polish help at all? Please, just give me a straight answer, I've been asking all month. Also: What's with this trend Bandai has with making an entire line of kits into High Grades, only to pivot into a Real Grade with the very last one? Tallgeese and Epyon come to mind with this. Just start and end the line with High Grades, Bandai.
From my experience, if you cannot access the contact point of the joint, it makes no difference what you do to tighten it up. And since the ball joint of the hips are molded as part of the frame, I shudder to think of the consequences of taking it off just to tighten it up. Honestly, if I had any balls and extra parts, I'd do what the Japanese did and replace the existing joint with one from some of the build custom sets. In fact, I might do that in the future, at least after reviewing the Shiranui expansion.
@@mj2005gundam I've read a few japanese tweets saying scoring the ball of the joint with a blade to roughen it up can help add some thickness to it. As for how much this helps I'm not sure.
@@pickerz333 I'm skeptical, but if I don't have junk parts to test it on, I won't go ahead with that. I have to damage the part just to get a joint replacement in there anyway.
I've watched a live streaming from another channel of its build and he said that its articulations are bad is that right? Also, are you gonna review HG Bolinoak Sammahn or HG Altron Gundam next? Also, what about HG Strike Dagger or HG Star Burning Gundam?
To whoever says that the articulation of this kit is bad, they should suck it. Unless it's a different language you're misunderstanding, the range of motion of the RG Akatsuki is phenomenal. HG Bolinoak Sammahn still needs to be built, HG Altron is on the way along with 6 other kits, and I need a break after meeting another release deadline that's not Gundam. No intentions to review the Strike Dagger because it's a PB grunt I don't care about, and like I told you, I've made a note to redo the Star Burning in the future.
It's my honor. I've sat through all 52 minutes of the guy covering it, and on top of the prejudice, the guy covered much less and left out a lot of stuff, when it took me a fifth of the time to cover everything. Not to toot my own horn, but for a guy with such a platform, I'd expect him to at least have all the features covered.
@mj2005gundam Like, literally, they already had the amazing HG Revive Strike as the basis for the Revive Akatsuki. Heck, they even made a new GAT-X Frame in the Seed Freedom line. Why not just use that? Like, what's so hard about just making a Gold Strike?
The RG Aile Strike had loose armor parts on the arms and feet on my copy, but IIRC everything else felt fine during the build. Considering the NG 1/100 Akatsuki comes with both oowashi and shiranui packs for 6500 yen, this was so disappointing. At 8000 yen they could have at least given us water slide decals. I would have been ok if it was 5000-5500 yen.
I've heard mixed stories about the 1/100 kit, but the fact that it comes with 2 packs, at a larger scale, for cheaper, really says a lot. I have yet to build my RG Build Strike to see what an understandable reuse of the RG Strike's frame would do to a kit like it, but hey, only time will tell on my part.
The fact that bandai knowingly sent this out with that awful inner frame, is kinda strange. You'd think they would make it like most modern RGs with a good inner frame. They had the chance to make this a really good kit and opted to go for the cheaper way out
Likewise. I'd have expected an extremely limit reuse of the old frame at the very most. But no, you're paying 8000 yen for a kit that can't stand or hold up its legs for long
Dude, for all I know about Bandai, they'd probably reuse the Mk-II's frame for an RG Hyaku Shiki. From what I've heard, it's not a bad frame, but they'd cut corners where they can knowing they've made a 7-year-old mistake, the same exact one from the HG Tristan with worse repercussions this time around.
I don't bandai use the old rg strike gundam inner frame to rg akastuki gundam (Oowashi unit). Get the hg instead less cheap then to rg version of this mobile suit and some third party makes a new inner frame for akastuki gundam
For 8000 yen, you shouldn't have to rely on aftermarket remedies to fix what Bandai didn't bother to. At that point, I'd gladly splurge more on the Metal Robot Spirits version instead of this, even if it financially hurts more.
In my opinion, it's had its potential but its a shame that they used the old rg frame (except the head and torsos) Also it might be my opinion, the gold plated look good but its lose some of the detail only of you look very closely and its also feel cheap like it's it not feel like premium. Also, I would prefer the gold colour like what they did to the mg hyaku shiki 2.0 but that just my opinion
I hate the word "premium". I feel like it make me sound like I expect every kit to be a cut above the rest when it doesn't need to be, and the gold on this kit is by no means HG Phenex levels of bad. So long as it looks good, then I'm over it. However, I will agree that a metallic coating would've been much easier to appreciate than a chrome plating. The reflections and such just kill the detail.
Honestly I'd rather get an old 1/100 No Grade. At least you get both Oowashi and Shiranui packs in one box though you're gonna need an AB-1 for better display.
Action bases should always be a bonus instead of a crutch. And as far as I've seen from many comments, the 1/100 seems much more worth it compared to this piece of tat.
Even if they're going to release the RG Shining Gundam next year, it really feels too late for their odd way of picking up which ones should be released first before the other. On the other hand, it'll be better to release a new RG kit that integrates with the 2.0 technology by having a model that is based on the anime's inner structure while maintaining the realism like they showcased with the Gundam 2.0, without using the existing advance ms joint for damn sake.
Sadly, I'm guessing that the RG Shining reuses the God's AMS frame, so expect loose forearms, but remain cautiously optimistic if you were already. And yes, like you said, I am dying to know what they'd do with the 2.0's engineering. Yet sadly, it won't be for a long while until they decided to put the lessons they've learned from the new Gramps to good use.
This shows Bandai they still doesn't learn their past mistake and they probably do the same again with the other RG that uses the full prebuilt frame and just make small or medium adjustment if they do make their other variant in the future...
@@MaidenlessScrub The prebuilt frame on my Crossbone core fighter truster wings are very lose out of the box for unknown reason... Same with my Wing EW both legs, arm elbow, and shoulders are very lose out of the box. I did not expect I experience this problem of my first two RG I built twice... (I edited my main comment)
@@forrestcactus64 the Crossbone’s core fighter frame should be pretty solid. I just built mine recently and it’s awesome. Haven’t built the Wing EW, but I’ve built the Wing Zero at the start of this year, and the only loose part are the wrists, which can’t hold the rifles up. I thickened it with an unholy amount of strengthening glue, and it’s doing fine. I’ve also changed the poses like a dozen times or close to that, yet it still hold up a shooting pose with spread legs just fine.
Most of Gunpla CCs and builders: this is disappointing for the hype and the price 😢😢😢 But still, there will always that gunpla puritant: just don't buy it, fix it yourself, buy 3rd party metal frame Oh the irony 😅😅😅
I look at things from a wider scope, not just at the problem. If it's a problem that didn't need to exist, it fully deserves to be pointed out. This one feels like a problem that shouldn't exist, and I'd have gladly paid more to have it fixed. And especially at that high price, you shouldn't have to expect extra investment to fix what Bandai didn't bother to. I fully intend to resolve the frame issues on my own accord after filming the Shiranui expansion review, but that's the wider context to why I have an issue with the frame. And I don't give a crap about hype as that can skew the outlook and opinions I have towards a kit.
@@mj2005gundam Yeah, I REALLY appreciate you, and the other Gunpla reviewers, especially for being blunt and honest in your review!!! As a person in tight budget, you guys really help me to decide, I'm being grateful! In fact, since watching some RG Akatsuki reviews (even some JP reviewer, I saw some of them just glazed out the RG Akatsuki and brushed off the issue), I just used my gunpla saving and bought RG Epyon in such a relief!! It was just, I've seen a couple of comments on social media saying some disgusting takes like "what did you expect from Bandai?"; "grow up, don't be a crybaby, you can fix it, stop whining"; "people overreact, just buy 3rd party metal frame later" (well mostly on X, LOL) To be clear, I'm 100% agree with you, your closing statement made me cracked up AHAHA THX A LOT
I saw people response to another that if you have problem with this kit, it's your skill issue. but, bandai can do better though. with that price?! no. I'm not gonna ruin the kit with that price. I can not buying it and buy the old hg instead and customize that. what do you think mj?
I saw the review you brought to my attention, and to say that video is biased is the least of my issues, since it's precisely the "all kits are good because they're fixable" attitude in overdrive. This might be a long one, so I apologize in advance. Firstly, I agree that model kits are meant to have TLC put into it. However, to the common consumer, they might not have the time nor money to invest into that kind of effort, and just want to have a kit and pose. And as picky as I am with color accuracy, I have more problems with structural issues for those casual builders, so it's Bandai's responsibility to make sure that a model kit can still work well as a model kit by being able to hold poses well. On the note of the vid you told me, to outright call stress tests for it redundant and that people who don't fix the issues are approaching the kit with malice and that they should leave the hobby is doing the complete opposite of dispelling the arguments, but also insulting to the viewers who disagree with what they said. Secondly, with the advancements of Gunpla as a whole in the recent years, especially with the SEED Freedom kits and the RG 2.0 Gundam, it's reasonable to expect Bandai to make a new frame for the RG Akatsuki given how they've completely phased out the Advanced MS Joints. If reusing parts from past kits is reasonable, I didn't see Bandai reusing the old Duel and Buster HGs for the new variants. Instead, they've remade them completely, while also paving the way for potential variants to be made thanks to the common frame and runner gates. The same could've been for the RG Akatsuki, in the hopes of remaking an RG Strike and spawn an endless family tree of any related units. It's not being spoilt or unreasonable IMO, it's being optimistic and having standards based on past products. And for Bandai to just take the lazy way out, on a kit this expensive no less, while expecting it to be able to perform the one thing it was realistically made for (its movie appearance) without addressing the very present issues it has deserves criticism. So in summary, I agree with your statement on the RG Akatsuki, and I heavily disagree with the issues with the RG Akatsuki to be a skill issue, especially after watching the video you told me about in another reply.
@@mj2005gundam funny thing is mj, I got "scammed" to buy rg zeta because everyone said it's a solid kit. then when I finished building it, it's not what I thought. a bit floppy especially on the waist and the legs. is just not the best experience. it can't stand. from that moment, I just thought that people are just trolling to say "rg zeta is the best kit wdym". sigh.
@@hijous There's disagreeing with someone, and then there's insulting them for disagreeing with you. It's fine to disagree, but to tell someone who expected an easy, pick-up-and-play experience to leave the hobby after being disappointed is uncalled for. Honestly, I'm surprised there are some people who considered that video good.
Beg to differ on that, because it's quite evident that the ball-joint at the hips is the main culprit of the issue, along with the ABS material used for the AMS frame
I just engage with them and man they bootlicking hard! I'm guessing they're not buying it but have an excuse to insult people skill issue because why not
This kit is very disappointing. There was no need to force an older framework into a new kit. That lesson should already be clear to Bandai after the RG Sinanju and the HG Tristan. And also a kit that reuses parts from an older kit should be cheaper. For the price of the RG you can get the 1/100 that comes with both backpacks.
And still have money to spare if you get the 1/100. I was gonna wait and see, but now that I've seen what a travesty this kit is because of the old frame, I'd honestly lay off the option set if I weren't reviewing kits at all.
Yet they didn't bother to recycle the freaking seat for the cockpit to make that more substantial, instead they made an opening a door to see another closed door.
Gold plated rg strike gundam with akatsuki equipment noice recycled crappy rg frame an it’s the price of a mg kit, great job Bandai, mg kit is getting smaller every year 😂
I absolutely hate this kit, and not for the reasons you’d think. Chrome makes details impossible to see well. It makes the entire thing look absolutely terrible, and removes the good look of the base suit. I wish they had done this kit in injection golds
The gold looks good for what they've gone for, but I agree with you from an objective standpoint. the chrome completely nulls the surface detail, and there's no way of bringing them out at all
clearly Bandai has learned NOTHING from their past mistakes from the early RG line, like with the RG Zeta Gundam, honestly it feels like they cheated us out with this failure of a model kit.
The RG Zeta I can only say is premature. This is more a case of learning nothing from the HG Tristan, where they've made it lore accurate IRL, basing it off an existing kit with outdated engineering for no reason whatsoever. The Tristan gets a further pass because at least it's solid, but the RG Akatsuki has no reason for the fatal flaw to still exist.
The black really sells the designfor me. It's such a sexy way of separating the gold and it's richness from the gloss makes it pop so nice. Never thought I'd like an Akatsuki (or any fully chromed out kit for that matter) but they nailed the aesthetics. Shame about the frame, but RGs have always been closer to the side of model kits than action figures, despite what the god-like releases we've gotten of late.
I mean, had they placed the nubs on the rear of the legs better, it'd be full marks from me. And no, I did not expect any model kit to be action figure levels of playable, but I'd at least expect them to survive a review session, which is equivalent to an irresponsible model kit builder who poses them all the time. It can't even do that during the first bits of footage I took for the filming process, which is an absolute shame
The stand solves some of the issues. But in time, the legs will fail to support themselves, so even if you get it in the air, the pose will falter, restricting it to ground poses. For me, it's the attitude behind it, since Bandai included the stand knowing that the old frame would fail the kit. Yet, instead of remaking the legs, they decided to push through with it knowing that the old frame is problematic. Given how they've redone most of the frame as it is, for something that's top-end MG money, it's worth going all out to make sure it's as good as possible instead of pushing out a sub-par kit that even a band aid solution won't fix entirely.
That's fair. In my experience it's the hips that usually droop with the RG frame, so those shouldn't be too bad to tighten up. But honestly, I think reusing the parts of the old frame was solely to cut costs - the plating adds *quite a bit* to production cost. I feel as if there is no way to make everyone happy, and bandai's choice is proooobably one of the worse ones, but it doesn't bother me that much in the long run.
It's not like the HG ever had a painting model that accessible in the first place, so why would they start there? Hobby Pro Shop exclusives have gone silent for over a decade now.
I'm glad that I am no longer a Gundam fan because with the stuffs like insulting customer as scalpers, seiyuu scandal, inflated price and selling bad product at ridiculous price makes me fell out of love from something that was a part of my life for over 10 years...
I'm about to tap out myself. I'm working on a rant video in between the 2024 releases I have yet to cover. Hopefully it'd be done soon but I have no promises. Stay tuned if you're patient enough to wait for it.
instead of getting this one i recommend everyone gets the RE 100 version instead. sure its old and its not like SUPER detailed when it comes to being a 100 scale kit but if you just want an akatsuki with the flight packs and the gold goodness then just get that one. atleast youd get two flight packs and a big kit for the price of this one
With all the new innovations they've made with the RG Line, they really fumbled the bag.
Theres something about a full gold plate and good engineering not fitting in the same sentence.
@EnmaMusicProduction It's that they wanted the cross compatibility with the RG Strike Gundam and sacrificed stability for Looks
A lot of the new SEED kits feel rushed in their engineering, and this is the quintessential result of not taking time to make it as good as possible in order to get this out while the SEED hype train is still going. They had to cut corners in order to make the release window, causing it to suffer.
@@mj2005gundam Yeah, but at least the HGs can stand on their own.
It got so controversial that rumors of 3rd party frame support being worked on is already circulating.
God bless 3rd party companies. Doing the work of Bandai and pumping out affordable kits
@@sleezus689 Yeah it only took them 14 YEARS to do *anything* .
Bandai probably contracting third parties secretly to make solutions to something that they should have fixed.
hahah probably the most hyped kit, lots of people PO it. then this disappointment came in. Expect the market to be big hahaha
That would probably get me more into wanting to buy this kit then. As of now, it's a pass
My opinion: Bandai missed opportunity to develop an RG 2.0 frame for the Strike and its relatives (and other similar GAT suits like the duel and buster) that the Akatsuki could use.
Overall, not surprised - if this kit had a new frame + the gold coating the price would be high.
I thought the same thing. But here’s a thought: the price is already high, and I think it would have been worth it to invest in that RnD both in the short and medium-long term.
Price is already high boss
@@bryce5134 even higher with a new mold/design frame
@@lucasurquiza554 I have to agree.
I guess if Bandai thought of milking the hypothetical RG SEED frame and churn out all Strike 2.0 variants + all possible SEED MS that can use the frame, maybe the new mold investment could have worked
OR bandai is pulling a big brain capitalist move, sell us this Akatsuki, sell us a new 2.0 Strike, sell us a 1.5 Akatsuki (like Freedom ver GCP)
I'd rather this be as expensive as an average PG kit but be as good as possible, instead of being top-end MG with a fatal flaw. Like you said, missed opportunity to develop a new RG Strike frame with current engineering. But no, they saw how people praised the GCP Freedom and reused that philosophy for the Akatsuki. But if there's one takeaway from this, it's that the GCP approach works less often than it does. Detailed argument was made in the video.
I had purchased the old HG Shiranui Akatsuki _just_ before the RG was announced. I was kicking myself a little while for the timing... turns out I was actually dodging a bullet. 😂
you definitely did. 🤣
The HG also isn’t too bad, it game out when Bandai was trying out a new experimental double ball jointed shoulder so it actually has decent shoulder movement compared to most old seed HG which only had a straight peg in the shoulder
Looks like you got the last laugh 😂
1/100 was good too
I was debating getting the rg but I think the hg will do just fine
The Zeus silhouette will eat this thing alive
And I'll be here to document it.
"I loooove gooold!"
This Gunpla is perfect for display but not to playing around
Well yeah
It's a model kit
Not a toy
Even still, it will not hold the Aile Strike pose forever. Even just being a day old, it already started to fail itself.
@kxgr9522 Even still, model kits are meant to be posed for display. If it can't do even that due to preventable issues, then it deserves to be dunked on.
@@mj2005gundam pick a pose and glue it
It's not that difficult to modify it
It won't start loosening immediately
For an action figure,there's the HG and it's a solid kit
Though I'm not exactly in favour of this kit. I'm actually laughing cause Bandai finally showed negligence to a modern SEED kit which I genuinely thought was impossible.
@kxgr9522 If further investment is required, then it's an issue worth pointing out. If the issue is as large and preventable as this is, for a kit with large production investment, then it shouldn't exist in the first place. If the solution is to brick it because it's loose, that's using a problem to correct another problem. That's my stance, do with it as you will
Funny thing is, Bandai could've released a Master Grade Akatsuki because the remaster Strike frame is actually very good.
And have it cost just as much ironically.
And to think Bandai will add extra connectors with the Shiranui striker to combine it with the heavy Zeus Silhouette. Make of that what you will.
P Bandai, of course
My point exactly at the end. P-Bandai or not, they're expecting THIS frame to handle the ZEUS SILHOUETTE
@@mj2005gundam Welp, those things gonna droop basically immediately. RIP this kit (pieces, in this case)
@@mj2005gundambad news: it is P-Bandai
@@akhdannaufaldy1693 Which is why I disregarded its status. The fact that the kit can't handle its legs is bad enough already. And Bandai had the gall to expect people to pay a Premium premium just to recreate what it did in the movie.
It looks like Bandai couldn't make the impossible possible with the Akatsuki.
They did make the impossible possible, by ruining our consistent praise for the line and reassuring that they've learned nothing from the HG Tristan of sticking too closely to lore.
The oowashi is basically a golden build booster.
More like the build booster being the oowashi in more reasonable colours
it's the other way around, build booster reuses middle part of ootori/oowashi
Correction : Build Booster is Oowashi Pack but with budget constraints 😂🤣
Essentially yeah, despite having read that the Build Booster is developed from the Ootori
wait minute.....the side skirts, the backpack, the shoulder. those are part that would later be used for the Build Strike Gundam 😮
They did take significant design cues from this for the Build Strike yeah.
Amazing review. I do like the Akatsuki Gundam
Thank you
Only one sentence describes my feel for this kit.
My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined
I was neutral to it using the old frame, and even I'm disappointed. But at least I learned that the Freedom GCP approach will not work consistently.
This is literally just the RG Sinanju all over again and I'm baffled Bandai keeps making the same damn mistakes again and again and thinking surface level beauty is enough to sell a kit. Good review for this sadly not so good kit. Pain...
The RG Sinanju was a fumble, this was cost saving for everyone involved
Bandai trying to cut costs by reusing the frame makes it cheaper to produce and buy for us consumers.
Molds costs $$ which would add to development time and shelf price, given the price of recent RGs + the gold coating the kit could easily rival pbandai MGs for costs
The main problem I see is they could have invested on an RG GAT frame for Strike 2.0 and its relatives, which the Akatsuki could reuse for its frame.
I smell an Akatsuki 1.5 if they release a Strike 2.0
There are plenty of quotes of us repeating mistakes over and over again. I think Amuro said it as well, but I'm not sure.
So shiny!
The borders on the shoulder guards, towards the head, they remind me a bit of diamonds? Or something studded?
Yeah, they do look like studs. Though it feels like a grating texture to me as that's the first thing I thought of.
@@mj2005gundam Rhinestones to make it even more gaudy. xD I like it, tho.
4:29 it can't hold the side split 😂
yeah
Even beginner gymnastics athletes could do better than that...
- New RG line with the cost of 2 MGs
- Using the dreaded old pre-molded RG Strike frame for "cutting cost" reason
- gold plated instead of gold injection
Yeah, big NOPE
Good thing i got the HG Shiranui Akatsuki already, dodged me a fatal bullet.
Bandit became greedy 😅
@@muhdizaiBandai has ALWAYS been greedy
Good thing for it too. They're expecting this kit to handle the Zeus Silhouette. Screw that in my books, it can't handle even its own legs.
@@mj2005gundam what's worse is that the 3rd party metal frame to fix this problematic kit would also cost quite a lot
> be me
> love Akatsuki design
> want some decently modern Akatsuki kits
> bought DM Akatsuki reprint
> Bandai announced RG Akatsuki
> "Oh no, I should've wait a little longer"
> see it use advance MS joint for arms and legs
> "eh....Bandai wouldn't be that stupid right?"
> controversy came
Glad I bought DM MG Akatsuki tbh. if anything it's still A LOT CHEAPER than RG one.
Well played mate.
@mj2005gundam best decision for purchasing stuff for my hobby EVER
Yes you dodged a bullet there. I got my Wuji Akatsuki for $38 including shipping+tax. Worth the money.
Every time I see gold chrome plated parts like this, I know it's going to be a nightmare to assemble without chipping the parts. It makes me glad the MG Musha Mk II I have on hold doesn't have nearly as many plated parts
Building delicately is the least of this kit's problems
It’s like a jewel. It’s shiny, it’s pretty, needs care when handling so as not to mark or damage and it does little more than sit there and look nice. Most of us Gunpla builders need not bother, but to those who this thing appeals to, I’m sure you’ll be happy with how it looks.
All the analogies of the Akatsuki would have been in a single kit, I'd say. If Cagalli is the jewel and the Akatsuki the shield, its initially planned katana now at the hands of the Mighty Strike Freedom would have been its sword, but production of that was halted when the Akatsuki project was shelved, only resurfacing when the Proud Defender was under development.
My point exactly. If one is after an updated aesthetic of the Akatsuki in 1/144 scale, this kit does that to perfection so long as the decals are left off.
Bandai just had to cut corner with this RG. That RG Strike hip joints kills this kit.
The reused B frame is what killed this kit
Bandit want to save baject bro
You'd think with the effort that went into the redone parts and the high price, they'd have made this as good as it can be. I don't care if an entirely new frame jacks it up to 10k yen as long as it's as good as possible. They've phased out the AMS Joint frames for a reason, and hyperbole aside, this is definitely a backstep.
Finally, English review of RG Akatsuki that I’ve been waiting for. I just need to spend 10 minutes of my time to know the whole review of this kit. Thank you, MJ! So I might assume your most hated kit is still that gigantic arm hrairoo? 😅
10 minutes for more information than 52 minutes total, I'd say that's a bargain ;)
But seriously, as much as this kit is an expensive letdown, at least it doesn't have heaps upon heaps of useless parts that make up 20% of its price tag, so it's not my most hated kit ever.
@@mj2005gundam Totally agree with that "52 minutes" 😁
Yeah I already heard from a good amount of people that this particular model is a huge letdown especially when I found out that they didn't really do anything to update the frame. So the fact that while they did take the GCP frame it definitely doesn't look like that they actually improved on it for this thing because they did not redo it from the ground up and just give you the same frame parts from the older models with no improvements. There's lazy and then there's just straight up in competence on bandai's part. At this point the only good thing about this is it still looks really pretty but outside of that it's it's just a trophy that's made to stand still and not do anything. Another good review as always!
They didn't take the GCP's frame, but taken its engineering philosophy. And it goes either way, either they were cutting corners to release it in time before the SEED hype dies, or they were doing that because of pure laziness. Whatever the case, and the fact there's yet another misprint in the manual, Bandai is really starting to fall whenever they see any opportunity to reuse old engineering just so they can make it easier on themselves, often at a greater cost than jacking the price up to make a kit as good as possible.
@mj2005gundam Yeah they've definitely been dropping the ball because how did we go from something as great as the grand daddy 2.0 and The Epyon to this and the Force Impulse spec 2? Oh right most likely laziness.
I’m definitely debating on getting this along with the 1/100. To go with my hg akatsuki’s of course
I mean, what this kit does best is look the part. I'd love to see a whole assortment of the Akatsuki in different grades. That is if I can see them at all before they blind me
*sigh* Alright, this will give me a reason to buy the old Oowashi and Shiranui Akatsuki HGs. At least the Shiranui isn’t locked behind a P-Bandai paywall there.
Honestly, I'd do the same. I'd take comparatively worse sculpting but a full feature set over one that is as scummy as the RG
Do you plan to review the HG destiny with zeus?
When my local pre-order is filled, then I'll review it. Had to wait because my HLJ order fell through, and it's scalped to all hell everywhere else.
now i'll just wait for an HGCE Akatsuki instead
Or try to get the NG 1/100 u will have 2 packs with a better face design than the HG version while the price is close to the RG version
That should've been the approach if I'm perfectly honest. That way those who mount the Zeus on will not see an inconsistency in the amount of surface detail.
@ but it is kinda crazy that we need to get shinarui pack separately for the RG then get the connecting parts only for the Zeus. Still need to buy the HG destiny + Zeus seperately, so to get the RG akatsuki + Zeus is like buying an MGEX Strike Freedom in total price (maybe even more depending on the retail price) 😓😓
Reposting my thoughts about it which I posted on my FB page:
For starters, Bandai probably wanted to keep it within 2024 aka the "Year of SEED Freedom"; but needed a quick and easy way to release it. As we know, we got the RG 2.0 RX-78-2 just a couple of months ago; and anyone who has built it would know just how intricate it is. We can therefore assume it must have taken a lot of investment such as cash and manpower just to develop that one kit; so unfortunately, the other RG, namely the Akatsuki, had to get the shorter end of the stick (Perhaps the pic of the Akatsuki below firing its cannons while on the ground was a telltale sign all along).
There is also the upcoming G-Quuuux anime next year; and if Bandai delayed it just to let it cook a bit more, it will end up either overshadowing the upcoming mainline kits or the other way around. In short, Bandai wouldn't want to have competition between their Gunpla kits; which may definitely end up losing them money. (I'd like to believe this was the case when G-Reco was released concurrent to Build Fighters Try in 2014)
But then again, Bandai must have also thought that it is still SEED anyway, so people will still buy it. We know that most SEED RG's (sans the Impulse) are hand grenades; but being that they are from a beloved series, that charm worked at the time of their releases.
P.S. I'm not a person of business, so I can only give surface level observations and speculations. Seriously, we need more geeks in the corporate world.
Which goes to indicate that it's more than likely that they cut corners to rush the release just to make it before GQuuuuuuX releases. Then again, there's the HG Z'GOK coming out in February, so overshadowing the new releases is probably not a concern as that's gonna be much more popular than the new series for the character and memes. But the last thing I want is for Bandai to be complacent, thinking that they can release crap with the SEED tag on for people to suck it up regardless. That's how Hollywood has been failing with entertainment in the last few years, growing complacent over titles knowing that they'd be too popular to fail no matter how bad the product is.
Whatever the case, the result is not pretty, and even disregarding the internet hyperbole for the RG Akatsuki's flaws, it's still a terrible investment of 8000 yen to have a flaw this detrimental from my experience, especially if you're just gonna get this for the Zeus Akatsuki. I'll be here to document how badly that'd end up.
@mj2005gundam Which is why I said we need more geeks in the corporate world to circumvent whatever crap the old corpo boomers are throwing at us; and hopefully turn the tide in favor of us true fans.
But yeah, with Bandai and Hollywood, must something disastrous happen first before real change happens? Sigh..... (Did I just sound like CCA Char there?]
Oh, and SEED Freedom kits still must have sold well despite being sticker-heavy. In contrast, G-Witch (and possibly G-Quuuux) designs are those whose designs take a bit of getting used to; hence why Bandai made more effort in their color separation to make it more appealing.
Of course it suffers from RG Sinanju syndrome. After that disaster of a kit, why in God’s name would Bandai do the exact same thing? And the fact that Bandai did not show anything regarding the inner frame in the marketing for this kit proves that Bandai KNEW people would be pissed about this and chose to do it anyway.
Did you even watch the video? MJ brought up the Freedom GCP, which is a complete different case from the Sinanju.
other companies: recalls and fix bad/faulty designs
bandai: keep printing shitty kits and even have the audacity to make special coating designs because their fans are dumb and too egotistic to admit a kit is bad or badly designed
RG Sinanju actually had some pretty good joints. The main thing that let it down was the chest, which wasn’t strong enough to hold itself up.
I had to clear up that there's no hypocrisy between criticizing this kit and praising the Freedom GCP, despite them using the same engineering philosophy. One is a redo of an old kit, this one is a new design of the line that had no reason to reuse anything from old times during a period when the AMS Frame is being phased out. The fact they threw in an AB7 out of necessity is full knowledge that this kit would fail itself without external support. If this had a new frame, all that needs contending to is the weight issues on the ground, to which the AB7 would be a massive help towards solving.
Kinda makes me glad I'm passing on it because I have the NG 1/100 Akatsuki. That said, you can glue the ball joints or paint the frame. Honestly I'd probably end up stripping and repainting the gold coat too. Gold chrome is easy. Paint regular chrome then a mix of clear yellow and clear brown. I do 1:1 but the ratio can be adjusted to make different shades of gold. Decals aren't an issue because I use 3rd party waterslides because Bandai decals typically suck and they're bad about giving us stickers. Use a few layers of gloss coat to make the decals blend. You need a few layers of gloss coat if you're painting chrome anyway. Plus stripping and repainting means I get to detail it.
The NG sounds like the far better deal at this point. Painting the frame is risky because it's made of ABS, but not impossible. As for decals, I wish they'd have take the path of even past RGs where some had gloss decals instead. But thanks for the tips of making homemade chrome if I do need to in the future
So which 1/144 Akatsuki Gundam kit would you recommend? The HG or RG?
Depends on what you're after. Looks, then RG; stability and playability, then HG. Budget not considered.
I wish the RG Phenex was a regular release too, I don't see any excuse as to why it's P-Bandai ( maybe the size? )
Because Bandai. I don't think I can really say much here since the Banshee Norn has relatively the same overall height as the Phenex with the shield mounted as a booster.
@mj2005gundam I mean that on top of being a big suit, it's also painted gold.
Still, I think the Phenex would look pretty fine without the gold paint, just like that RG Akatsuki that one japanese dude took the paint off ( it would look like the line art of Narrative )
Is there not any way you could use some panel line accent on the molded details to make them pop more? Or are you just saying that there's nothing you can do to make them pop since the gold will constantly be literally flashing in your eyes anyways?
You'd be risking destroying the gold chrome if you do anything to it afterwards. The other plastics are fine, but I won't dare panel line gold chrome. That, and what you said. It's blindingly gold
@mj2005gundam Ah, I wasn't aware it was so delicate. Is it more about the coating being easy to chip and scratch? Or is it some sort of chemical reaction from the panel liner or markers that would meds it up?
I'm surprised you didn't mention that the rifle uses the barrel tip from the RG Strike, making the coloration look wonky by combining the Strike's glossier gray with the Akatsuki's more matte gray (like, how hard would it have been to mold all the rifle parts in the same runner?).
It really isn't a concern of mine since it's barely noticeable anyway. Turns out, neither is it to Bandai
@@mj2005gundam It honestly wouldn't have been that big of a deal (HGs have done similar things) if not for the price tag.
@@Mobius_118 In that case, the old frame trumps reusing a single piece
@@mj2005gundam Oh yeah, that was definitely the most egregious part of this kit. Just didn't want to reiterate something you've probably heard opinions on a bunch now.
Can you review the hg destiny spec 2 Zeus silhouette
In time. I had to order local UK stock because HLJ failed to fill my order, and it's scalped to all hell everywhere else
After the peak rg grandaddy 2.0 and we get this turd covered in gold.
The frame is the turd here, and here's another testament to how you can't polish one.
Ngl I’m rethinking my purchase of the pbandai with the dragoons and the Zeus silhouette parts 😭
I'll take the fall for you. I just ordered mine, so the vid might come in Feb or March. It's not gonna be listed in my top 10 as it's a booster pack, but I'll still cover it anyway.
We will take the fall together then at least I’ll put it holding the Zeus silhouette while the destiny spec Two is going wild with my 2019 destiny 😭
i have a feeling that bandai rnd for this kits started way back when it still used the premold frame,which explains why they stubbornly kept the older premold for this new "modern" rg,its much easier to use available mold and blueprint instead of actually designing personalized frame for this kit,plus seed kits have always been bestsellers regardless of quality so they know no matter how shitty the kit is some ppl will suck up to bandai
That's the unfortunate truth about the market. Bandai is starting to look like post-Endgame Marvel, where the name itself sells, and not the quality of the product. Sadly, no matter how loud we holler about the issues, it doesn't matter as the larger consumer base will just suck it up to them.
And for the Akatsuki, I have a feeling that it was rushed to meet a release window, before the SEED hype will die off, hence turning out the way it did. Of course there are various factors that I don't know of, but from a wider lens, this was made to coincide with its movie appearance, which means the Zeus Silhouette. Price aside, the fact that Bandai thought it'd be enough to just use band-aids to solve the issues the reuse of the frame will bring, and put that in a premium expansion that not a lot of people will have access to is terrible. Which means, those who don't buy the Shiranui expansion set will have to be stuck with the saggy legs or fix it themselves by any means, despite it being an issue that should stay in the past given how the AMS Joint frames have been completely phased out in recent years.
it's funny how my older RG Freedom and GP01Fb's legs don't flop like that. (I'm guessing that the ball type joint is the main problem and it couldn't handle the weight of the leg)
It's precisely that. It's much better to have a swivel instead of following human anatomy. We have muscles, ligaments, and tendons holding our skeleton together, this kit doesn't have those bonds. Together with the material of the AMS frame, that caused it to suffer immensely.
Which RG is the best structurally?
There are plenty, so the easy answer would be most kits between the release of this and the RG Unicorn. But if I had to pick one, the RG Granddaddy 2.0 is the best balance between solid structure and fluid motion.
@@mj2005gundam The unicorn has that god awful translucent swivel elbow joint that snaps off. People say this and that about soaking it in water but if a kit out of the box is fatally breaking because of unintended faulty design it is a bad kit
It's because of that reason I decided not to bother with Real Grades because they all are too fragile for me.
@@cryotek3624 I'm marking the time-frame, not pointing it out.
7:00 i thought you're gonna called it Full Package as a joke lol
Heh, I would've had I not been feeling so dejected about this kit
I’ve heard the RG Akatsuki uses some old frame from early RG gunpla
Immediately proven true in the unbox
I’m confused what you mean by lore accurate legs
The Akatsuki is based on the Strike. Well, the RG Akatsuki is based on the highly problematic RG Strike. Lore accurate, but achieves all the wrong things
Whats the stand you used?
Edit: oh it comes with it 😭
Action Base 7, but I did occasionally swap to a black Action Base 2 for the camera
It's RG sinanju using RG MK.II fram all over again. But I think bandai already expected this and includes an action base.
It's knowing full well how the frame would fail that they included the action base, and that's what pisses me off the most
2:34 kudos for mj
The sacrifices I had to make, even ruining the gold chrome... glad it's all worth it in the end :')
Flamboyant kit 🔥 but have a weak hips joint 😅
Sad but true. And at that price, just get an MG.
Let's hope if they make a RG Infinite Justice or a Strike 2.0 they don't use the ms advance joint for the interframe
At this point, the past repeats itself. I can't get myself to approach this optimistically
While it's not the same scale, the 1/100 Akatsuki Gundam released for Seed Destiny is what I would consider way more worth it to get since it's not only cheaper than this thing (at least last time I checked), but you get everything this kit has *and* the Oowashi pack as well. Hell, if you can track it down the Dragon Momoko MG Akatsuki I would consider it the best Akatsuki Gundam kit to exist since it comes with everything and is built from the MG Strike RM. Seriously, this is disappointing.
The old no grade 1/100 Akatsuki kinda sucks, coming from someone who's built it. Looks nice but it's basically a brick; mine can't even hold up its rifle.
It says a lot to have a kit of a larger scale and include more content be cheaper than that of a smaller scale with reused engineering and less content. Had the RG used a new frame, I'd be less mocking of the fact. But no, it just had to take itself down because of the reused engineering.
@@mj2005gundam Look man, I understand that the RG deserves flack for bandai's poor decisions, but calling the old no grade a better kit is just preposterous and reeks of recency bias
Does top coating or nail polish help at all?
Please, just give me a straight answer, I've been asking all month.
Also: What's with this trend Bandai has with making an entire line of kits into High Grades, only to pivot into a Real Grade with the very last one?
Tallgeese and Epyon come to mind with this.
Just start and end the line with High Grades, Bandai.
From my experience, if you cannot access the contact point of the joint, it makes no difference what you do to tighten it up. And since the ball joint of the hips are molded as part of the frame, I shudder to think of the consequences of taking it off just to tighten it up. Honestly, if I had any balls and extra parts, I'd do what the Japanese did and replace the existing joint with one from some of the build custom sets. In fact, I might do that in the future, at least after reviewing the Shiranui expansion.
@@mj2005gundam I've read a few japanese tweets saying scoring the ball of the joint with a blade to roughen it up can help add some thickness to it. As for how much this helps I'm not sure.
@@pickerz333 I'm skeptical, but if I don't have junk parts to test it on, I won't go ahead with that. I have to damage the part just to get a joint replacement in there anyway.
@@mj2005gundam I mean, is it really that hard to remove the socket joint?
I've watched a live streaming from another channel of its build and he said that its articulations are bad is that right?
Also, are you gonna review HG Bolinoak Sammahn or HG Altron Gundam next?
Also, what about HG Strike Dagger or HG Star Burning Gundam?
To whoever says that the articulation of this kit is bad, they should suck it. Unless it's a different language you're misunderstanding, the range of motion of the RG Akatsuki is phenomenal.
HG Bolinoak Sammahn still needs to be built, HG Altron is on the way along with 6 other kits, and I need a break after meeting another release deadline that's not Gundam.
No intentions to review the Strike Dagger because it's a PB grunt I don't care about, and like I told you, I've made a note to redo the Star Burning in the future.
@mj2005gundam So, from all the kits you've planned to build and review (including those that are planned to be re-reviewed) which one's your favorite?
the Oowashi unit kind of looks like the booster pack for the Build Strike Gundam.
That's what I thought since long ago.
@@mj2005gundam well I guess now it makes sense that Iori Sei based that one for the booster pack, and added a modified Destiny Gundam wings to it.
Chose to watch your review instead of Mecha Gaikotsu. Okay, on to actually watching it now.
It's my honor. I've sat through all 52 minutes of the guy covering it, and on top of the prejudice, the guy covered much less and left out a lot of stuff, when it took me a fifth of the time to cover everything. Not to toot my own horn, but for a guy with such a platform, I'd expect him to at least have all the features covered.
Should've just make the HG revive Akatsuki instead of the RG, honestly.
That would've been much better if all that they wanted was a body to fit the Zeus onto.
@mj2005gundam Like, literally, they already had the amazing HG Revive Strike as the basis for the Revive Akatsuki. Heck, they even made a new GAT-X Frame in the Seed Freedom line. Why not just use that? Like, what's so hard about just making a Gold Strike?
@@rexemuwu that's what baffle me! why rg and not hg to complete the set of hg freedom line? bandai is so weird
Embrace The Spread
Join us, embrace us. Don't ever erase us.
The RG Aile Strike had loose armor parts on the arms and feet on my copy, but IIRC everything else felt fine during the build. Considering the NG 1/100 Akatsuki comes with both oowashi and shiranui packs for 6500 yen, this was so disappointing. At 8000 yen they could have at least given us water slide decals. I would have been ok if it was 5000-5500 yen.
I've heard mixed stories about the 1/100 kit, but the fact that it comes with 2 packs, at a larger scale, for cheaper, really says a lot. I have yet to build my RG Build Strike to see what an understandable reuse of the RG Strike's frame would do to a kit like it, but hey, only time will tell on my part.
my eyes
Time to consult the big man of YT to get your eyes fixed. I need to do the same (jk)
The fact that bandai knowingly sent this out with that awful inner frame, is kinda strange. You'd think they would make it like most modern RGs with a good inner frame. They had the chance to make this a really good kit and opted to go for the cheaper way out
Likewise. I'd have expected an extremely limit reuse of the old frame at the very most. But no, you're paying 8000 yen for a kit that can't stand or hold up its legs for long
SHINY!!!
Too much so in some instances
Bandai could've hold the Akatsuki production until they make Strike 2.0 first. With that said, Im waiting for them to do RG Hyaku Shiki kit
Dude, for all I know about Bandai, they'd probably reuse the Mk-II's frame for an RG Hyaku Shiki. From what I've heard, it's not a bad frame, but they'd cut corners where they can knowing they've made a 7-year-old mistake, the same exact one from the HG Tristan with worse repercussions this time around.
I don't bandai use the old rg strike gundam inner frame to rg akastuki gundam (Oowashi unit). Get the hg instead less cheap then to rg version of this mobile suit and some third party makes a new inner frame for akastuki gundam
For 8000 yen, you shouldn't have to rely on aftermarket remedies to fix what Bandai didn't bother to. At that point, I'd gladly splurge more on the Metal Robot Spirits version instead of this, even if it financially hurts more.
Somehow... ERGS returned.
And not even a satellite weapon could solve the issue because of its golden plot armor
In my opinion, it's had its potential but its a shame that they used the old rg frame (except the head and torsos)
Also it might be my opinion, the gold plated look good but its lose some of the detail only of you look very closely and its also feel cheap like it's it not feel like premium. Also, I would prefer the gold colour like what they did to the mg hyaku shiki 2.0 but that just my opinion
I hate the word "premium". I feel like it make me sound like I expect every kit to be a cut above the rest when it doesn't need to be, and the gold on this kit is by no means HG Phenex levels of bad. So long as it looks good, then I'm over it.
However, I will agree that a metallic coating would've been much easier to appreciate than a chrome plating. The reflections and such just kill the detail.
Honestly I'd rather get an old 1/100 No Grade. At least you get both Oowashi and Shiranui packs in one box though you're gonna need an AB-1 for better display.
Action bases should always be a bonus instead of a crutch. And as far as I've seen from many comments, the 1/100 seems much more worth it compared to this piece of tat.
@@mj2005gundam Let's hope they'll make a better Akatsuki as a HGCE or MG.
Even if they're going to release the RG Shining Gundam next year, it really feels too late for their odd way of picking up which ones should be released first before the other. On the other hand, it'll be better to release a new RG kit that integrates with the 2.0 technology by having a model that is based on the anime's inner structure while maintaining the realism like they showcased with the Gundam 2.0, without using the existing advance ms joint for damn sake.
Sadly, I'm guessing that the RG Shining reuses the God's AMS frame, so expect loose forearms, but remain cautiously optimistic if you were already. And yes, like you said, I am dying to know what they'd do with the 2.0's engineering. Yet sadly, it won't be for a long while until they decided to put the lessons they've learned from the new Gramps to good use.
VIP Mobile Suit/Gundam aka Special Gundam/MS for billionare.
This would not look out of place in an internet influencer's mansion.
While the chrome looks cool, i can see why some have taken to stripping off the chrome finish
To each their own. I just am not the person to strip what made it expensive in the first place
This shows Bandai they still doesn't learn their past mistake and they probably do the same again with the other RG that uses the full prebuilt frame and just make small or medium adjustment if they do make their other variant in the future...
Crossbone? The hell is wrong with that kit?
except rg crossbone was actually good. is like they forgot they can make good rgs
@@MaidenlessScrub The prebuilt frame on my Crossbone core fighter truster wings are very lose out of the box for unknown reason... Same with my Wing EW both legs, arm elbow, and shoulders are very lose out of the box. I did not expect I experience this problem of my first two RG I built twice...
(I edited my main comment)
@@razrafz My Crossbone was not good out of the box... 😓
(I edited the my main comment)
@@forrestcactus64 the Crossbone’s core fighter frame should be pretty solid. I just built mine recently and it’s awesome. Haven’t built the Wing EW, but I’ve built the Wing Zero at the start of this year, and the only loose part are the wrists, which can’t hold the rifles up. I thickened it with an unholy amount of strengthening glue, and it’s doing fine. I’ve also changed the poses like a dozen times or close to that, yet it still hold up a shooting pose with spread legs just fine.
Most of Gunpla CCs and builders: this is disappointing for the hype and the price 😢😢😢
But still, there will always that gunpla puritant: just don't buy it, fix it yourself, buy 3rd party metal frame
Oh the irony 😅😅😅
I look at things from a wider scope, not just at the problem. If it's a problem that didn't need to exist, it fully deserves to be pointed out. This one feels like a problem that shouldn't exist, and I'd have gladly paid more to have it fixed. And especially at that high price, you shouldn't have to expect extra investment to fix what Bandai didn't bother to. I fully intend to resolve the frame issues on my own accord after filming the Shiranui expansion review, but that's the wider context to why I have an issue with the frame.
And I don't give a crap about hype as that can skew the outlook and opinions I have towards a kit.
@@mj2005gundam Yeah, I REALLY appreciate you, and the other Gunpla reviewers, especially for being blunt and honest in your review!!! As a person in tight budget, you guys really help me to decide, I'm being grateful! In fact, since watching some RG Akatsuki reviews (even some JP reviewer, I saw some of them just glazed out the RG Akatsuki and brushed off the issue), I just used my gunpla saving and bought RG Epyon in such a relief!!
It was just, I've seen a couple of comments on social media saying some disgusting takes like "what did you expect from Bandai?"; "grow up, don't be a crybaby, you can fix it, stop whining"; "people overreact, just buy 3rd party metal frame later" (well mostly on X, LOL)
To be clear, I'm 100% agree with you, your closing statement made me cracked up AHAHA THX A LOT
I saw people response to another that if you have problem with this kit, it's your skill issue. but, bandai can do better though. with that price?! no. I'm not gonna ruin the kit with that price. I can not buying it and buy the old hg instead and customize that. what do you think mj?
I saw the review you brought to my attention, and to say that video is biased is the least of my issues, since it's precisely the "all kits are good because they're fixable" attitude in overdrive. This might be a long one, so I apologize in advance.
Firstly, I agree that model kits are meant to have TLC put into it. However, to the common consumer, they might not have the time nor money to invest into that kind of effort, and just want to have a kit and pose. And as picky as I am with color accuracy, I have more problems with structural issues for those casual builders, so it's Bandai's responsibility to make sure that a model kit can still work well as a model kit by being able to hold poses well. On the note of the vid you told me, to outright call stress tests for it redundant and that people who don't fix the issues are approaching the kit with malice and that they should leave the hobby is doing the complete opposite of dispelling the arguments, but also insulting to the viewers who disagree with what they said.
Secondly, with the advancements of Gunpla as a whole in the recent years, especially with the SEED Freedom kits and the RG 2.0 Gundam, it's reasonable to expect Bandai to make a new frame for the RG Akatsuki given how they've completely phased out the Advanced MS Joints. If reusing parts from past kits is reasonable, I didn't see Bandai reusing the old Duel and Buster HGs for the new variants. Instead, they've remade them completely, while also paving the way for potential variants to be made thanks to the common frame and runner gates. The same could've been for the RG Akatsuki, in the hopes of remaking an RG Strike and spawn an endless family tree of any related units. It's not being spoilt or unreasonable IMO, it's being optimistic and having standards based on past products. And for Bandai to just take the lazy way out, on a kit this expensive no less, while expecting it to be able to perform the one thing it was realistically made for (its movie appearance) without addressing the very present issues it has deserves criticism.
So in summary, I agree with your statement on the RG Akatsuki, and I heavily disagree with the issues with the RG Akatsuki to be a skill issue, especially after watching the video you told me about in another reply.
@@mj2005gundam no worry. I just want people to not blindly buying bandai product when bandai themselves can do better.
@@mj2005gundam I'm really confuse with that video. I just smh all throughout his video
@@mj2005gundam funny thing is mj, I got "scammed" to buy rg zeta because everyone said it's a solid kit. then when I finished building it, it's not what I thought. a bit floppy especially on the waist and the legs. is just not the best experience. it can't stand. from that moment, I just thought that people are just trolling to say "rg zeta is the best kit wdym". sigh.
@@hijous There's disagreeing with someone, and then there's insulting them for disagreeing with you. It's fine to disagree, but to tell someone who expected an easy, pick-up-and-play experience to leave the hobby after being disappointed is uncalled for. Honestly, I'm surprised there are some people who considered that video good.
Continuing to prove that ERGS isn't the issue, designs with poor weight distribution are.
Beg to differ on that, because it's quite evident that the ball-joint at the hips is the main culprit of the issue, along with the ABS material used for the AMS frame
The amount of bootlicking I've seen around this kit is mind-numbing
What? People actually defend this thing?
@@mj2005gundam krowsama review of this
I just engage with them and man they bootlicking hard! I'm guessing they're not buying it but have an excuse to insult people skill issue because why not
@@hijous I saw it and replied to your comment, and I'm fuming over what he said to say the least.
I dodge a bullet on this one good thing i didn't join the hype i'm not rich so i need reviews before i buy. :D
Me neither, but I'm self-sacrificial and wanna bring you guys the most reliable reviews I could. Feels like a duty
More expensive for old RG inner frame
Shame
Absolute shame
This kit is very disappointing. There was no need to force an older framework into a new kit. That lesson should already be clear to Bandai after the RG Sinanju and the HG Tristan. And also a kit that reuses parts from an older kit should be cheaper. For the price of the RG you can get the 1/100 that comes with both backpacks.
And still have money to spare if you get the 1/100. I was gonna wait and see, but now that I've seen what a travesty this kit is because of the old frame, I'd honestly lay off the option set if I weren't reviewing kits at all.
RG Akatsuki if can more better !
If Bandai can design create a new Frame… So sad Bandai use all time in Project to design RG RX-78-2 Ver 2.0…
Well, at least this proves that not even SEED is safe from Bandai's laziness. Not that it hasn't been proven before in the HG SEED Freedom lineup.
Well bandai really recycled as much as they can in this kit
Yet they didn't bother to recycle the freaking seat for the cockpit to make that more substantial, instead they made an opening a door to see another closed door.
I'm gonna stick to my HG Akatsuki's thank you very much
You're very welcome
@@mj2005gundam I just saw know that the RG shiranui striker pack is out as a P-BANDAI along with the Zeus Silhouette as a two-pack
Gold plated rg strike gundam with akatsuki equipment noice recycled crappy rg frame an it’s the price of a mg kit, great job Bandai, mg kit is getting smaller every year 😂
They should've redone the frame if I'm completely honest. At least it'd have reuse application because it's a Strike frame
I'm waiting for this review, not gonna watch from a certain obnoxious one. 😅
It's an honor.
I absolutely hate this kit, and not for the reasons you’d think. Chrome makes details impossible to see well. It makes the entire thing look absolutely terrible, and removes the good look of the base suit. I wish they had done this kit in injection golds
The gold looks good for what they've gone for, but I agree with you from an objective standpoint. the chrome completely nulls the surface detail, and there's no way of bringing them out at all
clearly Bandai has learned NOTHING from their past mistakes from the early RG line, like with the RG Zeta Gundam, honestly it feels like they cheated us out with this failure of a model kit.
The RG Zeta I can only say is premature. This is more a case of learning nothing from the HG Tristan, where they've made it lore accurate IRL, basing it off an existing kit with outdated engineering for no reason whatsoever. The Tristan gets a further pass because at least it's solid, but the RG Akatsuki has no reason for the fatal flaw to still exist.
@@mj2005gundam well if you ask me, Bandai needs to recall the RG Akatsuki until they fix the fatal flaw.
The black really sells the designfor me. It's such a sexy way of separating the gold and it's richness from the gloss makes it pop so nice. Never thought I'd like an Akatsuki (or any fully chromed out kit for that matter) but they nailed the aesthetics.
Shame about the frame, but RGs have always been closer to the side of model kits than action figures, despite what the god-like releases we've gotten of late.
I mean, had they placed the nubs on the rear of the legs better, it'd be full marks from me. And no, I did not expect any model kit to be action figure levels of playable, but I'd at least expect them to survive a review session, which is equivalent to an irresponsible model kit builder who poses them all the time. It can't even do that during the first bits of footage I took for the filming process, which is an absolute shame
That gold just obscures the cool details of an RG, and balloons the price so much, what a shame
A further shame is how you can do nothing about it unless you strip what made it expensive in the first place.
It's the rg shinanju all over again
Or worse, HG Tristan but with worse repercussions.
Wow
Owen Wilson, is that you?
I really, truly do not see why everyone is bitching so hard about the legs when they included a stand.
The stand solves some of the issues. But in time, the legs will fail to support themselves, so even if you get it in the air, the pose will falter, restricting it to ground poses.
For me, it's the attitude behind it, since Bandai included the stand knowing that the old frame would fail the kit. Yet, instead of remaking the legs, they decided to push through with it knowing that the old frame is problematic. Given how they've redone most of the frame as it is, for something that's top-end MG money, it's worth going all out to make sure it's as good as possible instead of pushing out a sub-par kit that even a band aid solution won't fix entirely.
That's fair. In my experience it's the hips that usually droop with the RG frame, so those shouldn't be too bad to tighten up. But honestly, I think reusing the parts of the old frame was solely to cut costs - the plating adds *quite a bit* to production cost. I feel as if there is no way to make everyone happy, and bandai's choice is proooobably one of the worse ones, but it doesn't bother me that much in the long run.
@@truthchanMSV moral is, to each their own. I laid out my cards, it's up to whoever listens to agree or disagree
Another worst kit ever
Another RG Sinanju at worst.
So does that mean we wont get a gundam base limited first real grade painting version of this. Seriously become better bandai
It's not like the HG ever had a painting model that accessible in the first place, so why would they start there? Hobby Pro Shop exclusives have gone silent for over a decade now.
@mj2005gundam true i didnt realise that.
I'm glad that I am no longer a Gundam fan because with the stuffs like insulting customer as scalpers, seiyuu scandal, inflated price and selling bad product at ridiculous price makes me fell out of love from something that was a part of my life for over 10 years...
I'm about to tap out myself. I'm working on a rant video in between the 2024 releases I have yet to cover. Hopefully it'd be done soon but I have no promises. Stay tuned if you're patient enough to wait for it.
instead of getting this one i recommend everyone gets the RE 100 version instead. sure its old and its not like SUPER detailed when it comes to being a 100 scale kit but if you just want an akatsuki with the flight packs and the gold goodness then just get that one. atleast youd get two flight packs and a big kit for the price of this one
Apart from it only being known as a 1/100 kit with no grade, that's very spot on
Relaxing likes love and care for you awe.
TY