Gunpla #46 - Exceed Gundam Head Vol.1 Review

I am not a fan of gashapon toys, but this one is an exception. Exceed have been successful with its previously released Zaku head (I even have two of them on my desk), and this year, they made it again. This time though, it's not Zaku, but Gundam, the protagonist of the franchise. The first volume of Gundam head have been released in January 2019 in Japan, and consists of three kinds of head: 'granddaddy' RX-78-2, FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam, and RX-78-3 G3, with price of 500 Yen for each head. It became a big hit when it was released, and the toys were quickly sold out. Now, it is so rare, you won't likely find it, even in Akihabara except at very few hobby stores or auction sites.

Unopened head in their 'helmet'

Construction wise, it is pretty simple and not so different with the Zaku head. Each had was encased in a kind 'helmet' along with the manual. The manual itself is in Japanese, but quite self-explanatory and easy to understand.

The manual

The head will be revealed after opening the helmet case, where v-fin, forehead, and chin parts are stuffed inside it.

The main parts of the head

By opening the side vents hatch (which is the main gimmick of this kit), we can pull the forehead and back sensor out. The v-fin could be constructed and attached on the forehead, as well as the chin parts. Take caution when opening the plastic bag of v-fin parts since they are quite fragile.

Last step, connect the head to the neck which is made by using the base of helmet. The color of the neck might be inaccurate but the head looks totally cool!

As mentioned above, the only gimmick of this kit is the side vent hatch which could be opened. Other than that, nothing special could be done with it. Of course, there are possibilities for customization eg, installing LED inside the head etc. Nevertheless, for a 500 Yen gashapon toy, this kit is highly detailed, with lots of panel lines over it. As previously released Zaku head, each Gundam head has a marking on it. Panel-lining the head should be easy using Tamiya Panel Lines Accent (TPLA) or even Gundam Marker. Anyway, the ones who use TPLA should be aware because its excessive use could melt the plastics as well as the paint (on forehead or chin).

The verdict, this kit is a nice addition for those who love gashapon toys, and of course, Gundam. I'm truly looking forward to see the Vol.2. I wonder how Exceed will make Gundam head from different universe such as Wing or Seed series :-)