Comparison with the old version verifies the attractiveness of the upgraded version! I made "HG 1/144 Elgaim"! Taiyuki's Weekend Plastic Modeling Vol. 33

When you are a working adult, you tend to have a lot of plastic models piled up in your busy life. ...... In this series, Yasuyuki Tai, a voice actor who loves robots and plastic models, takes on the challenge of building plastic models on your behalf!

The concept is "even busy working people can make it this far on their weekends off. There are only two rules: bare bones assembly and a production period of one to two days! If you read this series, you will surely find the plastic model you want to build.

So, "Weekend Plastic Model Making by Voice Actor Taiyuki! Weekend Plastic Model! Let's get started with the 33rd installment!

Vol. 33 HG1/144 Elgaim

This time, we will introduce BANDAI SPIRITS'"HG 1/144Elgeim," which has been upgraded 20 years after its release.

Yes, it is "Time for L-GAIM" now.

Let's open the box right away.

The runners are from the old version, and the upgraded version runners have been added. So, you can assemble the old version of HG El-Gaim. The vinyl tube is a feature of this kit.

The upgrade version "HG El-Gaim" is completed.

Nearly 80% of the parts are still the same as the old version, so it must mean that the shape of each part has been excellent since its release in 2001.

Upper body.

The face is the life of the robot. The balance has been reviewed and upgraded to a more coherent shape.

The neck and shoulder joints have also been redesigned, but we will touch on those when we review the movement of the figure.

In the lower body exterior, the thighs have undergone major changes. When viewed from the front, the seams between the exterior parts are no longer noticeable. That's why the finish is as you see even when the figure is unassembled.

The knee joints have also been changed, but it is hard to tell how they have been upgraded when the figure is just standing up. However, it is amazing.

The land booster (light) remains the same as before. The simple parts configuration reproduces the deformation gimmick well.

Tube parts peeking out from the knee joint. The mechanical details in this area were very innovative for a robot animation at that time. Thank you, animators of that time.

The brown parts, which were made of ABS in the previous version, have been replaced with PS (KPS) this time, making it easier to assemble. The movable parts around the ankles also move more smoothly.

It is surprising how much easier it is to assemble just by using different materials.

Next is the movable head. The head can be tilted forward and backward, and the face can be swiveled left and right.

The chest can swing forward and backward, left and right, and rotate due to the ball joint connection.
Waist can rotate 360° with an axial connection.

Shoulders have also been changed from an axial connection to a ball joint. Not only rotation, but also swinging back and forth and up and down is now possible.

When the arms are lifted horizontally, the shoulder armor is pushed inward, but by bringing the shoulder internal frame to the position shown in the lower right photo, the armor is pushed out.

In addition to the roll axis on the second arm, the elbow is movable as shown. The inner forearms are further movable.

The hip joints have ball joint connections. The legs can be opened and moved back and forth as shown.

The knees can be bent over 90 degrees by pulling them out.

The ankles are movable and can be folded when the base machine works is installed, and the heel parts can also be moved.

The random slates on the outside of the legs can also be deployed!

The land booster (light) is connected by poly parts, allowing for smooth attachment and removal. It was not equipped at the beginning of the story.

Land booster (light) can be folded up small without replacement.

Elgaim with Land Booster (Light) removed. It looks simple, but I like it because it was active in this form in the early part of the anime.

It was also shown in the OP video where they were fighting each other.

The new runner comes with attachment parts as you can see. By inserting it into the action base or other parts, it can be ......

You can connect it to the waist of Elgaim and recreate the flight pose.

Elgarooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! ♪

Two power launchers are included. There is a distinction between the left and right side, so look carefully and equip them. The point to distinguish is the position of the power tube. This one is for the left. The shaft to insert the tube is delicate, so be careful when assembling.

The power launcher is attached to the arm, and the tube is inserted into the energy gate at the waist.

The tube hanging down is very "Elgaim".

Now that the action base can be used, the figure can be posed in flight poses such as this.

The power launcher can be equipped on either side.

But in the play, the left arm was almost always equipped with a binder.

The binder is well reproduced with a clean and distinctive design.

On the back side, S Mine, Saber is mounted. In addition, a power launcher can be mounted.

This large binder is not only used for defense, but also ......

It was also used as a striking weapon. The posing of the figure also reproduces this aspect of the binder and makes it look good.

Once again, it is equipped with a land booster (light). The thrusters on the back and the "X" drawn by random slates create an immensely cool look. The mecha glimpsed through the pure white armor is also nice!

The Saber's blade, which was white in the previous version, is now a clear part. It is closer to the image in the movie.

Heavy metal is also cool in close combat, isn't it?

However!　The biggest weapon of Elgaim is the buster launcher!

The old version of the kit also came with a buster launcher, but the upgraded version has a fine parts configuration and the color coding has been reproduced.

But it is not only the color-coding that has been upgraded.

Compared to the old Buster Launcher, the upgraded Buster Launcher is by far the winner!　It reflects the technology that has been cultivated over the past 20 years. Thank you, old Buster Launcher.

The bipod is also movable!

The old version is also doing its best, but it was reproduced by replacement.

When equipping the buster launcher, the grip is removed once and replaced with a grip integrated with the wrist. The left wrist is also replaced with a flat hand.

Connect the buster launcher and Elgaim with three tubes, and it is ready!

The long barrel is a powerful armament!

The main character machine wields a huge weapon that is easily longer than its own height. It must be cool, right?

Here is the old version in a similar pose. It may not be as good as the upgraded version, but it's still pretty good.

By the way, the connecting parts with the action base can also be attached to the old version.

Now, then, let's compare the old and new kits, as some of you may have been wondering. Below, the left side is the upgraded version.

First of all, the shoulders can now be moved up and down, allowing for more shoulder flexion.

The back and forth movement of the shoulders is also obvious. The old version also had a back-and-forth swing, but now it can be moved to an incomparably greater extent.

The shape of the head has also been revised with new parts for the top of the head and forehead, eliminating the impression of the old version, which was a bit long and vertical. There may be people who like the old version as well, so let us refrain from declaring which one is better.

Thanks to the revised shape of the neck connection, the face can swing from side to side more than in the old version.

The outer armoring of the forearms has been repositioned with new parting lines. A flag has been added to the tip of the arm.

The thighs have been redesigned so that the lines of division are no longer noticeable when viewed from the front. This is great. The side skirts also make the horizontal dividing lines less noticeable.

The structure of the knee joints in the thigh parts has also been redesigned. Thanks to this, it can now be bent this deep.

Although there are no major differences in the overall silhouette, I was very impressed by the ease of assembly and the ease of action that has been dramatically improved by the change in materials and the introduction of new parts.

Perhaps it is because of the different molding color, but I feel that the edges of the white parts are more pronounced on the upgraded version. It is a nice "white.

Lastly, as for the "extra touches," some people asked me, "Is there anything easier than just adding a smear?" I have proposed a unique "extra step" that only Elgaim can take.

The cylinder parts of the legs were partially painted with GSI Creos' acrid gold and silver.

This is to give a change to the mechanical parts that can be glimpsed, and to give an "ooh" effect to the parts when they are seen for a moment.

This time, I used acryljon because it can be painted easily with a brush and the brush can be cleaned with water, but of course, you can use any paint you have at hand, such as water-based hobby colors or acrylic paints.

I thought it was unusual to upgrade the kit by adding some parts or changing materials instead of making a completely new kit, but this method is also possible. I am just a layman, but I wonder if it is possible to reduce the time and cost spent on design, etc., compared to a completely new kit.

At the same time as this Elgaim, Premium Bandai also released a completely new kit "HG Elgaim Mk-II". With this momentum, we are looking forward to seeing a kit of the "Elgaim" that has not been made into an HG until now.

Personally, I would be happy if the Nouvelle Dizard could be released as an HG!

Many nostalgic characters have been made into kits recently, but what on earth will we be able to introduce next time?

Please look forward to it!