It's been almost two years since this RG GaoGaiGar was released. While organizing my warehouse, I felt this kit had been sitting in my backlog for too long, so I decided to do a quick straight build. Personally, I feel the original release price for the RG GaoGaiGar was absolutely justified. Both its articulation and accuracy are a cut above the rest. If I had to nitpick, it would be that the lion's mane on both sides doesn't sit flush after combination.
Compared to the DX Soul of Chogokin GaoGaiGar, this RG version blows it out of the water in many aspects (except for the mane). Setting aside the difficulty of lifting the massive hammer, for a combining mecha, its articulation is certainly worthy of the RG series.
I love the fist storage design; there's no need for parts-swapping, and it can almost perfectly replicate the rotating deployment sequence from the anime. The bottom of the Stealth Bomber provides perfect storage, and the design of Drill Gao's caterpillar tracks is excellent. Perhaps Bandai was aware of the length issue with the bullet train on the original DX Soul of Chogokin GaoGaiGar, because on this RG version, the proportions of the left and right shoulders after the Liner Gao extends for combination are just right.
For weaponry, it's equipped with the space-warping Dividing Driver, and it also includes a set for the left hand's defensive Protect Shade. They've pretty much given us everything we need. The tip of the Dividing Driver is even a metal part, and a clever internal spring mechanism allows it to move up and down.
As for Goldymarg & the Goldion Hammer, I basically see it as just a hammer. In its robot mode, parts assembly allows Goldymarg to have some articulation. In its vehicle mode, well, it's just a vehicle. Each wheel is an independent part, the kind you could actually let a child play with as a toy car.
In the end, GaoGaiGar + the Hammer looks so cool just standing there that articulation almost doesn't matter. So after assembly, it will probably stay in this epic pose forever without me touching it again. I hope that within my lifetime, I'll get to see Bandai release a Genesic GaoGaiGar. If they can't give us a large-scale one, at least give us an RG!
Below is a simple introduction to share with everyone. Even though it's a two-year-old kit, building it still brings an inexplicable sense of excitement.
▼【RG 1/144】Straight Build: GaoGaiGar + Goldymarg & Goldion Hammer - Become the Light!
▼ The mechanical lion, Galeon. This is essentially the core of GaoGaiGar, which combines with Cyborg Guy to become GaiGar. The transformation is straightforward and not difficult; you can complete it smoothly by following the instructions in the manual. During transformation, be sure to switch the hands to the closed fist versions.
▼ Stealth Gao (B-2 Bomber) and Liner Gao (Bullet Train)
▼ After combining, the Stealth Gao becomes GaoGaiGar's wings, while the two turbines become its left and right arms.
▼ The black cockpit is a clear black part.
▼ Left arm.
▼ Right arm.
▼ The bottom of the Stealth Gao completely conceals GaoGaiGar's helmet, a design feature we've seen before on the DX Soul of Chogokin.
▼ Liner Gao, the bullet train, forms GaoGaiGar's shoulders and upper arms. This time, the proportions are just right; the length of the shoulders on both sides is perfect after extension.
▼ The white parts form the upper arms. If Bandai had managed to cover the underside of the train, this Liner Gao would have been truly perfect.
▼ Drill Gao, the drill tank, combines to become GaoGaiGar's legs.
▼ After combination, the two drills can also become one of GaoGaiGar's offensive weapons.
▼ I love the design of the legs; they have a great sense of layered, separated armor, with fine details like heat vents.
▼ The left and right caterpillar tracks are made of individual links, totaling 40 pieces that need to be assembled one by one. Once assembled, the tracks can rotate.
▼ The blue next to the drill is a foil sticker included with the kit. That sticker is incredibly small; I had to be extremely careful when applying it, afraid that a sneeze or a yawn would send it flying.
▼ The Stealth Gao and Liner Gao can also replicate their docked combination from the anime.
▼ GaiGar. Its articulation is probably the best in this entire set.
▼ The lion head's mouth can open and close.
▼ The arms can bend.
▼ GaoGaiGar's skirt armor.
▼ Due to interference from the knee parts, the lower leg's articulation cannot achieve a maximum bend.
▼ The eyes use the included stickers. I lightly panel-lined the mouth with a Gundam mechanical pencil; otherwise, you can't see where it is at all.
▼ Since the combination only lasts 62.318 seconds, if it's interrupted, GaiGar can combine with the Stealth Gao and Drill Gao to form another combat mode. After beating the enemy, they can try for another 62.318-second combination XD
▼ Trinity Combination.
▼ The silver and red accents on the legs are also from the included foil stickers. Those stickers are extremely, extremely, extremely small and incredibly difficult to apply. My eyes almost popped out.
▼ Goldymarg in its vehicle mode, the GoldyTank.
▼ The wheels are all assembled from individual parts and can rotate.
▼ Undercarriage.
▼ Group shot.
▼ Robot mode with so-so articulation.
▼ Any balance issues can be solved by using the rear handle as a support.
▼ The feet can achieve a solid ground stance using the built-in parts, no modification needed.
▼ Here's a group photo.
▼ After combination, if you're worried about GaoGaiGar's stability, you can use the caterpillar tracks on the back of the legs to improve its center of gravity.
▼ The hands on both sides feature fully articulated fingers, using a design concept similar to Perfect Grade kits.
▼ Even when the feet are flat on the ground, you can still clearly see the internal parts. This level of exposure is within an acceptable range.
▼ Combination complete! With the perfectly proportioned shoulders and the flawless fully articulated hands, I really can't find any reason to complain about this kit (aside from the mane on both sides).
▼ This mane issue seems to be unsolvable; many people have the same problem, so it's purely a design flaw. If they had added a tab to the original design, it might have been more secure. When the lion's mouth is open, you can see its black tongue.
▼ Compared to the DX Soul of Chogokin GaoGaiGar, the RG's legs are a complete victory.
▼ The left hand, possessing the power of defense.
▼ The right hand, possessing the power of destruction.
▼ Perfectly proportioned shoulder length.
▼ Combining the defensive power of the left hand and the destructive power of the right hand together creates GaoGaiGar's ultimate finishing move: "Hell and Heaven." Hell concentrates all the destructive power of the right hand to attack the enemy. Heaven uses all the protective power of the left hand to extract the enemy Zonder's core.
▼ The finishing move can be recreated with simple parts-swapping.
▼ Looking cool from every angle.
▼ The explosion effect base is a special effects part that needs to be purchased separately. This part can also be broken down into various irregular smaller fragments.
▼ Protect Shade. Its effect is short-range spatial distortion, capable of defending against both physical and optical attacks, and can also reflect them. In the anime, this barrier only appears on the left hand.
▼ Assembly is completed by simply attaching it with the included parts.
▼ Dividing Driver. This weapon is also full of sincerity; besides the metal driver head, it includes a spring design that allows the entire driver to move up and down. The Dividing Driver is a large-scale spatial distortion device primarily used to prevent damage to the city during battles. It can warp space to create an open battlefield, thus avoiding the destruction of our beautiful city.
▼ And finally, a powerful combination: "Become the light!!" GaoGaiGar + Goldymarg & Goldion Hammer. It can actually stand without a support stand, but you need to find the right angle. You can use the caterpillar tracks on the legs for temporary stability. However, if you plan for a long-term display, it's recommended to use a stand to avoid any issues with instability causing it to fall backward.
