Chunky. Thicc. Swole.
The Gustav Karl Unicorn Ver. is many things — including finally on the market!
I’m really taken by this kit because it’s not your typical Gunpla design. Or rather, it is: it has the familiar shapes and aesthetic, just… multiplied by 10. It’s bulky and it’s fantastic. I can’t wait to see this guy completed.
The Box
As usual, Bandai takes one side of the box to show off the gimmicks and what you can do with this chunky boi. Here are the highlights:
- The shoulder joints have been set with a wide range of articulation that suits the form of the MS.
- The visors on the heads have been recreated with clear parts.
- The shield arm can be extended and folded with interchanging parts.
- The Beam Sabers can be stored inside the side armors.
- Grenade launcher is reproduced.
- The range of articulation for the legs has been expanded due to the pull out mechanisms in the knee and the sliding mechanisms in the armor.
You can also see that the kit comes with two beam sabers and a beam rifle.
The articulation on the legs is really important here, because when you bulk up moving parts of a model kit or action figure, the size alone is going to limit movement. So it’s good to see that Bandai kept that in mind in designing the model.
Before we move on, is it just me or is there some weird pluralization going on in the above description? Bandai is usually pretty good with its English explanations, so I’m curious if “heads” was a mistake or if you actually get multiple heads with this kit. I guess we’ll find out!
The other side of the box gives you some background on Mr. Karl: in short, it’s a swole Jesta with Jagen gear.
The Runners
The A runners are what I live for. This one has grey, red, white, and clear pink parts. Just look at those big ol’ pieces. This guy didn’t skip leg day.
The B runners aren’t that exciting — these are just some some detail parts that go here and there on the kit, mostly the lower body. There do appear to be head parts here, too, and naturally there are only parts for one head. I got my hopes up, too…
The C runners bring that lovely blue/violet color that brings the look to life. These are mostly for the upper body and minor limb details.
The D runners are mechanical parts in gunmetal, and the beam rifle is in there, too.
There are two identical E runners. Correct me if I’m wrong, but these appear to be more leg parts. Considering the MS is 80% leg, it’s a fair guess. 🙂
And finally, the Special Bits! We have stickers here for the details, a bunch of polycaps for the joints, and the two beam sabers we were promised.
So how is it? Are you adding the Gustav Karl to your shelf? I’m really looking forward to seeing this kit completed, so please share your photos if you build it!