KIT: BASH OR BEAUTY? - MG 00 Raiser
The MG 00 Raiser kit is worth the buy with its insane amount of included accessories, but has problems that stop it short of perfect.
TL;DR - Beauty. Worth the buy. Has ton of accessories and an included LED unit. Note, I built this kit approximately two years ago.
Featuring one of the most popular suits in the 00 series, the MG 00 Raiser is no slouch when it comes to solid kits to build but can be limited by its own shortcomings. The amount of accessories that come with the kit are pretty significant - you have all of the GN swords (II and III), GN beam sabers, and a GN shield. On top of that, the kit has 5 points that you can light up with an included LED unit (if you want to light up more you have to purchase more LED units); the head or GN drives.
One of my favorite things about this kit is how flexible it is. You can position the twin drive system in a multitude of positions and they will stay in place without much assistance, including the 'wings'. The internal frame is solid and flexible, but when it comes to arms, the gunpla community is well familiar with loose and 'soggy' arms that succumb to gravity.
In my particular build, I didn't attach the beam affect to the GN Sword III - the mere weight of the plastic would slowly drag the arm down from an 'at ready' position to a more relaxed position by the kits side. The arm's connection at the shoulder just isn't that strong. At that point, I didn't even want to bother with the GN shield. I did find a home for the GN Sword IIs though, on the kit's hips.
If you don't have a stand, good luck balancing this kit in dynamic poses. With everything attached, including the 0-Raiser unit, it'll be difficult, but not impossible.
Overall, I had a decent time building this gundam. I didn't find myself cursing at the kit or questioning its design. I think the kit does a lot for fans of the 00 series which makes up for its flaws. This kit was the second time I tried panel lining, so I learned a LOT, and it shows in the pictures here. Gunpla is a journey, not everything has to be perfect!
