Quaestor’s Toy Impressions Part I: RG GNT-0000 00 Qan[T]

If you are wondering why I’m writing about a kit that has only been announced, I’ll tell you why: despite saying once that I’ll definitely jump to Real Grade if the Quanta is made, I realized that’s a lot harder than I thought. Like, seriously, I’ve always collected on the 1/100 scale, and I’m not like most folks who collect everything.

The Real Grade line is an anomaly for me because not only is it ultra detailed (with better detailing than some premier Master Grades themselves), it is very affordable too (about half the price of big MGs). The only thing keeping me from betraying 1/100 is the lack of a pilot in the cockpit. It’s one of those gimmicks I really like in MGs and even Perfect Grades. Yeah, I know, it’s a pretty lame excuse for loyalty. But it is really a quirk of mine that, for some reason, I just can’t let go of.

Anyway…..

The line-art shows several new details especially some color separations. The purpose of the Real Grade is to re-imagine these otherwise fictional robots as they would have looked like if they actually existed. Which isn’t really saying much as they look about 90% the same anyway. But it does make for very interesting design points. The Quanta is a very simple design, and the similarities between the basic construction of the High Grade and Master Grade versions show that. 00 suits have an inherent “futuristic” feel in the first place so there’s not really much you can “improve” on it.

Take a look at the prototype displayed at the Gunpla Expo World Tour Japan 2015. It is almost the same as the MG, even to the slight lean towards its left side because of the shield. So at this point, we can safely assume that some of the issues that plagued the MG is inherited by the RG. I solved this lean issue by putting some paper on the ball-joint in the waist. I have no idea if it can be done on the RG since its inner-frame isn’t like the MG’s.

If I can use one word to describe my experience with the Quanta MG, it is “fun”. The kit’s construction isn’t as technologically advanced as, say the Nu Gundam ver Ka, or the Sazabi ver Ka, and neither does it have the innovative features of the RX-78-2 Gundam ver 3.0. But it is a solid kit that sort of “lays its cards on the table” construction-wise. There’s really not that much that I’d want to improve on it, except, perhaps some of the color separation seen on the newer Master Grades?

The Quanta, as a suit of overwhelming power, isn’t ripe with features. Unlike the Unicorn suits where we have various weapons for different missions including a buffet-like weapons set-up that is curiously called “Full Armor” despite being full of offensive weapons and not much in the way of armored defense, the Quanta’s power comes from what it can actually do: sword bits that form an impenetrable shield, an unlimited power-supply (seriously, a Quantum Burst just moments after a big-ass Trans Am), and a rifle/sword whose output seems to be more powerful than a colony laser. So in a way, the design isn’t that much complicated to pull off. What is much more difficult is actually making it stable.

It is a stroke of good luck that this suit’s MG was made during the time when BANDAI’s plastics were still top quality. While my own MG is now destroyed thanks to my lame-ass attempts at modding, but its plastic held on better than my Nu Gundam ver Ka, or even the Sinanju Stein ver Ka (despite the latter being the hulking tank that it is). For some reason, the new plastic BANDAI uses does not age as well as the old one. I seriously need to buy a new Nu ver Ka, and bad timing too, because I’m feeling pretty ambivalent about online sellers these days (which is unrelated to this topic, but I did buy all my kits from him).

As far as gimmicks are concerned, I’m not expecting that much. The Quanta is a simple, straightforward mobile suit with versatile weaponry. That unlimited energy means more Trans-Am time at more than twice the output, which also means that add-on weaponry isn’t necessary. The only official add-on that this design has was the Full-Saber complement which was scrapped due to being redundant. Fans loved that though, and I can easily imagine BANDAI capitalizing on that fact with their P-Online Exclusives. And let’s not forget the ELS Quanta shown at the end of the movie.

I really don’t know if this kit will finally pull me into the 1/144 scale, but I’ll be lying if I told you I’m not tempted to. While BANDAI has cut on the Master Grade releases, they have diversified their 1/100 scale offerings enough to keep me interested. The wait will be long, but I hope to finally have my answer when more news about this little baby comes.