Gunpla: Astray Red Frame, my first RG

It's been awhile since I last posted (again), and even longer since I built a Gundam model! Truth be told it's been a busy year for me with more ups and downs than I can count... I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever have time to get back into Gunpla. That's the nice thing about hobbies though: they're never really gone for good. They just get put on a shelf, tucked safely away where they wait until you're ready to pick up where you left off.

I'd never built an RG (Real Grade) model before; usually I stick to the simpler and faster to build HG (High Grade) kits. I've been curious about the RG line however, so when I was gifted the RG Astray Red Frame by an old friend I thought it was a good chance for me to try building something out of my comfort zone.

I built the RG Astray straight out of the box with no customization minus a little touching up with paint here and there. The RG line is known for its attention to detail, so I wanted to see how the RG Astray looks when built strictly by the manual. For the most part the whole process was relatively straightforward: clipping, trimming and sanding parts, drawing on panel lines and dabbing paint. Different from the HG line, RG models come with a hefty number of stickers and decals to apply. At first the task was a chore, but once I found my rhythm it became quite an enjoyable process. I completed the kit by spraying on a gloss coat; normally I give my kits a flat topcoat, but since the RG Astray is special I wanted to make it shine.

It was fun getting back into Gunpla, even if just for a little bit. Hopefully the next time I post a model on this blog it won't already be 2017!