Back in September 2000, a new series with a coated-version concept was suddenly added to the HGUC lineup. Known by the somewhat unfamiliar name "Extra Finish," this series takes select existing HGUC kits and gives them a coated treatment. Unlike the blindingly shiny plated coating you'd see on MG kits though, these lean more toward a matte finish that gives the impression of an actual "painted" kit. True to the series name, these are kits with a "specially finished" look.
Of course, being a type of plated kit, there's no under-gate consideration, so gate marks do remain — though they're much less noticeable compared to a full plated coating. Probably because most of the painted surfaces tend to be on the matte side..
Originally, this kit was released as a limited edition to commemorate the 2000 Radio-Controlled Model Show, launched simultaneously alongside four kits including the Blue/Red version Qubeleys and the Gouf. It wasn't an event-exclusive sold only at the venue — it was distributed through official Bandai retail channels — but the reason it's labeled a "limited edition" probably means they have no intention of doing a reissue.
Anyway, the Qubeley Extra Finish (EF for short) version, which kicked off the series, has a pearl coating applied to the white outer armor parts, while the pink sections are treated with a standard plated coating. The pearl coating is literally a pearlescent finish — a premium color that shimmers with a pinkish luster depending on the lighting.
With these pearl-plated kits, you can definitely see that lovely pink shimmer in person, but it's incredibly hard to capture that feeling in photos. On top of that, the pearl coating on this Qubeley EF version feels like the coating layer is a bit on the thin side. If they'd gone a bit deeper with the coating, it would've stood out more in photos too — but thanks to my photography skills (plus an aging camera), the shots above barely managed to capture any of that pink shimmer at all. I tried adjusting the saturation and brightness to bring out the pink tones as best I could, but it still looks pretty underwhelming in photos.. OTL (Ugh.. if anything, the photos just ended up looking dull;)
Anyway, the real thing is definitely better than the photos suggest — but it's not exactly a dazzling, eye-catching pearlescent coating either. It sits somewhere in between. As for the pink parts used on the chest, panels, heels, arms, and elsewhere, they all have a highly reflective pink coating that's practically mirror-level. (If you look at the photos above, you can actually see the camera reflected in them.)
Comparing it to the standard HGUC Qubeley, the difference between the EF version and the normal version isn't all that obvious just from photos — almost to the point of being confusing. Part of that is because photos can't fully capture it, but it's also because the white molded color on the standard Qubeley is already so clean and smooth to begin with. In person though, you can definitely tell them apart. :-)
If you had to ask which looks better between the standard and EF versions, the EF version wins hands down, obviously. The combination of the lustrous pearl coating and the vibrant pink plating is naturally going to look better.. ^^; But the standard version is so good in its own right that you can't really call the difference huge.
One thing to note — as is the case with most plated kits, an extra layer of coating is applied over the part surfaces, which tightens up the fit with the polycaps and makes the joints stiffer. Compared to the standard version, the joints are noticeably tighter, which you could actually see as a plus. :-) That said, the shoulders are unnecessarily stiff to an excessive degree compared to the other joints, which makes posing them a bit of a pain;;;
There are actually three Qubeley Extra Finish versions in total, and this white pearl coating version is the one that benefits the least from the coating treatment. The Blue Metallic and Red Metallic versions have such clean, sharp paint jobs and such a clear difference from their standard versions that this one ends up looking relatively underwhelming by comparison.
That said, it's definitely a step up from the standard version (setting aside the price-to-value question and the difficulty of tracking one down), and the real significance of this kit lies in being the very first entry in the Extra Finish series — a brand-new concept in plated kits.
HGUC Qubeley (White Pearl) ~ Extra Finish Version | 2000.9 | ¥2,500
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
