Released as an Extra Finish Version to commemorate the Zeta theatrical release, the Marasai follows the Hyaku-Shiki. The Hyaku-Shiki is great, but this HGUC Marasai is also an excellent kit with fantastic proportions, color separation, and detail. Since the basic features are the same as the normal version, please refer to the normal version Marasai reviewfor a more detailed look.
Overall, the Extra Finish paint job looks absolutely stunning. It's a great color combination that keeps the feel of the original colors while bringing out a nice metallic quality. In terms of eye-catching color, you could say it's among the best in the Extra Finish lineup, and the color separation is solid too — seam lines are much less noticeable compared to the Hyaku-Shiki.
That said, there's some noticeable variation in the coating quality on the painted surfaces. The metallic crimson sprayed over larger areas like the head and legs feels like the coating layer is a bit thin — rather than a rich, even color, it almost looks like the spraying was left half-finished. The head is especially like this, though it's unclear whether this is a consistent trait across all kits or just a matter of luck of the draw. Either way, it's fair to say there can be some variation in Extra Finish coating quality.
Even so, the base Extra Finish coating color is so good that this thing clearly puts out an incredible presence even as a straight build. ^^
With the normal version, I got the impression that the ankle ball joints loosened up a bit from frequent posing, but this Extra Finish version has that extra stiffness you get with plated parts, making the joints even more solid. One of the definite perks of building plated versions is exactly this — the reduced play from the plated surfaces actually improves joint strength.
The price is a bit of a stretch at close to ¥3000, but it's a kit that'll give great satisfaction to anyone who loves the Marasai. Whatever else you might say, this is probably the Extra Finish kit where the coating effect — i.e., the difference from the normal version — comes through the strongest. :-)
HGUC Marasai ~ Extra Finish Version | 2005.5 | ¥2,800
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
