Released to commemorate the Blu-ray release of the Zeta Gundam theatrical films, the MG Mk-II 2.0 AEUG HD Color version was joined by (naturally, as a set?) the Titans version as well. The basic concept and features of the kit are the same as the AEUG version — the outer armor is done in gloss injection molding, and HD decals are included.
Honestly, up until now I haven't been all that impressed by the special/limited editions that came out with gloss injection molding. It was more like, "oh, the surface is a bit smoother," you know? Especially in photos, it was hard to tell the difference at all. I always thought it was an interesting molding technique that uses the same tooling but gives a slight enamel-gloss feel just by changing the material — but I never really felt like "wow, that looks amazing!"
But... this Mk-II Titans HD Color version is different. You could say it's the kit that benefits the most from gloss injection technology.
The Titans version Mk-II was already popular for its somehow fierce-looking color scheme, but with gloss injection molding, the glossy effect feels like it's been cranked up to the absolute maximum. It's so noticeably different from the AEUG version released at the same time — the whole body surface just oozes that irresistible cool factor...
Even with real cars, black is hard to maintain, but after a wash or a polish, the shine it puts out is something no other color can touch. The Mk-II Titans HD Color version is the same way — the black body and backpack, along with the deep blue parts, are all in rich, dark tones, so the entire kit gleams like a mirror. (And this is just a straight build!) On top of that, the HD waterslide decals with their 100% reflectivity tie it all together perfectly. One more thing — unlike the AEUG version, the Titans mark is printed in a shining gold color, which makes it look even more premium.
The base kit itself is already great quality, and the joints have gotten even sturdier with the gloss injection, but this is a kit that just oozes cool factor even if you just build it and stand it on a shelf. It might be completely unnecessary for people who paint their kits, but for straight-build fans out there, this is easily one of the best collection pieces around.
That said, just like the AEUG version, there are a lot of waterslide decals on this thing, so you have to handle it carefully. Whenever I tried posing it, one or two decals would inevitably pop off T_T On top of that, with those deep colors and that dress-shoe gloss, fingerprints show up pretty easily too. And it seems to attract dust as well, probably due to static electricity..
Anyway, I was a little skeptical when I heard they were putting out a limited edition with the oddly-named "HD Color version" title... but whatever else you might say, this glossy Titans Mk-II is the real deal :-) I'll say it again — the gloss in person is so much better than in photos...!
MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : Titans ~ HD Color ver. | 2008. 11 | ¥4,000
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.