OLD Gundam 0080 1/144 Rick-Dom II

Release 1989.5

Price ¥700

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/144 Rick-Dom II - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

Runners

Dedicated polycaps

Clear runner and seals

OLD 1/144 Rick-Dom II - Parts diagram (1/3)

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Bottom view. The verniers and sole detail on the underside are faithfully reproduced.

The polycap hole on the forearm is unusually large.

For the right hand, a separate weapon-holding hand is included.

Limb articulation. Since the skirt is fixed, the hip joint has a very limited range of motion.

Unarmed action pose

Bazooka action

Would love to hold the bazooka with both hands, but the arms are just too short.

Together with the 1/144 Dom.

Together with the 1/144 Zaku FZ.

OLD 1/144 Rick-Dom II - Together with the HGUC Rick-Dom II released in 2004. The proportions are different, but the coloring

Together with the HGUC Rick-Dom II released in 2004. The proportions are different, but the coloring is very similar.

The fifth kit in the old 0080 series is the 1/144 Rick-Dom II. True to a lineup that saw major upgrades in color separation and proportions, this kit delivers a visual quality that's incomparably better than the older 1/144 Dom. The color separation on the body in particular is on par with the HGUC, making for an impressive straight build appearance that was quite remarkable for its time. The mono-eye — broken into premium separate parts in that distinctive 0080 series style — was also a pretty fresh touch.

That said, the articulation is very much old-kit territory. The skirt is fixed in place, which means the hip joints barely move at all. On top of that, the bazooka is noticeably smaller than the HGUC version, and the way it's designed makes it hard to hold naturally — so despite the solid body proportions, the overall look ends up feeling a bit stiff and constrained.

One interesting quirk is that the elbow joint pins are extremely thick. Thanks to that construction, the overall joint strength is actually quite solid and the kit handles well enough — but it's a shame that it's so hard to pull off that powerful bazooka-firing pose the Dom is known for. All in all, this kit was a big step forward in terms of color separation, but structurally it never quite broke free from the limitations of the old-kit era. A nostalgic piece for sure. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.9.2 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.