PG ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam : Mirror Base

Release 2010.12

Price N/A

PG Strike Freedom first-run limited bonus item (Asia exclusive)

PG Strike Freedom Gundam : Mirror Base - A large, thin white box. The box material is very thin and looks a bit flimsy. When

A large, thin white box.
The box material is very thin and looks a bit flimsy.
When you see it in person, the sheer size of it will catch you off guard..;

The Mirror Base, loosely(;) packed in bubble wrap.

On the bottom, 2 lighting units (loosely) wrapped in plastic are taped on.

PG Strike Freedom Gundam : Mirror Base - At the back of the center section there's a battery compartment that takes 3 AA batt

At the back of the center section there's a battery compartment that takes 3 AA batteries.

There's a protective film covering the mirror surface that you'll need to peel off.

PG Strike Freedom Gundam : Mirror Base - Plug the jacks on the lighting units into the wire jacks on both sides of the top pa

Plug the jacks on the lighting units into the wire jacks on both sides of the top panel.

PG Strike Freedom Gundam : Mirror Base - Fit the lighting units into the holes. The fit isn't great.. rather than trying to s

Fit the lighting units into the holes.
The fit isn't great.. rather than trying to seat them carefully, you're better off just forcing them in roughly.

Flip the switch on the front to turn the lighting units ON/OFF.

Mirror Base complete.
You can stick a long sticker on the front panel.

PG Strike Freedom Gundam : Mirror Base - The bottom surface is finished with a silver foil sticker, but air bubbles have gott

The bottom surface is finished with a silver foil sticker, but air bubbles have gotten in here and there, causing it to bubble up.
It's hit or miss..

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
It's way bigger than I expected;;

PG Strike Freedom placed on top

It's a bit uneven.. but it does reflect pretty well as a mirror.

Lights ON!

PG Strike Freedom Gundam : Mirror Base - The lighting shining upward from the front bottom is actually pretty subtle and cool

The lighting shining upward from the front bottom is actually pretty subtle and cool.

The shadows cast on the backdrop have a nice atmospheric quality too.

This is the Mirror Base — a bonus item offered as an Asia-exclusive first-run special with the release of the PG Strike Freedom Gundam. Like the clear parts that were distributed or sold with the PG Astray and 00 back in the day, it's a first-run exclusive bonus unique to the PG line. Unlike the PG 00 clear parts, this Mirror Base was given out free of charge to first-print buyers with no extra cost.

When I first heard it was called a "Mirror Base," I was curious what kind of bonus item it could possibly be.. Turns out it's something where the bottom is finished with a silver reflective surface so the kit reflects in it, and you can install 2 lighting units at the front to display it with a nice atmospheric effect.

Anyone who gets their hands on this Mirror Base will probably feel two things.. First, it's surprisingly large — almost shockingly so — and second, it gives off a distinctly cheap vibe.

Given the nature of the Mirror Base, it's a bit awkward to use together with the stand that came bundled with the PG Strike Freedom.. but then again, just plopping the kit on it by itself makes the base feel unnecessarily oversized. It's so big that finding display space for it would be quite a challenge, so I doubt many people will actually end up displaying it at home.. Anyway, photos alone might not convey it, but seeing it in person is genuinely a bit of a shock..;

And looking at the packaging, the plastic material, the assembly feel — none of it looks like something that came from Bandai. It doesn't seem like it came out of the Shizuoka factory; it looks more like something sourced through an outside contractor.. To put it simply, "cheaply" — that's the best way to describe this lighting base kit.

If you'd had to pay extra for this first-run bonus like with the PG 00, I imagine a lot of people would've been furious.. ^^; Some folks might be disappointed that it's less useful and feels lower quality than expected, but since it's a freebie with no extra charge, I guess you just have to take it for what it is ^^; One thing's for sure — this Mirror Base alone is hardly a good enough reason to go out of your way to hunt down a first-print copy.

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.