The torso separates into upper body – Core Block – lower body.
Since Phase 1 is just the bare skeleton frame, there's no connection point between the Core Block in the center of the torso and the upper body frame.
So you basically have no choice but to gently rest it on the tip of the pointed Core Block and let it dangle there.
The shoulder joints can swing outward first, then rotate horizontally.
There's a Z-shaped articulation point at the bottom of the upper body that connects to the waist frame — it's a gimmick designed to allow the upper body to shift slightly on its own.
You'll need to get at least to the Phase 2 frame before you can really see what it does.
Core Block included separately from the Core Fighter.
The front cover opens, and the monitor in front of the pilot also moves up and down.
The mounting bracket that holds the 6 skirt parts is provided as a system insert part (a single-piece joint).
All 5 articulation points are molded as one single part.
When you spread the lower body front and back, the waist rises upward, giving the hip joints more room to move —
there's a lift gimmick built in for that.
Frame parts added in Phase 2.
The backpack frame is included as well.
Rear view of the Phase 2 frame with the backpack removed.
In Phase 2, the outer waist frame is added,
so the upper and lower body can be properly connected even without the Core Block.
Reflective or light-blocking stickers are applied to the neck and chest duct parts to maximize the LED effect.
The LED light source starting from below the neck travels up through the clear parts connected along the neck
to illuminate the eyes and the top camera.
When you pull the center of the chest armor forward, a switch gimmick inside the body links up and rises.
It acts as a trigger to press the switch on the LED unit stored inside the body.
The big advantage is that once the LED unit is tucked inside, you can turn it on and off without having to take it out —
but in practice, it's actually harder to switch on and off than you'd expect. ^^; (See the LED section in the full review.)
Inside the backpack there are some curious-looking clear parts.
This is a light guide part that, when you insert the light-up beam saber into the beam saber mount and turn it on, channels the light so it leaks out through the verniers.
The verniers are provided as metal parts, giving them a really premium feel.
On top of that, clear red parts are added inside to really complete the detail.
At the top of the backpack frame, there's a hidden mounting hole for attaching the shield.
Every time the neck moves, the articulated cylinders smoothly follow along.
Below the crotch, semi-gloss plated parts are added to be revealed when the hatch opens.
The waist frame parts that wrap around the core block have joints on both the upper and lower sections that can each extend outward.
Thanks to these joints, the upper body can be moved slightly side to side and forward and back even with the core block in place.
The First Gundam's waist articulation was always tricky because of the core block, but at least they've improved it somewhat this way.
The waist does rotate as well.
A demonstration of the two system insert parts that connect all six skirts.
As you can see, with three skirts connected on each side, you can reposition the overall skirt arrangement.
Frame parts added in Phase 3.
The rear body frame with the backpack removed.
When adding the Phase 3 frame, you need to remove the skirt mounting plates on both sides first, then add the frame parts.
You slot the Phase 3 frame parts in at the top and bottom like this, then reassemble.
Starting from the Phase 3 body frame, etching seals are included.
They're a handy and clever little thing, but there are some things to watch out for.
First, peel off the clear protective film sticker on top, then...
Remove the outer metal frame, leaving just the actual etched parts.
You can still remove the etched parts without taking this off, but it makes things a lot more awkward.
The easiest way is to flex the green soft backing sheet while popping the etched parts off — but if that stiff outer metal frame is still attached, you can't flex it at all.
Just be careful when removing it, since the outer metal frame has sharp edges and is stuck on pretty firmly, so take it slow to avoid cutting yourself.
Using tweezers makes it much easier to remove and apply the etching seals.
(The manual advises covering them back up with the protective film when not in use.)
The etching seals go on 2 each at the chest ducts and lower waist, 4 total across the front and rear skirts, and 1 in the center of the backpack.
The adhesion is quite strong so they stay put nicely, and as long as you keep the above tips in mind, they're a really clever and convenient addition.
The cockpit and chest hatches can be opened even at the frame stage.
The shoulder extension and rotation joints.
A composite photo showing the Phase 1, 2, and 3 torso frames side by side for easy comparison.
Attaching the armor to the upper body, backpack, and lower body.
Most of the armor inner surfaces have detailed molds carefully engraved throughout.
Torso straight build shot
A look at the backpack on its own.
Two cockpit hatch open shots.
They open up really wide and satisfyingly.
The 3 fins on the chest duct each move independently.
There's a rotating gimmick in the center of the rear skirt —
if you rotate the gear teeth one notch at a time with your fingernail, it exposes the beam rifle mounting hole.
Verniers up/down articulation
The detail on the inside of the skirts is relatively plain compared to the rest.
When extending the upper/lower waist frame, if you just grab the upper body and pull, the entire upper body comes off. -_-
It's because the waist extension gimmick is stiffer than the connecting pin between the upper and lower body —
you need to hold the lower red armor with one hand and pull the upper red armor upward with the other to get it to extend properly.
Forward/backward articulation with the waist extended.
When activating the lift gimmick that raises the waist armor upward, you also need to firmly hold the rear center of the lower body with one hand
and pull the front center of the lower body forward with the other hand.
Or you can just pull it apart sideways and it works too.
I didn't expect the hatch to open all the way up to the top of the cockpit cover in that awkward spot — the hatch design really is incredibly thorough.
Cockpit hatches (3), upper body armor (2), shoulder covers (2), skirt extension and open gimmicks (10), lower body center (2), and backpack (5) — all together,
the torso alone has a total of 24 hatches and moving sections that open.
Torso full hatch open shot
