MASTER GRADE IS BACK! - Review: MG Narrative Gundam C-Packs Ver. Ka 1/100

Finally a completely new Mobile Suit in MG! As a 1/100 fan/collector and someone who likes scale I've been DYING.
I've been anticipating an MG Narrative since the movie released, it seemed like a no brainer, why wouldn't you make the main MS from the sequel to Gundam Unicorn? and then the Master Grade line just... died. So it took, what, a full 5 or 6 years to get this main protagonist Suit? :'(
I really like the design of the Narrative too, I like inner frames and exposed mechanicals and it's really unique and they did just such a good job making look like a prototype. More than I realised before having this kit too because putting it side-by-side with the Nu Gundam they're actually so similar! I always wondered what a completed Narrative Gundam would look like and I don't have to anymore because it's just, the Nu Gundam! Like even for as different as the chests are it actually just looks like the radiator-like fins on the Narrative could be what the yellow parts/vents on the Nu's chest are venting *into*, like it's one big cooling system or something. So cool.
I watched Gundam Narrative for the very first time after building this kit while making the review and I've never heard anything good about it but I loved it! I'm not sure what the complaints with it are, maybe it's just 'cos I love Unicorn too?
If you're reading this and were disappointed by Narrative lemme know why in the comments.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:38 Design & Aesthetics
03:17 Details & Flaws
04:51 Lineart & Colour
05:47 Deactivated Psycho-Frame
08:18 NT-D (pink) Psycho-Frame
10:41 Build Experience piece-by-piece
15:19 Core Fighter
17:26 Warning! Be careful
18:11 Tip: Adding to the Instructions
19:14 Articulation
22:15 Hands
24:00 Accessories
26:16 Comparisons
27:05 Conclusions
27:59 Outro

[@Zam-on-Barbatoast]

Link to video on the inner frame and paint: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpmwqHdrfrSWhq8 Link to a short comparing with Nu more: kzbin.infor_Sc7fk3aNQ?si=Ft5OUQ7xmGWzDKQo More detailed timestamps that I felt were a bit too short in places to be video chapters. 00:00 Intro 00:38 Design & Aesthetics 03:17 Details & Flaws 04:51 Lineart & Colour 05:47 Deactivated Psycho-Frame 08:18 NT-D (pink) Psycho-Frame 10:41 Build Experience 11:05 Build Experience: Chest 13:25 Build Experience: Waist 14:52 Build Experience: Core Fighter 16:00 Legs 17:26 Warning! Be careful 18:11 Tip: Adding to the Instructions 19:14 Articulation 22:15 Hands 24:00 Beam Rifle 25:01 Shield 25:45 Accessory Storage 26:09 Accessory Overview 26:16 Comparisons 27:05 Conclusions 27:59 Outro

[@Gunplahrazzi]

Nice video

[@Mel-md6cb]

Hope someone designs and 3D prints a core block to sell.

[@Zam-on-Barbatoast]

YES! I never thought about that, that would be great actually 'cos it's not like it has to be complicated

[@MegasRocks12]

Love the format of the review! Subbed

[@Zam-on-Barbatoast]

Thank you so much! Is your name referring to Megas XLR btw? :O

[@MegasRocks12]

@@Zam-on-Barbatoast Ye ye, Megas XLR got me into Mecha during middle school

[@EvA1_Anahein]

good review man

[@TheBearColin]

What is your backdrop it looks great

[@Zam-on-Barbatoast]

Bootleg Kotobukiya chain bases that I got from Gundamcentral ages ago and painted. If you consider painting them too be careful and keep it simple 'cos it's SO much work to paint all of since it comes with so much

[@ethanspaziani1070]

I would greatly like to see a custom machine that is quote finished ! In an effort to encourage you to make that video I have subscribed ! Please go over how you build it if you do!!

[@Zam-on-Barbatoast]

Thank you! I do need the encouragement 'cos I'm bad at finishing stuff lol. Since finishing the frame I've been wanting to do the armour of the Narrative 'cos I don't have that much planned for it but I've been too busy with upcoming reviews :( the Special Forces Industry Sentinel especially is taking ages

[@ethanspaziani1070]

@@Zam-on-Barbatoast it is okay and I understand I also have the same problem ! Just every time you look at it think about it and how you could do it personally I think you should take inspiration from the RE GZ CUSTOM which was what should have showed up in Char's counterattack however the NU Gundam was completed just in the nick of time A RE GZ shows up in the background in a hanger beside RE ZELs of unicorn Gundam but because of it's bad luck no one ever takes it out

[@Zam-on-Barbatoast]

Oh I didn't know the Re-Gz was in the background! That does sound like a really cool and unique colour scheme for it! But I really quite want to get the actual MG Re-Gz at some point so I wouldn't want to step on the toes of it's colour scheme and I really like the standard Narrative design so I wouldn't do anything that drastic to it. Besides what I've already done to the frame I think I'll just add some more subtle separation to the armour with a very light grey and decal it and topcoat, keep the armour relatively simple in order to let all the detail I've added to the frame really stand out. If you ever do one in Re-Gz colours yourself let me know! I'd love to see it

[@ethanspaziani1070]

@@Zam-on-Barbatoast it will be a great number of years before that happens due to my unfortunate circumstances in position in life right now I am extremely impoverished and do not have the money nor space to do model kits anymore I'm sorry to say

[@alex-ej3vu]

first (other than itsagunpla) time ive seen a review of a new kit actually use critical thinking! subscribed 👉😎👉

[@TheSadisticAlchemist]

First

[@egorsplavnik4070]

The worst review on narrative that i've ever seen

[@Gunplahrazzi]

Where is your review?

[@megaflux7144]

right?

[@Zam-on-Barbatoast]

Gonna be honest when I first saw this I just laughed 'cos it seemed such a stereotypical KZbin comment but if you (or anyone) have any actual specific criticisms I'd be glad to hear them

[@megaflux7144]

@@Zam-on-Barbatoast its BARELY undergated so there are totally really annoying nub marks, the core fighter to core block is the shittiest thing ever (what was wrong with the previous iterations exactly.. and why only give us 1?), the limbs have been known to be loose to the point of falling off, the decals are low quality, and frankly over all the entire thing is entirely too fiddley. im not going to pretend i LOVE the unicorn kits because of the bullshit that comes with their transformations but this feels like a lateral move design wise AT BEST. i dont get why so many people are acting like this is a well designed high quality kit, the new sazabi or strike freedom or something.. its a turd and so was the zeta. third parties are beating the living shit out of bandai in the 1/100 arena at this point and the reviewers are apparently completely unaware of it.

[@Zam-on-Barbatoast]

@megaflux7144 Did you watch the video? I'm one of very few reviewers to mention the incredibly disappointing lack of core block several times, as well as more in the same vein like how cheap it feels that they didn't just give us 2 full beam rifles rather than having to choose between them. I show a lot of visible nubs but most nubs are placed in more subtle areas and so don't actually need to be undergated. I haven't touched the decals yet because like I say in the video I have more work to do on it and so I'll be showing them in a separate video. I DO regret not mentioning that there's some play in the hips when picking it up and putting it back down but I didn't because I find that in ALL kits. I can't say it feels fiddly at all because it's just not that complicated, it doesn't have a million moving armour pieces unlike a Unicorn which are FAR worse unless it's the MGEX Unicorn. It's a very well designed and just solid kit, it isn't as good as something like the GOAT the Sazabi or even the Nu Ver Ka (although it's been long enough since I built that that I'm not comfortable saying that for certain) because it's just simpler but it IS very very good. I also had MORE issues with it than you even, like the de-activated frame being opaque sucks and is stupid, it should just be like the MGEX's. And I had some criticisms of floppiness mid-build detracting from the fun a little. I specifically don't want to overrate kits because I am also a bit sick of every new Master Grade being THE best of all time until like a couple of years a later where the flaws finally get discussed and then even later down the line start to get completely underrated sometimes like the Nu Ver Ka. But on the flipside I also understand why they can be overhyped and it's because they DO deserve to be celebrated. In the grand scheme of things a Bandai kit is never BAD, not compared to "real" model kits that require full painting, gluing, seam line removal and come in just a few massive pieces. Not compared to something like the recently released Moderoid Thunderjaw which costs more/the same (depending on location) while completely relying on stickers with little parts separation and still for some ungodly reason gets the base plastic the wrong colour. Not compared to bootlegs, or bad third parties like the CuteCube Woundwart (which even as the worst Snap-kit I've built I would still tentatively recommend and have 2 of). Even compared to toys and action figures gunpla often has more articulation and is sturdier and more feature-rich. I also agree btw that the Zeta kind of sucks and I was so annoyed at it's announcement when we could have gotten ANYthing else and it's marketing as being super anime accurate while still looking NOTHING like the anime (the most accurate is still probably the PG). But THIS is a GOOD kit, it unfortunately could fairly easily have been better by just giving us a bit more but what it is is still good!