Here are my thoughts on the kit...
I. The head
I'd have to say that the big appeal of the head is the fact that it looks like a normal man wearing a helmet, similar to the Aries in Gundam Wing. That being said, it was farily easy to do, construction-wise.
As expected these days, there is a provision for Badnai's MG light-up systems, set in the base of the neck and upper chest area.
II. Torso / Arms
1) The cockpit is simpler in terms of mechanics than the usual fiddly bits from other non-UC timeline kits. however, the way the upper chest plate locks into place actually makes opening the cockpit difficult. Given that there isn't much detail inside, this should be no problem - just deal the cockpit if you have no intentions of showing it off.
2) The torso now follows the modern construction where there is both a waist-mounted ball joint, and another joint in the midsection, for more posability. Construction, again, is amazingly simple. The shoulder mechanics may look confusing at first, but in terms of construction, again, very simple. The sad part is, unless you will show the kit off in extreme poses, you won't have much need for the superior shoudler joint articulation (hence why I didn't take photos of it...).
3) The arms also have simplified construction - to be honest I felt like I was assembling a larger version of an HGUC 1/144 kit. The hands, though, are the new super-posable ones. My advice? Get the 1/100 hand sets from Bandai and replace them. They're great for detail, but will be a nightmare in construction and painting.
4) The Jesta follows the asymmetrical load out logic that the Nu Gundam started for the arms, with a saber mount in the left forearm, and storage for three energy clips on the right.
5) Hip articulation includes the new rotating platform common in MG kits today. I personally think that this is a weakness, but so far, it looks sturdy enough - if you're not going to change the hip mount position. Unfortunately, if you want to do all the great kneeling or genuflecting positions, then you really have to reposition the peg holes in the circular hip platform.
III. Legs / Feet
1) I've already covered the hip joints in the Torso section, but here, my main beef is with the knees. If you look closely here in the first photo in this section, you'll notice that the joints can be popped out, extending clearance from knee joint to lower leg armor by roughly a centimeter. The next two photos will show exactly how much that affects mobility. I can honestly say.... why didn't they just redesign the armor? My only justification for this is that the skeleton may be used for another unit or variant kit (we'll be getting to that later).
2) the feet and ankle joints are a problem. If you want the kit to be displayed in a relaxed standing position, do make sure to add blue-tac or white glue to the joints. Otherwise, the kit will keel over one way or the other.
IV. Other Details, Part 1
1) If you're going to have grenade racks... well, to be fair, you could cut off the plastic parts that connect all three grenades together. I guess it's for stability, since it's very easy to lose grenade parts at that size.
2) Remember what I said that there could be variant kits? well, there is this swing-out part in the waist plate (see photo below, the left waist plate's top area) that is a confirmation of plans for a Jesta Cannon. I doubt the EWAC Jesta will come out, though.
That's all for now, and tune in for the second part of this review, coming soon!
ADDED: Click here for the second part of the review.
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