Today we will take a look at an obscure item from this long dead 1:350-scale figure series that has been something of a holy grail of mine. Most of the Gsight figures are pretty rare these days but not completely gone. The first three retail sets are usually the easiest to come across, then the latter three, volumes IV to VI becomes increasingly difficult to stumble upon. Then we had some oversized one-offs that are also very rare and then as an afterthought perhaps, the two "Spektrum" sets, one for Zeon and one for the E.F.F. The Feddie set tat we will examine here is one of the last signs of life from the Gsight brand and was released back in October 2004.
The figures are hidden away in these bodybag type bags within Gacha capsules. While I don't have any examples of the capsules themselves I would expect them to be the same type of opaque coloured plastic capsules used by earlier incarnations of the Gsight series.
Each black bag contains further plastic bags and/or loose parts. The figures seen here were pre-opened to some extent by a previous owner so there may be some minor differences to how they were originally shipped, the GP02A Physalis for example was missing any inner bag completely.
Here we see the twelve figures laid out next to their accessories as they come out of the box. As ususal, this is not a complete breakdown of each figure's components but an idea of how they figures will look when they come out of the original packaging. Unlike the common Gsight figure series the Spektrum sets do not contain alternate colour figures, there is only one variant of each figure to collect.
For a basic understanding of the Gsight Spektrum anatomy we can look closer at this Blue Destiny Unit 02. Articulation is a bit limited and differs from figure to figure, sometimes the pegs are round and sometimes they are shaped to go only one way.
RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam
Following the order of the booklet we start things off with the unmistakeable black and white Protoype Gundam. It comes in a somewhat unusual pose with both hands grabbing a peculiar looking weapon that I assume is the XBR-M79-04G Beam Rifle although the likeness is pretty poor so it may well be another weapon I am not familiar with. You can see that the legs on my figure are really bent but the clear stand that clips to the right ankle really helps and isn't too intrusive to look at. The shield is worn on the back and is not intended to be attached to the arm.
The Gundam comes with a tracked vehicle that has two extended arm options to pick from. One looks like an elevator to the cockpit section while the other resembles a target practice marker of some type. I'm sure this thing has featured in a manga or TV-series somewhere but I don't recognize it myself. It is a highly useful accessory for all sorts of Gsight-dioramas.
RX-78-2 Gundam
Next up we have the real Gundam in a very classic and static display, that lets it show off a variety of weaponry. There is no shortage of RX-78-2 Gundams in the Gsight series (including various exotic non-canon colour variations) but this is a very good looking example.
The figure comes with the V-project transport trailer and while it doesn't really lie down flat on the trailer you can remove the shield and rotate the arms and legs to a slightly flatter looking mode. When viewed from above it looks much more convincing than from the side. Notice how the trailer even has a little clear plastic piece in place of the crew cabin which is a really nice touch.
RX-78-3 Gundam G3
Half of the figures in this set are grounded while the other half is flying (through space). The G-3 Gundam here comes in a forward-leaning pose armed with dual Hyper Bazookas as well as two beam rifles, one attached to each hip. I have never seen this configuration before and I think I prefer the variant you see more commonly with a single beam rifle stored on the back of the skirt armour. The pose is a bit awkward because the suit really wants to lean forward horizontally and so the face will be staring downwards to the side. One of the least convincing poses from this set in my opinion.
FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam
Indeed every figure in this set is a Gundam. Here we have the Full Armor variant in a very greyish looking olive green, the FA-78-1 is usually portrayed in more vivid greens than this but I think it looks pretty realistic. I much prefer this "standing while freefloating" pose than the dynamic flight mode of the G-3 since it lets the figure interact better with others when setting up a little display scene.
FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam (blue)
While there are no hidden colour variations of the figures in Spektrum, two of the figures are pretty much clones in different colour schemes. The blue-coloured FA-78-1 sometimes shows up as an official E.F.S.F. variant and sometimes refers back to the old Plamo-Kyoshiro manga. This figure has a muted grey colour option for sections that we are used to see painted white but it does give it a more realistic feel.
Here are the two FA-78s next to each other and except for the paint scheme the two are identical. By the way, I should point out that the figure's bases that resemble asteroid surfaces also come with a smaller asteroid rock that is intended to be thread on to the same clear peg to resemble a rock floating between the larger asteroid and the figure's feet. The smaller rocks can all be seen on the parts photos at the start of the review and each floating figure has the exact same set-up. This looks pretty silly in my opinion and the fit is really tight and so I decided I didn't want to mess with it.
RX-79[G]Ez-8 Gundam Ez8
The ground-based Ez8 with its designation reminiscent of the Sherman Easy Eight main battle tank is up next in one of the best poses from the entire Gsight series. Some of the figures in the Spektrum II set come with multiple weapons and I wouldn't have minded seeing an optional arm holding a 100mm machine gun too.
Now, here is something I have never seen in a figure before; how about I'll just take my left arm and beat you silly with it? Also included is an all-black torso of a Zaku that has seen better days.
RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 01
The Blue Destiny Gundam family is very well represented here with one figure each for the three main units. Unit 01 has a similar feel to it like the Ez8, except it is armed with a machine gun and looks more confused than aggressive. The colour scheme is a bit muted (and more realistic) the only thing I am missing is the "01" designation on its left shoulder. it is a quick fix with a pen if you have a steady aim of course.
Unit 01 also mimics the Ez8 by being the second of only two figures in this set to come with downed Zeon mobile suits. This time we have the all-black torso of a Gouf. If you put a little bit of effort into painting some detail on these I bet they could look really convincing, as it stands they are a bit flat.
RX-79BD-3 Blue Destiny Unit 03
For Unit 03 we go back into space and a pose that would be difficult to repurpose into any landbased diorama. The figure has a nicely painted shield although the beam rifle could have used a little bit of additional colour too. Such detail is generally reserved to celebrity suits only such as the Freedom Gundam. There are by the way only Universal Century suits in the Gsight line-up so we won't be seeing any Freedom here. Again, the iconic unit designation "03" is missing from the left shoulder. Although tempting I don't think I dare dabble with these rare figures, perhaps if I come across a second copy in the future though...
RX-79BD-2 Blue Destiny Unit 02 (Nimbus Schterzen Custom)
The Unit 02 figure comes painted in its Zeon-repurposed colour scheme and that makes it one of two figures in this set that are not Earth Federation use but it feels natural to include it here anyway (the other one is the GP02A Physalis). The painting standard of this figure is great and shows that additional detail is not an impossible feat even for these smaller type of Gashapon figures. Look closer at its face for example. From a sculpt-point of view this figure is pretty much identical to the Unit 03 figure.
RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1 "Alex"
Next up in this set of derivative Gundams we come across the NT-1 better known as the Alex. This is actually the fourth RX-78 family member which messes with my perception when it comes to the RX-78-4 Gundam Unit G04. The Alex has two very distinctive 90mm Gatling Guns hidden inside its arms (an engineering feat to be sure) and we get option parts to represent both of them, the figure has been sculpted around the Gatling but other weapons look really good when in use too.
The figure comes with an optional right arm wielding a beam saber and an optional backpack with only one beam saber hilt in place. This is neat but I would have preferred an additional beam rifle option in its place and the lack of the iconic shield is also a bit disappointing. We also get this neat little truck, I can't remember exactly but I do believe it belongs to the Side 6 colony militia.
RX-78GP01 Gundam GP01 "Zephyrantes"
The last battle-pair in this set are the main rivals from Stardust Memory. The GP01 appears caught in a defensive action as it staggers backwards looking for a chance to regain the initiative. Again we have a very nice paint scheme with a lot of colour applications such as the tiny red lines on the knees or the two V-insignias on the front armour.
The basic pose of the GP01 is a bit underwhelming but if you switch out the accessories it suddenly looks much more dangerous. The beautiful shield has excellent painting detail and even the beam rifle has some optics painted onto it.
RX-78GP02A Gundam GP02 "Physalis"
The Physalis is a massive hulk with oversized arms, feet, shoulder boosters and of course the unique shield. The shield usually brings some concerns for figure designers as it is typically rather heavy and often times figure poses see it being held forward so that it can rest on the ground. Unlike the dynamic pose of the GP01, the Physalis looks clumsy and barely able to move. No option part is provided for its nuclear bazooka and so you have to make do with its rear half attached to the shoulder (you can see the front section of the weapon attached to the back side of the shield). Once again, stellar paint scheme with lots of finely applied markings, the shield does steal the show here.
Bring the pain, gentlemen! While I do prefer the look of equipping a beam rifle in general, at least this pair of duelling figures works quite well.
Conclusion
All in all, the Spektrum series adds a lot of flair to your Gsight collection and rounds out the mobile suit rosters very well. To me, Gsight has always been about ground combat (and mass-production types fighting each other) so the flying units feel a bit out of place to me but other than that the list of unique suits on offer here is pretty much essential.
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