Entry Grade 1/144 Lah Gundam

This is the Entry Grade 1/144 Lah Gundam. A Gunpla Rio Hojo built using the RX-78-2 ENTRY GRADE model as a base. Primarily moveable areas such as the unit's shoulders, waist, and knees have been customized and while the scope of its alterations may be rather straightforward, they work to great effect. Using as many of the unit's basic elements as possible, this custom Gunpla aims to get the most out of the smallest amount of customizations, and the ease at which the ENTRY GRADE kit can be assembled makes it the perfect choice for a beginner like Rio. The Lah Gundam, its name inspired from the Hawaiian word meaning sun "La", spans specifications from the two iterations of the original Gundam: it has been reverted from the white and blue color scheme of the unit's prototype iteration, the Shisaku Ichigata; it features the reinforced joints of the Nigata; and houses other reinforcements and new weaponry seen on the Sangata. Much like its namesake, the Lah Gundam, thanks to the experimentation and careful construction of its creator, rises like the sun, shining brightly on his Gunpla battle journey.

Like any Entry Grade kit, this kit is a good choice for builders of all skill levels. The color separation nearly eliminates the need for any paint, but there are a few spots on this kit that do need paint to get it looking anime accurate. Even if you don’t add paint, it still looks awesome! It’s a really neat take on the classic RX-78-2, and actually comes with all the parts to make it into the RX-78-2 if you want to. The articulation is identical to the Entry Grade 1/144 RX-78-2 since that kit is the base of the build.
As far as problems go, this kit really only has a couple of minor ones. First, the arms have an annoying tendency to pop off the shoulder ball joint when you move them out too far. Luckily, the shoulders also have a hinge that increases the upward range of articulation. Plus, the arms pop back on really easily, so I don’t consider this a dealbreaker. The other issue is that the front skirt parts don’t seem to move up too much, which can get in the way of the forward movement of the legs.

All in all, this is a really fun kit to work on, and an excellent choice for beginners looking to get into the hobby. If you’re looking to get into the hobby, or you just want a fun kit to work on, I definitely recommend picking this one up.