Bandai Hobby MG Jesta Model Kit, 8"

Great detail. Very satisfying build.Build experience/Positives:I had a unique experience with this build, because I did a complete repaint. Because of this, the joints are all a little over-tight (I'm going to avoid painting joint pegs and what-not in the future for this reason). The joints most effected by this are the mounting points for the shoulder armor and the hip pegs. I can definitely tell the difference in quality between this kit and the last "non-grade" gunpla I did, almost just from the joint design. There are a lot fewer rubber joints, which tend to stretch and no longer hold poses well, and instead use very strong plastic-on-rubberized-plastic joints instead.This is a very straightforward set, with not too many gimmicks or weapons, but it looks so fantastic just standing there doing nothing that I don't mind at all. The little extendo-arm for the shield is a little goofy in my opinion, but it does work well.It's big and heavy, which is great, because it makes it feel very stable and solid. This actually helps the ankles, which are loose in certain directions, but not in a way that destabilizes the model at all. Part of the ankle mechanism sits in a little seat where it's free to move around, but still support the model.I would recommend, for others out there thinking of doing full repaints of gunpla, to use a plastic-specific paint to prime the model, because regular primer won't work super well, especially on the legs (experienced model painters out there are probably reading this and saying, "Duh. Everybody knows that, moron"). The leg armor fits so incredibly tightly together that if you don't have super-tough paint on there, it may scrape off a little as you press the armor on. But, I wanted the texture automotive primer would give the surface, so I'm okay with the troubles I went through. I was able to hide most of the problems with the weathering anyway.Scary things:All the joints work well, though it is slightly terrifying loosening up all the tiny finger joints. Be very careful but don't panic if they pop out, because they pop right back in. I also recommend just leaving the little hand-item-lock-levers open in the hands, unless you're specifically posing with the palm of the hand visible (which most of the time it won't be), because it's also terrifying trying to pry that lever back out (I had to pull the hand off of the arm to do it). If you don't know what I'm talking about, it will make sense once you get the model and look at the hands and gun and beam sword. It's how the hands can hold things while having such flexible fingers.(that said, I couldn't really get both hands to hold the rifle the way a human being would hold a rifle. Despite the shoulders being very flexible, the chest is just too big. It just looks silly when you finagle the hands into the right position to hold it with both)If you get a hold of one of the little disk-shaped lighting units for the glowing eye visor, they don't really fit quite right. It will still fit in there and work, but it forces a slat of plastic to stretch awkwardly. Maybe it's because I'm using a green light, and you're supposed to use a red one? I dunno. As with other gunpla, it's a minor hassle getting to the light unit to turn it off and on, but not that huge a deal. Pulling the backpack backward pulls the head and head mounting point out as a single piece, giving you access, and it goes back on without too much trouble.

This model is a fun and easy build. It took me 3 days to build but it could be done in a lot less time as I worked on it for a few hours each day. It was my first Master Grade model and honestly it wasn't that bad. I built only four other models so far with 2 being HG and 2 being Entry grade, this switch to a higher grade wasn't too bad it just took a bit longer to build.Most people complain about the hands but I didn't find them too bad, it seems like the hands vary in quality from model to model. Some people say they fall apart from the slightest touch while I found mine to be perfectly fine. But if you do somehow break the hands you could probably find some spares or pre-built hands online.The biggest problem I had with this model is the little yellow insignia on the groin area. It was probably the hardest part to put in because its such a small piece that has a little nub that needs to go into a very small hole. It wasn't complicated but since I couldn't get a grip on it using my tweezers or fingers I had to put some adhesive onto my finger to put it in easier. It's not so much a design problem because its a to scale model it can't be any bigger than it already is.The model over all was amazing and fun to build and was extremely posable plus its weapons are amazing and it has a lot of detail but isn't too hard to build.

My first MG was the Tallgeese EW, which by the end of it left me dissatisfied with the build experience and had me considering just sticking with HG for the cost factor. Figured I'd give this one a go and it dawned on me that the Tallgeese was a step and a half above where I was at and Jesta took me by the hand and gave me hope again with it's awesome quality. Very sturdy, everything stays in place where it should. Stickers are simple and so are the water slides which were perfect for learning. Nothing overly complex but still intricate enough to keep busy. Would suggest this to everybody stepping into Master Grade. 10/10. Gives you exactly what it says it's going to.

To kick off this review, I would like to just say how flipping cool this set is when it it completed (especially if you add all the necessary decals which is like only 20 and of course, and LED!!!!)For the weapons/armaments, you get one beam rifle with scope, silencer, and 4 clips (magazines) in all! You also get a backpack and a shield which can be positioned on the side or in the back of the suit! Last but not least, you get a beam saber (it comes with 2 clear saber parts but only one hilt) and some grenades on the waist of this suit!Besides having epic weapons, this guy also has some very nice features! For starters you can put a variety of weapons in his hands due to the fact the hands are standard MG hands (each finger moves independently) and on the hands, they have a little piece that can slide down and stick into the hand to it has a tighter grip on the weapon (quick tip: I suggest not folding the part in since it is a PAIN to get it out again). It also has some what I would call 'adjusters' on the legs which can actually make the suit taller especially if your posing it on a display base.To end with, the set comes with clear parts for the visor and the scope which is really nice and the LED compartment is pretty easy to get into. All you have to do is flip the backpack up and it simply pops out with the head and the backpack in one piece! The LED will try and give you some annoyance, but it is all worth the trouble to see this guy SHINE!So, if you are looking for a very clean suit with a fairly smooth build and amazing detail, I would totally suggest this to any Gunpla fan!Also, this won't affect the stars since a. it was not a primary sticker and b. it doesn't bother me that much personally but I will leave it at that. I actually got a damaged decal upon opening the plastic which sucks, but they gave plenty of more stickers/rub on decals to make me reconsider their mistake hehe.