Review 04: MG 1/100 Sinanju ver Ka (TTH Brand)

I already have a Sinanju ver Ka (TTH) and it was badly built, then suffered a horrible destruction which I don't want to discuss.
And after Daban Model's announcement of their new kit, the Sinanju Stein, I took another box of Sinanju ver Ka (TTH) for the sake of my Gunpla review.



I had lots of issues with the older batch (It was my 1st MG and I don't have much experience in building back then). I am hoping for a better result with this one with all the things I've learned so far.

This is just a minor or short review of what you may encounter. Any other issues you have experienced here are not written and thus are welcome so it can give other modelers / builders a good head start before purchasing this kit.

. If there are any errors (spelling, grammar), please do mention them on the comments section. If there are also any errors on the terminologies used, please do correct me.

Unboxing:

I like Dragon Momoko (new kits) and Model Comprehend's box IMHO. But since these kits (TTH, Daban Model) are copied from Bandai, there are lots of changes applied. Take that "015" for example. This is a good clue if you are being tricked by a seller saying it's a Bandai kit. LOL

Of course it is very obvious if the kit is Bandai or not. But there are some, who are still new to this kind of hobby that are scammed or tricked saying they are of the same brand. This is very humiliating.

So for the newcomers, be sure to check the logo if it's Bandai. Other noticeable markings is the MG or HG logo, and there are no Chinese whatsoever texts written on the box. Always ask for second opinions when it comes to pricing. Being cautious helps a lot. 

I bought the Sinanju Stein (Daban Model) and you can compare the two which looks the same at some point.

Runners:

There are 22 runners in total with over 400 pieces.

Texture of the parts are a bit .. "sandy". Not as smooth or glossy compared to rival Daban Model. There were no warped or broken parts so that's a bit of a good news. No dust or oil on them too.
But there were excess flushes / plastic moldings you might need to trim first before building one by one.
Take note that this kit doesn't use any PC or Polycap parts.

Body Unit:

These are your body parts for the Unit (not sure if I have forgotten another part)
Trimming those tiny tubes were a real pain.

There were no issues on the body.
- Snap fitting is great
- No stress marks during building

Although, there were several tight female pegs you might want to check. I'm not sure if this is just an isolated case.
The female pegs for the arms can tilt / move outward for extreme poses; no issues and moves smoothly.

I used Artline 900XF but this is a pigment ink pen. So there's a tendency it will be erased if not dried properly. A member in GBP said to topcoat when using this kind of marker and it's the best way to keep the shiny quality.
Also, using Uni-ball Signo Gold is nice. Just let it dry for more than 4 days or you can just topcoat the thing.

Head Unit:

Very few compared to the other head unit's I've built.
Detailing is bad on that inner frame section.
Still, there were no snap fitting issues so it's fine for me.

Just a bit disappointed that I can not see the green eye clearly once it is complete.

Arm Unit:

Sorry I do not have a well-lighted area.
It's nice to see that Bandai designed it to have articulated manipulators (hands). Not that perfectly articulated, but it can still serve as a nice gimmick / feature to the kit. Credits for Bandai indeed.
It's a shame Unicorn did not receive such treatment though.

Detailing for the arms are nice. No warped parts, no stress marks. Snap fittings is good.

Upper Body Unit:

The upper body or shoulders have a very simple mechanism. Very straight forward.

I still do not like the texture of the plastic but the detailing made by Bandai makes up for it.
Wish Daban Model would make Sinanju ver Ka with a glossier finish.

Well, snap fitting is good and there were no tight parts or any other issues.

Sorry for the bad color of the thrusters. It was a bad decision for me to use Sharpie again. >_<

I decided to start with the shield markings so it can be dried early before I start assembling it.

I had lots of problem using Artline 900xf. It uses a 2mm felt tip so I had to use a small paint brush.
But my hands were shaky and this is the result.
I used the lighter fluid but it left a gold stain on it. Even with multiple swabs, the stain does not go off.
Fortunately, the rubber eraser saved me again and finished it off with a few more swabs to return that semi-glossy texture.

I'm going to continue cleaning this up. I need to take a rest. :)

It's not easy building outside with a small flashlight strapped to your forehead as the only light source.

Leg Unit:

I ran out of space so I build that 3 parts on top left. :P

No warped parts, no oil, no stain, no dust. Everything is good so far

My "own" way of painting ...
I do not know how to paint kits yet so this is my only skill so far to make the kit a little bit lively. > __>

Left here ..
I used Sharpie gold on the thrusters ..

Detailing is great and there were no stress marks. Snap fitting is also good - everything fits just fine.

Sorry for that nub visible marks though. :v

The rounded part behind the leg hinders its movement and can only bend that far (seen on image).

Waist Unit:

I think it's an isolated case where my "canula springs" are a bit rusty :v
I used a sandpaper (1800 grit) to remove the rust.

And so the curse of the redundant tubes continues to bring pain.

The only issue you might want to take note is the male peg connecting the spring. It tends to pop off. You might want to apply a thin layer of super glue on this one. Other methods might be possible just to keep it attached on the front skirts.

I used Sharpie Silver here by the way.

I didn't encounter any issues when it comes to snap fitting.Really good parts separation and the detailing made by Bandai is really nice. I used uni ball Signo for some extra minor detailing. 

Side Skirts:

Nothing unusual here on the side skirts. Parts separation was nicely done by Bandai. On TTH's side, there are no snap fitting issues.

And that's the end of Day 1.

The red looks great because of the camera's flash. O_O

Backpack Unit:

Checking the parts that you will use on the backpack unit. I saw some flushes or excess plastic molds on the pegs and several edges. You might want to trim them. Good news is that there were no warped or broken parts.

I forgot Full Frontal and removed him from the runner :3 

Just hang in there sonny. I'm almost done. :)

Okay I'm done. The backpack features a gimmick where you can pull the white part so that the upper and lower armor will slide outwards. Although, it's a little bit tight.

I'm glad there are no other issues here compared to my old Sinanju. Probably just my own fault since I do not know much before on DOs and DONTs.

Just a reminder that there were several tight sections/pegs here in the backpack unit.

Now testing on articulation when all of them are together.
Legs can be stretched out this far (Left). The long side skirts hinders it, but it's not much of an issue.

Arms can be bent inward and there are no hindrance, thanks to that connector that can be tilted outward from the body unit.

Weapon Unit:

I would like to apologize that I didn't provide any images for the finished rifle, These includes the other equipment for Sinajnu. I have personal issues that came up and I have to attend to the matter quickly.

Completed Model:

I was sick during this time and I can not stand up properly. And these images was taken the first day after that incident.

So yeah, what if the two comets collide? :D 

I do not have a decent photobooth but I'm proud of what I have now.

I will add the dry transfer some other time. It will take a while since Sinanju ver Ka have lots of rounded portions.

Plastic Quality: 6.5/10
I'm not saying it's really that bad but it's not good either. Color is not that glossy and plastic halfway to being "brittle".

Snap Fitting: 8/10
Knowing TTH, it's quite rare in my own opinion to fit parts just fine. I guess TT Hongli's Sinanju ver Ka have something to show off.

Articulation: 7.5/10
Well because of the spiky design, some movements are restricted or limited. It doesn't come as a big issue on my side and it still looks great.

Gimmicks: 6.5/10
The side thrusters can be pulled up or down, and move it sideways. The manipulators are articulated and the backpack unit shares a nice gimmick as well. But aside from these factors, it felt like the kit lacks of few points for this section.

Extras: 4/10Just the extra waterslide decal for the gold markings. Nothing more to show here unless I missed something. :/

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

My rating this time is lower compare to the same review I did on our facebook page. I had to review the sections thoroughly. If you want to get Sinanju ver Ka and you have a good budget, then go aim for Bandai.
But if you want to test your painting skills and avoid ruining the Bandai one, they try this kit for the meantime.
I'm not saying that this kit should be bought by those who want to paint. Even straight builders can try TTH's Sinanju ver Ka, especially those who do not have "deep pockets".

I hope this short review can help those who want to try this kit. Any negative comments or positive comments are welcome. I will follow up more updates on my blog once I got the time. :)