RG Zeong is a pretty fun model.
This is the first time I have built a RG (Real Grade) model. I have heard mixed things about this line of models, especially regarding how certain joints are weak. But I did hear good things about RG Zeong specifically, and the clear color version is pure eye candy, so I bought it right away when it got restocked. I bought it right away and then it sat untouched for months like all my other models. But I finished it today! It took about 18 hours.
Compared to the HG models that I built recently, the extra level of detail in this RG kit is immediately visible. Just look at runner E and notice all the extra pipes and things on both sides:
Honestly, a lot of these details aren't visible even with a transparent armor. For example, part E-21 will be completely covered by E-8 and E-12. And then there is this step that involves cutting a piece of wire to 85mm, and the result is barely visible unless you look at the underside at just the right angle. Even though not all the details will show through in the final completed build, they did make the build process more rewarding.
Since a lot of the details would have been invisible anyways, I might have been better off buying the regular RG Zeong and not the clear color special. The clear plastic makes the model harder to build, like, the material is literally harder to cut. About half of the parts in this kit are transparent, and half of those transparent parts contain undergates. I definitely spent a lot of time shaving those undergates flat. For the ones without undergates, it took a bit of patience to try to get them right the first time, since there is not much I can do to fix a bad cut.
As usual, the most troublesome part of the build are the stickers. But it's not nearly as bad as the tiny stickers in HG GQuuuuuuX, the stickers are generally easier to apply since they are mostly not on curved surfaces. They have roughly the same thickness some water slide decals, but they are actually stickers. Some of them don't show up too well against the transparent shell, but the metallic ones look really nice.
It's not obvious from these pictures but Zeong's in-universe size is larger than most other Gundam, so this model probably feels more like a Master Grade in terms of size, despite the 1/144 scale. The larger size probably made RG Zeong less prone to problems that plagued other RG models, and definitely helped making the building process more fun.
The summary said "RG Zeong is pretty fun", which is a bit different from saying "RG Zeong is pretty, and fun". The build process was definitely fun, whether the design looks pretty is more subjective. Zeong is famous for its initial appearance, where the engineer said "legs are just for show". The legless design does make the Zeong seem unbalanced, and all the extra thrusters just reminds me of a certain song from the 90s. The face is something of an acquired taste, but that's generally true of any Gundam. I thought it looked quite alright.
I think RG Zeong is a great model, and building it was definitely one of the better ways to spend 18 hours. I might think twice before getting another clear color model, but I wouldn't mind building this one again.
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