エくシア、目標駆逐する Exia, Exterminating Targets

With all the Dry Transfer Decals and Clear Stickers applied on the final product, Exia Ignition Mode looks incredibly cool with the markings and all, adding depths to its overall physique...

The new clear stickers also able to withstand much of my brute force during posing, staying intact unlike the ancient clear stickers as seen on the older MG kits that tends to rip off easily and stands out too much after application...

I especially adore those blue stripes markings on the stark white outer armour pieces as well as the weaponry... :3 Kinda reminds me of the decal whore that is Version KA kits... X3

Now let's have a look at some of the features on the weaponry and the lower body of the Mobile Suit... For a look at upper body instead please step in here... ^3^

GN Shield has a minor side extending gimmick, which doesn't quite makes sense to me as it doesn't get any broader than that... o.0 Unless it spits out Beam Shield after the extension, then it's another story... *_*

There is a mechanism on the GN Sword which allows its rifle gun to be holstered near the shield part when not in use. However, whilst nice to the eyes, this makes the whole weapon a little unsteady on Exia's arm as the GN Sword is connected onto the arm with only a small connector...

Incorporated on most of the latest of the MG Gunpla kits, Exia too possess the adjustable pelvic joints, allowing you to move the calves up and down individually at a certain range on both sides of the legs, helping you to do the otherwise impossible poses... ^_^

Instead of parts swapping as seen on the 1/100 version, MG Exia has a built in sliding dock at each side of its hips, allowing GN Long Blade and GN Short Blade to be safely attached at the hips... However once docked the blades kinda in the way of the legs during posings...

Unfortunately, disappointment assured at the knee area, which is pretty much a direct copy of the 1/100 version... -_- And here I was thinking they might improve the range of bending at the knees when I was assembling the 1/100 Exia Trans Am Extra Finish Version moons ago...

Further down, you'll notice the double joints ankle as well as the inclusion of the toe joint as seen on RX-78-2 Gundam Version 2.0... :3

Due to the lack of armour pieces hindering the joints, one can actually bend Exia's foot at an absurd angle! XD However, the toe joint does nothing much as the movement range around the whole foot is kinda restrictive...

Exia kidou shimashita! Action pose galore! ^_^ A sense of déjà vu at some of the posings... XD

Omake time! :3 Conversion in progress...

Stripping the parts (Quite a lot of the armour pieces are jettisoned... >_<) and swapping with RE parts, this Ignition Mode package offers the option to switch the normal Exia into its Second Season appearance Exia Repair. I'm pretty much prefers this version more than the original or the later Repair 2 (RE2) version... A great excuse to showoff the MG's inner frame as well... XD

A couple of complains tho. Bandai should have make the mantle soft rubber instead of semi hard PVC... Just doesn't feel right... >,< On the other hand, parts swapping process are too much of a chore. Why didn't they include parts for the whole head instead of just a cheek plate?

Anyways, Exia RE's overall physique reminds me of a character in a classic Jin Yong's Wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes... The protagonist Yang Guo also lost one of his arms during the course of the story... :)

Looking at Exia RE's face, two things came into my thoughts... Terminator (Hence TerminExia... XD) and Two-Face (Harvey Dent, a villain in Batman comic/movie/animated series)... :D