Narrative Gundam C-Packs Ver.Ka
Product Information
📋 RX-9/C
🇯🇵 ナラティブガンダム C装備 Ver.Ka
🇬🇧 Narrative Gundam C-Packs Ver.Ka
🛠️ Master Grade Ver.Ka 1/100
💬 Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative
💸 ¥7,700
⏰ April 27, 2024
🛍️ General Retail
Originally developed as a psycho-frame test machine, it was modified by the Luo Chamber of Commerce and deployed in Operation “Phoenix Hunt". C-Packs is a hastily developed specification incorporated into the RX-O series' psycho-frame exterior, and does not exist in the original plan.
Details
Twin Camera Eye
The twin camera eyes and sensor section are made of multi-layered 3D metallic stickers. The details have been drawn in to create a three-dimensional effect.
Psycho-Frame
By adjusting the thickness of the clear parts and carving details not only on the surface. but also on the back and sides of the parts. the reflection of the glass looks like crystal glass depending on the angle of view.
Core Block / Core Fighter / Core Block System
The nose block is rotated from the core block form, and the folded main wings are deployed to transform into a bird-like core fighter.
Movable legs
The knee pads and fin-like parts on the back of the knee move in conjunction with the knee joint movement. The fin-like parts sink into the interior to secure space and allow for deeper bending of the knees.
C-Packs NT-D Unactivated State
A gray psycho-frame that does not activate NT-D is also included. The shield can be mounted on the backpack and the beam rifle on the waist.
Interview: Katoki Hajime
From a Narrative and Plastic Point of View
The movie “Mobile Suit Gundam NT," released in theaters in 2018, takes place one year after “Mobile Suit Gundam UC.” How did Katoki, the mechanical designer, tackle the Narrative Gundam and incorporate it into this Ver.Ka?
When Mr. Katoki began the design work for the Narrative Gundam, the production side presented an image of the main character's mobile suit.
Katoki: I remember that at the meeting, the following were mentioned: “It is not a new model," “It has a psycho-frame and is neither a 𝝂Gundam nor a Unicorn Gundam," “It is not a machine with a full psycho-frame," and “It is not for combat use." Also, due to the screen design, it was required to be about 20 meters tall and “look skinny" so that it would not be buried by the surrounding MS. Taking these requirements into consideration, the Narrative Gundam was built up from a starting point of being an “experimental machine that had finished its role and was lying in a warehouse."
The body of the Narrative Gundam, which was produced before the 𝝂Gundam in the development lineage, gives the impression of a lineage that continues on to the 𝝂Gundam, and the exposed parts of the frame, such as the thighs and upper arms, give the impression of slimness in addition to being a test machine that was not used in actual combat. It is also characterized by the fact that the core block, which was not used in the 𝝂Gundam or Unicorn Gundam, is housed in the body (and is exposed, like the former 1/100 scale RX-78-2 Gundam). The main wings of the transformed core fighter are reminiscent of the wings of a bird, a motif that appears many times in the work.
Katoki: I referenced the design line of the core fighter of the ZZ Gundam. Their eras are quite close, after all, and I really like the ZZ core fighter. Also, I have long thought that if core fighters were required to have better cruising performance in the atmosphere, they could have wings with a high aspect ratio (elongated wing shape), but in Narrative Gundam, the director (Shunichi Yoshizawa) requested a "bird motif," and the long wings fit the bill nicely. The gimmick of folding the spring is also a fun thing to check in the plastic model.
In the film, the Narrative Gundam was converted to A, B, and C-Packs, but the C-Packs, with the psycho-frame for the Unicorn Gundam attached as an exterior, was irregular equipment, not originally intended for the capture of Phenex.
Katoki: The fact that the C-Packs is a hastily made product with a psycho-frame forcefully attached is a setting that came from the necessity of the story, but I thought it would be interesting to take advantage of this and attach the Unicorn's psycho-frame (even from a plastic model standpoint) directly to the Narrative. This is something I thought of when I was designing the anime. The C-Packs can be added after the body is assembled, which is in line with the story, and can be changed after the plastic model is completed. The fact that the psycho-frame, which can be changed even after completion, can be assembled by exchanging the runner of MG Unicorn with the runner of MG Unicorn is also in line with the setting of Narrative. Playing with the Unicorn kit and the timeless interchangeability of parts is one of the themes we have challenged with this Ver.Ka.
MG Unicorn Gundam Ver. Ka was first sculpted in 2007, and its psycho-frame was made of a light-concentrating clear material that emitted light when illuminated with a special light. 2014's PG Unicorn Gundam and 2020's MGEX Unicorn Gundam emitted light through electric decoration. This Ver. Ka goes back to the starting point of three-dimensional objects and aims to achieve a variety of expressions by increasing the density of the modeling.
Katoki: C-Packs psycho-frame has sculpted parts not only on the surface but also on the back and sides. Usually in plastic molding, details are carved only on the surface, called the cavi-face, but we tried to create a sparkling effect like that of a whiskey glass, so we added details and polish to the other surfaces as well to give the clear parts a sense of depth. This kit also includes an assortment of runners with a gray psycho-frame that is not activated (glowing), but this runner is molded in the same mold as the Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka. The gray psycho-frame has appeared many times in the anime, but it has never been molded into a plastic model. This is one of the things we really wanted to do this time.
The two types of C-Packs psycho-frames can be replaced on the MG Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka, and vice versa. Narrative Gundam awakened at the climax of the anime, and changed to a matching blue color with Phenex. The ability to customize the stock and enjoy the model in different ways is a testament to the depth of the model.
