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This is the Bandai EX Model of the Red Tail mono carrier from the anime Cowboy Bebop. If you enjoy anime, Sci-Fi, or just plaing good TV, I highly recommend this series. Go watch it. Now.
Back? Ok, on with the review.
The kit is molded in gray and purple, and though the detail is fairly soft, it appears to be generally accurate to the images shown in the tv series. The fit is fantastic, and I was able to get the major sub-assemblies to fit together snugly without using glue. The sub-assemblies, of course, such as the clamshell upper fuselage, engine bell, outrigger pods, etc., did need glue, but again, fit was excellent. This model includes a seated Faye Valentine figure for the cockpit. She's as curvy as the Red Tail herself! Since the cockpit is mostly canopy "glass", I chose to spend a bit more time on painting and detailing. I added a few bits of wire for handles that were shown in a Bebop artbook, and made sure that the figure was properly painted.
The biggest pain in the butt was the canopy. The top and bottom halves of the central sections have large interlocking bits of plastic tabbing that sit right in front of the pilot. I had to cut these tabs off, then sand down the nubs flush and try my best to buff and polish the damage away. It is supposed to be clear glass, so it's tricky. Lots and lots of Novus and Future. The final result was pretty decent, actually.
After spending a fair amount of time painting and assembling this kit, I was rather disappointed by the final result. The assembly was spot-on, but the color was...off. The color of the plastic and the box art combined to alter my perceptions of what the color of the Red Tail should be. Though there's some argument to that point, the generally accepted color is somewhere between a light grey and powder blue. Mine is purple. Gads. So, when I visited Tokyo and found the Club-M version, I traded up by plunking down $60 for the new kit and selling the Bandai kit on eBay for about $36. When I finish THAT version, I'll replace the contents of this page with whatever I have for the Club-M version. If I stay on schedule, that should be sometime in August of 2008. Stay tuned.
