GBT#3-Gundam GP01Fb Zephyranthes Full Burnern

I have mixed feelings about Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.  From a production and animation standpoint, it’s one of the best looking entries in the entire Gundam franchise.  The mechas look incredible and the action is on a scale that feels even bigger than Char’s Counterattack.  When it comes to the characters bogging down the story, that’s where the Anime really stumbles and falls on its face.  BUT we’re not here to talk about that (you can check out my reviews from 2017 if you’re curious).  We’re here to talk Gunpla Builds and today we’re looking at one of my all time favs.  While the base model of the GP01 looks ok but is otherwise, eh, the Full Burnen upgrade is the Gundam I most associate with Gundam 0083.  Those boosters alone give a real fighter jet vibe keeping with the Top Gun inspired aesthetic of the OVA.  Naturally, the Gundams I love the most are the Gunpla I’m most excited to build.  So how did it go crafting the legend with my own two hands?

 
Suit History

Three years after the One Year War in UC0083, the Earth Federation completes two new Gundam Mobile Suits: the Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes & Gundam GP02A Physalis, the latter of which is equipped with a nuclear warhead.  Remnant Zeon forces of the Delaz Fleet steal the GP02 and escape to space, pursued by the Federation Battleship Albion.  Ensign Kou Uraki is assigned to pilot the GP01 but his recklessness causes the Gundam to barely survive a brutal space battle.  The GP01 is brought to Von Braun City on the Moon where Anahheim Electronics reconstructs and refits the ruined Gundam into the Gundam GP01Fb Zephyranthes Full Burnern, with added armor and thrusters that can allow it to survive the rigors of space combat.  Uraki is once again assigned to the Gundam and engages with it in several skirmishes.  The Full Burnen’s time in battle is rather brief as during the Battle of Kompei Island (formerly the Zeon Fortress Solomon), Uraki and the Full Burnen clash with the GP02 and it’s pilot, Zeon Ace Anavel Gato.  Unlike their previous encounters, the Full Burnen allows Uraki to keep up with Gato’s Gundam and the two fight each other to a draw.  Both men survive the duel however both of their Mobile Suits are destroyed in the process.

 

Build Experience

As one of my favorite Gundam designs in the franchise, I was really looking forward to putting this one together.  And yet it ended becoming one of the most frustratingly underwhelming builds Ive done to date.  The body work is just fine, all of the colors are as they should be and once assembled, the Full Burnen does look pretty cool.  As an added bonus, you can also build its custom Core Fighter separately so you can have them both in the same shot.  But it lack a lot of the flourish that comes with most other Gunpla, especially in regards to decals.  Besides the standard eyes, the only decal adhesion spots are at the knees and on the shield.  There aren’t any smaller green squares or rectangles for sensors, which feels like a standard inclusion for most Gunpla.  And there isn’t a red sticker for the targeting scope on the beam rifle?  I don’t think I’m missing any sticker collections from opening the box, so wtf?  Also, and this really irked me more than anything…well besides a couple of smaller parts that wouldn’t stick and me breaking one of the beam saber handles on the Core Fighter so I just left them alone.  The Beam Saber is freaking white?  I know I shouldn’t be miffed about this because I have TONS of Beam Sabers and could easily spare one for the Full Burnen.  Still, this Gunpla is lacking in several standard features and it deserves better since it’s arguably the coolest looking mecha in Gundam 0083, sure as hell better than its base GP01 Model from the beginning of the series.

 Conclusion/Rating

Truth be told, if you look at this, you can hardly see anything missing from the Full Burnen but if you build it, the absences cant be ignored.  Those little extra flourishes and extra decals could make a pretty decent build even better.  I’m glad that the Full Burnen looks solid enough and you have the Core Fighter at its side instead of having to pop off the cockpit so the extra thruster backpack can attach.  But yeah, this is kind of a let down.  I should just be happy that construction wise, this wasn’t the roughest build I’ve worked on and it all came together surprisingly well (again save for a couple of tinier bits I’m just gonna leave off cause I’m lazy).  Maybe if I find a Master Grade model of this one, all of the required and extra pieces that can make the GP01 Full Burnen really pop might be included, I’ll have to think about that (if a Master Grade of it even exists, probably does).
 
6/10 

Next week we go back in time three years to the end of the One Year War for a Gunpla Build of a Gundam I think is seriously underrated in the franchise.  Seriously, are we ever going to acknowledge that this thing was meant for Amuro Ray and a non Newtype pilot managed to kick some major ass with it?  See you Next Thursday for more Gunpla Builder Thursday right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.