Gunpla Build - High Grade Methuss (Final)

This wasn’t a perfect build, but despite the inconsistent paint job, the seamlines, etc, I can’t help but look at this model and think:

“Wow … I did that”

It’s not a universal truth, but I find that a lot of older, pre-2010 High Grades like this one still have good bones, and if you put in enough effort, they wind up looking fantastic.

This is also one of those cases where building the Gunpla made me appreciate the mobile suit design even more.

While the middle torso still looks frighteningly fragile, the rest of the body is quite a bit bulkier than I realized. With a bit of new armor and some better gear, I could easily see this prototype being turned into a sleek, fast, and lethal Mobile Armor.

But as it stands, the Methuss is a lovably awkward looking thing. I love the juxtaposition between the wide lower leg and the thin, spindly upper leg, or between the wide, boxy wrists and the long, curved shoulders. It’s a design that screams “I’m a work in progress”, and I wish more mobile suits had that kind of vibe.

Action Poses

Being an older model - and also by virtue of being such an awkward shape - the articulation on the Methuss is not stellar. It’s one of those kits where most of the joints can’t bend more than 90 degrees, and even if they could, the armor would probably get in the way:

*This is about as good as you’re going to get from the leg*

As such, I only took a handful of action shots.

*Due to where the pistols are positioned, the Methuss can’t lift them up and point them straight ahead without rotating the entire shoulder upward as well. It makes for awkward firing poses*

*There’s so much great detail underneath this hatch. It’s a shame that it’s so hard to see*

*Flip the nosecone around and you can vaguely replicate Macross Valkyrie in Gerwalk Mode*

It would have been pretty fun if I could actually equip all six beam sabers, but instead I had to settle for just one:

Transformation

Yes, technically speaking, the Methuss’ transformation gimmick is simple; so simple, in fact, that it can transform without any parts swapping.

But in this case “simple” doesn’t mean “silly”. It’s not like some of the Gundam Wing transformations where you simply twist the torso around and cover the head up with a shield. It’s actually rather clever, and in the end it looks quite good.

You start by flipping the nose cone forward, bending the arms at a 90 degree angle, and swinging the legs back;

*And don’t forget to point the toes too*

The only odd thing about this is that you also have to remove the holding hands. It’s the only part of the transformation that’s ugly, as you wind up with two big holes where the hands should be.

Now we get to the interesting part. To finish the transformation, you have to bend knee backward until the leg moves all the way up and forward. When you do it right, the long flaps on the back of the leg will plug into the back of the shoulder armor:

If you look closely, you can see just how far the upper leg/knee has moved relative to the previous photo. You really have to get it up in there, and also make sure that everything folds up neat and compact.

When you do, you wind up with one of the nicest looking Mobile Armor transformations I’ve ever seen:

Even from below:

*I ended up removing the head during the transformations. Not for cosmetic reasons, but because it kept the nosecone from moving as far down as I wanted.*

*There’s those holes where the hands should be. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but they’re definitely noticeable.*

I think it manages to look like an actual, dedicated fighter craft, and not just a mobile suit that’s folded up in on itself:

This is definitely a case where “simple” is also beautiful.

Comparison with the ZII

Since the Methuss is the mother of so many transformable mobile suits, I wanted to get some pictures alongside one of her “sons”, the ZII:

It’s interesting that despite having the transformation mechanism, the only thing they really share visually is that their nosecones are behind their heads. Beyond that, the ZII looks far more like the Zeta than the Methuss. This is in stark contrast to the ReZel, which is also based on the Methuss, but looks much more like its parent:

It’s just an interesting observation is all. Now for some funny photos:

Darling, are you eating enough? Your face looks so thin
Mom, stop, you’re embarrassing me

*Stealing her son’s weapon so she can #bossbabe it up*

Now let’s compare them transformed:

There are definitely some similarities. The shape and position of the nosecones, the position of the legs, and the fact that in both cases the shoulder armor rests above the legs.

They even similar vents on their backsides:

They’re also both fairly compact:

While the literal transformation process for the two models is very different, the final result is not. They definitely look like a pair:

Conclusion

It was a long build, and often a challenging one at that. And the finished product is far from perfect.

But overall it was a still good build, the kind that reminds me why I love this hobby. Not every model needs to be painted or completely overhauled, but sometimes you can really bring one to life with enough love and elbow grease.