The Gorgeous Rui [Load Galax by Gouhondou]

Hi everyone!

I finally felt ready for one more garage-kit post this year, though not a year-end roundup yet, because I'm planning to finish one more project before the end of the year (oh, plans, plans...)

So, this story begins with a kit I bought secondhand through MFC for $250, which made its way from America to me in 2019. I looked at those delicately sculpted arms and legs, then put everything back in the pretty box from the sculptor for more than three years. And then, in November 2022, I opened it again.

My love for the character and the anime he's in never faded (which is one reason little Hajime is still my avatar—not because I'm too lazy to change it!), and the kit itself, made by the magnificent Gouhondou, is simply mind-blowing! Everything about it is wonderful. I used the absolute bare minimum of putty, even though with garage kits you expect cracks and holes in the most unlikely places; you can feel the sculptor's skill in every detail

This was my first time trying proper clear skin (the birds were a sort of trial run zero)—painting the skin with transparent paints. The first mix was too yellow. Strip it; can't leave it.

The second time I achieved the suitably pale complexion of a Japanese young man who never sees the light of day.

The black shoes and corset absolutely had to have red highlights to make them pretty. Carefully sand the black back with soft sandpaper, apply clear red over it, then finish it off with clear black.

After that, you can immediately assemble the finished parts. I love doing that; it feels like building a house

The hair deserves a separate mention too. Those curves have such an aesthetic that I simply had to emphasize them with color :)

Let's turn him around and admire him (and I stripped this version of the skirt because I sprayed it dusty—you can see those nasty little specks).

Looking good, you little devil! And now for the eyes. Extra beams of love to the sculptor for glasses that don't make you die in the process.

For the base, we take a clear acrylic disc, spray it with various pretty colors, and then cover the whole thing with a layer of black.

And he's finished!

Now I invite you to admire the extremely photogenic Rui in high quality. I didn't photograph the process of painting the tablet—it was the usual enamel brushwork over gloss.

At the moment, this is probably my best work. Even though he seems fairly simple, I'm in love with how he turned out in the end I hope this handsome fellow is to your taste too :)

Thank you for reading!