The Aoba was 1 of 2 cruisers in its class (the other being 'Kinugasa', also available here). As with their other Japanese warship kits, Hasegawa continues to produce a great replica of this heavy cruiser. The only problem I had when building it (and this was probably an anomaly with that kit, not a problem with the entire line) was that the hull was slightly bent and as a result I had a difficult time getting it to adhere to the waterline plate. Having said that, I am not disappointed in it. There are still a good number of smaller parts such as AA guns & boat davits, but these detach easily from the molds and most of the problems surrounding that can be solved with tweezers. Still highly rated for anyone wanting to add this IJN cruiser to their collection.