Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

MG Heavy Gundam - The frame is the same as the existing MG Perfect Gundam's inner frame, though the redesigned legs have

The frame is the same as the existing MG Perfect Gundam's inner frame,
though the redesigned legs have had the frame itself omitted entirely.

For weapons, you get a Frame Launcher and one beam saber.

The articulated section at the rear of the Frame Launcher

The hand attachment point has a movable gimmick that grips the elbow, so it locks in nice and securely.

A good number of the MG Perfect Gundam's parts end up as leftover parts.

MG Heavy Gundam - The basic articulation is on par with the MG Perfect Gundam's inner frame, but being a 2003 kit, it's n

The basic articulation is on par with the MG Perfect Gundam's inner frame,
but being a 2003 kit, it's not particularly great.

Backpack vernier articulation

Beam saber action

MG Heavy Gundam - Frame Launcher pose (1/7)

MG Heavy Gundam - Frame Launcher pose (2/7)

MG Heavy Gundam - Frame Launcher pose (3/7)

MG Heavy Gundam - Frame Launcher pose (4/7)

MG Heavy Gundam - Frame Launcher pose (5/7)

Frame Launcher pose

Together with the MG Perfect Gundam it's based on.

Together with the similarly styled MG Full Armor Gundam

This kit is the MG Heavy Gundam, released as a Club G (Premium Bandai) online exclusive. It's the first time this unit has appeared in 1/100 scale — it's based on the inner frame of the MG Perfect Gundam released in 2003, with roughly 50% of the outer armor changed out. The signature shoulder beam cannons and the large Frame Launcher weapon are both nicely sculpted.

That said, while the Heavy Gundam's overall look is well realized through the new parts, there's a strange feeling that not much effort was put in. The legs in particular were completely replaced with new parts, and the frame is gone entirely. The exterior detail also feels pretty simple overall — it comes across more like a large HG kit than a proper MG. The parts count is pretty lean so the build goes by quickly, and in the sense that it's really just the shell that's been done well, it honestly feels closer to an RE/100 than an MG.

Articulation is limited since it's based on the older MG Perfect Gundam inner frame, so dynamic posing is tough. The ankle range of motion is especially narrow and the ground contact is poor, making it hard to pull off good standing poses. Joint strength is decent enough that there are no stability issues, but... the lack of weapon variety also means there aren't many poses worth going for, which is a bit of a shame. On the plus side, the Frame Launcher — the Heavy Gundam's signature weapon — is efficiently realized with a low parts count, and it connects to the right forearm really well.

So overall, the Heavy Gundam's appearance comes out reasonably well, but the limited articulation and the overly bare-bones feel (much like an RE/100) will probably leave some people disappointed. At the same time, this is the kind of item where you're just glad it got made at all. :-)

MG Heavy Gundam | 2015.9 | ¥4,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.