Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Take a close look at the details on various parts of the hull. ^^

EX Model Mobile Ship Argama - The white metal nozzles are the biggest highlight of this kit. The detail, sense of weight, and

The white metal nozzles are the biggest highlight of this kit.
The detail, sense of weight, and presence are all great~
The problem is they actually weigh quite a bit, so the hull keeps tilting backward.. -_-

The center engine nozzle also has really nice detail.

Hull underside detail

The additional nozzles on the rear lower section look great too.

The rear of the underside is definitely the most impressive part of this kit.

The bridge retraction gimmick is reproduced.

EX Model Mobile Ship Argama - There's an MS hangar below the bridge, but the cover part that goes over it is way too loose; i

There's an MS hangar below the bridge, but the cover part that goes over it is way too loose;
It's not like you can just glue it shut either, hmm.. it keeps falling off and it's really annoying.

The 4 gun barrels mounted front, rear, and below can rotate and move up and down.

The mega particle cannon on the underside can be removed and swapped in as an optional part.

Argama's mega particle cannon detail

EX Model Mobile Ship Argama - The life modules on the sides — one of the Argama's signature features — can be extended by swa

The life modules on the sides — one of the Argama's signature features — can be extended by swapping out the connector parts.

The extended life modules can also rotate around the main body, just like in the anime.

The wing-like structures at the rear can move up and down.

An action(?) pose with all the gimmicks deployed

EX Model Mobile Ship Argama - The EX Argama comes with the Zeta trio. Would've been even better if the Hyaku-Shiki was includ

The EX Argama comes with the Zeta trio.
Would've been even better if the Hyaku-Shiki was included too..

The 1cm Mk-II.

1/1700 Zeta Gundam

1/1700 Rick-Dias

The Rick-Dias peeking out of the MS hangar and quietly stepping onto the launch pad ^^;

Mk-II and Zeta on the launch pad

According to the lore, it's slightly smaller than the EX Albion that came before it.

The ultimate EX warship series, volume 2 — it's the Argama from Zeta Gundam.
It's a more widely recognized(?) warship compared to the Albion from 0083. The Argama's design is quite a bit older than the Albion's, and you can kind of tell — overall it has a simpler, more straightforward look.

But just like the rest of the EX warship series, the fine details are well-executed throughout, and this Argama kit includes white metal rear verniers.
The detail on the white metal verniers is excellent — the sense of weight, heft, and realism are all solid. The only downside is that they're actually pretty heavy, so when you put it on the stand, the body keeps tilting backward.. ;;;

Overall, it feels like there's slightly less detail compared to the Albion, but the intense detailing concentrated at the rear and the effect of the white metal parts more than make up for it — easily surpassing the Albion in those areas. The various features are well-implemented too: the mega particle cannon is removable, the life modules can be extended and rotated, and the bridge's sliding retraction feature is also reproduced, which is a fun touch.

The Argama includes 1cm mini figures of Zeta, Mk-II, and Rick-Dias, which you can place on the launch pads or store in the hangar.
That said, one of the most frustrating parts of this kit is the MS hangar cover in the center of the hull — it's way too loose. It just barely clips on with no real locking mechanism, and it keeps falling off. One trick is to intentionally leave a little extra gate mark around the hangar cover edges so the added friction helps hold it in place. But still, it kept popping off constantly while I was taking review photos, which was a bit...;; I didn't want to just glue it permanently either, so yeah, it's a bit of an issue.

Anyway, the fact that the Argama from Zeta Gundam got released with this level of detail is genuinely exciting. Overall, the Albion feels ever so slightly better in terms of design and build quality.. but since the Argama is the more familiar ship for a lot of people, I think many folks will find themselves more attached to it than the Albion. ^^;

EX Model Mobile Ship Argama | 2004.1 | ¥3,500 | 1/1700

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.