Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
It really is absolutely massive..

Upper body

Head.
The clear yellow eyes and black dark circles (?) have great color separation too.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Details from various parts of the body. The panel lines follow the same concept as the 30th Ann

Details from various parts of the body.
The panel lines follow the same concept as the 30th Anniversary HG Gundam.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Despite that massive size.. the cockpit hatch doesn't open. Instead, if you remove the center c

Despite that massive size.. the cockpit hatch doesn't open.
Instead, if you remove the center cover, there's a very simple core fighter structure inside.

Sole detail

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Hands come as one set each of weapon-holding hands and fist hands. They're simple hands made of

Hands come as one set each of weapon-holding hands and fist hands.
They're simple hands made of just two parts with no articulation whatsoever, but the proportions are decent.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - To make it easy to hold the large weapons, a peg-lock system on the palm is used. Fortunately,

To make it easy to hold the large weapons, a peg-lock system on the palm is used.
Fortunately, the grip is excellent.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - To keep that big frame moving stably, most of the polycap joints use a ratchet structure like t

To keep that big frame moving stably,
most of the polycap joints use a ratchet structure like the one shown above.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - By maximizing friction and hold with this ratchet structure at every joint, the joint strength

By maximizing friction and hold with this ratchet structure at every joint,
the joint strength is outstanding for its size.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Part numbers are engraved on the inside of parts that are easy to mix up left and right, which

Part numbers are engraved on the inside of parts that are easy to mix up left and right,
which makes assembly a lot more convenient.
This is a trick Kotobukiya uses often.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - A separate tool is also included, used for removing parts after snapping them together on the r

A separate tool is also included, used for removing parts after snapping them together on the runner.
The spatula end at the back can also be used as a prying tool (hera) to separate assembled parts.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - The articulation is pretty much just HG level. The knee articulation is actually worse than an

The articulation is pretty much just HG level.
The knee articulation is actually worse than an HG.. ^^;

Still, the shoulders do bend forward a little.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Basic shooting pose. The limited range of motion makes it a bit tricky to pull off really natur

Basic shooting pose.
The limited range of motion makes it a bit tricky to pull off really natural poses.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Two-handed shooting pose (1/6)

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Two-handed shooting pose (2/6)

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Two-handed shooting pose (3/6)

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Two-handed shooting pose (4/6)

Two-handed shooting pose

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - A pose attempted simply because there wasn't much else to try..; (1/3)

A pose attempted simply because there wasn't much else to try..;

A natural draw pose? Forget about it..;

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Beam saber action pose. This one at least looks somewhat natural~ (1/5)

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Beam saber action pose. This one at least looks somewhat natural~ (2/5)

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Beam saber action pose. This one at least looks somewhat natural~ (3/5)

Beam saber action pose.
This one at least looks somewhat natural~

Size comparison of First across different scales.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Together with the HY2M 1/24 First. By scale it should be exactly twice the size.. but the HY2M

Together with the HY2M 1/24 First.
By scale it should be exactly twice the size.. but the HY2M looks way bigger.

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam - Together with the PG First. The PG used to be such a big guy.. and now it's instantly the littl

Together with the PG First.
The PG used to be such a big guy.. and now it's instantly the little brother.

T_T My red forehead Dolly..

Together with the MG First 2.0 and the 30th Anniversary HG First.
It really is enormous.

Two Firsts based on the concept of the Odaiba 1:1 Gundam..

Straight build

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Gundam, a new large-scale model series has launched, and the first release in the Mega Size Model line is the First Gundam. At the staggering scale of 1/48 — surpassing even the PG — it stands a whopping 37.5cm tall. Open the box and you'll immediately be amazed by the sheer size of the parts, and then once it's built, that big frame will surprise you all over again.

The concept behind the Mega Size Model isn't precision like the PG — the goal is simply to build it "big." So the parts count is extremely simple for its size, and the number of parts and assembly complexity are roughly on par with an HG Gundam. As a result, it's very easy to build and quite beginner-friendly, so even younger builders or newcomers can tackle it without any stress.

As you'd expect from a modern kit, the color separation is essentially perfect right out of the box, and the gates on each part are minimized so you can actually snap them off without nippers. This does give it a bit of a kids' model feel — like the Keroro series or some FG-level kits — but on the flip side, gate marks are kept to an absolute minimum, which is a big plus.

Interestingly, it also partially uses the old snap-on-runner assembly method seen in older kits like the 1/144 V Gundam series — though that's really a method you'd only use when building super casually. If you actually try assembling it that way as shown in the manual, cleaning up the gate marks becomes a hassle, so for anyone who's been building Gunpla for a while, it's not really a helpful feature. The kit is already super easy to build anyway.. ^^;

The overall detail is completely in line with the 30th Anniversary HG First, which was based on the Odaiba 1:1 Gundam — the proportions and panel lines are identical. Of course, being a larger scale means there's a bit more fine detail, but it feels almost like a perfect scaled-up copy.

To support that big frame, this kit uses a special type of polycap where the inside is shaped like a gear, and pegs with ridges are attached so that each joint moves and locks in small incremental steps with a satisfying click. This polycap locking system is very successful — the joint strength is remarkably good for such a large kit. It's a noticeably sturdier joint than the precision-focused PG, and that's probably only possible because the kit itself is so simple. That said, the articulation is actually worse than an HG, so pulling off natural action poses isn't easy, which is a bit of a shame. Then again, trying to get a kit this big into flashy poses would make it pretty hard to display anyway.

In short, this kit seems to shine as a large, great-looking standing display model with easy assembly — completely ignoring things like internal frames or articulation. It goes together surprisingly fast for its size, but once it's done, it looks absolutely fantastic. And since it just physically dominates every other kit around it, it has an incredible presence.

The panel lines are fairly complex, so panel lining does take a fair amount of time — but the difference before and after is like night and day. The detailed panel lining makes it look large and expensive, and even though the inside is hollow, it somehow still looks highly detailed. That said, the design doesn't really account for seam lines, so up close it can look a little rough in places.

¥7800 is an objectively high price, especially when you consider the sparse parts count and hollow interior. But given that it's even bigger than a PG, and once built it doesn't actually feel cheap, it's hard to call it outrageously expensive. The interior may be bare, but the overall quality is genuinely very good.

All things considered, the incredibly easy and satisfying build, rock-solid joints, great-looking proportions, and above all that unmatched sheer size make this kit well worth the price. If you're a sucker for big kits, this is a must-have.. :-)

1/48 Mega Size Model Gundam | 2010.2 | ¥8,300

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.