Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

Weapons loadout

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - The weapons lock in securely since the pegs on them plug right into the holes in the palms.

Since the weapon pegs plug into the holes in the palms,
the weapons hold nice and firm.

The beam saber can be stored in the rear skirt.

The chest armor comes in two different forms.

You can build either the standard type (left) or the modified post-surrender type (right).

The inner skirt detail is nicely packed with molding — something even MG kits tend to skip these days.

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - The Action Base joint part slides into the hip to lock in place, but it has a tendency to pop out at odd

The Action Base joint part slides into the hip to lock in place, but
it has a tendency to pop out at oddly inconvenient moments when posing the kit on the stand.

Leftover parts

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - The three-tier duct on the back of the leg is individually articulated and nicely done — when you bend t

The three-tier duct on the back of the leg is individually articulated and nicely done,
and when you bend the knee joint, the top duct curls inward.

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - The problem is the top duct tends to get caught as it curls in, so if you mindlessly bend and straighten

The problem is the top duct tends to get caught as it curls inward,
and if you mindlessly bend and straighten the knee repeatedly, the stress builds up on the retaining pins and they can crack or splay open like shown above.
Once that happens, the duct won't stay in place and just falls right out.

So before bending the knee, you need to (annoyingly) fold the top duct upward first to avoid breaking it.

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - The RE/100 polycaps are already on the weaker side to begin with... and because of this, the thigh keeps

The RE/100 polycaps are already on the weaker side to begin with... and because of this, the thigh keeps popping out during posing, which is a real pain.

Limb articulation

There is a front-to-back hip movement gimmick, but it doesn't feel all that effective in practice.

The shoulder forward-swing gimmick

All four pin nozzles on the backpack move individually.

Firing pose

Bazooka action

Beam saber action

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - Alongside the 1/100 Vigna-Ghina released in 1991. It's gotten noticeably slimmer all around, reflecting

Alongside the 1/100 Vigna-Ghina released in 1991.
It's gotten noticeably slimmer all around, very much a sign of the times.

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - Alongside the MG Gundam F91 2.0. True to the RE/100 concept, it looks MG-quality just from the outside.

Alongside the MG Gundam F91 2.0.
True to the RE/100 concept, it looks MG-quality just going by appearances.

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - Alongside the previous RE/100 Guncannon Detector. The in-universe height difference is so large that ev

Alongside the previous RE/100 Guncannon Detector.
The in-universe height difference is so large that even at the same scale, the size gap is pretty dramatic.

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina - Straight build shots. Totally forgot to get a shot of the back. T_T

Straight build.
Totally forgot to get a shot of the back. T_T

The 9th RE/100 kit is the Vigna-Ghina from Gundam F91. This was actually the first kit I ever finished with the full proper process — seam line cleanup, primer, then paint — so it holds a special place for me personally. Though it does come with the heartbreaking memory of being utterly destroyed by my nephew afterward. T_T

True to the RE/100 concept, the exterior alone gives you clean MG-level detail and proportions. The color separation is solid as expected, and the detail in various areas is on a completely different level compared to the old 1/100. That said, since F91-era MS are small by design, it's a compact kit compared to your average 1/100 — and it's gotten so much slimmer and more slender than the old kit that it tends to look even smaller.

Articulation is decent and fairly average, and there's even a hip movement gimmick, though it doesn't feel particularly effective. Feature-wise, all four pin nozzles on either side of the backpack move independently, and the chest armor can be assembled in either the rounded standard form or the angular post-surrender variant.

The shared polycap system used across RE/100 kits has been a recurring concern for joint strength since the earlier releases. With the Vigna-Ghina being a smaller design by spec, the joint strength doesn't feel as bad relatively speaking. That said, the connection between the thigh and hip isn't held firmly enough by the polycap, so it keeps popping out during posing.

Overall the quality is decent enough, but there's one thing to watch out for. The three ducts on the back of the leg are individually articulated, but the way they work is a bit unusual and there's a real risk of breakage. As shown in the review photos above, bending the knee causes the top duct — attached below the knee joint — to curl inward, and the problem is that it can interfere with the second duct. Force the knee too hard and the retaining pins break easily. In my case, I mindlessly bent and straightened the knee multiple times while shooting review photos, and both sides ended up with the retaining pins going white and splaying open, causing the first duct to lose its hold and fall out. T_T

In that case, you can disassemble the leg and carefully squeeze the splayed pins back together to get some grip again, but repeat that process enough times and they'll likely snap. The takeaway is that when bending the knee, fold the top duct upward beforehand to reduce the interference — definitely worth keeping in mind. It's a bit of a shame that this wasn't caught and addressed during the design phase.

Anyway, it doesn't have that tight, solid feel overall, but compared to most RE/100 kits where joint strength is a constant worry, this one is relatively stable — and that's something at least. It may not be the most popular suit, but it seems like a pretty decent Gunpla for the price. :-)

RE/100 Vigna-Ghina | 2018. 6 | ¥3,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.