Speed Grade 1/200 RX-78 Gundam

Release 2007.9

Price ¥743

The back of the bag-style packaging

Tear open the bag and pull out the contents — the runners are wrapped in a paper cover.

The paper wrapping the runners is actually the manual itself.

Speed Grade RX-78 Gundam - A large number of parts come pre-painted. I actually took detailed runner shots about 10 years ago

A large number of parts come pre-painted. I actually took detailed runner shots about 10 years ago, but I can't find them now T_T

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Displayed on the stand with the unit name engraved in intaglio.

Weapons loadout

Small as it is, the weapons still have some articulation to them.

Only the right hand comes with two options.

The weapons can be stored on the rear skirt.

When you're not using the stand, the support post can be stored underneath it.

An honest 90-degree articulation range

Speed Grade RX-78 Gundam - Action poses (1/6)

Speed Grade RX-78 Gundam - Action poses (2/6)

Speed Grade RX-78 Gundam - Action poses (3/6)

Speed Grade RX-78 Gundam - Action poses (4/6)

Action poses

Speed Grade RX-78 Gundam - Alongside the First Gundam from the Nissin Cup Noodles 40th Anniversary set, also released in the

Alongside the First Gundam from the Nissin Cup Noodles 40th Anniversary set, also released in the same 1/200 scale.

Next to the HGUC First Gundam. Compared to the HGUC, you can really tell how much smaller it is.

<SG General Overview>
SG (Speed Grade) was a lineup that launched in 2007, with a total of 4 kits released through 2008. The concept was to assemble precisely pre-painted parts at a small 1/200 scale and complete a high-quality-looking Gunpla in a short amount of time.

To achieve this, most parts are provided pre-painted right on the runners, and the goal is to achieve figure-level color reproduction with just simple assembly. Once finished, the painted look actually makes it feel more like a figure than a plastic model — though in terms of construction, it's definitely still a Gunpla that you have to assemble piece by piece.

These pre-painted runners aren't typically handled at the Shizuoka factory, so SG kits were produced at factories in China. Perhaps because of that, they were offered at a pretty affordable price of under ¥1,000 given what's included. All kits in the lineup also come with a display stand with the unit name engraved in intaglio, and there's even a feature where the support post can be stored on the underside of the stand when not in use. Small as these kits are, they still come generously packed with various weapon accessories.

That said, being a lineup that was neither quite a figure nor quite a Gunpla left it in an awkward middle ground, and it never really caught on with the general public. On top of that, the nature of pre-painted kits makes mass production difficult, so the line met its end after just 4 kits.
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The first kit in the SG series is the protagonist's own RX-78 First Gundam. Interestingly, it comes in a plastic bag rather than a box, with the runners wrapped inside a sheet of paper that has the manual printed on it. It also carries the oddly specific price of ¥733 — at the time of release in Japan, it sold for ¥770 with the then-5% consumption tax added.

First off, the paint and color separation quality is impressively detailed — it's genuinely surprising. Even at the tiny 1/200 scale, the eyes are individually painted despite being barely visible, which is another wow moment. That said, since it's not a Shizuoka factory product, the fit of the parts can be a bit iffy, and some of the snap-fit connections don't feel particularly secure.

Articulation is an honest 90 degrees, and since the waist doesn't rotate, posing options are somewhat limited. More notably, the joints are incredibly stiff — almost shockingly so. Sure, loose joints would be worse, but these are abnormally tight.

The First Gundam's wide range of weapons is also well represented, and seeing each one neatly painted is genuinely impressive. There's even a gimmick where the beam rifle and bazooka can be stored on the rear skirt.

Aside from the overly stiff joints, this kit delivers amazing quality for the price — it's clearly a unique and fun little Gunpla that's well worth enjoying at such an affordable cost. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.