HGUC Revive RX-178

Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.]

Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] (1/6) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] (2/6) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] (3/6) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] (4/6) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] (5/6) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] (6/6)

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Detail shots (1/4) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Detail shots (2/4) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Detail shots (3/4) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Detail shots (4/4)

Detail shots

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - True to recent trends, the arms and legs at least have an internal frame structure.

True to recent trends, the arms and legs at least have an internal frame structure.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Arm and leg frames (1/2) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Arm and leg frames (2/2)

Arm and leg frames

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - You can either apply a standard eye seal to the front of the eyes, or skip the eye seal

You can apply a standard eye seal to the front of the eyes,
or instead of an eye seal, you can just attach a foil seal behind the eye area for a light reflection effect.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The weapons loadout stays faithful to the Mk-II's standard arsenal.

The weapons loadout stays faithful to the Mk-II's standard arsenal.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Shield that can extend and retract via a split/reassemble mechanism

Shield that can extend and retract via a split/reassemble mechanism

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Interestingly, two forearm connector joint parts are included.

Interestingly, two forearm connector joint parts are included.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - You can choose between mounting it at a 90-degree angle or straight on. This is the fir HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - You can choose between mounting it at a 90-degree angle or straight on. This is the fir

You can choose between mounting it at a 90-degree angle or straight on.
This is the first time I've seen shield joint parts provided for two different mounting angles like this..

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The bazooka's handle is articulated so you can comfortably shoulder it.

The bazooka's handle is articulated so you can comfortably shoulder it.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Rear storage is a given, of course.

Rear storage is a given, of course.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Fully armed, including the vulcan pod. (1/2) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Fully armed, including the vulcan pod. (2/2)

Fully armed, including the vulcan pod.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - You can also remove the center cover on the backpack and attach the G-Defenser from the HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - You can also remove the center cover on the backpack and attach the G-Defenser from the

You can also remove the center cover on the backpack and attach the G-Defenser from the HGUC Super Gundam.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Being a new release, the articulation is excellent.

Being a new release, the articulation is excellent.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The shoulders raise up nicely, but they barely move forward or backward, which is a bit HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The shoulders raise up nicely, but they barely move forward or backward, which is a bit

The shoulders raise up nicely, but they barely move forward or backward, which is a bit disappointing.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The ankle joints move in two stages, giving a pretty decent range of forward/backward b HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The ankle joints move in two stages, giving a pretty decent range of forward/backward b

The ankle joints move in two stages, giving a pretty decent range of forward/backward bend.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The side-to-side ankle bend, on the other hand, is pretty average.

The side-to-side ankle bend, on the other hand, is pretty average.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Beam rifle firing pose (1/3) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Beam rifle firing pose (2/3) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Beam rifle firing pose (3/3)

Beam rifle firing pose

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Kneeling pose. It's a bit less natural-looking than I'd hoped. (1/2) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Kneeling pose. It's a bit less natural-looking than I'd hoped. (2/2)

Kneeling pose.
It's a bit less natural-looking than I'd hoped.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Aerial pose (1/2) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Aerial pose (2/2)

Aerial pose

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Aerial bazooka firing pose (1/3) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Aerial bazooka firing pose (2/3) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Aerial bazooka firing pose (3/3)

Aerial bazooka firing pose

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Side kick pose (1/2) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Side kick pose (2/2)

Side kick pose

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Beam saber pose (1/2) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Beam saber pose (2/2)

Beam saber pose

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Beam saber pose 2 (1/3) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Beam saber pose 2 (2/3) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Beam saber pose 2 (3/3)

Beam saber pose 2

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Alongside the 2002 HGUC Mk-II. With a 13-year gap between them, the proportions and ove HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Alongside the 2002 HGUC Mk-II. With a 13-year gap between them, the proportions and ove

Alongside the 2002 HGUC Mk-II.
With a 13-year gap between them, the proportions and overall style are quite different.
The head, torso, and feet got smaller while the legs got a bit more solid.
And it feels ever so slightly shorter too..?

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The Revive version obviously has far better articulation.

The Revive version obviously has far better articulation.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - The inner mold detail on the Revive version's (right) shield has become simpler.

The inner mold detail on the Revive version's (right) shield has become simpler.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Alongside the RG Mk-II.

Alongside the RG Mk-II.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Alongside the MG Mk-II Ver.2.0.

Alongside the MG Mk-II Ver.2.0.

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Straight build (1/2) HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] - Straight build (2/2)

Straight build

The Gundam Mk-II (Mk-II for short) has been released as part of the HGUC Revive project, which updates older HGUC main suits with modern engineering. It's such a popular mobile suit that it already got an HGUC release way back in 2002 during the line's early days, but now 13 years later it's been reborn with the latest design technology.

As expected, the proportions have been updated to the current modern style. The head and torso are smaller, the legs are thicker, and the feet are smaller, all emphasizing a sleek and slender look. Depending on how you look at it, "The Mk-II's gotta be chunky — that's the whole point!!" folks who feel that way might find the proportions a bit off, but either way it's hard to deny that the sculpt has a fresh, new-release feel to it.

Being a Revive kit, it uses the new-style polycaps and delivers top-tier limb articulation for the Mk-II, with the double-jointed ankle mechanism being a particular highlight — the forward/backward ankle bend feels much more natural now. That said, the side-to-side ankle range is still pretty average, so ground-based poses don't have quite the stability I was hoping for, and the limited front-to-back shoulder movement means you can't always pull off as dynamic a pose as you'd like. It's definitely better than the 2002 version, but it's not quite the kind of kit where you can go wild with poses the way you could with the First.

One thing that bugged me during posing was that the waist comes apart way too easily.. Usually with new-style polycap kits it's the shoulders that tend to pop off, but with the Mk-II Revive it's the waist. (A man's pride is in his waist! The waist!)

On the plus side, both the assembly process and joint movement definitely have that satisfying new-kit feel, and it comes across as much cleaner than the 2002 version overall. The shield attachment joint parts are a nice touch too — two separate parts are included depending on which angle you want to fix the shield at. It's a small thing, but I don't think I've ever seen a kit include separate fixing parts for different angles like this before.

The biggest improvement in this Revive Mk-II is probably the parts breakdown. The 2002 version had that classic old-school split running vertically down both sides, but the Revive version uses single-piece parts and armor divisions that follow natural panel lines, so even a straight build keeps seam lines out of sight as much as possible. This is even more noticeable on the Titans version with its darker molded color, but the AEUG version also clearly benefits — the exterior looks clean and you don't need to worry about seam lines or step gaps at all.

Personally, I don't think the 2002 HGUC Mk-II was so bad that you'd call it a dated old kit, so maybe that's why this Revive version doesn't feel like as dramatic a change as I expected. It's clearly cleaner and has that modern-kit feel, but it doesn't quite feel like a complete transformation. More like a solid, straightforward upgrade to bring it in line with current Gunpla engineering standards?

Anyway, the upgrade thrill isn't quite as exciting as it was with the First or Guncannon, but I think the real significance here is simply that our beloved Mk-II has been re-released in 1/144 scale to meet modern quality standards. As long as you don't have strong feelings about the proportions, there's no question that the new version is the better kit :-)

HGUC Gundam Mk-II [A.E.U.G.] | 2015.11 | ¥1,700

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.