Kit Review

Straight build + Partial paint + Panel lining + Decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack. It's a standard-sized MS.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - The green section in the middle of the backpack has been painted clear green. Originally it's j

The green section in the middle of the backpack has been painted clear green. Originally it's just a clear part.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - Upper body close-up. The detail is great with everything packed in nicely. The eyes and camera

Upper body close-up. The detail is great with everything packed in nicely.
The eyes and camera eye are also painted clear green.

Nicely shaped legs. Appropriate panel lines throughout.

Outer armor removed. As you can see, the frame only exists on the legs.

Full frame shot.

The leg frame detail is pretty good.

Intricate frame detail on the back of the legs.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - The armor below the knee is removable. This part is meant to be swapped out with the Full Burni

The armor below the knee is removable.
This part is meant to be swapped out with the Full Burnian frame down the line.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - There are cylinders at the front of the ankle, but... they're not articulated and aren't connec

There are cylinders at the front of the ankle, but...
They're not articulated and aren't connected to anything — total fakes;;

Props for including both a soft plastic head antenna and a regular plastic one for painting~!

The thin antenna on top of the head is made of soft plastic, so it won't break easily.

The cockpit hatch can open in two different ways.

For separation into the Core Fighter, the backpack needs to open up like that.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - Two claws at the front and back of the sole can move... these are the attachment points for put

Two claws at the front and back of the sole can move...
These are the attachment points for putting on the booster shoes in Full Burnian mode.

The molding inside the skirt is decent enough too.

The shield can hold two energy packs for the beam rifle.

The shield folds with a double joint like this...

Which allows the shield to extend and retract like so.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - Comes standard with a set of three hands — rock/paper/scissors poseable hand, fist, and open ha

Comes standard with a set of three hands — rock/paper/scissors poseable hand, fist, and open hand.

Three-part separation for Core Fighter detachment.

There's detail inside the waist on the lower body as well.

The Core Block in its folded form. It fits in perfectly.

Unfold the Core Block and it transforms into the Core Fighter!

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - When converting to Core Fighter mode, you do have to swap out the chest duct section, which is

When converting to Core Fighter mode, you have to swap out
the chest duct section, which is a bit of a hassle...

Core Fighter

Bottom view. The landing gear is removable.

The canopy does open, but... the pilot and cockpit detail is pretty lacking.

Together with the MG RX-78 v1.0's Core Fighter. The size difference is huge.

Unlike the old one, this Core Fighter really gives off a proper fighter jet vibe!

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - The articulation is surprisingly decent. (Don't write it off just because it's old~) The double

The articulation is surprisingly decent. (Don't write it off just because it's old~)
The double-jointed arms can fold completely, and the legs fold until the armor stops them.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - The large knee piece unique to the GP01 can also move independently. It's not linked to anythin

The large knee piece unique to the GP01 can also move independently.
It's not linked to anything — you just bend it however much you want on its own.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - With no skirt armor, the legs do spread well... but the arms only raise to about that height. A

With no skirt armor, the legs do spread well...
But the arms only raise to about that height.
A bit unexpected — most kits get a full 90 degrees...

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - Action pose! Looking sharp~ (1/3)

Action pose! Looking sharp~

A kneeling pose is doable too, but the joints are loose so it's not easy to hold the position;

Draw!

With good arm articulation, the drawing pose looks natural.

Beam saber action pose

True to an early MG, the detail-up parts are attached right on the runner sprue.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - Together with the MG RX-78 v1.0. The molded colors are quite different, but more than anything,

Together with the MG RX-78 v1.0. The molded colors are quite different,
but more than anything, the style is worlds apart.
The Zephyranthes is so much more refined compared to the First v1.0.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - Compared to the HGUC Zephyranthes. If the MG is too slender and the PG is too chunky, the HGUC

Compared to the HGUC Zephyranthes.
If the MG is too slender and the PG is too chunky,
the HGUC proportions seem to sit right in the middle.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes - "Don't you dare look down on me just because I'm an early MG!" — Zephyranthes getting

"Don't you dare look down on me just because I'm an early MG!"
Zephyranthes getting fired up

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the 0083 anime and have a lot of attachment to the mechs that appear in it. Looking at the 0083 designs, they're just overflowing with a refined and beautiful sensibility that's hard to believe is about 15 years old! The Zephyranthes, designed by Macross mecha designer Shoji Kawamori, was reborn as an ultra-refined MG through the hands of another genius mecha designer, Hajime Katoki.

Designation GP01 (Gundam Project 01), unit name Zephyranthes. Zephyranthes is the name of a flower in the family Amaryllidaceae, order Asparagales. The 0083 unit names were all taken from flower names like this. The 1/144 0083 kits that came out when the anime aired were notorious for having some of the worst proportions ever — stubby little things. I built and painted them diligently back then, but now they're stuffed in some corner of a box and never see the light of day... (ahem;) To think they ruined such a great design like that, ugh.

So when the MG line launched in '95, I desperately waited for these great GP series kits to be reborn. When the release and stock news came in, I was so eager to build it that I confirmed it was in stock at my usual hobby shop, rushed over in the car, got a speeding ticket on the way, and ended up paying nearly 100,000 won for it. (Why is it that I only remember things like this so clearly;;) I opened the box at home and cheered, and after building it, shed tears of emotion (which probably included some regret over the speeding fine on a tight budget...).

This kit was released in 1997 as the 10th MG kit (effectively the 5th mold if you exclude variations), so in MG history it's quite an early release. Naturally, compared to the latest kits as of 2005 when I'm updating this review, there are areas where it falls short... but for only the fifth MG mold ever designed, this is a genuinely high-quality kit. After going through various trial and error with the RX-78, Zaku, Zeta, Gelgoog and others, this kit blends the upgraded technical know-how gained from that experience with the craftsmanship spirit of the early days — it's a masterpiece in its own right. Newer kits may have better quality, but they're becoming increasingly formulaic and it's hard to feel the developer's soul in them. By contrast, this creative MG makes me glad it came out early.

First of all, the proportions are on a completely different level from those ridiculous old kits. Opinions are divided because the proportions went a bit too far on the slender side, but there's no denying it's elegantly well-shaped. Those long, stretched-out legs and slim limbs... I do think it could stand to be a bit more substantial, but either way, it's beautiful.

The greatest virtue of the MG Zephyranthes is probably its fine detail. Unlike the MG RX-78 v1.0, which got mixed reviews for its over-the-top military-style panel lines, the panel lines here stay faithful to the source material while adding just the right amount — and that's impressive. With so many panel lines throughout, this is a kit where the difference before and after panel lining is dramatic. Just getting the panel lining done properly gives it a serious makeover. The fact that the inner frame only exists on the legs — because the torso houses the Core Fighter — is a bit of a shame, but the leg frame detail is just as fine and precise as any modern kit.

In particular, the fact that it perfectly recreates the Core Fighter storage inside the body was quite fresh and impressive at the time. The transformation is so complex-looking that I was worried it wouldn't pull it off cleanly, but the storage, separation, and transformation are all flawless. The Core Fighter itself is much larger and more refined than the RX-78's, with great color separation and a great look.

The molded color isn't pure white — it's an ever-so-slightly greenish ivory. It's a similar color to the MG Zeta's molded color. There's been some debate about this, but I think you can just see it as part of its character. The color separation using the remaining colors is done quite well, and aside from a few sticker treatments, the design colors are almost fully represented.

Despite being an early MG, the articulation is surprisingly good. The arms have double joints and can fold completely, and the legs fold as far as the armor allows. That said, the overall joint structure is still old-school, so when you actually try to pose it, it feels a little less natural than you'd expect. It doesn't feel like it's fully making the most of the arm and leg range of motion. Still, with its good proportions and compact, detailed look, it strikes some pretty cool action poses.

The area where the early-release downsides show most clearly is the joint strength... The joint strength in the arms and legs is below average — closer to loose, really. The hip joints where the legs connect to the body and the knee joints are especially floppy. On the plus side, the body itself is slim and light, so once you stand it up carefully it won't topple over on its own. The problem is it wobbles when you touch it ^^; Especially when you've got it in an aggressive action pose, it feels unstable. That said, applying a bit of super glue to the joints to reinforce them makes a big difference :-)

Anyway, while the old-school joint design does mean loose joints are a downside, if you look closely at the detail throughout and the overall structure, you can feel that this is one of those MGs where the developer's soul still lives on. If you love the Zephyranthes but have been hesitant because of early MG quality concerns, I'd say just go for it. The score by individual criteria might inevitably be lower, but once you actually build it, you'll never think of it as a cheap kit — it's a nostalgic masterpiece in its own right! And the price is rock-bottom at ¥2500! ^^

MG RX-78GP01 Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★☆	Even for an early MG, a lot of effort went into hiding the seam lines.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★☆	Color separation is nearly perfect. The ivory-white molded color is debatable.
Proportions	★★★★☆	Nicely slender proportions. Refined, but maybe a touch too thin.
Articulation	★★★★	Arms: full fold. Legs: above average. Overall articulation is excellent.
Joint Strength	★★☆	The leg joints are quite loose. Arm and grip strength are just so-so.
Internal Frame	★★★☆	Inner frame only on the legs. Frame detail is good though.
Detail	★★★★	Design that shows the developer's soul. The detail holds its own!
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★	Fully transforming Core Fighter. Basic set of beam rifle/saber/shield.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	Total 314 parts. Parts per ¥1000: 125.6. Plenty of parts for the price!
Uniqueness	★★★★☆	Quality that's on a completely different level from the old kit. A high-quality early MG that doesn't need a version up.
Dalong's Point : 84 pts.

MG Gundam GP01 Zephyranthes | 1997.8 | ¥2,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.