Kit Review

Straight build + Partial paint + Panel lining + Decals

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Front, rear, and upper body close-up shots. Take a look at the waterslide decals add

Front, rear, and upper body close-up shots. Take a look at the waterslide decals added all over the body..

The small decals on the backpack and beam saber

Decals on the rear end

The decaling on the arms is pretty bold.

A red stripe decal on the right thigh.

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - The tiny decals on the legs. They're such a pain to apply, but they're so small you c

The tiny decals on the legs. They're such a pain to apply, but they're so small you can barely tell they're there T_T

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - The shield decals are the most eye-catching of the bunch. They've got all kinds of te

The shield decals are the most eye-catching of the bunch. They've got all kinds of text thrown together on there.

The beam rifle decals.

The bazooka decals. (Yeah, you can barely see these either.. T_T)

Decals on the side of the head

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Just like the original v1.0.. the back of the knees and ankle sections come molded in

Just like the original v1.0.. the back of the knees and ankle sections come molded in plain white,
so I did some spot painting to match the official colors and add a little flair.

The Core Fighter, whose nose section has turned red along with the rest.

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - It's 10 years old, but the sheer amount of options you get for the price was still im

It's 10 years old, but the sheer amount of options you get for the price was still impressive.

Hatch open shot..

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Action pose (1/5)

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Action pose (2/5)

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Action pose (3/5)

Action pose

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Two-handed beam saber action. The elbows still pop out easily, making this pose a bit

Two-handed beam saber action. The elbows still pop out easily, making this pose a bit tricky to pull off -_-;

Full armament.

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Comparison shots with the original v1.0. Aside from the molded color changes and extr

Comparison shots with the original v1.0.
Aside from the molded color changes and extra decals, there's absolutely no difference between the two kits.

Even the molded color change is limited to just the upper body being red..

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - As you can tell from comparing the feet, the red sections have a deeper molded color.

As you can tell from comparing the feet, the red sections have a deeper molded color.
The base white also came out a bit brighter and more pearlescent..

The gray on the weapons and backpack came out a bit darker as well..

Shield comparison. The decals make a bigger difference than the molded color here..

Core Fighter comparison..

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Excluding limited editions, this is already the 5th variation of the First v1.0 in Ba

Excluding limited editions, this is already the 5th variation of the First v1.0 in Bandai's official MG lineup ;;.

A comparison of all 5 Core Fighters. Quite a variety..

Alright, I think it's time to stop milking the 1.0.. *cough*;.

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model - Bonus shot. Every Core Fighter from the official MG lineup, excluding limited edition

Bonus shot. Every Core Fighter from the official MG lineup, excluding limited editions, all together..

Straight build.

This kit was released as a commemorative edition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the MG line — and it was released exclusively for overseas markets, not as a domestic/export dual release in Japan. The MS with its upper body recolored in red is not the actual First Gundam unit that lost its head and arms during the final Battle of A Baoa Qu in the show. According to the lore, it's a replica built by modifying a GM, created for a victory ceremony held after the One Year War ended in the Federation's favor. Apparently, the decals and other elements of this kit were personally supervised by Kawaguchi Meijin, the father of MG.

First off, this kit uses the exact same molds as the existing First v1.0 — the only changes are to the molded colors. The white came out brighter and more pearlescent, the red and gray are deeper, and the upper body is now molded in red. That's it. So the kit quality is no different from the First v1.0, and you shouldn't go in with high expectations ^^;

If anything, you could think of it as a kit with extra goodies — it comes with newly added decals in a victory specification scheme, plus an MG 10th anniversary English catalog. The decals look pretty cool, but.. they're waterslide decals, not the dry-transfer decals that Gunpla fans are used to. So for first-timers or people like me who haven't dealt with them in a while, they can be a bit of a hassle. They take a long time to apply, there's a real risk of tearing them by accident, and the film is relatively fragile.

Waterslide decal quality can vary quite a bit depending on the manufacturer, and after actually applying the ones in this kit, I'd say the adhesion isn't great. Beginners might struggle a bit... I'd recommend soaking them for about 5–10 seconds — don't leave them in too long — then cut them out one by one, position them quickly, and blot away the moisture.

The other included bonus, the MG 10th anniversary catalog, is a full-color deluxe book running about 60 pages. It's got some collector's value in its own right, but I wouldn't say it's enough to justify buying this kit on its own. A lot of shops give it away as a freebie, so there are ways to get it without buying this kit specifically. Most of the content is a brief rundown of existing MG kits, and since the kit itself is an overseas-exclusive release, the catalog is entirely in English — which could be a plus, depending on how you look at it...

One more minor upside.. I've honestly lost count of how many MG First v1.0s I've built at this point, but I do remember that when it first came out in '95, the joints were loose, and there was a polycap revision at some point afterward. The problem is that depending on when a copy was manufactured, you might get the revised version or the old one — basically a lottery, especially if you're buying online. This kit, being a new First v1.0 variation, is definitively the revised version. So compared to the old First v1.0, the joints are noticeably tighter.

That said, it's such an old kit that structural limitations are still there.. the elbows still pop out easily, and the shield attachment is still a bit iffy. You can't expect miracles, but at least it's not flopping all over the place, which is a relief.

Honestly, the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw this kit was.. seriously, this is what they went with for the MG 10th anniversary? We're talking about the 10th anniversary of the MG lineup — the crown jewel of Bandai's Gunpla business. If they were just going to rehash the original First 1.0 with minimal changes, I almost think it would've been better not to release anything at all. And on top of that, even for a commemorative edition, bumping the price up a whole 1000 yen to ¥3500 just for some extra decals and a booklet is a tough sell.

Like, they could've done something like a genuine First v2.0 Extra Finish pearl-plated version — without the OYW mold details from the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 — or something a bit more luxurious and higher quality. Either way, it's a commemorative release that leaves you wanting more.

MG Gundam ~ MG 10th Anniversary Model | 2005.12 | ¥3,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.