Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining + decals

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. The display height is pretty tall thanks to all the weapons on

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
The display height is pretty tall thanks to all the weapons on the back.

A closer look at just the body.

The upper body. So flashy it's almost dizzying @_@

Top-down view of the body.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The face doesn't have great color separation, so it relies heavily on seals. Compare with the straight

The face doesn't have great color separation, so it relies heavily on seals.
Compare with the straight build photo on the left to see which areas use seals.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The large shoulder armor. Gold pipes everywhere. (1/3)

The large shoulder armor. Gold pipes everywhere.

The forearm armor.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The front skirt is an elaborate 4-section linked design, giving it excellent depth. Each section does

The front skirt is an elaborate 4-section linked design, giving it excellent depth.
Each section does have hinges, but they barely move — it's purely for aesthetic effect..

The back, loaded up with weapons.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Despite having 4 different main weapons — quite a lot — they can all be mounted on the body at the sam

Despite having 4 different main weapons — quite a lot — they can all be mounted on the body at the same time.
Really like that..

The legs. The color separation on the legs is just as flashy.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The fact that even the ribbon detail on the knees is perfectly color-separated is genuinely impressive

The fact that even the ribbon detail on the knees is perfectly color-separated is genuinely impressive.. T_T
On top of that, the outer leg structures also achieve perfect color separation through some pretty complex parts breakdown.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The color separation on the ankle covers is no joke either. The parts breakdown feels more Kotobukiya-

The color separation on the ankle covers is no joke either.
The parts breakdown feels more Kotobukiya-style than Bandai.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - There are 4 weapons in total, each with its own unique name. 1) A gunpowder cannon in the form of a ma

There are 4 weapons in total, each with its own unique name.
1) A gunpowder cannon in the form of a matchlock gun: "Tanegashima"
2) A large sword in the form of a tachi: "Ichirin-kan"
3) A naginata resembling a glaive: "Zenkou-kan"
4) A spear similar to a trident: "Sankou-kan"

All the blade parts are done in plated parts, giving them a great shine.

The Ichirin-kan even comes with its own dedicated scabbard.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Take a close look at the handle of the Zenkou-kan.. you can really appreciate just how well the color

Take a close look at the handle of the Zenkou-kan.. you can really appreciate just how well the color separation is done.
No matter how you look at it, it's totally Kotobukiya-style parts breakdown.. lol

On the Tanegashima, all the gold areas are handled with seals.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Armor removed. (1/2)

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Armor removed. (2/2)

Outer armor removed.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Inner frame. Since it's based on the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 frame, almost all of the body/arm/leg

Internal frame
Since it's based on the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 frame,
almost all of the body/arm/leg frames are identical to those of the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079.

Body frame. It's the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 frame with a few parts removed.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Back frame. The backpack frame is different from the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079. The MG Gundam Ver. O.

Back frame. The backpack frame is different from the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079.
The MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 has 2 verniers, but Shin Musha Gundam has 4.

The back frame with the verniers removed. Same as the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The arm and leg frames are also nearly identical to those of the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079.. (1/3)

The arm and leg frames are also nearly identical to those of the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079..

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Only the ankle area is a bit different. Shin Musha Gundam has very thick ankle guards, so an extra ank

Only the ankle area is a bit different.
Shin Musha Gundam has very thick ankle guards,
so an extra ankle part had to be added between the leg and foot.
As a result, the overall height is a little taller too :-)

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The hip forward/backward articulation that was a trademark of the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 is carrie

The hip forward/backward articulation that was a trademark of the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 is carried over intact.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - As expected.. the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 leg frame, backed by the power of its single-piece molded

As expected.. the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 leg frame, backed by the power of its single-piece molded frame,
looks great and has great articulation too.

The extra frame added at the ankle only extends the length —
it doesn't help with articulation at all..

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Another armor-off shot unique to Shin Musha Gundam. Since it's based on the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079

Another armor-off shot unique to Shin Musha Gundam.
Since it's based on the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079,
you can somewhat distinguish between the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079-style outer armor and the battle armor unique to Shin Musha Gundam.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079-style base body with Shin Musha Gundam's battle armor removed. The oute

The MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079-style base body with Shin Musha Gundam's battle armor removed.
The outer armor is a refined version of the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079's, with various mounting pins and structures added to attach the battle armor.

Like that.. it's almost like dressing up the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 in new clothes.

Shin Musha Gundam's shoulder and forearm armor.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Since it's based on the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, a good number of MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 parts

Since it's based on the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, a good number of MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 parts end up as leftover parts.
If you look closely, you can see most of the flail parts are included..
If they'd just thrown in a chain, you could've added a flail to Shin Musha Gundam's arsenal.
Well, since the flail isn't part of Shin Musha Gundam's official loadout they probably just left it out, but it still feels like a bit of a waste..

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Articulation is great, as you'd expect from an MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 base! Though the forearms ca

Articulation is great, as you'd expect from an MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 base!
Though the forearms can't fold all the way due to the forearm armor..

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The large shoulder armor is connected with a cleverer mechanism than you'd expect, so it locks firmly

The large shoulder armor is connected with a cleverer mechanism than you'd expect,
so it locks firmly in place in a variety of directions.

Action poses start with a sword-drawing stance!

MG Shin Musha Gundam - First up, a kneeling sword-draw pose. Articulation is great as expected, since the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.

First up, a kneeling sword-draw pose. Articulation is great as expected, since the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 is the base.

Standing sword-draw pose.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The draw pose looks especially cool on the Shin Musha Gundam. Probably because the design itself is ba

The draw pose looks especially cool on the Shin Musha Gundam.
Probably because the design itself is based on a samurai concept..

Stand action using the Ichirinkan!

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Double action using the Zenkōkan and Sankōkan (no matter how I think about it, the names just don't cl

Double action using the Zenkōkan and Sankōkan (no matter how I think about it, the names just don't click for me..;)

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The grip strength isn't great.. so holding longer weapons is a bit of a struggle; (1/4)

MG Shin Musha Gundam - The grip strength isn't great.. so holding longer weapons is a bit of a struggle; (2/4)

The grip strength isn't great.. so holding longer weapons is a bit of a struggle;

Zenkōkan action using both hands

Sankōkan action

Joint action using the Sankōkan and Ichirinkan.

Looks awesome~

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Jōzatō action. The grip is so weak you absolutely have to hold it with both hands;; (1/4)

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Jōzatō action. The grip is so weak you absolutely have to hold it with both hands;; (2/4)

Jōzatō action.
The grip is so weak you absolutely have to hold it with both hands;;

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Together with the base kit, MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079. Since the Shin Musha Gundam has longer ankles,

Together with the base kit, MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079.
Since the Shin Musha Gundam has longer ankles, it looks noticeably taller.

MG Shin Musha Gundam - Straight build shots. I accidentally attached the forearm armor upside down when I took these, so bear

Straight build shots. I accidentally attached the forearm armor upside down when I took these, so bear with me.. ^^;

The Musha Gundam that had been rumored about for ages has finally made it to MG. This unit is a character from the Gundam Musou game, and the proper reading of the kanji is Shin Musha Gundam (Japanese pronunciation: Shin Musha Gandamu). The name is a little ambiguous — in Korea, "musha" (武者, warrior) is more familiar than the direct reading "muza," so people tend to call it Shin Musha Gundam rather than Shin Muza Gundam. Bandai Korea's official product name also came out as "Shin Musha Gundam."

As you can tell from the original design, the defining feature of the Shin Musha Gundam is its flashy color combination. The design looks like Japanese samurai armor was literally slapped onto a Gundam, and you could certainly say it has a strong Japanese aesthetic — though it's a bit tricky to argue about that one way or another. Judging something designed in Japan by another country's historical or cultural standards is a delicate matter. It's probably more accurate to say that personal preferences will vary based on those kinds of preconceptions.

This kit feels like Bandai made it from the start just to show off their color separation skills. You can really see them taking a jab at Kotobukiya in particular — most of that flashy color combination is pulled off beautifully through parts separation. There are some stickers used on the head and the cannon "Jōzatō," but the complex color combinations on the main body parts — torso, arms, legs, feet — are reproduced almost perfectly. Seeing even the red ribbon on the knees properly done through parts separation really makes you feel like Bandai was dead serious about splitting up every last piece..

Kotobukiya has been pulling off flashy color combinations lately with some seriously intense parts separation, but honestly their product quality falls short of Bandai's in a number of ways. As you'd expect from a Chinese OEM factory product made to cut costs, the molded colors feel a bit off, and above all the build feel was a little iffy. Kotobukiya kits are marketed as snap-fit, but in reality there are plenty of parts that either don't hold without glue or won't even connect at all. And there are parts that just don't quite fit right for some reason..

This MG Shin Musha Gundam uses the same complex, finely divided parts separation style as Kotobukiya, but the build feel is pure Bandai. Everything snaps in cleanly and fits together satisfyingly — it feels really good in your hands. The straight build result is more dazzling and spectacular than just about any other kit out there, which makes the building experience something special.

Before release there was a debate over whether the gold parts would be plated or "poop-plated" (i.e., that dull yellowish gold), and the result ended up being molded in a golden hue rather than actual plating. It's a bit different from the MG Strike Freedom standard version, with a subtle and understated gold color. Depending on your eye, it could look like well-digested golden poop and come across as cheap, or it could feel refined and classy. Either way, I'd say it doesn't look seriously off. On the other hand, the spear and sword parts are all covered in shiny plating, which works really well..

Since the base is the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, it inherits that kit's inner frame and articulation characteristics wholesale. Looking at it now it feels a little plain, but it does have a full-body frame, along with the front-and-back swinging hip joints and solid one-piece leg frame — all carried over as-is. The forearm armor does reduce the elbow bend angle a bit, and the addition of ankle joints changes the range of motion slightly. The ankle guards are so thick that extra parts were added to extend the ankle joint area a little, which also ends up making the kit slightly taller.

The body structure is clearly based on the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, but looking at the face and backpack style, it also resembles the MG First Ver.Ka, which is a bit confusing. That said, if you actually compare it side by side with the MG Ver.Ka, it's not completely identical either — there are subtle differences. (-_-;) In terms of the face and backpack, the original Shin Musha Gundam design uses the Ver.Ka as its base unit, but when it came to making the plastic model, the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 tooling was more practical to work with, so that's what got chosen. The result is a base body that ends up feeling like a bit of a fusion between the two. ^_^;

The exterior is extremely flashy and the articulation is top-tier, so the action poses have a lot of impact. That said.. while the overall joint strength is very good, the grip is a bit weak just like the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, so it's hard to get good poses while holding the long weapons.. If the grip is weak, at least give it some pegs on the palm to lock the weapon in place — but without even that kind of gimmick, trying to have it hold those huge weapons is a real pain ^^; Also, whether it's because the added leg armor is heavy or something, even though the hip joints are quite stiff, the legs tend to droop downward during standing action poses.

One thing to note — this kit lets you apply decals and stickers in two different styles: the Ver. Kadoki spec and the Original spec. Most of the stickers are shared between the two versions, but the decals are completely different, so the overall look ends up being quite distinct. The Ver.Ka style decals look better on their own merits.. but sure enough, there are more of them to apply. ^^;
I've always claimed to be a Katoki Hajime fan, but I ended up going with the original version decals instead of the Ver.Ka version for this review.. Truth is, I was watching Gag Concert while applying the decals and before I knew it I'd already put on the original ones without thinking, so I just went with it.. (Sorry about that, Katoki Hajime..)

Anyway, it does feel a bit like a filler item born out of running out of source material, but regardless, it showcases the most spectacular color separation in Bandai's history, and as a result you get a uniquely satisfying build experience that you just can't get from any other kit. If you've built a Kotobukiya kit before.. think of it as Kotobukiya-style complex parts and color separation meeting Bandai-level quality. Kotobukiya keeps improving, but this kit really makes it clear that there's still a very noticeable gap between them and veteran Bandai..

If you just can't stand the Japanese samurai-style design, this will inevitably be a pass for you — but judging the kit purely on its own merits, it's a genuinely unique and distinctive MG. If you want a straight build that looks absolutely stunning right out of the box, I honestly think it'll be hard to find a kit that tops this one going forward. That kind of kit. :-)

MG Shin Musha Gundam
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Almost no seam lines visible. Slide mold used even on the spear handle.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★★	The best color separation in the history of the line. Seeing is believing.
Proportions	★★★★★	Flashiness and presence are top of the class.
Articulation	★★★★☆	Great articulation based on the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, but a little dated.
Joint Strength	★★★★☆	Solid overall, but the grip strength is quite weak.
Internal Frame	★★★★★	Feels a little plain, but it's a full inner frame. Almost identical to the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079.
Detail	★★★★★	Nothing special, but clean and tidy.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★☆	Solid basics but a little sparse.. The plated weapons look great though.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★☆	418 parts total. 83.6 parts per ¥1,000. Feels a bit awkwardly expensive..
Uniqueness	★★★★★	Definitely unique. Is this lineup diversification, or are they running out of ideas?
Dalong's Point : 98 pts.

MG Shin Musha Gundam | 2008. 6 | ¥5,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.