Kit Review

Straight build
+ decals

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. (1/6)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. (2/6)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. (3/6)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. (4/6)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. (5/6)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. (6/6)

Upper body front and back

Decals on the back of the head and backpack

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Inner arm decals (1/3)

Inner arm decals

Inner thigh decals

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Leg decals (1/3)

Leg decals

Beam rifle decals

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Bazooka decals (1/3)

Bazooka decals

Core Fighter

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Kneeling bazooka firing pose (1/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Kneeling bazooka firing pose (2/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Kneeling bazooka firing pose (3/5)

Kneeling bazooka firing pose

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Beam rifle firing pose (1/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Beam rifle firing pose (2/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Beam rifle firing pose (3/5)

Beam rifle firing pose

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Super Napalm equipped pose (1/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Super Napalm equipped pose (2/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Super Napalm equipped pose (3/5)

Super Napalm equipped pose

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Beam saber action (1/4)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Beam saber action (2/4)

Beam saber action

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Beam Jabelin action (1/3)

Beam Jabelin action

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Gundam hammer action (1/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Gundam hammer action (2/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Gundam hammer action (3/5)

Gundam hammer action

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Alongside the Pro Shop version Mechanical Clear First 2.0, which is fully tra

Alongside the Pro Shop version Mechanical Clear First 2.0, which is fully transparent.

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Arm comparison (1/3)

Arm comparison

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Leg and foot comparison (1/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Leg and foot comparison (2/5)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver. - Leg and foot comparison (3/5)

Leg and foot comparison

Beam rifle comparison

Bazooka comparison

Core Fighter comparison

Straight build

Following the Pro Shop exclusive First 2.0 Mechanical Clear version, an Asia-exclusive Mechanical Smoked Clear version has now been released. The difference from the Pro Shop version comes down to the color of the outer armor — while the Pro Shop version was completely transparent, this kit is, as the name suggests, a smoked clear version with a slight grayish tint. The inner frame decals are the same between the two, but one thing worth noting is that this kit is missing one sheet of outer armor waterslide decals that was included with the Pro Shop version.

First, the Mechanical Clear concept refers to a kit that combines an inner frame with waterslide decals and clear armor panels. Previous Mechanical Clear releases had fully transparent outer armor, which meant the inner details were very visible. The downside was that the completely clear armor made the silhouette hard to read, giving the kit a somewhat weak presence. The smoked clear version, on the other hand, has a slight tint to the clear parts, which makes the outer silhouette much sharper and gives it a stronger presence — though the inner frame decals do feel slightly less visible as a result. That said, it's not as bad as you might fear. As you can see in the comparison shots above, the inner frame and decals are still quite visible.

The quality of the First 2.0 really speaks for itself at this point. Personally, comparing the two Mechanical Clear versions, I think the Smoked Clear looks better. Of course, that's going to come down to personal taste, but when you stand both of them side by side, the Smoked Clear version definitely has more presence. On top of that, it's cheaper and easier to get hold of than the Pro Shop version, which is a definite point in its favor.

The waterslide decal work does take quite a bit of time and effort, but as long as you have Mark Softer and Setter on hand, the process itself isn't all that difficult. Without them, though, this kit can be a real pain to work with. If you've ever wanted to try a Mechanical Clear version, this is a great kit to give it a go without too much stress. :-)

MG Gundam v2.0 : Mechanical Smoked Clear Ver.

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.