Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining + decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

1. Basic Photo

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise (1/6)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise (2/6)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise (3/6)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise (4/6)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise (5/6)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise (6/6)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Despite having such a large and heavy backpack... just balance the center of grav

Despite having such a large and heavy backpack...
Just balance the center of gravity a little and it stands up just fine.
The proportions are on a completely different level compared to the No Grade 1/100. ^^

Upper body

Handsome face.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - There's a glitter sticker applied to the back of the clear part on top of the hea

There's a glitter sticker applied to the back of the clear part on top of the head,
which makes it look quite three-dimensional and lustrous in person.

The unit name is embossed on the back of the neck.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Arms and shoulders (1/3)

Arms and shoulders

The Tactical Arms II mounted on the back.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Wings have been added to the top of the Tactical Arms II that weren't on the 1/10

Wings have been added to the top of the Tactical Arms II that weren't on the 1/100.

Rear view with the tactical unit removed.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - When attaching the Tactical Arms II mounting bracket to the body, you need to pay

When attaching the Tactical Arms II mounting bracket to the body, you need to pay close attention to which hole you're plugging it into.
By default, it goes into the upper hole indicated by the arrow,
while the middle hole is used when mounting it on the back in sword form.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The left shows the bracket position when mounting in flight form, and the right s

The left shows the bracket position when mounting in flight form,
and the right shows it when mounting in sword form.
As you can see, the height changes significantly depending on which hole you use.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The Tactical Arms II raised higher by plugging the bracket into the upper hole. I

The Tactical Arms II raised higher by plugging the bracket into the upper hole.
It doesn't look too weird, but the high center of gravity does make it look a bit unstable.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - To mount it on the back in sword form, you need to remove the back mounting plate

To mount it on the back in sword form, you need to remove the back mounting plate, slide it up into the higher hole, and rotate it into position.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Mounted on the back in sword form. (1/3)

Mounted on the back in sword form.

Rear end detail

Back section

Legs

The layered armor gives it excellent depth and dimension.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Whoa... the sole detail is absolutely insane ;;; Believe it or not... the molding

Whoa...
The sole detail is absolutely insane ;;;
Believe it or not... the molding is even denser than a PG. ^^;

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Not only is there a gimmick where a blade extends from the front of the foot, but

Not only is there a gimmick where a blade extends from the front of the foot,
but a blade-from-the-heel gimmick has been added as well.

Cockpit hatch open.
It swings wide open with a two-stage joint structure.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The knee area uses a unique locking pin system to secure things in place. It genu

The knee area uses a unique locking pin system to secure things in place.
It genuinely feels like you're assembling real machinery.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - One assembly note to keep in mind: the front and rear armor panels on the forearm

One assembly note to keep in mind.
The front and rear armor panels on the forearm bicep area can sometimes pop off unexpectedly —
this is caused by the polycap inside the forearm being inserted incorrectly.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The tricky thing is that this polycap fits naturally in both orientations... so i

The tricky thing is that this polycap fits naturally in both orientations...
so if you insert it on its side like the left image, the front and rear forearm armor panels won't seat fully and will keep popping off.
You need to insert it upright like the right image so there's enough clearance for the armor to click in all the way —
it's an easy mistake to miss if you're not reading the manual carefully.

Tactical Arms II in flight form.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - When mounting the Tactical Arms II on the back, the peg on the back plugs into th

When mounting the Tactical Arms II on the back,
the peg on the back plugs into the hole for a solid, secure fit.
It's a completely different level of stability compared to the 1/100, which felt like it was just resting on there.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Tactical Arms II in sword form... the sheer size and detail make it look absolute

Tactical Arms II in sword form...
The sheer size and detail make it look absolutely badass...

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Detailed shots by section (1/3)

Detailed shots by section

The handle section moves around nicely and holds its position well.

A wing opening/closing gimmick has been added that wasn't on the 1/100.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - When folding the blade section, you need to pull it out slightly first, and it ha

When folding the blade section, you need to pull it out slightly first,
and it has a satisfying stiffness with no looseness at all.

The gatling section.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - This is the Tactical Arms II in gatling form. It can also be placed on the includ

This is the Tactical Arms II in gatling form.
It can also be placed on the included Action Base II.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The handle for gatling form is cleverly hidden inside the sword handle, so when f

The handle for gatling form is cleverly hidden inside the sword handle,
so when folded away it's completely invisible — really well designed.

A fully upgraded Armor Schneider.
Looks a whole lot more menacing.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The way the Armor Schneider locks onto the side of the thigh is just brilliant. O

The way the Armor Schneider locks onto the side of the thigh is just brilliant.
On the 1/100 this part kept falling off and getting loose, which was pretty annoying... but on the MG it absolutely will not come off! ^^
On top of that, there's a pin where the Armor Schneider handle and scabbard interlock, so it can rotate while staying secured in the scabbard as shown above.
Also worth noting — when inserting the Armor Schneider into the scabbard, you need to press the blade tip in fully until you hear a click for it to lock in properly.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - An Action Base II molded in blue is included to support the Tactical Arms II duri

To support the Tactical Arms II during action poses,
an Action Base II molded in blue is included.
There's one difference from the standard Action Base II —
a separate, slightly longer part is used for the center column core section.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - 1/100 scale pilot figure. It comes with a base, and the detail is nice and crisp

1/100 scale pilot figure.
It comes with a base, and the detail is nice and crisp — good stuff.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - There aren't really any leftover parts from the main body, but a few unused piece

There aren't really any leftover parts from the main body,
but a few unused pieces remain from the Action Base II side.

2. Mechanic Frame

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Armor-off shot. Since a large portion of the frame is exposed on this unit by des

Outer armor removal shot.
Since a large portion of the frame is exposed on this unit by design,
the outer armor doesn't cover all that much.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Inner frame shot. True to the Blue Frame name, the entire frame is blue. (1/2)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Inner frame shot. True to the Blue Frame name, the entire frame is blue. (2/2)

Internal frame.
True to the Blue Frame name, the entire frame is blue.

Body frame

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The head is also a full frame. (1/3)

The head is also a full frame.

Back frame.
Mostly the parts that are exposed on the exterior.

Arm frame.
About 70% of it is exposed on the exterior.

Hip joint frame

Leg frame

Frame detail on the thighs and shins.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - There's frame detail in the middle section of the head antenna as well... though

There's frame detail in the middle section of the head antenna as well...
though it gets covered up by a sticker.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The white armor panel on the outer shin also has an inner frame behind it, making

The white armor panel on the outer shin also has an inner frame behind it,
making it a double-frame structure.

Skirt interior detail.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The dense interior armor molding that was missing even on the MG Guntank has made

The interior armor molding that was missing even on the MG Guntank
has made a dense comeback here. ^^

True to the Astray... the deep squat pose is pulled off with ease.

The hip joint articulation is great, so it takes poses really well.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Below the knee on the shin, there's a uniquely styled articulated cylinder. It's

Below the knee on the shin, there's a uniquely styled articulated cylinder.
It's a part you can barely see once everything is assembled though...

The skirt mounting structure is made in a similar style to the PG.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - A unique double-extending waist joint. The photo above shows the inside of the lo

A unique double-extending waist joint.
The photo above shows the inside of the lower waist section,
and you can see how the double joint that was folded inside the waist extends outward,
dramatically increasing the forward and backward bend range of the waist.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - This gives it a wild level of waist articulation unlike anything you've seen in a

This gives it a wild level of waist articulation unlike anything you've seen in any other kit,
it's genuinely crazy how far it can bend.
Of course, putting the armor on reduces the range somewhat,
Still, this has the most flexible waist joint of any Gunpla ever made.

In frame state, the shoulder joint bends forward nearly 90 degrees.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The inner joint with the shoulder cover removed. It's a little disappointing that

The inner joint with the shoulder cover removed.
It's a little disappointing that the range of motion decreases once you put all the armor on.

3. Mobility

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Astray means insane articulation! Just as expected, the arms and legs fold up bea

Astray means insane articulation!
Just as expected, the arms and legs fold up beautifully,
and the hip joints have an enormous range of motion so the thighs can swing way up.

The arm folds up like it's completely wrapping around itself..

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The wrist-bend joint unique to the Astray is well reproduced here too. That joint

The wrist-bend joint unique to the Astray is well reproduced here too.
That joint subtly boosts the overall range of motion of the arm..

When you raise the thigh, something gets pushed out around the side skirt area..

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Rather than folding the skirts to get hip joint clearance, it goes all the way an

Rather than folding the skirts to get hip joint clearance,
it goes all the way and swings the skirts out to the side entirely, pushing the hip joint articulation to the absolute limit.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - As shown above, the U-shaped skirt mounting bracket used on the PG has been carri

As shown above, the U-shaped skirt mounting bracket used on the PG has been carried over directly to the MG,
and the difference from the PG is that the front skirts are also attached to that U-shaped bracket.
This means not just the side skirts but the front skirts can be swept out of the way too,
reaching a point where the skirts barely interfere with leg articulation at all.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Also, when locking the skirts back into position, the skirt bracket clips snugly

Also, when locking the skirts back into position,
the skirt bracket clips snugly into the side of the crotch area,
so the hold is excellent.
No sloppy wobbling around..

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - And then there's the double-extending waist joint.. it bends forward more than an

And then there's the double-extending waist joint..
it bends forward more than any other Gunpla before it.
Feels like nearly 45 degrees..

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The Astray's back originally has a support structure between the upper body and w

The Astray's back originally has a support structure between the upper body and waist,
and to keep it from blocking the waist's range of motion, the support is reproduced as a sliding mechanism.
You can really tell they paid attention to every little detail.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The waist also bends noticeably well to the sides. When it comes to the waist joi

The waist also bends noticeably well to the sides.
When it comes to the waist joint alone, you could call it the best of any Gunpla out there.

When you bend the knee, the thigh joint slides down.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The double-split sliding knee armor gimmick is also carried over directly from th

The double-split sliding knee armor gimmick is also
carried over directly from the PG.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - A gimmick where bending the elbow causes the forearm joint to split and move sepa

A gimmick where bending the elbow causes the forearm joint to split and move separately.
This is something even the PG didn't have... ;;;;

The ankle guard armor on the inside of the ankle moves on a ball joint..

which gives a wide range of side-to-side ankle tilt like this.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The front of the foot does feel like it bends forward just a little less than you

The front of the foot does feel like it bends forward just a little less than you'd want.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The shoulder armor is large, so the forward bend angle is reduced compared to the

The shoulder armor is large, so compared to the frame-only state
the forward bend angle is reduced.
If it were the Red Frame shoulders, it probably would've bent a bit more..

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The lower cover of the shoulder armor protrusion is articulated to help preserve

The lower cover of the shoulder armor protrusion is articulated to help preserve the arm's range of motion..
though it doesn't seem to contribute all that much to articulation in practice.

The shoulder raises up nice and high like that~.

4. Action

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - A wild front kick pose. This ultra-high-difficulty pose that's even hard to pull

A wild front kick pose.
This ultra-high-difficulty pose that's even hard to pull off on the PG can be done easily on the MG..
but the feet are small and the footing is a bit iffy,
so actually getting it to stand like that requires some serious balancing.. T_T

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Apparently it's not really a front kick — it's actually a heel blade stomp attack

Apparently it's not really a front kick —
it's actually a heel blade stomp attack using the knife on the heel.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - A very natural kneeling pose. Thanks to the virtually unlimited hip joints and ex

A very natural kneeling pose.
Thanks to the virtually unlimited hip joints and excellent waist joint, pretty much any pose comes together nicely..

The Armor Schneider locks very securely onto the peg on the palm.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Stand on! The Tactical Arms II mounted on the back can also be used like wings. (

Stand on!
The Tactical Arms II mounted on the back can also be used like wings.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Detach the blade sections on both sides of the Tactical Arms II, then pull out th

Detach the blade sections on both sides of the Tactical Arms II, then pull out the handle and locking pin..

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - They can be mounted on both arms like this, and the locking mechanism is just bri

They can be mounted on both arms like this, and the locking mechanism is just brilliant..
The palm peg fits in snugly without popping out, and on top of that the rear end plugs into the forearm shield mounting hole,
so despite the weapon being quite large, it locks on perfectly.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Sword arm deployed! Plug in the separate large beam parts and you can pull off so

Sword arm deployed!
Plug in the separate large beam parts and you can pull off some seriously cool action poses.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Sword arm action poses using an action base. No matter what you do, it just looks

Sword arm action poses using an action base.
No matter what you do, it just looks awesome.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Gatling form action poses. It's a pretty cool look.. but on the 1/100 No Grade,

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Gatling form action pose. It's a pretty cool action pose, but... the joint streng

Gatling form action pose.
It's a pretty cool action pose, but... the joint strength on the 1/100 was so bad that getting the pose right was a real struggle. T_T
I still remember spending a whole hour wrestling with that pose when I reviewed the no-grade 1/100 Astray Blue 2nd L.
But MG is MG, after all.
With the MG, even just roughly positioning it gets you the pose right away — honestly kind of moved me.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The grip area also just locks into place on its own if you set it roughly where i

The grip area also just locks into place on its own if you set it roughly where it needs to go.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Sword form, activate! Thanks to the sword's massive size and incredible detail, j

Sword form, activate!
Thanks to the sword's massive size and incredible detail, just holding it and standing it up is enough to make it look absolutely badass.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Dynamic poses~ (1/5)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Dynamic poses~ (2/5)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Dynamic poses~ (3/5)

Dynamic poses~

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The joints are on the sturdy side, so they can hold up the big sword reasonably w

The joints are on the sturdy side, so they can hold up the big sword reasonably well.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - You can connect the included Action Base II in sword form for action poses, but..

You can connect the included Action Base II in sword form for action poses, but...
it sticks out a bit;

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Sword form charge pose. To be precise, this is exactly the pose the Action Base I

Sword form charge pose.
To be precise, this is exactly the pose the Action Base II is included for.

5. Comparison

Comparison with the 1/100 no-grade.

At a glance, the MG looks slightly taller, but...

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - If you remove the Tactical Arms II and look at just the body, the 1/100 is actual

If you remove the Tactical Arms II and look at just the body, the 1/100 is actually bigger.
And beyond the size difference, the MG has clearly gone on a diet in terms of proportions.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The reason is that the 1/100's joints and center of gravity weren't great, which

The reason is that the 1/100's joints and center of gravity weren't great,
which caused the proportions to look squashed and made it appear shorter than it actually is.

Going to MG, the torso and head got smaller.

The backpack looks quite different too.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The yellow shoulder plates got a lot smaller. Or rather, the 1/100's shoulder pla

The yellow shoulder plates got a lot smaller.
Or rather, the 1/100's shoulder plates were just ridiculously oversized to begin with.
(Were they planning to fry an egg on those things or what?..)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The difference in arm size is massive;;;; It almost feels like they're from compl

The difference in arm size is massive;;;;
It almost feels like they're from completely different scales..

The legs have gotten a lot slimmer too.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - With the recent MG trend toward smaller feet... the feet are nearly half the size

With the recent MG trend toward smaller feet...
the feet are nearly half the size they used to be.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The 1/100's articulation is pretty good too, but the MG's hip joints are so much

The 1/100's articulation is pretty good too, but
the MG's hip joints are so much better that there's quite a noticeable difference in how high the thighs can raise.

Tactical Arms II comparison

Detail differences in the wings and gatling.

Tactical Arms II sword form comparison

Goes without saying, but the MG wins by a landslide in terms of detail.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Together with the 1/100 Astray series kits that were released in the regular line

Together with the 1/100 Astray series kits that were released in the regular lineup.
I'd expect a good number of variations to roll out in MG as well.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - All the Second series Astrays gathered together, including the limited editions.

All the Second series Astrays gathered together, including the limited editions.
I just hope the MG line doesn't end up churning out a long string of limited editions the same way.. ;;

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Together with the MG Aile Strike, the pioneer of SEED MGs. The MG Aile was a pret

Together with the MG Aile Strike, the pioneer of SEED MGs.
The MG Aile was a pretty decent kit too, but in terms of articulation, joint strength, and detail, the MG Astray wins hands down.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Together with the PG Astray Red Frame. Since the MG came out after the PG, a good

Together with the PG Astray Red Frame.
Since the MG came out after the PG, a good number of the PG's gimmicks have been carried over into the MG.

6. Striker Adaptor
Parts (First-run limited)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Parts diagram for the compatibility parts included as a first-run limited bonus t

Parts diagram for the compatibility parts included as a first-run limited bonus to celebrate the MG Astray release.
A total of 4 types are included.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - First, an adapter that lets you attach backpacks with a straight-type connection

First, an adapter that lets you attach backpacks with a straight-type connection to the MG Astray.
You remove the structure on the MG Astray's back and plug this in its place.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - The Shiranui backpack from the 1/100 no-grade Akatsuki fitted on. You can also at

The Shiranui backpack from the 1/100 no-grade Akatsuki fitted on.
You can also attach the Aile pack and other backpacks with a straight-type connection to the MG Astray.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Second, an adapter that lets you attach backpacks with a round-type connection to

Second, an adapter that lets you attach backpacks with a round-type connection to the MG Astray.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - An example of transplanting the backpack from the 1/100 no-grade Gale Strike Gund

An example of transplanting the backpack from the 1/100 no-grade Gale Strike Gundam.
It's also compatible with most other backpacks that use a round-type connection.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - Third, an adapter that lets you attach a straight-type backpack to a no-grade wit

Third, an adapter that lets you attach a straight-type backpack to a no-grade with a round-type connection.

An example of attaching the Oowashi pack to the 1/100 Hail Buster Gundam.

Fourth, an adapter for connecting the MG Astray Second's backpack.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - As shown above, it allows the backpack to be attached to any kit that uses a roun

As shown above, it allows the backpack to be attached to any kit that uses a round-type connection.

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise - An example of attaching the MG Astray Second's Tactical Arms II to the Gale Strik

An example of attaching the MG Astray Second's Tactical Arms II to the Gale Strike Gundam.
Essentially, you can mount the Tactical Arms II on the back of most no-grade 1/100 kits that use a round-type connection.

Straight build

The Astray, which skipped MG and went straight to PG, has finally gotten an MG release — and the Blue Frame Second Revise is the first one out of the gate. In terms of order, you'd think they'd release the Red Frame first for MG too, but since the PG Red Frame is already out there, it probably would've felt less fresh, so they went with Blue first. As you'd expect from a kit that's basically the poster child for color variants, it looks like they're gearing up for all kinds of variations — there are quite a few system injection gates scattered across the runners.

The old 1/100 Astray was considered a pretty premium kit for its time, and even looking at it now, it's still a solid kit with decent articulation. The Astray never appeared in the anime, but it built up a big fanbase thanks to its genuinely appealing design — which makes the MG release feel a bit overdue, doesn't it? I think the reason the MG took so long was probably because the 1/100 no-grade quality was so good that they were afraid of getting flak if they couldn't clearly surpass it. Anyway, it did come out pretty late, but in return, it came out as an absolutely top-tier, high-quality MG. :-)

● Proportions & Color Separation

The proportions are, as expected, very much in line with recent MG trends — compared to the no-grade, the arms, legs, and overall body have gone on a serious diet and look much slimmer, and the head and feet have gotten smaller too. The overall volume of the arms in particular is noticeably reduced compared to the no-grade. Some people might be disappointed that it doesn't have that chunky, beefy Astray feel, and honestly, proportions-wise, this one's going to be a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it situation.

The feet have also been shrunk down to tiny little things... and they've been made so small that there's a slight issue with ground contact. Not only are the feet themselves small, but the front and rear joints of the split feet don't sit completely level, which makes it a bit unstable. This MG Astray has gone so far with shrinking the feet that it actually starts to compromise functionality...

The color separation is nearly perfect in an MG-worthy way, covering even the areas the no-grade couldn't manage... but it looks like they quietly glossed over the Astray's signature white fingers, which must have been too tricky to separate. ^^; And the small blue section on the upper chest panel is handled with a sticker, which is quite a contrast to recent Kotobukiya kits. At that size, Kotobukiya would've definitely done a parts separation, and it feels like Bandai always leaves these kinds of ambiguous spots behind — a little disappointing. Makes you almost wonder if it's a marketing strategy to sell Gundam Markers... -.-;

And as anyone would expect, most of the frame parts are molded with undergates. Obviously this is in preparation for the Gold Frame, but it's also a nice bonus that gate marks are barely visible on this kit.

● Gimmicks and Articulation That Surpass the PG

Even back in the 1/100 days, the Astray was known as the king of articulation, and the MG Astray looks like they put in a ton of effort to surpass that. Full arm and leg folding, which was already possible on the no-grade, is of course a given here — and on top of that, they upgraded and applied the PG's skirt mounting structure to push articulation even further.

On the PG Astray, a U-shaped skirt mounting part was used so the skirts wouldn't restrict hip joint range of motion — and that same structure has been carried over to the MG Astray. However, there's one critical difference from the PG: the mounting position of the front skirt. On the PG, the front skirt is fixed at the front like usual, so it can't be repositioned. But on the MG Astray, the front skirts are attached to the U-shaped mounting part along with the side skirts. In other words, the mounting position of the front skirt itself can now be moved. On top of that, unlike the PG where the front skirt was fixed at the front and could only move up and down, on the MG the U-shaped mount is fixed at the rear and moves in all directions via a ball joint, which opens up a lot of space at the front. (See the diagram and table below.)

The difference between the PG and MG U-shaped mounts.

	Mount Position	Range of Movement	Front Skirt Mount Position
PG Astray	Front	Up/Down	Crotch Armor
MG Astray	Rear	Up/Down/Left/Right	U-shaped Mount

Because of this, the PG Astray had a major limitation where the front skirt — being fixed in place — severely restricted how high the thigh could be raised, and it ended up being a glaring weak point that basically required modification. They must have heard plenty of complaints about it, because the MG Astray now lets you swing the front skirt completely out of the way using the ball-joint U-shaped mount.

The end result is that the thighs can now be raised as high as possible without the skirts getting in the way at all — which is why you can pull off poses like a full high kick or other demanding action poses like in the photos above. Honestly, it's a range of poses that's never been seen before in any Gunpla...

On top of that, the gimmick from the PG — where the knee armor splits and slides when the knee is bent — has been carried over to the MG identically, and the sliding gimmick on the front thigh armor is also reproduced on the MG. The MG actually goes one step further, even adding a split-and-articulate gimmick for the forearm armor that the PG couldn't do. In several ways, the MG is actually more upgraded than the PG. The inner ankle guards are also mounted on ball joints, so when you tilt the leg inward, they flex quite a bit to accommodate the movement.

There's also a first-ever attempt at the waist joint — a double joint has been built into the interior of the waist. When you bend the waist forward, this internal double joint extends and pulls the waist out further, making it the most forward-bending waist of any Gunpla ever made. In frame-only state it bends about 45 degrees, and with armor on about 30 degrees — and it's not just forward, the waist is also quite flexible side to side. At first glance the structure looks a bit worrying for joint strength, but it's stiff enough that thankfully the waist doesn't flop backward or anything like that.

By carrying over many of the PG's gimmicks to the MG — and in some cases actually upgrading them — this kit has claimed the throne as the undisputed king of articulation among all Gunpla kits ever made.

● Joint Strength & Weapon Mounting

No matter how great the articulation is, poor joint strength will drive you crazy. Honestly, the 1/100 Astray had fantastic articulation, but the joint strength was a bit lacking. Especially with the Second variants that have a heavy backpack — the proportions themselves got thrown off trying to compensate for the shifted center of gravity. And the SEED-series MGs, which were otherwise well-regarded, all had pretty shaky ankle joints across the board (Strike and Freedom being the worst offenders) — joint strength was always a nagging weak point.

They must have gotten a lot of that feedback over the years, because with this MG Astray, it feels like they staked everything on joint strength above all else. Arms, legs, shoulders, hips, ankles — there isn't a single weak joint anywhere. Even if you're looking for something to nitpick, you really have to admit it's a rock-solid kit. From head to toe, even the ankles — which use double ball joints like the MG SEED kits — are sturdy, so even with a heavy load on its back, a little posing is all it takes to stand up straight without any loss of proportion.

The Tactical Arms II mounting issue, which was a chronic problem on the 1/100 Astray Second, has been completely solved on the MG Astray by using a locking pin to lock it in place. On the 1/100, it was basically just "resting" on a vague mounting point, so the connection was always iffy and the center of gravity shifted way back, making it a real headache.

With great articulation and great joint strength, the last thing to check is whether any parts pop off easily. Moving the thighs around a lot does tend to make the side skirt pieces (though they're almost too small to call skirts) pop off, and the U-shaped mounts come loose occasionally too. But they're easy to reattach, so it doesn't feel all that bothersome relatively speaking. The two Gatling drum magazines on the rear end do pop off sometimes, but if you push them in firmly they tend to stay put.

One of the chronic issues with the 1/100 Astray Second was the Armor Schneider on the thigh popping off easily — and the MG Astray has properly addressed this too. Back in the 1/100 days, the Armor Schneider sheath would catch on things and pop off every time you moved the leg, but on the MG, the sheath itself is firmly mounted on a ball joint, so it just rotates around and finds its own position. The Armor Schneider also locks into the sheath with multiple securing gimmicks so it fits with zero play and absolutely will not come out. They even added a quirky little feature where you can fix just the Armor Schneider handle into the sheath and rotate it — almost like they're showing off their engineering chops.

There are also some genuinely fresh ideas in how the weapons are mounted. There's a weapon called the Sword Arm, which is made by splitting the Tactical Arms and attaching beam parts — and when you attach this large weapon to the arm, it locks into two points: the forearm and a peg on the palm, giving you a perfectly solid, zero-wobble connection. Big weapons are so often a nightmare to hold securely, so it's almost surprising how well this one locks in. The palm peg grip is also a bit more secure than on other kits, so it holds weapons like the Armor Schneider quite firmly as well. The massive Tactical Arms II Sword Form is so large and heavy that it's a little nerve-wracking, but it doesn't seem to come loose easily either.

● A Highly Polished Kit

To give an overall assessment of the MG Astray, This is a kit with an exceptionally high level of quality. That's the best way I can put it.

If you've built a few kits, you'll know what I mean — great articulation but weak joints... or solid joints but parts that don't stay put and fall off every time you move it... or overall stability that's fine but articulation that's just meh... that kind of thing happens a lot. In short, getting the balance right between articulation, joint strength, and parts retention has always seemed like a really tough thing to pull off.

The MG Astray nails all three — outstanding articulation combined with excellent joint strength, and parts retention that's better than most other MGs. It really feels like it's caught all three rabbits at once. In terms of this kind of "balance," it's the most well-rounded kit of any Gunpla I've seen. There's simply nothing lacking. A kit this complex and flashy-looking moves around brilliantly, yet it's not loose at all, and the parts stay on great — what more could you ask for? ^^;

From what I can tell based on experience, the MG Astray seems to have gone through quite a long development period. My guess is it was planned a long time ago, then the release kept getting pushed back, so it was developed slowly... very slowly. As a result, the PG came out in the meantime, and even the PG's shortcomings seem to have been addressed and incorporated into the MG — it really feels like all the little issues were given plenty of time to be ironed out. In short, this is anything but a rushed kit; it's more like a kit that's been aged to perfection over a long period. The only thing I can really nitpick is that the feet are a bit small, which makes the ground contact a little iffy — but even those small feet are an intentional design choice rather than a mistake, so it's hard to really complain. (Still, those small feet are a bit of a shame...)

In that sense, the MG Astray feels like it'll hold a pretty meaningful place in Gunpla history. It's genuinely rare to get the feeling that a kit was crafted with this much care and effort. Seeing how it managed to resolve pretty much every issue that was anticipated before release, it honestly feels like even more effort went into it than the long-awaited MG Guntank. If I dare say it — it's like the non-Universal Century equivalent of the MG Zaku 2.0.

Also, the first-run limited edition of the MG Astray comes with bonus backpack compatibility parts — with the four adapter pieces included, you should be able to swap backpacks between various 1/100 and MG kits. Though honestly, I'm not entirely sure how useful these actually are ^^; — but for anyone who's been wanting to mix and match backpacks, it's a pretty neat little bonus.

Anyway, it seems like the fact that such a popular unit had such a long development period is exactly what produced these results. Whether we'll ever see something like this again is anyone's guess, but as a Gunpla fan, there's nothing quite like getting a kit that blows past your expectations in terms of quality. ^^

GOOD 3 : Excellent parts retention and joint strength. Sword that oozes cool. Insane articulation.
BAD 3 : Feet are a bit small, ground contact is a little iffy, assembly is slightly tricky.

MG MBF-P03R Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Seam lines taken care of down to the finest details — completely eliminated.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	The flashy color combination is reproduced beautifully, right up to PG standards.
Proportions	★★★★☆	Sleek, but the diet feels a bit too extreme.
Articulation	★★★★★★★	The king of articulation. The Astray name is well and truly earned.
Joint Strength	★★★★★★	Solid joints and weapon retention despite the massive load on its back.
Internal Frame	★★★★★	Full inner frame + partial double frame + hidden frame on top of that...
Detail	★★★★★☆	Detail and molding are practically PG-level. Among the best of any MG.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★☆	PG-quality Tactical Arms II. Incredible coolness factor and versatility.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	409 parts total. 85.2 parts per ¥1,000. Very generous parts count.
Uniqueness	★★★★★★★	A kit with way more effort put into it than you'd expect. Very few drawbacks...
Dalong's Point : 112 pts.

* Score-wise it ties with the MG Sinanju, but deep down I do think the MG Sinanju has a more compelling appeal with its intense charisma and quality. That said, I simply can't deny that this kit is of an exceptionally high quality, so please understand that the MG Sinanju's equal score was given somewhat reluctantly :-)

MG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second Revise | 2009. 10 | ¥4,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.