Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining + decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Dazzling-

Torso

The head with its impressive gold bull horns

Weapons mounted on the back.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - The backpack without the weapons. It's basically the Mk-II 2.0 backpack with just some weapon-mountin

The backpack without the weapons.
It's basically the Mk-II 2.0 backpack with just some weapon-mounting parts added.

Arm section

Side skirts minus the weapon mounts

Legs

The color separation on the legs is a genuine work of art.
I honestly never thought they'd go ahead and separate all of that..

The ankle cylinders are, as expected, plated parts from the Mk-II 2.0.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - The circular patterns on the body are handled with stickers, but the patterns are already engraved in

The circular patterns on the body are handled with stickers,
but the patterns are already engraved into the surface, which makes painting easier for the hardcore modelers out there.

Weapons

The blades are nicely reproduced with gold and silver plated parts.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Something's a bit off with the scabbards.. One side fits the blade nice and snug, but the other is su

Something's a bit off with the scabbards..
One side fits the blade nice and snug, but the other is super loose.
They're the same parts, so I'm not really sure why..?

A rifle with a somewhat fusion-esque look.

There are beam saber handles on the backpack, but..
they're not actually used.

From the structure mounted on the forearm,
you can slide the claw used in close combat in and out.

Leftover parts. These are from the Mk-II 2.0.

Outer armor removal shot

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Inner frame shots. The frame is basically based on the Mk-II 2.0. (1/2)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Inner frame shots. The frame is basically based on the Mk-II 2.0. (2/2)

Internal frame.
The frame is basically based on the Mk-II 2.0.

The body frame.
Since there's no cockpit open feature, the red cockpit area is sealed off.

The head — barely any inner frame to speak of.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Arm and leg frames. (1/3)

Arm and leg frames.

Articulation is pretty much the same as the Mk-II 2.0.
True to the 2.0 name, it bends well..

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Interestingly, both sides of the front skirt mount are done like ball joints. The range of motion doe

Interestingly, both sides of the front skirt mount are done like ball joints.
The range of motion does seem to be ever so slightly improved.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - A kneeling dual-sword pose — a bit precarious but relatively natural (1/4)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - A kneeling dual-sword pose — a bit precarious but relatively natural (2/4)

A kneeling dual-sword pose — a bit precarious but relatively natural

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Drawing-the-sword pose (1/4)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Drawing-the-sword pose (2/4)

Drawing-the-sword pose

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Dual-blade charge pose (1/5)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Dual-blade charge pose (2/5)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Dual-blade charge pose (3/5)

Dual-blade charge pose

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Attack using both Hōtetsu-kan (tachi) and Senkō-kan (chokutō) simultaneously (1/4)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Attack using both Hōtetsu-kan (tachi) and Senkō-kan (chokutō) simultaneously (2/4)

Attack using both Hōtetsu-kan (tachi) and Senkō-kan (chokutō) simultaneously

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Go forth alone, like the horn of a rhinoceros.. Special attack pose from the game (1/4)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Go forth alone, like the horn of a rhinoceros.. Special attack pose from the game (2/4)

Go forth alone, like the horn of a rhinoceros..
Special attack pose from the game

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Shooting pose. Honestly, swords suit this kit way more than a gun. (1/5)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Shooting pose. Honestly, swords suit this kit way more than a gun. (2/5)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Shooting pose. Honestly, swords suit this kit way more than a gun. (3/5)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Shooting pose. Honestly, swords suit this kit way more than a gun. (4/5)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Shooting pose. Honestly, swords suit this kit way more than a gun. (5/5)

Firing pose.
Honestly, swords suit this kit way more than a gun.

Overseas exclusive Wa
sticker seals

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - What about Japanese domestic customers, you ask (?) — these are the Wa stickers included exclusively

What about Japanese domestic customers, you ask (?)
These are the Wa stickers included exclusively with the overseas release.
The seal quality feels almost like a fabric material, and it's AAA-grade.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Well.. they're not decals, just plain sticker seals, so all you have to do is peel and stick. (Easy a

Well.. they're not decals, just plain sticker seals, so all you have to do is peel and stick. (Easy as pie~)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - For some parts, it's easier to disassemble the armor before applying them. If you try to stick them o

For some parts, it's easier to disassemble the armor before applying them.
If you try to stick them on with all the gold plating already in place, there are quite a few spots where things can end up crooked.

For the corners, just gently rub them down with the included tool and they'll stick nicely.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - The Wa sticker seals applied. Ahh.. it feels like the kit's been dressed in one layer of gorgeous clo

The Wa sticker seals applied.
Ahh.. it feels like the kit's been dressed in one layer of gorgeous clothing.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Sticker seals on various parts of the body. The matte surface makes them look even more premium. (1/4

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Sticker seals on various parts of the body. The matte surface makes them look even more premium. (2/4

Sticker seals on various parts of the body.
The matte surface makes them look even more premium.

Patterns on the arms and shoulders

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - The legs even have different patterns on the left and right. (1/4)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - The legs even have different patterns on the left and right. (2/4)

The legs even have different patterns on the left and right.

They even suggest coloring it with watercolor paints.. ^^;

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Fully armed with the Wa sticker seals applied. (1/5)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Fully armed with the Wa sticker seals applied. (2/5)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Fully armed with the Wa sticker seals applied. (3/5)

Fully armed with the Wa sticker seals applied.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - A dual-blade pose to commemorate the occasion. (1/4)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - A dual-blade pose to commemorate the occasion. (2/4)

A dual-blade pose to commemorate the occasion.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Together with the base kit, the MG Mk-II 2.0 Titans version. The vibe is completely different, isn't

Together with the base kit, the MG Mk-II 2.0 Titans version.
The vibe is completely different, isn't it.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II - Together with the MG Shin Musha Gundam. The normal version came out in a dull brownish color instead

Together with the MG Shin Musha Gundam.
The normal version came out in a dull brownish color instead of plated parts.. so there's quite a gap in terms of class.

MG Shin Musha Gundam — seems like the Sengoku no Jin version is the right one to compare it with..

Both have gold plating, so they're quite a flashy pair.

Straight build

With the MG lineup struggling to find new material, the Musha Mk-II has now appeared following the Shin Musha Gundam from the game. It's a variation based on the MG Gundam Mk-II 2.0, with all the outer armor changed — and in terms of color, you could say it's based on the Titans version.

First off, unlike the Shin Musha Gundam, the Musha Mk-II comes with plated parts as standard even in the normal release. In the case of Shin Musha, it was the special version called "Sengoku no Jin" that got the plated treatment — but with the Mk-II, plated parts were planned as standard from the very beginning, which means the under-gates are properly done as well. In other words, unlike the Shin Musha Gundam Sengoku no Jin version, the gate marks on the plated parts are barely visible at all — and that's a huge plus.

The Musha Mk-II has a far more complex color combination of plated parts compared to the Shin Musha, and against all expectations, it's reproduced almost 100% perfectly. You can see color separation methods that Bandai wouldn't normally attempt, and thanks to all that effort, even a straight build results in a perfectly dazzling color combination without needing any extra seals. And with under-gates keeping gate marks out of sight, it's the cherry on top!

As a result, this kit is top-tier in terms of straight-build flashiness, and the satisfaction after completion — for us regular builders — is absolutely top-notch too. Being based on the Mk-II 2.0 means the articulation is great as well, so it's a solid kit in many ways.. but

The kit's biggest Achilles' heel is the joint strength — especially in the lower body. The Mk-II 2.0 was already noted for not having particularly tight joints; it wasn't loose enough to call floppy, but there was no satisfying tightness to it, which made posing feel a bit nerve-wracking.. With the Musha Mk-II, the outer armor is thicker and bulkier, so that structural instability is amplified even further. -_-

Overall, there's absolutely no satisfying tightness to the joints at all — the articulation is good, but if you try any dynamic poses, it's hard to hold them. Thankfully it's not so bad that it'll topple over just standing there, but it's a rather awkward level of joint strength to pair with such excellent color separation and articulation.. If you put it on a stand and spread the legs wide, sure enough the legs will slowly drift downward on their own and it'll quietly settle back into a demure standing pose.. It's not quite as bad as the noodle joints of the old Zeta 1.0 days, but for a modern kit, it's honestly an embarrassing level of joint strength..

The dry decals come in two versions — a Ver.Ka version and a plastic model original version — and you choose which to apply. Fortunately (?) the number of decals isn't all that large, so the work is manageable. On the other hand, given that it carries the "Ver.Ka" subtitle, there are quite a lot of seals to apply. Well, applying seals is way easier than decals, so there's no need to stress out over the Ver.Ka title beforehand. ^^;

The first-run edition of Musha Gundam Mk-II comes with a quirky special item — a Japanese-style (和) sticker seal that was exclusive to overseas markets. Based on the pre-release ads, I figured it'd just be your run-of-the-mill waterslide decals, but when I actually got it, turns out it's not decals at all — it's seals, literally just stick-on stickers. That said, the quality of these sticker seals is anything but ordinary. They have this thick, premium feel almost like a fabric (cloth) material, the printed patterns look great, and the print quality is excellent. The adhesion is also really good — not so sticky that they're a pain to remove, but not so weak that they won't stay put either. Absolutely top-tier material. And maybe because of that fabric-like texture, it genuinely feels like you've dressed the kit in an extra layer of clothing.

The review above covers both states — the regular decaling and the version with the Japanese-style (和) sticker seals applied. What I did was first apply the 和 sticker seals over the straight build and review it, then peeled them all off, did panel lining, and applied the regular decals and seals. As you can see, the adhesive is so clean that removing the sticker seals leaves absolutely no residue behind — and yet when they're on, they hold on pretty firmly. That really drives home just how top-class these sticker seals are. Even after carefully peeling them off once, they can be reapplied without looking out of place — they hold up surprisingly well. It's a sub-item I wasn't expecting much from, but it's genuinely worth it, and even folks who hate dealing with decals should find these easy enough to give a shot.

Overall, this kit is something I can say is pretty damn good — like, really, seriously good — if only the joint strength weren't so awkward. The reason I gave it a relatively high score is that it holds poses just fine while standing, and the gorgeous molded colors in the straight build state are just stunning. Sure, the heavily Japanese-influenced design itself will be a love-it-or-hate-it thing, but setting that aside and just looking at the kit itself, it's hard to argue that this isn't a slick, well-executed release. :-)

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Based on the Mk-II 2.0, and it shows — more than good enough.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★★	I never expected them to break down all that color separation... way beyond expectations!!
Proportions	★★★★★	Heavy on the Japanese aesthetic, but the look is pulled off well.
Articulation	★★★★★	Being based on the Mk-II 2.0, it folds up reeeal nicely.
Joint Strength	★★★★	The Mk-II 2.0 already had me worried... and these joints are even looser. The biggest flaw of this kit.
Internal Frame	★★★★★	Same full-body frame as the Mk-II 2.0.
Detail	★★★★★	Detail is pretty average, but the color separation makes it look incredibly intricate.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	Standard weapons, but the plating makes them look plenty luxurious.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★☆	416 parts total. 69 parts per ¥1,000. A bit pricey thanks to the plating, but what can you do...
Uniqueness	★★★★★★	Phenomenal color separation. The breathtaking feel of the straight build puts this at the top tier of kits.
Dalong's Point : 101 pts.

MG Musha Gundam Mk-II | 2010. 5 | ¥6,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.