Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining + decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body

Head

MG Full Armor Gundam - Arms and weapon section (1/4)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Arms and weapon section (2/4)

Arms and weapon section

Side skirt armor.
The front/rear Full Armor skirt armor clips snugly onto the revised yellow parts.

360mm rocket cannon mounted on the back

The Full Armor backpack

In Full Armor mode, the beam saber is mounted on the rear skirt.

Legs

MG Full Armor Gundam - Knee and foot sections (1/3)

Knee and foot sections

The cannon moves at a 90-degree angle.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Missile bay open gimmicks are featured on both shoulders and knees. And the color separation is spot-o

Missile bay open gimmicks are featured on both shoulders and knees.
And the color separation is spot-on too~

The verniers on the sides of the shins are articulated.

Core Fighter

Folded into core block form

MG Full Armor Gundam - Leftover parts. Some of the original normal version's weapon parts remain, along with 4 square structu

Leftover parts.
Some of the original normal version's weapon parts remain, along with 4 square structures from the skirt.

Full Armor removal

The Full Armor panels that attach to the torso and arms/legs are broken up into nice small sections.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Most of the Full Armor panels attach using their own built-in locking pins, but gel stickers are inclu

Most of the Full Armor panels attach using their own built-in locking pins,
but gel stickers are included for parts that are tricky to secure.
Looking at the back of the gel sticker sheet, you can see the cut lines marked as shown above.
The cut lines make it look like a lot of gel stickers will be used, but in practice only a few are actually needed — the rest are spares.

You cut them like this, separating them into long and short pieces as needed.

MG Full Armor Gundam - One side of the gel sticker is an adhesive sticker side, while the other side is a sticky gel material

One side of the gel sticker is an adhesive sticker side, while the other side is a sticky gel material that clings to the surface.
In the packaging, a clear protective film covers the sticky gel side —
you need to remove this film before it'll actually stick properly.

Two elongated gel stickers are used in the center of the upper body armor.

Elongated gel stickers are used on both side skirts and the rear sole armor.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Small gel stickers are used on the inside of the 4 joint add-on armor pieces on both sides of the knee

Small gel stickers are used on the inside of the 4 joint add-on armor pieces on both sides of the knees.
The thing is, even with the gel stickers these parts don't hold very well and give you quite a headache.
I have a feeling this is going to be a sore point that people will keep complaining about for a long time..

MG Full Armor Gundam - In my case, I used the double-sided tape that came with Action Base 1 and layered it on top of the gel

In my case, I used the double-sided tape that came with Action Base 1
and layered it on top of the gel sticker.
It's not perfect, but it's pretty handy when the gel sticker alone just can't hold things in place.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Now, the base body with all the Full Armor panels removed (1/4)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Now, the base body with all the Full Armor panels removed (2/4)

Now, the base body with all the Full Armor panels removed

MG Full Armor Gundam - Various shots of the base body. (1/6)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Various shots of the base body. (2/6)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Various shots of the base body. (3/6)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Various shots of the base body. (4/6)

Various shots of the base body.

MG Full Armor Gundam - The only difference between the First base body and the normal version is the square sections on the f

The only difference between the First base body and the normal version is the square sections on the front/rear skirts.
The design was changed to secure the Full Armor panels.

Outer armor removal shots of the base body.

MG Full Armor Gundam - The inner frame itself is the same as the normal version, but the frame's molded color has a metallic

The inner frame itself is the same as the normal version,
but the frame's molded color has a metallic pearlescent finish.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Upper body frame (1/4)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Upper body frame (2/4)

Upper body frame

MG Full Armor Gundam - Arm / leg frame (1/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Arm / leg frame (2/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Arm / leg frame (3/5)

Arm / leg frame

MG Full Armor Gundam - Beam saber action. The only weapon left for the base body is the beam saber — the rifle, bazooka, hamm

Beam saber action.
The only weapon left for the base body is the beam saber — the rifle, bazooka, hammer, and everything else are all gone.

Together with the G Armor Real Type Color base body, which has a somewhat similar color scheme.

The Full Armor version has that proper Gunpla green.

MG Full Armor Gundam - As you can tell by comparing the base bodies, the design of the square parts on the skirt has been cha

As you can tell by comparing the base bodies,
the design of the square parts on the skirt has been changed.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Alright, back to Full Armor~ Since the armor is on the thin side, the articulation is almost identical

Alright, back to Full Armor~
Since the armor is on the thin side, the articulation is almost identical to the normal version.

MG Full Armor Gundam - However.. the peg on the inside of the Full Armor front skirt does limit how far the front skirt can s

However.. the peg on the inside of the Full Armor front skirt
does limit how far the front skirt can swing upward.
The hip's range of upward motion is slightly reduced because of it, though it's not really that noticeable.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Twin beam rifle firing pose (1/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Twin beam rifle firing pose (2/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Twin beam rifle firing pose (3/5)

Twin beam rifle firing pose

MG Full Armor Gundam - Missile bay full open! (1/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Missile bay full open! (2/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Missile bay full open! (3/5)

Missile bay full open!

MG Full Armor Gundam - Aerial action poses using Action Base 1 (1/7)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Aerial action poses using Action Base 1 (2/7)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Aerial action poses using Action Base 1 (3/7)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Aerial action poses using Action Base 1 (4/7)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Aerial action poses using Action Base 1 (5/7)

Aerial action poses using Action Base 1

MG Full Armor Gundam - The twin beam rifle can be mounted on either the right or left arm by switching the position of the at

The twin beam rifle can be mounted on either the right or left arm
by switching the position of the attachment point.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Beam saber + left arm twin beam rifle action (1/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Beam saber + left arm twin beam rifle action (2/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Beam saber + left arm twin beam rifle action (3/5)

Beam saber + left arm twin beam rifle action

MG Full Armor Gundam - Together with the normal version MG First 2.0. (It's wearing a clear outfit for a moment since I'm in

Together with the normal version MG First 2.0.
(It's wearing a clear outfit for a moment since I'm in the middle of reviewing a clear event kit)

The MG MSV trio.
Is the future of MSV looking bright!?!

Together with Johnny Ridden's Zaku II v2.0, which appears alongside it on the box art.

MG Full Armor Gundam - Straight build (1/4)

MG Full Armor Gundam - Straight build (2/4)

Straight build

Following the G3 and G Armor Real Type Color, the Full Armor Gundam has now been released as an MG based on the First 2.0. It's proof that the MG lineup, which had been somewhat stingy about MSV kits outside of the Zaku line, is starting to branch out into a wider variety of MSV releases. Sure, running out of new source material might be the bigger reason — but either way, as an old-school fan, I'm welcoming it with open arms.

Full Armor Gundam is one of the most iconic MSV units — the classic First with extra armor bolted on, looking heavy and powerful. But the MG Full Armor Gundam came out with a much slimmer and more refined silhouette than I expected. It does follow the spec by layering armor onto the normal First one piece at a time, but the panels fit so snugly and the overall volume is so trim that it honestly doesn't feel like a kit with double-layered armor at all — it's that slim.

Extra armor kits have often followed the formula of "more armor = bulkier = chunkier," so this result is probably a testament to how far plastic model engineering has come. The thing is.. that clean, slim silhouette could actually be seen as a problem. The MSV Full Armor Gundam that old-school fans have in their heads is supposed to look heavy and powerful.. but the MG Full Armor looks slim and pretty, which honestly makes it feel a bit underwhelming. In other words, it's more refined, sure — but it might leave you thinking "this isn't the Full Armor I knew." Of course, that's all down to personal taste.

The Full Armor panels use a new attachment method alongside the conventional snap-fit approach — specifically, a gel sticker adhesion system. Most of the armor goes on with snap-fit connections, but some Full Armor parts have no obvious place to lock onto due to their structure. To solve this, they introduced these gel stickers — think of them as soft, slightly tacky rubber pads. One side of the gel sticker is a regular adhesive sticker that you stick to the inside of the armor panel, while the other side is a sticky gel surface that clings to the body underneath. In short, think of it as a double-sided sticker that doesn't leave much of a mark when you peel it off and reattach it.

The gel stickers are used in 2 spots on the front body armor, 2 on the side skirts, 2 on the rear foot armor, and 4 on the knee covers on both sides. You cut the elongated gel sticker strips (provided in a bag) to the appropriate length with scissors. There's plenty of gel sticker material included so you'll have more than enough to work with — though since dust and debris on the sticky gel surface will reduce adhesion, you may need to replace them from time to time. Personally, I think it's better to just leave them on once you've attached them... (-.-;) Once you peel them off, dust sticks to them almost immediately, so yeah...

The adhesion on the gel sticker surface isn't too bad, but it's not exactly super strong either. They're sticky like regular stickers and cling well, and they're designed not to leave marks when removed, but... while most areas hold up well enough, the problem is the small round pieces that attach to both sides of the knees keep falling off... T_T Every time you pose it — pop. Just standing there — pop. Even after pressing them on firmly with your finger, a little while later — pop. It's pretty frustrating. Especially the inner knee area due to the leg angle — those just fall off constantly with no solution in sight, so in my case I added a layer of double-sided tape to keep them in place. I imagine quite a few people are going to have their rage meters maxed out over this.

The Full Armor's color scheme is pretty colorful, and some people were wondering how well the color separation would hold up — but true to a modern MG, it's broken down quite precisely. All those numerous orange circles are individually separated, so even a straight build reproduces the colors almost perfectly. Also worth noting is that the added armor is thin enough that it barely compromises the base kit's excellent articulation — definitely a plus.

The additional parts and weapons for the Full Armor configuration are fairly substantial, but the beam rifle, bazooka, Gundam Hammer, beam javelin, grenade launcher, and all the other weapons that came with the normal version of the base kit are absent. The only weapon left on the base kit is the beam saber — and it seems like removing those weapons helped keep the price increase to a minimum. The normal First version is ¥4,200, and even though 5 extra runners were added for the Full Armor, the price only went up ¥800. Considering how much more you're getting, it's definitely not an expensive kit.

More than anything else, this is a kit where seeing that MSV logo printed clearly on the box just feels great — and you get to experience the thrill of building a Full Armor Gundam reborn with cutting-edge MG technology. There's a slight disappointment that it might have become a bit too refined and lost some of its original charm... but being a kit based on the First 2.0, the parts layout is solid and the building experience is excellent, so I'd actually recommend it over the normal First version. That said, the newly attempted gel stickers? Hmm... To me it feels less like a bold new idea and more like a last-resort workaround they came up with after a lot of deliberation — so don't put too much faith in the gel sticker adhesion.

Anyway, it's the kind of item that mainly appeals to old-school fans — but flip that around and you've got a great kit that hits you right in the nostalgia. :-)

MG FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★★	Even the Full Armor weapon parts are all molded in one solid piece. Excellent!
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★★	Color separation is thorough, right down to the small orange parts.
Proportions	★★★★☆	It looks clean, but... isn't it a bit too slim for a Full Armor??
Articulation	★★★★☆	The additional armor barely affects articulation, but the hip joints are restricted.
Joint Strength	★★★★☆	The joints are solid, but the fit of some additional armor pieces is a bit iffy.
Internal Frame	★★★★★★	The metallic molded color makes it look even better than the normal version.
Detail	★★★★★	Refined, clean, and well-rounded.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	The Full Armor parts are faithfully reproduced.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	432 parts total. Parts per ¥1,000: 86.4. Price increase is minimal.
Uniqueness	★★★★★★★	An MSV that's so clean it actually feels a little out of place.
Dalong's Point : 107 pts.

MG Full Armor Gundam | 2010. 6 | ¥5,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.