Kit Review

Straight build + panel lining + decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Upper body. The "A" shape on the chest is done with an A-shaped clear part. Looks like it could fit

Upper body.
The "A" shape on the chest is done with an A-shaped clear part.
Looks like it could fit an LED in there, but there's actually no space for one.

Head

Back and backpack section

Legs

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - All the little ducts — dozens of them — have been drilled out, so the depth and dimension look reall

All the little ducts — dozens of them — have been drilled out,
so the depth and dimension look really great.

Weapon section

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - There's a thick sticker that goes on the black part of the knee, but honestly it barely makes a diff

There's a thick sticker that goes on the black part of the knee, but..
honestly it barely makes a difference whether you put it on or not.

Outer armor removed

Inner frame shots.
It's a completely new design, with a full-body frame.

Frame upper body, front/rear.

Head frame

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - For the eyes, you choose between two types of seals — one that covers the entire clear part as shown

For the eyes, you choose between two types of seals —
one that covers the entire clear part as shown, and another where you apply a silver seal to the back to account for reflected light.

Arm frame

Shoulder frame

Leg frame.

Articulation on the frame is good.

Waist articulation in frame state

The shoulder joint structure is a bit unusual.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - When returning the shoulder to its original position, it locks in place via a peg fitting into a hol

When returning the shoulder to its original position, it locks in place via a peg fitting into a hole.

Thanks to the unique neck joint, the neck snaps forward and backward quite freely in frame state.

The wrist joint is also a unique design.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - A slightly updated hip joint mechanism. The rounded shape rotates, allowing the hip position to shif

A slightly updated hip joint mechanism.
The rounded shape rotates, allowing the hip position to shift smoothly forward and backward.

The forward/backward range of motion is roughly as shown above.

A perfectly squatted "relief pose."

Frame action pose

There's absolutely no molding detail on the inside of the armor...

The inside of the skirts all have separate parts for detail.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - The thigh armor, which used to be handled as a single front/rear piece or one solid part, is now spl

The thigh armor, which used to be handled as a single front/rear piece or one solid part,
is now split into four sections — front/rear/left/right.

The shins are also done in a segmented split style rather than a single solid piece.

The arms and shoulders, on the other hand, use the typical solid one-piece armor.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - One of the biggest features of this kit. The knee and elbow joints are assembled separately and then

One of the biggest features of this kit.
The knee and elbow joints are assembled separately and then plugged into each other.
It makes assembly easier, and it's especially convenient for anyone who paints their kits.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - The side skirt assembly method is quite unique — first, here's what the lower body looks like with n

The side skirt assembly method is quite unique —
first, here's what the lower body looks like with nothing attached yet.

First, attach the yellow parts to the front and rear skirts separately.

Then plug in the front/side/rear skirt parts, which are connected as a single three-piece unit..

Then fit the yellow section together with the white front skirt parts like so.

Do the same with the rear skirt parts — plug in the yellow and white pieces and the skirt is done.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - The cockpit hatch open gimmick is a bit complex.. First you open the white section forward and pull

The cockpit hatch open gimmick is a bit complex..
First you open the white section forward and pull it out slightly,
then unfold the monitor section that was tucked inside in two steps.

After that, pull the center section out a bit more and the cockpit hatch is fully open.

Pull the whole cockpit out and it looks like this.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Just like the MG Wing series, only the finger parts are swapped out. Personally not a big fan of thi

Just like the MG Wing series, only the finger parts are swapped out.
Personally not a big fan of this approach, but I guess it's the style Bandai is pushing these days..

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - There's a weapon storage gimmick that opens in the center of the rear skirt, but it's not something

There's a weapon storage gimmick that opens in the center of the rear skirt,
but it's not something used in the Normal version.

The detail on the inside of the shield is a bit plain.
It's basically just 1/100-level stuff..

Various articulation gimmicks on the rifle.

The front section rotates.

The beam sabers are stored in the side skirts.

1/100 figure of pilot Asuno.

Articulation.
Despite the hip joint gimmick, the thighs only raise about 90 degrees.

Shoulder up/down and forward/backward range of motion.

Waist articulation

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Forward/backward neck movement. Not quite as much as in frame state, but still moves a lot more than

Forward/backward neck movement.
Not quite as much as in frame state, but still moves a lot more than other MGs.

Wrist range of motion in all directions.
Thanks to the unique joint, it's better than other MGs.

The thumb's middle knuckle also articulates.

The underside of the forearm rotates to secure the shield.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Separating the yellow and white parts of the front skirt does increase the range of motion — just a

Separating the yellow and white parts of the front skirt does increase the range of motion — just a little, a tiny little bit.
At first I thought they were separated to improve articulation, but..
it looks more like it's designed that way for reuse across different versions.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - A natural kneeling pose (1/4)

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - A natural kneeling pose (2/4)

A natural kneeling pose

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Two-handed shooting pose (1/4)

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Two-handed shooting pose (2/4)

Two-handed shooting pose

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - The same old mid-air shooting pose (1/5)

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - The same old mid-air shooting pose (2/5)

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - The same old mid-air shooting pose (3/5)

The same old mid-air shooting pose

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Beam saber action pose (1/4)

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Beam saber action pose (2/4)

Beam saber action pose

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Beam dagger mid-air action pose (1/5)

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Beam dagger mid-air action pose (2/5)

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal - Beam dagger mid-air action pose (3/5)

Beam dagger mid-air action pose

Together with the HG AGE-1 Normal.

Together with the original MG First 2.0.

Straight build

The AGE-1 Normal from the new anime Gundam AGE has gotten the MG treatment. It feels a bit faster than SEED or 00 got theirs... maybe because the anime isn't that popular and they want to recoup costs quickly (^^;) — but anyway, Bandai packaged it as a "new and improved" MG lineup. Having actually built it, there's definitely something different about it. For better or worse.

The biggest feature of the MG AGE, which claims to be "new and improved," is the assembly method. It's not a massive change, but some of the assembly approaches are a bit unfamiliar. Personally, the most noticeable change for me is the forearm/knee joint sections. In the past, polycap connections or fixed polycap setups often meant you couldn't separate them, but in the MG AGE everything uses plastic pins so you can separate and reconnect the joints. That means even after assembly you can pop the joints apart and put them back together as much as you like, which makes building easier. It's also a very welcome setup for painters who used to have to do C-cut modifications and the like.

Second, when it comes to the armor construction on the thighs and legs, instead of solid one-piece parts, each face is broken up into smaller segments that you assemble individually. The thighs in particular have a somewhat unfamiliar feel to them, but it's not bad at all. And as a bonus, there are zero seam lines. On top of that, all the little duct sections have been drilled out, giving them fantastic depth and dimension. That was a totally unexpected touch. ^^

Third, the side skirt assembly method is really unique. As shown in the review photos above, it's completely different from the conventional approach — you first attach the yellow front and rear sections separately, then plug in a structure where the white front/side/rear pieces are all connected in a triple-linked arrangement, joining the yellow and white skirt parts together. At first I thought it was meant to improve hip articulation, but after checking, it doesn't really help much in that regard. It looks like it's a shared design intended for the various AGE Gundam variations that will be released down the line... the problem is that the fit is a bit iffy, and the skirts can come off — either all at once or piece by piece. That's a bit of a shame.

Fourth, the neck and wrist joints use a round rotating joint rather than a ball joint, which gives them a noticeably wider range of motion. This is partly tied to the unique design of Gundam AGE itself, but either way it's an unusual joint you don't often see.

Beyond that, the overall articulation is sufficiently good, and joint strength is solid with no loose spots. That said, it doesn't feel particularly tight and snug overall — there's a slight looseness to the joints, hard to pin down exactly where. Not floppy, but not quite five-star worthy either — feels like something's just 2% short. Other than that, there's not much to complain about with this kit.

Anyway, thanks to all these new approaches, this is a kit that gives you a genuinely fresh building experience. That said, the "freshness" can sometimes blur into just feeling unfamiliar — because it doesn't really feel like a major "advancement" or a standout innovative idea. Thinking about why that is... despite having a full-body frame, the frame detail is just too plain, and there's a certain emptiness from things like the complete lack of detail on the inside of the outer armor, or the rather dull interior of the shield. Of course, this could very well be intentional on the part of the designers, who reportedly aimed for an "easy kit" — but it does feel like the MG spirit has faded a little. To put it a bit harshly... it honestly gives off a slight vibe of a really well-made 1/100 No Grade rather than a proper MG.

In conclusion, I wouldn't call this a revolutionary kit worth shouting "two thumbs up" over, but it does show a noticeably different approach compared to existing MG lineup entries, making it a new release that earns points for "freshness." Since this is an anime series that skews toward a younger audience, the intent to make it easier to build seems to have succeeded to a reasonable degree. The score of 99 points means it's excellent, but not something I'd call perfect or groundbreaking.

Sure, it's not the most popular new anime among older fans, but the MG AGE-1 Normal still shows off that Bandai magic and comes out looking great on its own merits, separate from the source material. For anyone who's been waiting for the MG AGE series, this is a new release that'll definitely satisfy, and even if you weren't particularly interested, it might be worth giving a shot — could be a good cure for Gunpla burnout too. :-)

MG AGE-1 Gundam AGE-1 Normal
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Seam lines eliminated through a somewhat unique parts breakdown and combination
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★☆	Perfect color separation, plus a fresh assembly method and parts breakdown.
Proportions	★★★★★	A great example of Bandai magic at work. The kit looks better than the design.
Articulation	★★★★☆	Very good overall, but not quite something you'd call perfect...
Joint Strength	★★★★☆	Generally solid, but doesn't feel super tight all around.
Internal Frame	★★★★☆	Full-body frame, but overall it's simple — almost a little too plain.
Detail	★★★★☆	Exterior detail is nice, but the inner frame is pretty bare.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	Sticks to the basic weapons; seems more focused on the main body than the armaments.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	290 parts total. 82.9 parts per ¥1,000. Good value for the price.
Uniqueness	★★★★★★	The new approaches and construction deserve some bonus points.
Dalong's Point : 99 pts.

MG Gundam AGE-1 Normal | 2012. 2 | ¥3,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.