Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body and head

The backpack section, which looks pretty complex.

Buster's signature oversized weapons.

MG Buster Gundam - Arms and shoulders. (1/3)

Arms and shoulders.

Leg section

Outer armor removal shot

Internal frame

MG Buster Gundam - Detailed frame shots. The newly added calf frame has great depth to it. (1/6)

MG Buster Gundam - Detailed frame shots. The newly added calf frame has great depth to it. (2/6)

MG Buster Gundam - Detailed frame shots. The newly added calf frame has great depth to it. (3/6)

MG Buster Gundam - Detailed frame shots. The newly added calf frame has great depth to it. (4/6)

Detailed frame shots.
The newly added calf frame has great depth to it.

Frame articulation is similar to the previous SEED MGs, and the hip joint mechanism is the same as well.

MG Buster Gundam - It's a great frame that can pull off a kneeling pose with ease. (1/3)

It's a great frame that can pull off a kneeling pose with ease.

The torso and forearm armor have no inner detail at all, but...

They did take care to add some nice molding on the inside of the leg armor specifically.

Skirt inner detail.

Cockpit hatch open shot.
The cover is noticeably larger than on other kits, and it opens up nice and wide.

Shoulder missile pod hatch open.

MG Buster Gundam - The cover on the inside of the knee armor opens up, and it looks like it's meant to store beam sabers — bu

The cover on the inside of the knee armor opens up, and it looks like it's meant to store beam sabers —
but there's no real instruction in this kit on how to use it.. (Not like it comes with beam sabers anyway.)

MG Buster Gundam - The multi-part finger pieces that we've gotten pretty used to by now. The MG Buster Gundam's grip-locking

The multi-part finger pieces that we've gotten pretty used to by now.
The MG Buster Gundam's grip-locking mechanism does its job well, so there aren't any major issues with holding weapons.

A 1/100 Dearka figure, complete with a stand.

Leftover parts.

Buster's highlights are its two oversized weapons —
the 94mm High-Energy Rifle and the 350mm Gun Launcher.

The green section in the center can all slide over a wide range.

The two handles stored in the 350mm Gun Launcher can be folded in and out.

The 94mm High-Energy Rifle also has two movable handles.

The weapon mount that connects to the top of the side skirt.

The mount can move up and down to a decent degree, and

it can be positioned freely using its multiple joints like this.

MG Buster Gundam - You can also extend the side section outward to make it longer. This gimmick comes in handy when combining

You can also extend the side section outward to make it longer.
This gimmick comes in handy when combining the two weapons together.

Limb articulation is top-notch as well.

MG Buster Gundam - Buster's signature double shot pose. (1/6)

MG Buster Gundam - Buster's signature double shot pose. (2/6)

MG Buster Gundam - Buster's signature double shot pose. (3/6)

MG Buster Gundam - Buster's signature double shot pose. (4/6)

Buster's signature double shot pose.

MG Buster Gundam - A dynamic double shot pose up on Action Base 2. (1/5)

MG Buster Gundam - A dynamic double shot pose up on Action Base 2. (2/5)

MG Buster Gundam - A dynamic double shot pose up on Action Base 2. (3/5)

A dynamic double shot pose up on Action Base 2.

MG Buster Gundam - Combined weapon pose with the 94mm High-Energy Rifle attached to the front of the 350mm Gun Launcher. The

Combined weapon pose with the 94mm High-Energy Rifle attached to the front of the 350mm Gun Launcher.
The joints are solid and the gimmick is stable, so it holds together beautifully.

MG Buster Gundam - This time with the weapons connected in reverse, up on Action Base 2. No matter how you combine them, you

This time with the weapons connected in reverse, up on Action Base 2.
No matter how you combine them, you can get a natural-looking pose.

MG Buster Gundam - Alongside the 1/100 No Grade Buster Gundam. The old 1/100 Buster was already a surprisingly excellent kit

Alongside the 1/100 No Grade Buster Gundam.
The old 1/100 Buster was already a surprisingly excellent kit in its own right,
but the MG takes it to an even higher level of quality. Especially in terms of detail — there's just no comparison..

One shot alongside the HG Buster Gundam.

Together with the newly released MG SEED series lineup.

Straight build shots.

Following the Duel and Blitz, the MG Buster Gundam has arrived as the next entry in the MG SEED series. Back in the No Grade 1/100 SEED days, the 1/100 Buster Gundam already stood out from the other kits with noticeably better quality, and it was also the most stylish of the four first-generation SEED Gundams outside of the Strike — so this was a kit I was genuinely looking forward to. And it seems Bandai knew that too, because they put a lot more effort into this one compared to other non-Universal Century MGs. ^^

The first thing you notice while building this kit is the level of precise detail that goes beyond your typical MG, showing up all over the place. It's not just the fine surface molding — the two large weapons and their connection points in particular really stand out in terms of craftsmanship and detail. The 94mm High-Energy Rifle and 350mm Gun Launcher mounted on the back are really the centerpiece of the Buster Gundam, and they've come out looking fantastic with four fully rotating handles, a precise sliding gimmick, and sharp detail all working together. The large green barrel section in the center is molded in one shot using a massive slide mold — a high-end tooling process that requires tight manufacturing tolerances, and it shows in the level of finish you don't often see on other MG kits.

The connection design between the body and the large weapons is also well thought out, allowing flexible movement in various directions without any looseness whatsoever. On top of that, the body's joint strength is very tightly tuned, making it easy to pull off and hold all kinds of dynamic action poses. No matter how impressive the gimmicks are, poor stability kills the excitement — but with the MG Buster Gundam, the great gimmicks and tight joint strength work together in perfect synergy.

The basic body frame construction reuses most of the MG SEED frame, so there's nothing dramatically new there — but Buster-specific upgraded frame parts have been added throughout, giving the overall frame detail a nice boost. Some of the outer armor also uses runners from the MG SEED armor, but the main parts are all upgraded with Buster-specific detailing, which results in a noticeably improved overall level of detail. On top of that, the shoulder missile pod opening gimmick is also reproduced, allowing for even more dynamic poses — all in all, this kit delivers a clear and satisfying MG-worthy upgrade in every way.

The Buster Gundam has always been a fan favorite among the SEED Gundams thanks to its great design, and while the previous MG Blitz also came out at a high quality level, the MG Buster feels a bit more accessible, more precise, and more solidly built. As a result, it's scoring very high among non-Universal Century MG kits — which is just another way of saying it's a really satisfying kit to build and handle. ^^

It's nearly a perfect kit with very little to complain about, but if I had to nitpick, the fit on some of the armor pieces is ever so slightly on the loose side. For example, the rear ankle armor and the side skirt that connects to the weapons would occasionally (not frequently, but occasionally...) pop off during posing — though if you handle it carefully, it generally stays put. It's really only noticeable because the rest of the kit is so tight overall. Also, while the weapon-combining gimmick is impressively precise, it does take a bit of time to position your hands on the handles after combining the weapons. The grip on the multi-part hands common to MG SEED/Wing kits is actually pretty decent, but since the weapons are so long, finding the right spot to place the handles where the hands can actually grip them is a bit fiddly. It's a structural thing, but once you try posing it yourself, you'll know exactly what I mean..

Anyway, this was personally my most anticipated kit among the MG SEED Gundams, and it delivered on that expectation with the best quality of the bunch — so it's a very satisfying kit overall. What stands out in particular is how it brings back a sense of precision to the MG lineup that had been getting simpler over time, along with incredibly tight and sturdy joints and rock-solid stability no matter what pose you put it in.
(The more stable a kit is, the easier it is to review, too. lol)

For anyone who's been waiting for the MG Buster Gundam, this is a truly excellent treat, and even if you weren't particularly interested in the Buster, it's still a kit I'd highly recommend. Especially if you've been feeling let down by the increasing cost-cutting in the MG lineup lately, I think this is the kind of kit that'll give you that "MG isn't dead yet!" feeling. In short, it's got great detail, great build feel, great looks, great articulation, and especially rock-solid joints throughout — a model MG kit in every sense of the word. :-)

MG GAT-X103 Buster Gundam
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★★	High-quality slide molds minimize seam lines on the weapon parts as well.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	The color separation is among the best of any MG to date. There's something almost special about it.
Proportions	★★★★★	An already great design made even more perfect in MG form.
Articulation	★★★★☆	Articulation that goes above and beyond the basics, and does so efficiently.
Joint Strength	★★★★★	That satisfying snug fit is top-notch! The tight joints make posing a breeze.
Internal Frame	★★★★☆	A bit better than before, but the overall frame still leaves you wanting just a little more.
Detail	★★★★★★	The overall detail and precision goes way beyond your average MG.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★★	Bonus points for recreating Buster's signature oversized weapons better than perfectly.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	331 parts total. 82.8 parts per ¥1000. Volume that's covered by quality.
Uniqueness	★★★★★★	Non-Universal Century MGs can be this good when they put in the effort..
Dalong's Point : 106 pts.

MG Buster Gundam | 2012. 9 | ¥4,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.