Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Detail shots (1/4)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Outer armor removed

Internal frame

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Frame detail shots (1/4)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Frame detail shots (2/4)

Frame detail shots

Mold detail inside the skirt

Limb articulation on the frame

Forward rotation joint on the shoulder

There's a movable cylinder built into the front of the ankle.

Even in frame-only state, the kneeling pose looks a bit awkward.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Frame action pose (1/3)

Frame action pose

Cockpit hatch open

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - The way the shoulder heat fins deploy has changed. Unlike the 1.0 where you'd slide them out, on the

The way the shoulder heat fins deploy has changed.
Unlike the 1.0 where you'd slide them out, on the 2.0 you unfold a two-stage internal gimmick to push them outward.

Weapons loadout

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Interchangeable finger hands are included, designed to fit into the grip slots of the rifle and bazoo

Interchangeable finger hands are included, designed to fit into the grip slots of the rifle and bazooka.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - The beam shield block pop-out gimmick has been upgraded with the addition of a linked cylinder mechan

The beam shield block pop-out gimmick has been upgraded with the addition of a linked cylinder mechanism.

The beam shield block stored in the side skirt

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - The beam saber storage on the side skirt has been upgraded too — you can pull it all the way out and

The beam saber storage on the side skirt has been upgraded too —
you can pull it all the way out and rotate it forward into a nice display position.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - For the rear leg three-stage thruster covers, lifting the top cover now triggers the remaining two to

For the rear leg three-stage thruster covers, lifting the top cover now triggers the remaining two to open in sync — a nice upgrade.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - The Vsbr's gimmick is similar to the 1.0, but a new feature has been added where the rear heat fins e

The Vsbr's gimmick is similar to the 1.0, but a new feature has been added where the rear heat fins extend out.
The overall movement feels much smoother too.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - The rear skirt's bazooka mounting gimmick has also been flashily upgraded to a three-stage deploy sys

The rear skirt's bazooka mounting gimmick has also been flashily upgraded to a three-stage deploy system,
but the critical issue is that while it looks great, the holding strength is really poor...

Two heads are included —
one with swappable cover parts and one with a transforming mechanism.

The first head uses the classic method of disassembling the face to swap out the mask.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - The second head works by having half the face and mask swing open to the side, while the half-mask fo

The second head works by having half the face and mask swing open to the side,
while the half-mask folds back and tucks away.

Count Dooku mode — only one side of the mask is open, exposing the cooling fins...

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Face comparison with cooling fins exposed. Left is the swappable type, right is the transforming type

Face comparison with cooling fins exposed.
Left is the swappable type, right is the transforming type — the swappable one does have a more stable shape overall.
Also, the swappable head has the vulcan section in yellow, but the transforming head just comes out in plain gray..

A dedicated stand is included, though it doesn't allow angle adjustment.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - You remove the rear waist armor below the backpack and plug the stand in its place, so it holds on re

You remove the rear waist armor below the backpack and plug the stand in its place,
so it holds on really solidly.

Joint parts are also included so you can mount it on a separately sold Action Base.

The included stand is designed to work with the separately sold new two-point LED unit.

You plug it in like this, route the wiring, and light up the LEDs.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Clear parts are used on the cockpit block and rear verniers for the LED lighting effect. (1/3)

Clear parts are used on the cockpit block and rear verniers for the LED lighting effect.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - LED lighting effect on the front ducts and rear verniers. (1/4)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - LED lighting effect on the front ducts and rear verniers. (2/4)

LED lighting effect on the front ducts and rear verniers.

Some light is visible from the back of the head as well.

A Cecily figure is included instead of Seabook.

There are a few leftover parts from duplicate runners.

Limb articulation.
It's not as good as the 1.0, which could fold the limbs in completely.

Forward/backward movement gimmick on the shoulder

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Yet another new hip joint gimmick has been added. You lower the front skirt forward to create clearan

Yet another new hip joint gimmick has been added.
You lower the front skirt forward to create clearance, then rotate the entire hip joint section downward by nearly 45 degrees to pull it out.
That said, it doesn't feel like it helps much with posing..

The waist also moves a little in all directions.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - There's something a bit off with the knee joint. After bending the knee, it doesn't straighten back o

There's something a bit off with the knee joint.
After bending the knee, it doesn't straighten back out smoothly — the knee joint and knee armor interfere with each other and get in the way.
You have to carefully fiddle with the knee joint to get it to extend again, which is a pretty puzzling issue.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - A somewhat hunched kneeling pose. Even with the new hip joint gimmick thrown in, the thighs are so sh

A somewhat hunched kneeling pose.
Even with the new hip joint gimmick thrown in, the thighs are so short that it's just not easy to get a stable seated pose.

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Action pose. As mentioned above, the bazooka mounting gimmick holds so poorly that it falls off at th

Action pose.
As mentioned above, the bazooka mounting gimmick holds so poorly that it falls off at the slightest breeze..

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Aerial firing pose (1/3)

Aerial firing pose

Bazooka action

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Vsbr action (1/3)

Vsbr action

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Beam saber action (1/3)

Beam saber action

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Bonus shots — action poses with the LED lit up (1/8)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Bonus shots — action poses with the LED lit up (2/8)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Bonus shots — action poses with the LED lit up (3/8)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Bonus shots — action poses with the LED lit up (4/8)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Bonus shots — action poses with the LED lit up (5/8)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 - Bonus shots — action poses with the LED lit up (6/8)

Bonus shots — action poses with the LED lit up

Alongside the MG Gundam F91 v1.0 released in 2006.

It's been upgraded after 12 years, but just looking at the exterior it's hard to spot the difference.

Straight build

The MG Gundam F91 has been upgraded after 12 years and released as Ver. 2.0. The 2006 MG Gundam F91 was the first MG to use a polycap-less design — an experimental kit built entirely with ABS joints and no polycaps at all. It had its own merits, but the assembly feel and joint movement were so stiff that it got harder and harder to recommend as time went on.

Bandai apparently recognized internally that those stiff ABS joints were a failure, because afterward they went back to using at least some polycaps and switched to softer-feeling joint materials instead of ABS. That's likely why this full renewal as v2.0 happened — though honestly, it feels less like it was driven by market demand and more like the developers wanted to redeem themselves (?). Anyway, since this is a version-up kit, here's a rundown of what's been improved over the 1.0:

- Assembly feel and joint movement are clearly improved, delivering both smooth articulation and solid joint strength.
- The rear leg three-stage thruster covers now have a linked gimmick where opening the top cover causes the rest to follow.
- The beam saber storage on the side skirt has been redesigned to open up much more cleanly.
- A linked cylinder has been added to the left arm beam shield deploy gimmick (the cylinder itself doesn't move).
- The shoulder cooling fin deploy mechanism has been improved for easier deployment.
- Both a swappable mask head and a transforming head are included — a nice touch.
- Color separation issues that didn't match the design specs (front skirt area, etc.) have been corrected, and additional color separation has been added (beam shield, etc.).
- LED lighting gimmick added via the dedicated stand (LED sold separately).
- The grip feel when holding weapons has improved thanks to the separate finger parts and their attachment gimmick.

As you can see, there are signs of genuine effort put into this renewal throughout the kit. That said, there are also areas where it's actually worse than the 1.0:

- Overall articulation is inferior to the 1.0 (the 1.0 could fold the limbs in completely)
- The newly added hip joint extension gimmick is awkward to use and barely makes a noticeable difference
- The rear skirt bazooka mounting gimmick looks flashier now but holds worse than before
- The 1.0 included a Rafflesia stand that let you recreate a diorama scene.
- Unlike the 1.0 which had a full-body frame, the 2.0 requires some armor parts to be attached for the frame structure to hold together. The frame detail is also slightly more simplified.
- The beam shield, which had a double gradient finish on the 1.0, has been simplified to a single flat color.

So while there are points where this version-up is actually a step backward, overall it does feel like a genuine upgrade. At the very least, the assembly feel and joint movement — which were the biggest complaints about the 1.0 — have been clearly and cleanly improved. Beyond that, various small gimmicks have been upgraded as mentioned above, though some of them ended up worse than if they'd just left them alone.

The most questionable part is probably the hip joint gimmick. It's a new mechanism where you lower the front skirt to create clearance, then rotate the entire hip joint forward by 45 degrees to raise the legs higher. But actually deploying this gimmick requires carefully holding various parts of the body and gently prying things apart, which is a hassle — and after all that effort, the effect is surprisingly minimal. As you can see in the photos above, even with the hip joint pulled out as far as it'll go, the kneeling pose still doesn't look natural. The 1.0's kneeling pose is honestly much more stable.

On top of that, the upgraded bazooka mounting gimmick actually holds worse than before, and the overall limb articulation falls short of the 1.0, so the kit's dynamic posing potential is noticeably behind its predecessor. In the end, it's hard to call this a perfect upgrade — it's probably best to appreciate it simply for the fact that the joint issues, which were the biggest problem with the 1.0, have been definitively fixed.

Setting aside the version-up aspect and just looking at it as a standalone MG kit, the build experience is excellent, the overall package is solid, and it delivers decent articulation and joint strength. The gimmick precision in particular puts it among the top tier of MG kits, so there are definitely plenty of fun points to enjoy here.

You can also use the included stand with the separately sold 2-point LED unit (¥2,000) to create a light-up effect on the body. The front torso ducts and rear verniers glow beautifully. In terms of LED effect, it's clearly a step above previous kits that simply lit up the cockpit or eyes.

To wrap things up — the articulation and joint issues that were the biggest letdowns in the 1.0 have been definitively resolved, and despite a few shortcomings, the gimmick execution is highly polished, making this a much more worthwhile purchase. If you're an F91 fan, this is a must-build even if you've already done the 1.0, and it's also an easy recommendation for anyone who just wants a clean, up-to-date MG build without anything too out of the ordinary. :-)

MG F91 Gundam F91 Ver.2.0
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Cleanly resolved with an extensive use of slide molds
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	Slightly improved color separation
Proportions	★★★★★	Good, but not much different from the 1.0.
Articulation	★★★★	Articulation is actually worse than the 1.0. The hip expansion gimmick is basically pointless.
Joint Strength	★★★★★★	Noticeably smoother and sturdier articulation compared to the 1.0
Internal Frame	★★★★☆	Precise, but calling it a full-body frame is a bit of a stretch
Detail	★★★★★	Clean and refined detailing
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★★	Solid on the basics. LED-compatible stand included. Gimmicks galore.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	352 parts total. 88 parts per ¥1,000. Pretty good value for money.
Uniqueness	★★★★★	Not perfect, but it's definitely an upgrade.
Dalong's Point : 101 pts.

* The scoring system used only for MG has been carried over from First 1.0 twenty years ago,
so applying it uniformly even to the latest kits — whose quality has leveled up across the board — is honestly a bit ambiguous.
Since it's just my personal take and can't clearly capture the differences in kit quality over the years,
please don't read too much into it and just use it as a loose reference.
(For kits scoring above 100, take it to mean the quality is much better than kits of the past.)

MG Gundam F91 Ver.2.0 | 2018. 5 | ¥4,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.