Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Seals

Ex-S Gundam: Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Ex-S Gundam (1/7)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Ex-S Gundam (2/7)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Ex-S Gundam (3/7)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Ex-S Gundam (4/7)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Ex-S Gundam (5/7)

Ex-S Gundam

Ex-S Gundam detail shots

Configured as S Gundam with the Ex-S armaments removed

These are the S Gundam-exclusive parts.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Swapping the upper body is fairly straightforward, but the legs are a bit of a hassle — you have

Swapping the upper body is fairly straightforward,
but the legs are a bit of a hassle — you have to fully disassemble and reassemble them just to swap out the knee frame.

S Gundam - Size comparison with a cigarette pack

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam (1/6)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam (2/6)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam (3/6)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam (4/6)

S Gundam

S Gundam detail shots

S Gundam - Outer armor removed

S Gundam - Frame shots

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam - Frame detail shots (1/4)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam - Frame detail shots (2/4)

S Gundam - Frame detail shots

For the Ex-S Gundam, only the leg frame is larger — the upper body is the same.

Frame articulation.
With nothing in the way, the arms and legs fold up nice and fully.

Just like before, both a fixed internal core block and a transformable core fighter are included.

Core Fighter

The stand has been updated to a clear/transparent material.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - The shoulder armor rotation joint is still poorly secured, so the shoulders tend to wobble or pop

The shoulder armor rotation joint is still poorly secured, so the shoulders tend to wobble or pop off during transformation — same issue as before.
You'll want to be careful not to overtighten the bolt, and handle it gently overall.

Leftover parts

UPGRADE POINTS
Since this is a version-up kit, I'll focus mainly on what's changed. ^^

Comparison with the original MG S Gundam.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Comparison with the original MG Ex-S Gundam — the molded colors have been changed across the boar

Comparison with the original MG Ex-S Gundam
The molded colors have been changed across the board.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - The smaller head, revised chest detail, shoulder expansion gimmick, and backpack articulation gim

The smaller head, revised chest detail, shoulder expansion gimmick, and backpack articulation gimmick have all been upgraded
in line with the MG Deep Striker.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - The wing stripe (blue) on the shoulders and rear skirt has been cleanly upgraded with proper colo

The wing stripe (blue) on the shoulders and rear skirt has been cleanly upgraded with proper color separation.
On the old kit, those were handled with stickers, which was pretty annoying.
(Note: the original MG S/Ex-S in the comparison shots above had been partially painted red.)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - The side skirt beam guns have been updated to a blue + white color combo, with color separation a

The side skirt beam guns have been updated to a blue + white color combo, with color separation added accordingly.

Five fixed hands that weren't included before have also been added.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - The incom parts have been revised, and new wire parts and various accessories for recreating the

The incom parts have been revised, and new wire parts and various accessories for recreating the launch scene have been added.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Arm and leg articulation. On the Ex-S, the thicker leg armor hurts knee articulation a bit. (1/2)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Arm and leg articulation. On the Ex-S, the thicker leg armor hurts knee articulation a bit. (2/2)

Limb articulation.
On the Ex-S, the thicker leg armor hurts knee articulation a bit.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam action poses (1/7)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam action poses (2/7)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam action poses (3/7)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam action poses (4/7)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - S Gundam action poses (5/7)

S Gundam action poses

Upper and lower body separated and transformed into G-Attacker and G-Bomber

G-Attacker

Underside view

G-Bomber

Underside view

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Ex-S Gundam action poses (1/4)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Ex-S Gundam action poses (2/4)

Ex-S Gundam action poses

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Recreating the incom launch scene — the wire parts don't have enough support strength, so getting

Recreating the incom launch scene
The wire parts don't have enough support strength, so getting a good shot was a real struggle T_T

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - I went all out and shot a 4-stage transformation flow sequence of the Ex-S Gundam. I edited it at

I went all out and shot a 4-stage transformation flow sequence of the Ex-S Gundam.
I edited it at 1920×1080 Full HD resolution to use as my personal Windows wallpaper. ^^
(Click to view full size.)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - G-Cruiser from various angles (1/9)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - G-Cruiser from various angles (2/9)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - G-Cruiser from various angles (3/9)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - G-Cruiser from various angles (4/9)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - G-Cruiser from various angles (5/9)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - G-Cruiser from various angles (6/9)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - G-Cruiser from various angles (7/9)

G-Cruiser from various angles

You can also display the core fighter alongside it using the secondary stand.

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Together with the MG Deep Striker. The Ex-S is no small kit itself, but the Deep Striker is just

Together with the MG Deep Striker.
The Ex-S is no small kit itself, but the Deep Striker is just on another level. :-)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Straight build (1/4)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam - Straight build (2/4)

Straight build

The legendary MG Ex-S Gundam has been version-upped after 16 years, now bundled together with the S Gundam. It incorporates upgraded parts from the MG Deep Striker along with some added and revised parts. When I first opened the box, I was a little disappointed — it felt less like a v2.0 and more like a v1.3, not even a v1.5.

Looking closely at what's been updated, the changes fall into two categories: parts carried over from the MG Deep Striker, and newly added upgrades. The shoulder expansion gimmick, backpack articulation gimmick, and the revised head and chest sculpt are all directly carried over from the MG Deep Striker. On top of that, five fixed hands and incom launch accessories have been added, and the color separation on the wing stripes has been upgraded. The old MG Ex-S/S Gundam handled those red wing stripes with cheap-looking stickers, which was a common complaint — and that's been nicely fixed here. The molded color combination has also shifted to a brighter blue reminiscent of the old Fix Figuration releases, and color separation has been added to the side skirt beam guns as well.

Aside from the above, the inner frame, transformation gimmick, and most of the exterior including the limbs are carried over as-is from the original, making this a fairly limited partial upgrade kit. That said, the transformation gimmick was already so refined that there's honestly not much left to improve. Even after all these years, going through the transformation again, you can't help but be amazed — it's a genuinely brilliant transformation structure. The build feel itself is a bit old-school and rough compared to modern kits, which is understandable given that the frame is 16 years old. But the transformation gimmick was already at a high level of completion back then, and the fact that it locks up solidly even after a precise transformation is something worth praising again. Since the transformation gimmick itself is identical to the original, please refer to the MG S Gundam transformation process / MG Ex-S Gundam transformation processfor reference.

Not only the transformation gimmick, but the frame and structural characteristics are 100% identical as well. Thanks to the decent articulation relative to the transformation complexity and the bolt-based locking system, joint strength is quite solid for a kit of this size and gimmick count. That said, a few issues remain — most notably, the bolt securing the shoulder transformation gimmick doesn't hold well, and after rotating it a few times it can come apart. There are also some transformation steps that are precise enough to risk breakage, so care is needed during transformation.

It's a bit disappointing that only part of the exterior was upgraded, but on the flip side, visually it does feel like a meaningfully different version-up. The more refined head and chest detail, the clean wing color separation, the added side skirt color separation, and the slightly pastel-toned molded color combination all come together to create a really great-looking kit. It's definitely more polished and attractive than the old MG S and Ex-S Gundam.

And on top of the already massive MG Ex-S, the S Gundam parts and version-up parts have been added, resulting in an incredible 47 runners and 833 parts (including leftover parts). That breaks the previous record held by the MG Psycho Zaku Ver.Ka at 796 parts, setting a new all-time high. That said, the MG Ex-S/S Gundam includes a large number of leftover parts and doesn't come with the hellish Ver.Ka decals, so in terms of actual workload, the Psycho Zaku still edges it out.

Even so, the sheer part count means you need to budget a serious amount of build time — expect it to take longer than most PGs. The transformation itself takes quite a while given how precise the gimmick is, and having to go through multiple rounds of transformation and armor swapping made the review shoot itself a test of patience and dedication (;;). In particular, swapping between Ex-S and S armor requires fully disassembling and reassembling the legs, which is pretty inconvenient. It would've been nice if they'd included two sets of leg frames to make the swap easier.

So yes, the upgrade points are fewer than you might hope for, and the build workload is enormous — but if you're an Ex-S Gundam fan like me, this is still a kit that can move you to tears all over again. How did Katoki Hajime come up with this transformation structure 30 years ago, and how did they manage to recreate it so perfectly in plastic model form 16 years ago...? Going through that transformation again gives you goosebumps all over again — it's just that intense and satisfying.

Sure, the price is ¥12,000 which puts it in PG territory, but given what you get, it actually feels relatively affordable. It's incomparably more intricate and parts-heavy than the ¥20,000 MG Deep Striker, and you'll be enjoying it for a very long time (^_^;). Either way, if you're an Ex-S fan, this is a kit that'll let you experience that upgraded thrill all over again — and if you've never built the original MG Ex-S, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a shot. No matter how impressive the latest MG kits are with their cutting-edge engineering, the profound craftsmanship and the sheer tactile joy of that elaborate, precise transformation that only the MG Ex-S can offer... I don't think anything like it will come along again for another hundred years. :-)

MG Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Almost none, except for the head and gun barrel
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★★	The long-overdue color separation on the wing stripes and various other areas has been upgraded.
Proportions	★★★★★	Same as before, but still an overwhelming presence
Articulation	★★★★☆	Given the transformation gimmick, this level of articulation is pretty much the best you can ask for.
Joint Strength	★★★★★	Still pretty sturdy for its size.
Internal Frame	★★★★★	It's not perfect, but the frame itself — packed with transformation gimmicks — is a work of art.
Detail	★★★★★	Color separation and the chest/head detail have been improved a bit more.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★★	Brand new incom launch feature — an upgrade that wasn't there before!
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	833 parts total. Parts per ¥1,000: 69.4. Fair price for what you get.
Uniqueness	★★★★★★	There are fewer upgrade points than you'd expect, but a masterpiece is still a masterpiece.
Dalong's Point : 105 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 Ex-S Gundam / S Gundam | 2019. 4 | ¥12,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.