Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Wings folded.

The energy multiplier inside the chest cover is included as a red 3D sticker.

The machine cannons on both shoulders can be tilted up slightly — they're the opening/closing type.

MG G Gundam - Part of the chest section slides in and out to improve articulation. The problem is it's supposed to stay out n

Part of the chest section slides in and out to improve articulation.
The problem is it's supposed to stay out normally... but if you keep fiddling with it, it ends up pushed in and it's really annoying to pull back out. -_-;;

The thruster covers on the rear legs are the opening/closing type.

MG G Gundam - The soles are made of rubber, so the grip is really solid. Even on a glass surface it just sticks right in plac

The soles are made of rubber, so the grip is really solid. Even on a glass surface it just sticks right in place and stands firm. ^^

MG G Gundam - Two types of head antennae are included — soft rubber and paintable plastic. The plastic antenna runner is on a

Two types of head antennae are included — soft rubber and paintable plastic.
The plastic antenna runner is on a separate runner, showing they really put thought into preventing breakage. ^^

MG G Gundam - Four pairs of hands are included: fists, action bent hands, a dedicated beam saber grip hand, and fluorescent h

Four pairs of hands are included: fists, action bent hands, a dedicated beam saber grip hand, and fluorescent hands for the Sekiha Tenkyoken.

Core Lander separation.

Core Lander.

Core Lander underside.

The Core Lander's cockpit does open, but the cockpit and pilot detail are pretty bare.

Outer armor removed

Internal frame

MG G Gundam - The torso and arms are basically just an action frame, plain and simple. There's almost no mechanical detail to

The torso and arms are basically just an action frame, plain and simple.
There's almost no mechanical detail to speak of.

The leg detail is quite good. A proper full frame.

There are articulated cylinders above and below the knees.

Thanks to the excellent frame articulation, a crouching stance like that is pulled off perfectly.

Frame action pose

MG G Gundam - Articulation. The frame's articulation is top-notch, though putting the armor on does reduce the range of motio

The frame's articulation is top-notch, though putting the armor on does reduce the range of motion quite a bit.
Strangely enough though, action poses come together really well. ^^ It shows off some very efficient articulation.

The shoulder joint bends forward nearly 60 degrees.

The flexibility of the ankle joints.

Action pose. That famous cocky stance.

MG G Gundam - Action pose using the bent hands. The bent hands are perfectly optimized for exactly that pose. (1/3)

Action pose using the bent hands.
The bent hands are perfectly optimized for exactly that pose.

Kick.

Kneeling.

Saber action. Check out those smooth, dynamic leg poses!

That hand's gonna be empty though...

Holding the beam saber with both hands is also a recommended po~se.
The grip looks pretty convincing.

For the Sekiha Tenkyoken, swap the hands out for the fluorescent ones...
...and slide the arm covers forward.

Sekiha Tenkyoken warm-up!

Sekiha Tenkyoken!

MG G Gundam - A 1/20 Domon Kasshu figure is included. True to the action frame kit concept, the figure isn't in an at-attenti

A 1/20 Domon Kasshu figure is included.
True to the action frame kit concept, the figure isn't in an at-attention pose but an action pose like that.

Comparison with MG RX-78 v1.5. G Gundam is on the smaller side by design specs.

This is what an action frame is all about!

The MG series, which had seemed like the exclusive domain of the Universal Century, now welcomes one of the leading non-UC entries — the G Gundam series. And leading the charge is none other than the main protagonist, G Gundam itself.

This G Gundam MG series takes a slightly different approach from the existing MG lineup, built around what's called "MG Fighting Action" — centered on an action frame. The idea is to build the entire body as a single, highly articulated action frame, then layer the armor on top. In other words, the G Gundam MG series kits largely share this internal action frame, with only the outer armor changing between releases. From the development team's perspective, it was probably a pretty cost-efficient way to work.

The action frame's articulation is simply outstanding. It bends as far as it can bend and extends as far as it can extend — it really feels like a high-mobility action figure. That said, since it's designed around an action frame concept, the mechanical feel of the frame itself takes a bit of a back seat. The torso and arm sections of the frame have almost no mechanical elements at all, while the legs are where you get a proper, fully articulated mechanical frame — complete with moving cylinders above and below the knees.

The frame alone looks fantastic, but once you put the armor on, the range of motion does drop quite a bit. That said, it has such efficient articulation that the naturalness of action poses is in a league of its own. The joints throughout the body mostly use screw adjustments rather than polycaps, making them extremely stiff — which means holding power is excellent. However, the stiffness can actually make posing a bit of a struggle. Because you have to force the joints, random armor pieces tend to pop off here and there, so it's important to dial in the tightness of the joint screws properly.

As expected of an MG, the color separation is done perfectly, and the molded colors aren't bad either. The machine cannons on the shoulders and the energy multiplier cover on the chest are both reproduced with opening/closing mechanisms, and the energy multiplier section uses a special convex-surface sticker that looks quite realistic.

The overall detail on the kit is good, but it's one of those kits where panel lining makes a huge difference. The panel lines feel like they've been scribed a bit too thin — and not just thin, but also a bit shallow — which makes panel lining with a Gundam Marker or similar tool pretty tricky. After applying the marker, you'll need to carefully wipe the surface repeatedly to make sure the panel lines don't bleed out too wide.

Another thing to watch out for: the connection points at the shoulders and arm joints aren't simple polycap-plug joints — they use a ring-type locking system. What I mean is, at the end of the round peg that normally plugs into a polycap, there's a small tab. The socket also has a corresponding notch, so you insert the peg aligned with the notch, then rotate it 90 or 180 degrees to lock it in place. As you can see in the manual illustration for the lower arm section, you have to insert it aligned with the tab and then twist to lock.

Since polycaps aren't used, the shoulder and arm joints are secured this way instead — so if you absentmindedly try to pull off an arm or shoulder, it won't come off easily, and if you force it, those locking tabs will snap right off. After that, keeping things secure becomes a real headache, naturally. If you ever need to disassemble, please keep this in mind and carefully check the direction of the locking tabs as you work through the manual. Pay special attention to the shoulder area!! (Because I learned this the hard way. T_T)

One of the hallmarks of the MG G Gundam series is the wide variety of hand parts. Including the translucent hands for the Sekiha Tenkyoken, there are a total of four left/right sets of action pose hands included. The action pose hands are made of soft rubber, and the contact surface on the soles of the feet also uses soft rubber. This gives the feet an eraser-like grip, and the traction feels really solid. ^^

Overall, the introduction of the action frame concept seems to have been a success. The efficient construction approach, excellent articulation, and natural action poses all come together nicely. The source anime itself has that action-packed feel, and the kit definitely delivers that same action kit vibe loud and clear. All in all, there's not much to complain about with this kit.

The biggest issue with this MG G Gundam series is, ultimately, personal taste when it comes to the source anime and its design concept. G Gundam is an entertaining anime in its own right, but... it's the kind of show that breaks immersion in a lot of ways when you slap the "Gundam" title on it. It's also arguably the pinnacle of the so-called Heisei Gundam era (-_-;) that turned a lot of Universal Century fans away. For those UC purists, regardless of the kit's quality, this is probably something with almost zero purchase value.

On the flip side, if you're the type who doesn't care about UC vs. non-UC and just goes for whatever style you like — or if you're a genuine fan of G Gundam — then this MG G Gundam makes a great pick. ^^ For the rock-bottom price of ¥2500, you get a uniquely interesting and distinctive MG build experience. It's not perfect by any means, but it's a solid, well-made MG in its own right. The choice is yours, of course... ^^

MG GF13-017NJII G Gundam
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★☆	Barely visible — only shows up here and there on the shoulders and a few other spots.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	Molded colors/color separation: perfect.
Proportions	★★★★★	G Gundam done MG-style! A very different stance from the existing HG.
Articulation	★★★★☆	Frame articulation is top-notch. Even if it drops a bit with armor on, the action poses are great.
Joint Strength	★★★★☆	The joints are so stiff it actually becomes a bit of a problem.
Internal Frame	★★★★☆	Full-body action frame. Focus is on the articulated frame rather than detail.
Detail	★★★★☆	Clean, but the panel lines are way too shallow. The overall style also has a slightly toy-like feel.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★	No dedicated weapons to speak of, but in return you get a generous set of hands.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★	235 parts total. Parts per ¥1000: 94. Feels like a bargain. ^^;
Uniqueness	★★★★	The introduction of the action frame concept seems to have been a success.
Dalong's Point : 89 pts.

MG G Gundam | 2001.11 | ¥2,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.