1.
Wing Early → Wing Zero Custom
Once the MG Wing Early Ver. Ka came out, it was pretty easy to see the MG Wing Gundam Zero Custom (Wing Zero Custom for short) coming. Looking at how similar the bodies are and how the runners are laid out, it was really only a matter of time. The Wing Early Ver. Ka carries the Ver. Ka label because Katoki basically refined the original Wing Gundam his own way, but with the Wing Zero Custom, the word "Custom" in the name already refers to Katoki's original design — so there's no separate Ver. Ka designation needed. The kit itself is labeled as "Wing Gundam Zero ~ Endless Waltz version," but it's ultimately the Wing Gundam Zero Custom everyone already knows, so calling it "Wing Zero Custom" just seems like the easiest way to go. ^^
The Wing Early and Wing Zero Custom share the same body structure and appearance, with only minor decorative differences on the arms. So for the internal frame and overall articulation, Wing Early Ver. Ka reviewplease refer to that. Also, the Wing Early used darker hand parts, but since the Wing Zero Custom is supposed to have white hands (white-handed?? lol), white hand parts are included separately. The darker hand parts from before are still in there too, so if you really wanted to, you could swap out the white hands for dark gray ones — though why anyone would go to that trouble is beyond me. (But hey, who's going to bother with that anyway..?)
The big changes in the Wing Zero Custom are the weapons and the wings. Since the Wing Early was already such a high-quality kit, the Wing Zero Custom is likewise nearly flawless across the board — articulation, joint strength, color separation, all of it. On top of that, the wings, which are arguably the biggest selling point of the Wing Zero Custom, show an even more advanced design and construction than the PG.
2.
Wings That Surpass the PG
The Wing Zero Custom's wings are divided into the smaller inner wings and the larger outer feathered wings. The inner small wings feature the same slide-open mode as the PG. On the PG it's triggered by a spring switch, but on the MG you just slide them out by hand. The PG's spring mechanism looks cool in theory, but it tended to not work all that cleanly in practice, so the MG's approach might actually be the better option. These small wings are also proportionally longer than on the PG, so when you stand the kit on a surface, they actually help prop up the body. That means there's absolutely no chance of it flopping backwards (^^;). The only slight issue is that the length is just a tiny bit awkward — you need to spread the legs out quite a bit to get a stable pose. If you keep the legs close together, the kit gets taller and starts to lean backward.
The large feathered wings have a really satisfying volume and texture to them. Especially in the wing-open mode — which wasn't even on the PG — the tops of the wings spread apart to both sides in a spectacular display. A linked gimmick makes one side open when you move the other, and it looks absolutely stunning. The impact of the full wing-open mode feels like it's been taken up a whole notch.
The feathers use a soft material, just like the PG, but while the PG's felt stiff and rubbery — almost eraser-like — the MG uses a much finer, softer material. That said, like with any soft material, gate marks are a bit tricky to deal with. Your best bet is to cut them off the runners as cleanly as possible, leaving as little gate as you can. Otherwise, any leftover gate marks are a nightmare to trim with a knife — they just don't cut cleanly. The 14 soft feathers look and feel great overall, but they do have a tendency to pop off fairly easily since they don't hold on super tightly.
The wings connect to the body via 4-joint linkages, making it pretty easy to get just about any angle or shape you want. In particular, the shield mode — which was a real headache on the PG because the angles just wouldn't cooperate — comes together naturally and smoothly on the MG. One thing to watch out for, though, is how the backpack connects to the body. The backpack and body are designed to lock together firmly using two round pegs and two snap-fit connectors, but for some reason it feels a bit awkward the first time you try to attach it. There have already been reports of the snap-fit connectors turning white and bending if you force it in wrong, and I had a bit of that issue myself. If those connectors break, the backpack — which supports those massive wings — could come loose, so be careful! The trick seems to be: attach the wings to the backpack first, then push the whole thing firmly onto the body in one go without the wings attached. Trying to ease it in slowly actually makes it harder to seat properly, so line up the holes carefully and then go for it all at once. Once it's properly locked in, the snap-fit hooks catch on the body and it won't come off.
3.
Top-Notch Joint Strength
Just like the Wing Early, the Wing Zero Custom delivers top-notch joint strength. From head to toe, everything has just the right amount of stiffness — not a single joint feels loose. Any action pose you put it in stays locked in place, and even the finger grip — long a weak point on MG kits — is impressively tight, so it won't drop its weapons easily. Even the MG Strike had ankle joints that felt a little on the weak side, but the MG Wing kits have double joints that are still quite stiff, so even with the heavy backpack, the ankles don't buckle. (Though if the weight is distributed too far back, the ankles hold firm and the whole thing just tips straight backward as-is ;;)
The part I was most worried about was the large wings — but the connection points between the wings and body are fairly stiff, with no looseness or wobbling. You can grab the kit by the waist and turn it around and the wings stay locked right where you put them! The MG Freedom was also fairly stiff, but in full-open mode you could feel it slowly drooping on its own over time. The MG Wing Zero Custom doesn't have that problem at all — spread the wings out fully and they just stay there, rock solid. The only slightly loose part is where the tops of the feathered wings spread apart, but the wings themselves are solid.
All in all, it's a seriously sturdy kit, stiff from top to bottom. If every MG had joints this solid, that'd be just about perfect.
4.
The Stand!
The MG Wing Zero Custom finally comes with a stand included, making it easy to recreate all those iconic Wing Zero Custom poses — arms spread wide, legs crossed, body concealed, you name it. That's a very welcome addition^^ The stand attaches to the backpack rather than the usual bottom peg point, which is actually a much better fit for pulling off those signature Wing Zero Custom stances. However, since the Wing Zero EW and Wing Zero Custom have completely different backpacks, the stand unfortunately isn't compatible with the Wing Zero EW. (Unless you drill a hole into the Wing Zero EW's backside with some serious force...;;) Making full use of that top-tier 180-degree articulation, you can pull off some incredibly dynamic poses on the stand. The upgraded wing open mode in particular looks even more impressive when displayed on the stand.
The stand can be fixed at two different angles depending on how you attach it internally, but the difference between the two angles is so subtle that I'm not sure it's really worth much...;;
5. Overall Impressions
Built on the already excellent Wing Zero EW structure, with wings that surpass even PG level, the Wing Zero Custom boasts the absolute pinnacle of what Gunpla can offer. Rock-solid joints from head to toe, top-tier articulation, perfect color separation, the finest detail work... it's on a completely different level from the much-maligned PG Wing Zero Custom. The molded colors are luxurious overall, and the white parts in particular are just gorgeous. Thanks to the material properties, gate marks clean up effortlessly, and that rich, matte-like surface finish is really something I love.
That said, just like the Wing Zero EW, the Wing Zero Custom also comes with a hefty amount of stickers. The quantity is a bit less than the Wing Zero EW, but it still takes more than twice as long to apply the stickers/decals compared to a typical MG. On top of that, the application areas are still narrow, so you'll need to trim the edges of the stickers with a knife before applying them. I personally do that with every kit anyway, but for those who aren't used to it, this is going to be quite a chore. Once everything's applied it looks nice and detailed, but man, it's an annoying process;;;
While it's technically a variation kit in terms of appearance, about half the runners are new molds, and the color palette and overall style are so different that it feels like a completely new product. Either way, this kit is a testament to Bandai Gunpla engineering firing on all cylinders. It's a very satisfying build all around... an MG that surpasses PG has arrived, one that'll even tempt Universal Century fans into taking a look^^
▶ Wing Zero EW Ver.Ka & Wing Zero Custom Comparison
| Category | Rating | Analysis |
|---|
| Seam Lines | ★★★★★ | Almost no seam lines to deal with. The twin rifle, maybe? |
| Molding Color / Color Separation | ★★★★★ | Molded colors are excellent. Color separation is perfect. |
| Proportions | ★★★★★ | Outstanding! |
| Articulation | ★★★★☆ | Arms and legs are excellent, but ankle articulation is a bit limited — slightly disappointing. |
| Joint Strength | ★★★★☆ | Overall stiffness is solid, but the feathers tend to pop out easily due to the structure. |
| Internal Frame | ★★★★★ | Deep panel lines and fine detail across nearly the entire frame. Top-tier. |
| Detail | ★★★★★ | Top-tier. |
| Weapons / Accessories | ★★★★★ | The sheer volume of the wings — surpassing even PG — is simply breathtaking. And a stand on top of that! |
| Parts Count / Price | ★★★★ | 322 parts total. Parts per ¥1,000: 84.7. Parts count is slightly low, but the volume is rich. |
| Uniqueness | ★★★★★ | Significant changes despite being a variation. An MG that surpasses PG. |
| Dalong's Point : 96 pts. |
MG Wing Gundam Zero Custom | 2004. 10 | ¥4,200
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
