The Mk-II, Zeta, Zaku, and Gelgoog have all gotten revolutionary 2.0 upgrades, and yet the main protagonist — First Gundam — still hasn't gotten a proper version up. Sure, there was that awkward 1.5 version along the way, and the reasonably clean "First Gundam" release, and the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 which was pretty much a 2.0 in all but name — but an official kit you could actually call a 2.0 still hasn't shown up. Of course, as many of you are probably expecting, it does seem like a First 2.0 won't be too far off.
That said, before the 2.0 arrives, the highest quality First Gundam kit released so far is still the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 (the One Year War / White Base version Gundam). It's clearly a very well-made kit, and it's been a bestseller with great reviews to match. And now that very same MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 has been released not as an event exclusive, but as an official spin-off MG under the Anime Color Version name. (Meaning it's not part of the regular lineup with its own unique release number.)
As befitting a spin-off, the basic structure of this kit is 100% identical to the existing MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079. So for detailed info on the structure, frame, articulation, and so on, please refer to the MG Gundam ver. O.Y.W 0079 (PS2 soft) Review.
The runners themselves are the same as the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, but true to the Anime Color Version title, the overall molded colors have been completely changed. To be honest, the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079's pastel-toned coloring always felt a bit off to begin with, so this is more like a return to the original. Brighter blue, red instead of that sausage color, a brighter frame, and so on.. Most notably, the yellowish exterior armor has been changed not to white, but to a bluish "jade color." This is similar to the color scheme of the FG Gundam and the old-release Gundam, making it a molded color that strongly signals a return to the original. So for convenience, I'll be calling this kit the "Okdam." ^^; ("White Base Version First Gundam Anime Color Version" is just way too long to say every time, right? -)
When this Okdam was first announced, I figured it was just a simple spin-off with a slightly tweaked molded color — but it turns out there are quite a few areas where they put in some extra thought. For starters, the box art is way cooler than the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079's, the kind that just makes you instinctively want to buy it the moment you see it. (^^;;) The manual is also a completely renewed version with a new cover and layout, totally different from the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079's, and the dry decals have been freshly refined for the anime version as well. (The stickers are the same though.) So in a way, you could almost argue this deserves to be in the regular lineup as a proper color variant.
As you can see in the photos above, I tried something special with the Okdam — light panel lining, a first for Dalong.net. With so many panel lines packed in, heavy panel lining can feel a bit overwhelming, and since the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 was already done with full black panel lining (a.k.a. the Dalong-style double panel lining), I went with a gray Gundam Marker for a different look this time. The result feels subtle and pretty nice.. On the flip side, compared to the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, it does look a bit washed out.. ^^; Honestly though, light panel lining is way faster and much easier than the heavy double panel lining that shows off the panel lines and molds more clearly in reviews.. *cough*
Anyway, since it's a high-quality kit at its core, the build feel, articulation, and detail are all satisfying. If you're not a fan of the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079's unusual coloring and you're after a brighter, anime-style molded color, then the Okdam is obviously the way to go. The box art alone might actually make you want to buy this one more than the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079..
Since the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 is a tough sell as a true 2.0 given how overwhelmingly good the Zaku 2.0 is, a completely new-tooled First 2.0 release seems like an inevitable direction at this point. The fact that Bandai suddenly put out something like the Okdam feels like a sign that they want to squeeze every last bit out of the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 molds — their golden goose — before the 2.0 (or maybe they'll even call it 3.0..) finally drops. In particular, looking at the solid leg frame that's been a trademark of both the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079 and Gundam 1.5, there are noticeably more ejector pin marks compared to before — meaning the molds have been worn down from all that reuse. It's almost like the kit itself is saying: it's time to start looking forward to the next version of First. :-)
MG Gundam ver.O.Y.W. : Anime Color Version | 2007. 7 | ¥3,200
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
