Kit Review

Straight build
+ Decals

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. (1/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. (2/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. (3/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. (4/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. (5/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. (6/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Upper body front and back. Just from the photos, the gloss is barely visibl

Upper body front and back.
Just from the photos, the gloss is barely visible...

Head and chest decal areas.

Leg section.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - HD decals on both shoulders. They're metallic waterslide decals that refle

HD decals on both shoulders.
They're metallic waterslide decals that reflect light completely — they look really premium.

HD decals go on the top of the shoulders too.

HD decals on the crotch area and arms.

HD decals on the rear and calves.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - A long strip-shaped HD decal goes on the left leg. From certain angles it a

A long strip-shaped HD decal goes on the left leg.
From certain angles it almost looks like a silver foil sticker.

HD decals that go on the legs.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - HD decals on the shield. The shield surface is really where the gloss injec

HD decals on the shield.
The shield surface is really where the gloss injection coating's shine comes alive.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Fully armed. (1/3)

Fully armed.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Unlike the first-release AEUG Mk-II 2.0 which ended up becoming a limited f

Unlike the first-release AEUG Mk-II 2.0 which ended up becoming a limited first-run (?),
it's a revised version with a rotating waist, just like the Titans version.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Action pose (1/4)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Action pose (2/4)

Action pose

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Kneeling pose. I'm on edge every time I pose it, worried the water-slide de

Kneeling pose.
I'm on edge every time I pose it, worried the waterslide decals will come off;;
If you look closely, you can see that one of the HD waterslide decals from a certain important area (?) fell off during the action posing. (T_T)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Stand on! The Mk-II 2.0 doesn't have an Action Base connection feature, so

Stand on!
The Mk-II 2.0 doesn't have an Action Base connection feature, so you have to use a clamp-type stand.

Beam saber action

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Fully armed aerial action recreating the box art. (1/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Fully armed aerial action recreating the box art. (2/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Fully armed aerial action recreating the box art. (3/6)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Fully armed aerial action recreating the box art. (4/6)

Fully armed aerial action recreating the box art.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Together with the original AEUG Mk-II 2.0. At a glance, it just looks like

Together with the original AEUG Mk-II 2.0.
At a glance, it just looks like the colors are slightly different.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Look more closely and the HD Color version has a bit more reflectivity. Or

Look more closely and the HD Color version has a bit more reflectivity.
Or rather, how do I put it — the colors just look more vivid?

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - Comparison of the feet.. In person there's a noticeable difference, but it'

Comparison of the feet..
In person there's a noticeable difference, but it's hard to tell from photos.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. - The most obvious difference is definitely the shield. True to its gloss inj

The most obvious difference is definitely the shield.
True to its gloss injection nature, the HD Color version's shield just gleams.

Well, not a bad cash-in, all things considered.

All three together, including the v1.0 Mk-II.

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. (1/2)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. (2/2)

Straight build before applying decals and seals.

To commemorate the Blu-ray release of the new Zeta Gundam theatrical films, an official limited edition under the peculiar category of "HD Color version" was released. Three kits came out in the HD Color version lineup — the AEUG Mk-II 2.0, the Titans Mk-II 2.0, and the Zeta Gundam 2.0. The defining features of the HD Color version kits are that the outer armor is molded using gloss injection, and a set of shiny waterslide decals called HD decals is included as a bonus. Of course, as befitting an officially released mass-market limited edition, the manual and box art were also renewed — and the box art in particular turned out really sharp. (I'm sure plenty of people bought it just for the box;)

The kit's structure and runners are the same as the existing MG Mk-II 2.0, but it was released as a revised version with an updated waist, as you'd expect from a current kit. Back when the Mk-II was first upgraded to 2.0, the waist joint was fixed in place, which drew a lot of complaints — so the subsequently released Titans version had the parts and runners revised to allow waist rotation. After that, the AEUG version Mk-II was also re-released with the waist revision, which meant the fixed-waist AEUG Mk-II suddenly found itself being a first-run limited edition out of nowhere...;; (MG
Mk-II 2.0 AEUG version review for reference) Anyway, since this is a kit freshly molded with the revised tooling, it thankfully (?) comes as the waist-rotating version.

A gloss injection kit means the outer plastic surface is molded smooth with a reflective sheen — but by its nature, that gloss doesn't always photograph well. The lighter the color, the harder it is to see the difference, and just looking at the photos above you might wonder what's so glossy about this Mk-II. In person, though, it definitely has an overall sheen to the body compared to the standard version. It's just less obvious than the darker-colored Titans version.

So in practice, rather than being a kit that sparkles with reflections, it's more that the colors overall look much more "vivid" compared to the standard version. It does seem to fit well with the HD concept in the name.

The real standout of this limited edition series is the HD waterslide decals — they're genuinely impressive. They're relatively easy to apply and stick well, and above all, the presence they add once they're on is undeniable. They have the feel of fully reflective silver foil stickers, catching the light and sparkling every time, giving an incredibly crisp look... Silver foil stickers might sound a bit cheap, but the HD decals genuinely look premium. No wonder Bandai was going around boasting that these were a first for Gunpla.

That said, being waterslide decals... the film is delicate and they can come off if you're not careful. I posed mine for some action shots and later noticed the HD decal on the crotch area had fallen off. T_T

The dilemma with this kit is that top-coating over these waterslide decals is pretty tricky. The molding itself is gloss injection so it already has a glossy feel, and the HD decals have that full-reflection look too — so applying any kind of top coat kills those effects. Matte top coat is really out of the question, but gloss isn't quite right either... Either way, it's a kit where protecting the waterslide decals is a bit of a headache.

One more thing — one of the advantages of the HD Color version over the standard is that the joints are noticeably tighter. The parts fit more snugly, which helps with holding poses, and the ankle joints in particular have become much sturdier. On the flip side, the gloss injection plastic is very hard by nature, so you need to put in a bit more effort when cleaning up gates, and it's also a material that doesn't make it easy to remove gate marks cleanly.

One thing to note: the standard version came with a dedicated Mk-II stand, but the HD Color limited edition doesn't include one. The HD decals are essentially the trade-off. Anyway, compared to the standard version, the molded colors look better, the joints are tighter, and you get those premium HD decals — all at the same price of ¥4000. So I think it's a pretty worthwhile limited edition. Sure, the exchange rate had taken a hit by the time it went on sale, which stung a bit... but if you're torn between the standard and the limited edition, I'd naturally recommend going with this HD Color version. In person, it really does look sharper and more striking than the standard — just like watching something in HD. :-)

MG Gundam Mk-II v2.0 : A.E.U.G. ~ HD Color ver. | 2008. 11 | ¥4,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.