MG MS-14S

Char's Gelgoog ver.2.0

Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining + decals

Finally!!! The Gelgoog has gotten
its version upgrade.
With the Zaku, it's such a main character that you always figured it'd get a version upgrade eventually.. but honestly, the Gelgoog was the one with the most quality issues among the early MGs. Its absurdly loose lower body joints earned it humiliating nicknames like "octopus" and "squid," and those floppy joints combined with poor weapon attachment meant that what was actually a decent-looking proportion just fell completely flat. The MG Zeta 1.0 also got called "octopus Gundam," but compared to the Gelgoog 1.0, well.. ^^;

Back when the Gelgoog 1.0 first came out,
you could sort of excuse it by thinking, well, it's such a big unit, maybe it was just hard to keep it stable.. but there were still a lot of things that were hard to forgive. Anyway, when it first launched there was some genuine excitement about its fairly ambitious design, but looking back on it now, it's one of those kits that ranks among the most problematic.

Flip that around, and it means
this was a kit with a ton of room for improvement in a version upgrade — which is exactly why, following the massive overhaul of the Zaku, expectations for the Gelgoog 2.0 were naturally sky-high. To get straight to the point: as expected, it doesn't quite hit the same sensational level as the Zaku 2.0, but it has still undergone an incredible transformation with top-tier modern quality.

▶ No longer
an octopus!

First things first — what a big kit needs, and what was the biggest problem with the 1.0... the joint strength has been almost perfectly fixed. Unlike the 1.0, where the legs would droop lifelessly like a dead body the moment you lifted the upper body, the 2.0 holds everything firmly and solidly in place. The legs, knees, and shoulders all have strong joints, so joint strength is basically a non-issue here. The combination of soft-feel ABS joints and polycaps — which seemed to reach its peak with the Zaku 2.0 — is once again delivering great results.

That said.. it's not loose exactly, but the waist joint feels relatively less stiff compared to the rest. On its own that's not a problem, but the Gelgoog's characteristically large and heavy Native American-style shield becomes an issue. Mount it on the left arm and the waist tilts left; hang it on the back and the waist leans backward. This is really down to the nature of the Gelgoog's shield, but it's still a shame they didn't account for that and make the waist joint a bit stiffer.

Also, the connection between the palm and the weapons — secured by locking pegs — is reasonably solid and doesn't drop easily, but it still feels just a little lacking. It would've been nice if they'd used a double-peg system like the 1/20 Votoms kit that came out just before this. In particular, you tend to drop the rifle a lot when posing for action shots, and while part of that is fundamentally because the back end of the rifle is long and gets in the way.. I think that should've been taken into consideration.

▶ The best internal
frame ever

The proportions themselves haven't changed dramatically compared to the 1.0, but various parts have been refined into a more polished style. In particular, quite a few panel lines have been added to the outer armor... not quite as many as the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, but more than you might expect — enough to be a bit surprising. People will have mixed feelings about this, but personally I think it gives it a more refined look.

The biggest highlight of the Gelgoog 2.0 is, I'd say, the greatest full-body frame ever made. The Zaku 2.0's frame was already impressive enough, but since the Gelgoog is a bigger unit with more internal frame to work with, there's even more molding detail, double-layer armor, and varied surface detail throughout. On top of the standard double-layer leg armor, there's even a lattice-style frame on the skirts and legs — and as you can see in the photos above, it makes for a stunningly elaborate frame shot. The frame alone is genuinely moving T_T b

Of course, once you finish building, the frame disappears from view (^^;) — but the satisfaction you feel while building it is enormous, and it gives the kit a really solid, packed-full feeling. Actually picking it up, it feels about twice as heavy as the 1.0, and the fact that it's gotten that much heavier while still having strong joints just makes it even more satisfying!^^

The included Eleca and Lalah details are fairly straightforward, but they add a nice little touch.. Among the accessories, the shield's transformation is the real standout. It's such a large and imposing shield that holding it in the hand seems like it'd be a challenge, but they came up with a clever idea that makes it just about manageable to hang on the hand. More interesting than that, though, is the added connection gimmick for mounting it on the back — it gives the shield attachment and detachment a much more convincing feel, which is a fun touch.

▶ The problem is
articulation!

Now.. the biggest point of controversy with this Gelgoog 2.0 is... the articulation.
Most recent MG kits are built around impressive articulation, and the immediately preceding Zaku 2.0 showed off what I'd call the absolute peak of poseability. Because of that.. everyone already knew the Gelgoog was a chunky unit, but there was a lot of interest in just how dynamically this chubby guy would be able to move.

But to be blunt,
the leg joint articulation on this Gelgoog 2.0 is "very average" — or even below average by recent standards. And what makes it frustrating is that it doesn't feel like a structural limitation so much as a deliberate design choice. @_@ ;;

The thigh-to-shin bend is only 90 degrees, and there's still a lot of visible gap between them.. meaning that if the designers had put a bit more thought into it, full bend shouldn't have been impossible. Instead, they implemented a split knee design with a slide-action joint cover gimmick on both sides of the knee — but that ends up severely restricting the knee's range of motion. Of course, these two things are a trade-off, and it seems like they wrestled with the choice between gimmick and articulation.. and went with the gimmick over articulation.

The dynamic action poses of the MG Zaku 2.0 were made possible by the newly introduced split skirt articulation and the freely moving hip joints. The Gelgoog 2.0 also features the same split skirt articulation as the Zaku 2.0, but the hip joints didn't improve nearly as much as you'd hope. It almost makes you wonder what the point of splitting the skirts was — though of course it's still far better than the articulation you got under the non-split 1.0 skirts. The problem is that between the limited hip joint movement, the old-school knee articulation, and the ankle range of motion being restricted by the leg armor design..

Action poses using the leg articulation are not~~at all~~ 2.0-worthy. OTL
Even putting it on a stand and trying to move it freely.. it just can't get past being average.

If the developers decided that the appeal of the Gelgoog as an MS lies in its weight and solidity, its precise frame and gimmicks rather than flashy articulation — then I can understand that reasoning.. but it's still a real shame that they made it stand out so unfavorably compared to recent releases. T_T I expect we'll be seeing a lot of custom builds focused on improving the leg articulation going forward.

In conclusion, if you're going to build the Gelgoog 2.0,
it's best to just set aside any thoughts of recreating dynamic action poses from the start.. ^^;

▶ 2% short of perfect,
but still excellent quality

The subheading's a bit contradictory, but... what I mean is, even though the below-average articulation leaves you feeling like something's missing, the kit's overall quality is undeniably top-notch. It's just that it falls short of being perfect in every way like the Zaku 2.0.

This kit really does give you the feeling that the MG Gunpla world can be divided into before and after the Zaku 2.0's release. It's like the kit is saying, "Even if it didn't quite reach the Zaku's level, this is the baseline quality we're working with now!" Every kit going forward might need to start from a perfect score as its base — the Zaku 2.0, a concentrated showcase of all of Bandai's technology, looks set to become the foundation for future MGs.

Even if it's 2% short of perfect, this is still a Gelgoog kit that's been completely reborn compared to the problem-riddled 1.0 — and that alone is historically significant. It's genuinely worth recommending. And that solid, hefty, densely-packed feeling — like a watermelon that's full to the core — is something you just can't get from photos alone. You have to build it yourself. :-)

MG MS-14S  Char's Gelgoog ver.2.0
CategoryRatingAnalysis
Seam Lines★★★★★A parade of massively solid one-piece parts. Almost no parting lines either.
Molding Color / Color Separation★★★★★The most subtle and understated Char pink to come out so far.
Proportions★★★★★Does a great job capturing that solid, hefty feel.
Articulation★★★★Finally, a split skirt — but the leg articulation is a bit surprising;;
Joint Strength★★★★★The king of looseness makes a dramatic comeback. Joint strength is excellent!
Internal Frame★★★★★★★Hands down the best MG inner frame released so far.
Detail★★★★★The panel lines are a bit overdone, but they're refined and precise.
Weapons / Accessories★★★★★Faithful to the basics. Greatly improved shield. And the Elcano as a bonus.
Parts Count / Price★★★★★319 parts total. 70.9 parts per ¥1,000. Quality that matches the price.
Uniqueness★★★★★A kit that completely turns things around by fixing every flaw of the 1.0.
Not quite as exciting as the Zaku 2.0, but still a version upgrade that's well worth it.
Dalong's Point : 104 pts.

MG Char's Gelgoog ver.2.0 | 2007. 7 | ¥4,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.