Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - Front, rear, and upper body close-up shots (1/3)

Front, rear, and upper body close-up shots

The legs. You can see some of the inner frame showing through.

Backpack

The arms.

The clear shield looks pretty nice..

The weapons/joints are molded in a bright, clear gray tone. Looks great~

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - The index and thumb fingers are soft parts.. so some fingers are clear and others are opaque, w

The index and thumb fingers are soft parts..
Some fingers are clear and others are opaque, which looks a bit mismatched;

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - The head antennae actually come in two types.. a plastic part and a soft rubber part. The plast

The head antennae actually come in two types.. a plastic part and a soft rubber part.
The plastic one is done in clear, but the soft one comes molded in gray, so it's a bit awkward to use;

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - The antenna combination for the crystal version is a bit of a mixed bag. The plated antenna doe

The antenna combination for the crystal version is a bit of a mixed bag.
The plated antenna doesn't have color separation for the red section in the middle..
And the one with the red color separation has you plug in a plain white soft rubber antenna.
Probably best to polish down the plated antenna and combine it with the red plated part.. ^^;

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - Comparison of the clear antenna vs. the soft rubber antenna. The gray one doesn't actually look

Comparison of the clear antenna vs. the soft rubber antenna. The gray one doesn't actually look too bad..

Cockpit hatch open

Head hatch open. Since it's a crystal kit, you can already see inside without opening it.. ^^;

Arm hatch open

Backpack frame

Leg hatch open. You can see everything even without opening it..

Core Block and Core Fighter.

Core Fighter

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - Due to the nature of the crystal clear plastic.. you can see air bubbles trapped inside solid p

Due to the nature of the crystal clear plastic.. for solid parts like the beam sabers,
you can see air bubbles trapped inside like that.

Action pose

Beam saber action in fully armed mode

You can attach the bazooka, rifle, and shield all to the body at the same time.

Bazooka action

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - The detail-up parts that were originally included in the 1.0 also came out in clear. Somehow th

The detail-up parts that were originally included in the 1.0 also came out in clear.
Somehow these might be really useful for all kinds of other kits~

The 1/100 pilot figure is also done in clear..

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - The MG Crystal Versions come with an extra odd little item called fluorescent stickers. They're

The MG Crystal Versions come with an extra odd little item called fluorescent stickers.
They're basically tuning parts for clear kits.. the idea is that you cut them up however you like and stick them all over the body.
See the sample photos below..

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - This photo is from the Crystal Version guide booklet included in the box.. the idea is that you

This photo is from the Crystal Version guide booklet included in the box..
The idea is that you cut them into thin strips and stick them wherever you want on the body,
then shine a light on it and they glow just a little.. that's basically what these stickers are for.

Comparison with the normal version MG First v1.0

Core Fighter comparison

Still, it's impressive how many versions they put out just because it's the First.

Bonus.. alongside the 1/144 HGUC RX-78 clear version. The HGUC one has much stronger color.

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version - Comparison of the clear Core Fighters in 1/100 and 1/144. As expected, the color separation on

Comparison of the clear Core Fighters in 1/100 and 1/144. As expected, the color separation on the 1/144 is a bit lacking..;;

About a year after the very first MG kit, the RX-78 v1.0, launched in July 1995, the Crystal Version was released under the banner of being a kit for advanced builders. It's a version where all the runners are molded in clear plastic of the same color family.

Since it's simply a molded color variation, the basic kit contents are of course the same as the original — MG RX-78 v1.0 review— so check that out for reference. Other than the addition of the fluorescent stickers and the change in plastic material, nothing else has changed.
The crystal molded colors are quite a bit brighter than the original colors, which can make the overall look feel a little washed out.. It would've been nice if they'd gone with slightly deeper colors.

The yellow fluorescent stickers included with the Crystal Versions — as you can see in the sample photos above — can be cut to size, stuck onto the surface of the body, and then lit up to give off a subtle glow. There's a chance it might make the body look a bit messy, but it's still a fun little extra that works well with a crystal kit.

One thing that's a bit different from the normal version is that the joints, which weren't all that sturdy to begin with, are actually quite stiff and hold their poses well in the Crystal Version. I think it's probably due to the properties of the plastic material giving tighter tolerances — thanks to that, even being a v1.0, everything holds together without any looseness. Though the grip strength still feels just a little lacking..

Either way, this kit is a great example of Bandai's signature move (?) of releasing the main protagonist's mobile suit in all sorts of different versions. It's definitely a classic-era kit, but for those who like something a little different, it's worth recommending at a reasonable price. :-)

MG Gundam ~ Crystal Version | 1996.10 | ¥2,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.