Kit Review

Straight build

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version (1/2)

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version (2/2)

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - Upper body close-up. The coating has a slightly~charred, smoky feel to it. Aka th

Upper body close-up. The coating has a slightly~charred, smoky feel to it.
Aka the "charcoal-grilled" version.

The backpack and weapons are standard molded color.

Rear leg vernier open and backpack frame.

Arm section and arm frame.

Head armor open.

Cockpit hatch open

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - There's one color separation change in the Casval's version compared to the norma

There's one color separation change in the Casval's version compared to the normal version (Amuro's).
In the official design, the ankle covers are blue.
But since the normal version has ankle covers in the same color as the body, they share the same runner as the body parts —
meaning proper color separation just wasn't possible, so this kit includes two full sets of ankle covers.
And one of those sets comes separately, already coated in blue.
(This added ankle part is also commonly applied to the MG RX-78 v1.5 Casval's version.)

3-part separation.

Core block exclusive parts.

Core Fighter. The coating looks great. Really gives it a premium feel..

Action pose

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - A 1/20 Char-exclusive figure is included, and it's a clear version. The figure de

A 1/20 Char-exclusive figure is included, and it's a clear version.
The figure design itself is the same as the one that came with the Zaku II Char's Custom coating version.

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - Comparison with the Char figure (left) included in the original Zaku II Char's Cu

Comparison with the Char figure (left) included in the original Zaku II Char's Custom coating version.

This kit includes 2 hologram cards exclusive to the limited edition.

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - The first hologram card is a promotional piece for the Turn A Gundam theatrical f

The first hologram card is a promotional piece for the Turn A Gundam theatrical film.
Depending on the viewing angle, it shifts between an image of space and Turn A Gundam,
and then continuously transitions to the Gundam 20th Anniversary logo.
What's interesting is that these three images don't just switch abruptly between each other —
they transition smoothly, almost like a morphing effect.

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - The second hologram card features the kit itself — Casval's Gundam. Depending on

The second hologram card features the kit itself — Casval's Gundam.
Depending on the angle, it shows a shooting pose and a "best angle" glamour shot,
and just like the first card, the two images don't just flip abruptly between each other
— they flow together like an animation.
It's almost like you're watching it fly in from the shooting pose and transform into the glamour shot...
Hard to capture in photos so I can't really do it justice. ^^;

Together with the normal MG RX-78 v1.0.

Together with the coating version MG RX-78 v1.0.

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - Together with the regular lineup MG RX-78 v1.5 Casval's version. They're both Cas

Together with the regular lineup MG RX-78 v1.5 Casval's version.
They're both Casval's custom units, but the one on the left is v1.5 while the coating version is v1.0, so they look quite different.
The Casval's coating version is a limited edition that came out before the v1.5 was released, so it's based on v1.0.

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - Even with the lower version number, a coating version is still a coating version

Even with the lower version number, a coating version is still a coating version — it holds its own just fine next to the v1.5. ^^;

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - Comparison between the Core Fighter from the MG RX-78 v1.5 Casval's version (left

Comparison between the Core Fighter from the MG RX-78 v1.5 Casval's version (left) and the Core Fighter from the coating version RX-78 (right).

Six RX-78 v1.0 variation kits.

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version - A whole collection of MG Core Fighters. There are so many now that I can't keep t

A whole collection of MG Core Fighters.
There are so many now that I can't keep track of which one belongs to which kit... good grief.

This kit is a Casval's color coating version based on the MG RX-78 v1.0. There is a normal MG Casval's version as well, but that one is a color variant based on v1.5. This coating kit is a limited edition released in 1999, before the v1.5 came out, so it's naturally based on v1.0.

Casval is of course another name for Char, and the overall coating is in red — but it's not your typical shiny coating. It has a slightly charred, bronzed look to it. It carries more weight and gravitas than a plain glossy coating. The coating itself isn't applied all that evenly across the different sections, so there are quite a few spots where you can see color steps at the seam lines — but the unique color tone seems to cover for that well enough.

This limited edition includes two hologram cards where the image changes depending on the viewing angle. Rather than simply layering two images on top of each other, they're cleverly made so the two images transition with a sense of continuity — kind of like a morphing effect in computer graphics. It's not exactly mind-blowing, and it's not particularly useful either, but hey, it's a bonus that comes with the kit, so... ^^;

There's nothing particularly new about this kit, but it's a limited edition that has its own value thanks to that unique, slightly charred coating finish. :-)

MG Casval's Gundam ~ Coating version

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.