OLD First Gundam 1/1200 Musai

Release 1980.8

Price ¥300

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

Parts diagram

Manual

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

Underside view

OLD 1/144 Musai - The gun barrels can also be attached at different angles. The fit is too loose to leave them poseable witho

The gun barrels can also be attached at different angles. The fit is too loose to leave them poseable without glue, so it's probably best to just glue them in place.

The Komusai docking/separation on the lower front section is also recreated.

The cute little Komusai.

Together with the 1/1700 EX Musai released in 2004.

This kit is the 1/1200 Musai warship model released in August 1980, during the very early days of Gunpla. Despite having a relatively small number of parts, it does a solid job of capturing that distinctive look — basically a flipped-over Star Trek Enterprise (......). Being an old-release kit, the molding isn't all that detailed, so it does feel a little plain in places.

The most fun feature is the ability to detach and reattach the Komusai on the lower front section — and it's actually made to hold fairly snugly without being too loose. Aside from the Komusai gimmick there aren't really any other moving parts, though the gun barrels can be glued in a rotated position if you want. That said, having them pointed straight forward is probably still the most natural look.

Either way, being able to build a palm-sized Musai for just ¥300 is pretty great value, and for old-school fans with a soft spot for the One Year War, the original series, and Zeon, this feels like a fun little nostalgia item that's easy and enjoyable to put together. :-)
[ Updated at 2016.2.19 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.