OLD G Gundam 1/100 Dragon Gundam

Release 1994.7

Price ¥1,500

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/100 Dragon Gundam - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

Runners

Runner with system injection applied

OLD 1/100 Dragon Gundam - Parts diagram (1/4)

OLD 1/100 Dragon Gundam - Parts diagram (2/4)

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Core Lander separation

Core Lander

Like the Shining Gundam, it comes with 2 beam sabers and articulated fingers.

Probably because of the forearm extension gimmick, the arm articulation is pretty limited.

Arm extension gimmick

OLD 1/100 Dragon Gundam - Dragon Claw action (1/3)

Dragon Claw action

Beam saber action

Together with the 1/144 Dragon Gundam.

Together with the 1/100 Shining Gundam.

This is the 1/100 Dragon Gundam released as part of the old-style G Gundam series. Unlike the main protagonist's Shining Gundam, Dragon Gundam is more of a supporting-character unit, and perhaps because of that, it got system injection instead of system insert — though even so, the color separation is noticeably better than the 1/144 version.

That said, the overall build quality feels like a step down from the previous 1/100 Shining Gundam. For starters, the front skirt pops off way too easily during posing, and the side skirts don't stay put either, which makes moving the legs a real hassle. This ends up severely limiting the hip articulation range, and combined with poor foot contact with the ground, even spreading the legs just a little makes it hard to keep the kit balanced.

On top of that, the grip strength of the articulated fingers is unreliable, making it tough to hold the beam sabers properly. And the forearm extension gimmick — pretty much the only special feature this kit has — is noticeably stiffer than the other joints, making it awkward to use. So while the looks are decent enough, there's a lot to be disappointed about when it comes to the joints and articulation overall.

This kit is worth something simply for bringing Dragon Gundam to 1/100 scale with a solid enough appearance, but unless you're a big fan, it's hard to recommend purely on quality grounds — it's very much a product of its time. :-)
[ Updated at 2018.2.5 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.