Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
That's some serious PG-worthy presence!

1. 00 Raiser

PG 00 Raiser - Even with the heavy 0 Raiser attached to the back and sides, the joints are solid enough that just a slight pos

Even with the heavy 0 Raiser attached to the back and sides..
The joints are solid enough that just a slight pose adjustment is all you need to keep it standing upright.

0 Raiser connection points.

PG 00 Raiser - There's a locking pin you can plug into the backpack to prevent the rear 0 Raiser connection from drooping. Hon

There's a locking pin you can plug into the backpack to prevent the rear 0 Raiser connection from drooping.
Honestly it holds just fine without it, but it seems like they threw it in just to be safe.

PG 00 Raiser - A new attachment method for the 0 Raiser side binders. U-shaped locking pins spread open and clip onto the bott

A new attachment method for the 0 Raiser side binders.
U-shaped locking pins spread open and clip onto the bottom of both sides of the GN Drive.
Probably went with this approach due to the weight, and the hold is absolutely rock-solid —
It won't come off unless you deliberately pull it free.

GN Sword III

PG 00 Raiser - 00 Raiser with GN Shields added to both sides. (1/4)

PG 00 Raiser - 00 Raiser with GN Shields added to both sides. (2/4)

00 Raiser with GN Shields added to both sides.

PG 00 Raiser - It's already got serious bulk, but throw in the GN Shields and the overall width gets absolutely ridiculous.. A

It's already got serious bulk, but throw in the GN Shields and
and the overall width gets absolutely ridiculous..
And the amazing thing is it still stands upright just fine with all that stuff hanging off it!

Cockpit hatch open.
It opens all the way up through the chest, giving it a really unique look.

2. 00 Gundam

00 Gundam base body.

Upper body front

Head

Hold on! There's actually a choice when assembling the head's light-up parts.
It comes down to whether you apply seals to the eyes/ears/back of the head or not.. The manual even notes that
the LED glow won't show up well with the seals on, so it recommends leaving them off if you want the LED effect.
For the review I shot it both ways, swapping the seals on and off —
the left side has seals, the right side shows the glow without them.
You can clearly see how much brighter the ear area gets.

PG 00 Raiser - Eye area comparison. With the seals on like the left side, barely any light comes through at all. Just a tiny b

Eye area comparison. With the seals on like the left side, barely any light comes through at all.
Just a tiny bit leaking out through the gaps?

PG 00 Raiser - Back of the head. The right side without seals gives a proper glow. Even without the seals, the text engraved i

Back of the head.
The right side without seals gives a proper glow.
Even without the seals, the text engraved into the clear parts is enough to get the effect across.

Back and backpack

Lower torso front and rear

Shoulders and GN Drive

Arm section

Leg section

Leg detail shots

Feet.

GN Sword II with its dazzling chrome finish

PG 00 Raiser - 00 Gundam with GN Shields attached to both sides. (1/4)

PG 00 Raiser - 00 Gundam with GN Shields attached to both sides. (2/4)

00 Gundam with GN Shields attached to both sides.

3. 0 Raiser

PG 0 Raiser.

PG 00 Raiser - The bulk is massive, as you'd expect from a big scale kit. (1/4)

PG 00 Raiser - The bulk is massive, as you'd expect from a big scale kit. (2/4)

The bulk is massive, as you'd expect from a big scale kit.

PG 00 Raiser - Panel lining and detail across various parts of the kit (1/7)

PG 00 Raiser - Panel lining and detail across various parts of the kit (2/7)

PG 00 Raiser - Panel lining and detail across various parts of the kit (3/7)

PG 00 Raiser - Panel lining and detail across various parts of the kit (4/7)

PG 00 Raiser - Panel lining and detail across various parts of the kit (5/7)

Panel lining and detail across various parts of the kit

Various hatch opens

Missile hatch open gimmick

GN Shield mounted on the side binder

Underside

Bottom detail shot

Landing gear deployed

PG 00 Raiser - The landing gear sits so low... it really just feels like it's resting on the ground. I guess we should just be

The landing gear sits so low... it really just feels like it's resting on the ground.
I guess we should just be happy that it has retractable landing gear rather than a simple swap-out type. :-)

0 Raiser exclusive weapon set!

PG 00 Raiser - Ah... with the GN Sword III mounted too, it looks absolutely stunning~ (1/6)

PG 00 Raiser - Ah... with the GN Sword III mounted too, it looks absolutely stunning~ (2/6)

PG 00 Raiser - Ah... with the GN Sword III mounted too, it looks absolutely stunning~ (3/6)

PG 00 Raiser - Ah... with the GN Sword III mounted too, it looks absolutely stunning~ (4/6)

Ah... with the GN Sword III mounted too, it looks absolutely stunning~

PG 00 Raiser - Decals go all over every nook and cranny of the wings.. (1/4)

PG 00 Raiser - Decals go all over every nook and cranny of the wings.. (2/4)

Decals go all over every nook and cranny of the wings..

Bottom.

PG 00 Raiser - The first-run limited 2-way stand has a spot for a metallic sticker, but the manual oddly shows it going on the

The first-run limited 2-way stand has a spot for a metallic sticker,
but the manual oddly shows it going on the left side.
Look closely though and it's just an example — it says you can put it wherever you want,
and in practice sticking it on the very front seems to show it off best.

4. Mechanic Frame

Outer armor removed

Frame shot

Front and rear body frame

PG 00 Raiser - Body frame close-ups. Overall it's basically a poseable skeleton-type frame with almost no mechanical detail to

Body frame close-ups.
Overall it's basically a poseable skeleton-type frame with almost no mechanical detail to speak of.
A bit disappointing for a PG..

Head frame

Backpack frame

PG 00 Raiser - GN Drive area frame (1/3)

GN Drive area frame

Back frame with backpack removed

Seriously plain arm frame.

Solid thigh frame

Lower leg frame

Foot frame

PG 00 Raiser - Articulation in frame state. The PG 00 is a kit where articulation barely changes whether the armor is on or of

Articulation in frame state.
The PG 00 is a kit where articulation barely changes whether the armor is on or off.

PG 00 Raiser - A perfectly comfortable-looking squat pose. (1/3)

A perfectly comfortable-looking squat pose.

Legs spread wide apart.
The ankle articulation feels a bit lacking for some reason..

PG 00 Raiser - Even in frame state, the ankle bends forward a little but won't bend backward at all — I can already see this b

Even in frame state, the ankle bends forward a little but won't bend backward at all —
I can already see this becoming a popular modification point for a lot of modelers.

The shoulder armor and skirts have separate inner parts to add detail on the inside.

Molds on the inside of the armor..

PG 00 Raiser - That said, some of the major armor pieces have absolutely no molds on the inside at all. Some have them, some d

That said, some of the major armor pieces have absolutely no molds on the inside at all.
Some have them, some don't — it's a really inconsistent design choice. -.-;
If clear color armor parts come out down the line, I can already imagine the subtle mismatch between sections.

PG 00 Raiser - 0 Raiser outer armor removed shot. Everything on the main body comes off except the bottom panel, but the side

0 Raiser outer armor removed shot.
Everything on the main body comes off except the bottom panel,
but the side binders have virtually no inner mechanical frame to speak of.

0 Raiser frame.
There's honestly too little of it to really call it a frame.

PG 00 Raiser - Frame of each body section (1/5)

PG 00 Raiser - Frame of each body section (2/5)

PG 00 Raiser - Frame of each body section (3/5)

Frame of each body section

Molds on the inside of the body armor.

PG 00 Raiser - The 0 Raiser likewise has some major armor pieces with absolutely no interior molds. It's a really puzzling des

The 0 Raiser likewise has some major armor pieces with absolutely no interior molds.
It's a really puzzling design choice.. Did they just give up halfway?

PG 00 Raiser - Frame shot in 00 Raiser combined mode. Since the 0 Raiser's frame is already a bit ambiguous compared to the 00

Frame shot in 00 Raiser combined mode.
Since the 0 Raiser's frame is already a bit ambiguous compared to the 00..
The combined frame shot of the two doesn't seem to mean much.

5. Action

PG 00 Raiser - Articulation test. Bends nice and deep, just as you'd expect from a PG. Though thanks to the clutch joints.. yo

Articulation test. Bends nice and deep, just as you'd expect from a PG.
Though thanks to the clutch joints.. you have to push and fiddle around when folding them, which is honestly a bit of a hassle..

PG 00 Raiser - The front skirt rotates and the U-shaped side skirts swing up, so the hip joint range of motion goes through th

The front skirt rotates and the U-shaped side skirts swing up,
so the hip joint range of motion goes through the roof.
Easily the best of any kit released so far.

And if you also use the hip slide gimmick for raising the legs even higher..

The thigh goes almost completely vertical like this~

The waist joint rotates along the circular band around the torso.
It bends sideways quite a decent amount.

PG 00 Raiser - The shoulder raise angle is decent enough.. but the shoulder linked gimmick is small and stiff, so it's not eas

The shoulder raise angle is decent enough..
But the shoulder linked gimmick is small and stiff, so it's not easy to lift.
And when holding a weapon.. it barely holds its position T_T

PG 00 Raiser - The forward reach of the shoulders is noticeably reduced compared to when it's just the frame. Guess there's no

The forward reach of the shoulders is noticeably reduced compared to when it's just the frame.
Guess there's no getting around it with the shoulder armor in the way..

PG 00 Raiser - The 0 Raiser's side binders can rotate. On other scales the entire GN Drive mount moves, but on the PG it's spe

The 0 Raiser's side binders can rotate.
On other scales the entire GN Drive mount moves,
but on the PG it's specifically just the area around the circular GN Drive that rotates, which in turn moves the side binders along with it.

A draw pose is no problem at all..

00 Gundam warm-up pose.

The ankle side-to-side tilt isn't quite satisfying, but it's still pretty impressive.

PG 00 Raiser - A kneeling pose comes off completely naturally. (1/5)

PG 00 Raiser - A kneeling pose comes off completely naturally. (2/5)

PG 00 Raiser - A kneeling pose comes off completely naturally. (3/5)

A kneeling pose comes off completely naturally.

GN Drive action!

GN Drive LED special effect gimmick switched on.

PG 00 Raiser - The light is gorgeous.. but you just can't capture it in photos! Check the video below to see both GN Drives in

The light is gorgeous.. but you just can't capture it in photos!
Check the video below to see both GN Drives in action.

PG 00 Raiser - Double beam saber action. The footing is solid.. but the feet are small so you really have to work to keep it b

Double beam saber action.
The footing is solid.. but the feet are small so you really have to work to keep it balanced.

PG 00 Raiser - Attack pose using the GN Shield (1/4)

PG 00 Raiser - Attack pose using the GN Shield (2/4)

Attack pose using the GN Shield

PG 00 Raiser - 00 Gundam on the first-release limited 2-way stand. (1/4)

PG 00 Raiser - 00 Gundam on the first-release limited 2-way stand. (2/4)

00 Gundam on the first-release limited 2-way stand.

Charging pose.

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword II shooting pose (1/4)

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword II shooting pose (2/4)

GN Sword II shooting pose

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword II dual-wield action (1/4)

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword II dual-wield action (2/4)

GN Sword II dual-wield action

PG 00 Raiser - 00 Raiser charging pose with the 0 Raiser docked. The presence this thing has in person is absolutely insane..;

00 Raiser assault pose with the 0 Raiser combined.
The presence it has in person is no joke..;;

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword III action. The sword is so huge that raising it up high is a bit of a struggle. (1/3)

GN Sword III action.
The sword is so huge that raising it up high is a bit of a struggle.

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword III shooting pose (1/5)

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword III shooting pose (2/5)

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword III shooting pose (3/5)

GN Sword III shooting pose

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword III with the extra beam parts attached. The beam parts are so massive that the full action pose stretc

GN Sword III with the extra beam parts attached.
The beam parts are so massive that the full action pose stretches close to 60cm,
which means it doesn't fit entirely inside my mini photo studio. T_T
On top of that, the beam parts are surprisingly quite heavy, making it extremely difficult to hold up even with the shoulder and arm clutch joints.
(The photo above was taken with some sneaky hidden support.)

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword III action with the beam parts anyway. (1/3)

GN Sword III action with the beam parts anyway.

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword II dual-wield assault action (1/3)

GN Sword II dual-wield assault action

PG 00 Raiser - The beam parts that plug into the GN Sword II are also way too big and heavy... it's a pain to photograph and a

The beam parts that plug into the GN Sword II are also way too big and heavy..
it's a pain to photograph and a real struggle to hold up.. T_T

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword II + beam parts action (1/3)

GN Sword II + beam parts action

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword II shooting pose. You can rotate the side binders and expose the missile hatches. Full of impact! (1/4

PG 00 Raiser - GN Sword II shooting pose. You can rotate the side binders and expose the missile hatches. Full of impact! (2/4

GN Sword II shooting pose.
You can rotate the side binders and expose the missile hatches. Full of impact!

PG 00 Raiser - 00 Raiser dual-wield action (1/3)

00 Raiser dual-wield action

6. ETC

PG 00 Raiser - Included are 1/60 figures of Setsuna, the pilot of the 00, and Saji Crossroad, the pilot of the 0 Raiser. Being

Included are 1/60 figures of Setsuna, the pilot of the 00, and Saji Crossroad, the pilot of the 0 Raiser.
Being a big scale kit, the 1/60 figures are quite large and nicely detailed.

Together with the PG Astray released in the spring.
Two PGs came out in 2009 — that's quite something.

PG 00 Raiser - Together with the PG Aile Strike Rouge. Both of them carry a hefty load on the back, but no matter how you look

Together with the PG Aile Strike Rouge.
Both of them carry a hefty load on the back, but no matter how you look at it, the 0 Raiser with the 0 Raiser on its back wins on sheer bulk..

Comparison with HG and 1/100.

Comparison with HG and 1/100 0 Raiser.

Looking at it this way, the 1/100 detail really was pretty plain..

PG 00 Raiser - Together with the PG Sky Grasper. The 0 Raiser turned out to be quite a bit bigger than I expected~

Alongside the PG Sky Grasper.
The 0 Raiser turned out to be quite a bit bigger than I expected~

PG 00 Raiser - All the various 1/100 and HG 00 Raisers assembled together. I'm sure the Designer's Color and Trans-Am Mode ver

All the various 1/100 and HG 00 Raisers assembled together.
I'm sure the Designer's Color and Trans-Am Mode versions will eventually come out in PG too, right? T_T

● First all-new PG mold in 5 years

Back in the spring of 2009, the PG Astray came out — the first PG in 4 years. I thought that might be it for the year, but then toward the end of the year, a brand-new PG, the 00 Gundam, dropped. Since the PG Astray was essentially a variation, this marks exactly 5 years since a completely new PG was released — the last being the PG Strike back in November 2004. It's been a long time coming..

As Master Kawaguchi has said, a PG needs not just the right subject matter, but some kind of "new technology" to justify its release. The PG 00 debuted the clutch joints and the special-effect GN Drive — genuinely fresh innovations — and on top of that, it brings together all the excitement that only a PG can deliver.

Looking at the runner layout, it seems like the original plan was to sell the 0 Raiser separately, like the Strike — but whether they wanted to make a big splash right out of the gate or not, it ended up coming as a combined set. That could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it... but it did push the price up to ¥25,000;

● The feel of building a PG.

First of all, this kit absolutely delivers that classic PG building experience. The fully packed internal frame, the high-quality parts breakdown, the premium gimmicks you only get at this big a scale... the smooth, satisfying assembly that gives off a slight MG Zaku II vibe... and the genuine culture shock of putting together the completely new clutch joint system for the first time...

Even just finishing the 00 on its own and standing it up, you get that feeling of "this is unmistakably a PG!" — both in the building process and in the feel of it in your hands. Whatever else you might say, if you've been craving the experience of building a brand-new PG after all these years, I think this kit will more than satisfy that craving. The superb parts breakdown and the solid, weighty presence after assembly — things you just can't get from MG or other grades — combined with what is arguably the strongest joint strength of any PG to date, made the overall satisfaction of the build process quite high.

And as the box size and price suggest, the parts volume in the 0 Raiser box — which might look like an accessory — is surprisingly substantial, giving the whole kit a very generous feel. For those who say a PG means runners covering every inch of the floor, this is good news.

● New Technology 1: Clutch Joints

The PG 00 Raiser introduced a pretty novel concept called the clutch joint. As you can see in the partial review, a total of 8 clutch joints were used — 3 in each arm and 1 in each leg. It works similarly to a car's clutch, using two interlocking gear faces held together by spring tension to improve joint stability. The difference from a car's clutch, which transmits driving force, is that here it's used in reverse — to prevent movement.

For parts with clutch joints, you have to press the round button to move them normally, and once released, they lock in place quite firmly. Overall, the stability is at an impressive level — with the exception of the elbows, which lock a bit inconsistently. Thanks to this, the stability in action poses has genuinely taken a big leap forward.

That said... if I were to give the clutch joint a grade, I'd say B+. The function itself is solid, but when you really look closely, there are quite a few head-scratching moments.

- Overall, you have to press the clutch joint every single time you want to change a pose... which is honestly kind of a pain ;;
- Assembly is on the tricky side, so you really need to follow the manual carefully. If you mess it up, the joint might not work at all;
- Due to the weight distribution, you'll mostly be posing it on a stand anyway, so the leg clutch joints don't end up being all that useful in practice.
- Even with the 0 Raiser attached and the center of gravity pushed way up high, the stability when standing upright is impressive, but...
That's not because of the leg clutch joints — it's because the polycap connections at the hip and ankle joints are just solidly built.
- The shoulder clutch joints hold well, but the shoulder joint on the body side is weak, making it hard to raise the arms up high.
- The wrist clutch joints have too narrow a range of motion, which really limits their usefulness.
- The press buttons can get stiff sometimes, making them hard to push in and out.
- By design, it seems like this mechanism can only really be applied to OO-series PGs, where the joint sections naturally have that round shape — which is a bit of a limitation.

Writing it all out like this makes it sound kind of rough (^^;) but it's definitely a meaningful technical attempt. My personal conclusion is that it's still hard to feel like it's all that useful just yet... but if it gets refined a bit more down the line, I think it could bring a whole new level of improvement to joint design in large-scale kits. :-)

● New Technology 2: Rotation-Vibration-Light Special Effects.

The second new feature is the use of special effect parts. They already put LEDs in the GN Drive on the 1/100 No Grade, so just slapping in a plain LED on a PG would've been a bit underwhelming, right? ^^

The PG OO's GN Drives come pre-assembled and packaged separately — and at 1,800 yen each, they're quite pricey parts. Sure, the kit itself is already expensive so it's a bit less noticeable, but inside each one you've got rotation driven by a small motor, vibration and sound from that rotation, and even a mesmerizing light effect from the spinning multi-LED setup. In short, it's a rotation-vibration-light special effect part unlike anything you've seen before — it feels like a mashup of all the various gimmicks from the 1/350 Yamato.

The first time you see the GN Drive special effect in action, it's pretty fascinating and you'll end up playing with it for a while. ^^ Press the top once and the LEDs light up, slowly start spinning... then gradually speed up and scatter light like a fireworks display. After about a minute it stops automatically, but pressing the switch again will also stop it. (See the videos in the review)

According to the manual, there can be a time difference between units, so don't worry if both GN Drives don't stop at the same time. Also, uniquely for this kit, a CP2032 coin battery is included — but if you look closely, it's labeled "for testing." That means it's just there to verify the unit works, so the power may be a bit weak or drain quickly. In practice, if you put in a fresh battery of the same type, the light gets brighter and the rotation gets faster — so if you want a more impressive light show, I'd recommend picking up a new battery separately.

As those who've watched the motion video will know, the GN Drive special effect gimmick produces a distinct sound when spinning. It's an intentional drive sound, but it's fair to say it's pretty noisy. Depending on your tolerance, it could get quite annoying — that's definitely going to vary from person to person. Either way, it's a fun gimmick that's very much in the spirit of a PG, and it's well worth the points. I'd also expect this part to be reused whenever future OO-related PGs like the Exia get released.

As a bonus, there's also the head LED that's basically standard on any PG — but if you apply the eye/ear/back-of-head stickers, they block quite a bit of the LED's light output. On top of that, the green clear parts that sit over the stickers even have laser-engraved text on them, and those clear parts actually make the stickers hard to see anyway. -.-; I'd honestly recommend just skipping the eye/ear/back-of-head stickers altogether.

● Joint Strength Upgrade

The first thing I want to talk about is joint strength. The clutch joints provide strong locking, but beyond that, the overall polycap stability is the best of any PG to date. PG kits have pretty much always struggled with ankles that can't hold up under the weight. The PG Astray was a noticeable improvement, but it also didn't have much in the way of accessories on the body, so it was a bit easier to manage.

The PG 00 Raiser has a top-heavy design that looks like it'd be a real handful just looking at it. In PG 00 Gundam mode alone, the body is slim enough that standing upright isn't a problem... but I fully expected things to get dicey once the 0 Raiser was mounted. But surprisingly, even with the 0 Raiser and GN Shields hanging all over it, a little pose adjustment is all it takes to get a stable standing pose. Those who've built a lot of PGs will know what I mean — having built every PG myself, I was genuinely amazed at how impressive this standing joint strength is. I felt a real sense of joy, like — finally, a PG with truly solid joint strength!

Even with the PG Strike, the leg and ankle joints are perfectly fine at the base body level, but things get pretty shaky once you add the Aile pack. That's why a stand is basically mandatory for that kit — yet the PG 0 Raiser, carrying a much heavier load, is far more stable. On top of that, it even includes the anti-slip rubber sole pads that were used on the PG Astray, so it doesn't topple over even if you give it a nudge. :-)

That said... for action poses or display purposes, a dedicated stand just looks so much better that the standing stability might not matter as much. And there are still some areas — like the shoulders — that struggle to hold up particularly large and heavy weapons. But in terms of significantly improving the chronic joint strength issues that have plagued PGs, this is clearly an excellent, up-to-date PG.

● Articulation, Articulation...

Ever since the PG Strike, it feels like any similar non-Universal Century PG is just expected to come with incredible articulation as a baseline. MG articulation has gotten so good that PGs need their own edge too. As befitting a modern PG, you get full limb bend, a hip joint slide gimmick, and a unique body gimmick on top of that — delivering A+ level articulation.

The skirt section in particular is excellent — the structure is simple, yet it gives the legs plenty of room to move freely, which I really appreciate. Part of it is that the skirt design itself is simple to begin with — almost like a pair of trunks — but either way, you can tell they put in the effort to make sure even that skirt doesn't restrict articulation.

The gimmick where the neck, shoulders, and waist all rotate along the same circular band around the body is really clever and precise. It was the part I was most impressed by during assembly — and the hollow center makes me think it was very much designed with a future PG Exia in mind as well. The actual range of motion isn't all that exceptional, but the assembly experience of watching small parts come together to form this massive structure is just really satisfying!

The hip joint also saw some improvement over previous designs — specifically in the locking pin. Plenty of kits have a sliding hip joint gimmick for more dynamic poses, but they often have trouble staying locked after you move them. This has been a common complaint for a while, and the PG OO has nearly perfected the solution. As you can see in the partial review, the shape of the locking pin and the groove in the locking section have been redesigned, so once it's locked, it doesn't budge at all. It might seem like a minor detail, but it's an improvement that'll put a little smile on your face.

Early on, there was a lot of disappointment that it didn't have the iconic single-piece molded fingers typical of PGs — but after actually building them, assembly was easy and the joint strength and stability at each finger joint are clearly better. In short, it's a case of prioritizing real-world usability over visual impact on the runner, and while cleaning up the gate marks is a bit fiddly, the fingers feel secure enough that they're unlikely to pop off, so it's a change I'm fairly happy with. The connection between the palm peg and the weapon grip, on the other hand... isn't all that satisfying, though it holds well enough to get by. The bigger issue is probably just that the weapons themselves are way too long and big. T_T

The biggest ankle issue with the PG 00's articulation is... literally the ankle part itself (?) Sure, it doesn't need to go as far as the HG 00 with its abnormally wide lateral tilt, but even though the design structurally allows for quite a bit of side-to-side movement, it just doesn't lay over all that much.. Makes you wonder if they really needed to do it that way.

More than that, the front-to-back ankle range of motion is a bit disappointing. Fortunately, the foot folds in two stages so forward movement can be managed somehow, but rearward movement has almost no give at all — it barely moves. A lot of modelers out there will probably try to mod the ankle because of this limited front-to-back articulation... It does seem like they may have designed it this way to prevent the kit from tipping backward since it's back-heavy, but it's hard not to feel let down by it. You might wonder — since it's better displayed on a stand than sitting on a shelf, does the ankle even matter? But even on a stand, the ankle barely bends, which somehow kills the dynamic feel of the pose. Even when you just want to straighten the foot out, you're always stuck holding that stiff 90-degree right-angle stance, so it just doesn't look that cool.

● Detail That's a Bit Too Simple

The biggest disappointment with the PG 0 Raiser is probably the detail. Overall it's got a clean, sculpted look with excellent shaping and great depth, but... for a PG, the detail is pretty sparse. In other words, at a glance the exterior doesn't look all that different from a 1/100, there's just not much in the way of standout detail. Up close you can definitely tell it's a PG, but it doesn't have that clearly differentiated, distinctive look you'd expect compared to other PGs.

And it's not just the outer armor — even the inner armor mold detail, which is a basic staple of MGs and especially PGs, is all over the place. Some armor pieces have dense inner mold detail, others have none at all, and there doesn't seem to be any real rhyme or reason to it. This kit is confirmed to be getting a clear color armor release down the line, and at this rate the clear armor might end up looking oddly out of place. It kind of feels like they were rushing the development schedule, or were so focused on joint strength and new gimmicks that the detail got a bit of a half-hearted treatment — hard to shake that feeling.

And the most glaring issue — the frame detail is, frankly, plain enough to make you raise an eyebrow for a PG. It feels like the frame has been getting progressively simpler with each release... it's a stark contrast to the PG Strike, which used to show off excellent frame detail. The arm section in particular is almost completely bare — like they couldn't even be bothered to add any surface detail — and honestly, that part is a real letdown. A lot of people expect ultra-precise frame detail from a PG, and this one is just... surprising in the wrong way. OTL

Honestly, the detail is even worse than the PG Wing Zero Custom's frame, which was already considered a bit lacking. Of course, if you argue that the concept behind this PG was strictly an action frame — pursuing a simple yet well-sculpted frame — then there's not much left to say. At a glance it does look like the MG Zaku 2.0 frame style, which prioritized sculpt feel over detail, so depending on how you look at it, it's not entirely a bad thing. Either way, if you're expecting the kind of precise, densely detailed mechanical frame that PGs are known for, you'll need to drop that expectation.

And as for the 0 Raiser itself — it feels like it was originally planned as a separately sold accessory, kind of like the Sky Grasper, and it doesn't really show much of what you'd call PG-worthy qualities. There's not much frame to speak of, and what's there isn't particularly impressive detail-wise. If you're being strict about it, it's overall a step above the Sky Grasper which was sold separately, but the 0 Raiser still feels like just a big 1/60 scale 0 Raiser — the PG treatment really only applies to the 00 Gundam itself. Maybe they felt a little bad about it though... because the two runners' worth of 0 Raiser-exclusive weapons do make it feel a little more luxurious :-)

So overall, I get that this PG 00 was focused on things other than high detail, but for a top-tier Gunpla at a record-high price of ¥25,000, I do worry it's going to draw quite a bit of criticism...

● A Truly "New" PG

The phrase "new" PG carries several meanings at once. For starters, it's obviously new in the straightforward sense — it's the first new tooling in five years, and it incorporates a number of fresh ideas. But beyond that, there's a kind of newness that feels a little different from the PG we thought we knew. It's like... the direction PG is evolving has shifted somehow.

Despite its massive size, there's been a lot of progress in achieving solid joints and top-tier articulation, but there's a certain distance when it comes to detail and the finer points. Setting aside whether that's a good or bad thing, it feels like the line has evolved away from the high detail that old-school fans and enthusiasts love, and more toward an action figure direction that a broader audience can enjoy without any fuss.

From that evolutionary standpoint, the PG 00 Raiser is definitely a great PG. Maybe the non-Universal Century setting pushed it in that direction, and if a Universal Century PG comes out down the line, things might shift again. The key point is... it's developed in a somewhat different direction from the early PG style of old, and how you feel about that is going to vary from person to person.

Overall, this is a new PG that I'd rate somewhere between B+ and A. If you can let go of any expectations for extreme detail, it's a fun kit that offers a variety of new gimmicks and the satisfying hands-on feel of a brand-new PG after a long wait. The price has crept up to ¥25,000, but considering that Gunpla prices hadn't really kept up with inflation for a long time, it's something you can probably come to terms with. More than anything, I find myself hoping that the PG lineup — which has felt like it was on life support — can use this PG 00 as a springboard for a bit of a revival :-)

PG 00 Raiser | 2009.11 | ¥26,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.