Kit Review

Snap-fit + Panel lining + Seals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
With the stand added, it's got quite a hefty volume.

Upper body close-up

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - You can stand it on the floor, but the center of gravity is so far back that you have to lean it f

You can stand it on the floor, but the center of gravity is so far back that you have to lean it forward in a belly-out pose.
That pose will probably topple backwards over time too, so the stand seems pretty much essential.

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - To keep the waist joint from tipping backwards under the weight of the backpack, there's a support

To keep the waist joint from tipping backwards under the weight of the backpack, there's a support part you can plug in at the back of the waist.
The thing is, it's a part that wasn't originally there being forced into place, so it rattles around and doesn't hold well..
In my case I just stuck it on with double-sided tape, and having it there does help quite a bit.

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Posed with the Sword and Launcher equipped (1/3)

Posed with the Sword and Launcher equipped

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Recreating the box art pose (1/4)

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Recreating the box art pose (2/4)

Recreating the box art pose

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - There are some limitations when it comes to pulling off a wide variety of poses. (1/3)

There are some limitations when it comes to pulling off a wide variety of poses.

With all the weapons removed.
Now let's take a look at each weapon pack equipped individually.

Aile Strike Gundam

Before attaching the Aile pack

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Aile Strike Gundam. In this configuration too, the backpack extends far back so a slight belly-out

Aile Strike Gundam.
In this configuration too, the backpack extends far back so a slight belly-out lean is needed, and it tends to tilt backwards over time.

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Action poses (1/5)

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Action poses (2/5)

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Action poses (3/5)

Action poses

Together with the MG Aile Strike Gundam Ver.RM.

Sword Strike Gundam

Before attaching the Sword pack

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Sword Strike Gundam (1/4)

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Sword Strike Gundam (2/4)

Sword Strike Gundam

With the Sword pack and backpack attached

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Posed holding the sword with both hands. A dedicated fixed right hand for the sword is included, s

Posed holding the sword with both hands.
A dedicated fixed right hand for the sword is included, so it's gripping it nice and firmly.

Aerial pose

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - . For the Panzer Dragoon claw launch, the wire parts are a bit flimsy so it's not easy to get the

.
For the Panzer Dragoon claw launch, the wire parts are a bit flimsy so it's not easy to get the angle right.

Together with the MG Sword Strike Gundam.

Launcher Strike Gundam

Before attaching the Launcher pack

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Launcher Strike Gundam (1/4)

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Launcher Strike Gundam (2/4)

Launcher Strike Gundam

With the Launcher pack attached

PG Perfect Strike Gundam - Posed firing the launcher with both hands. A dedicated fixed right hand for the launcher is includ

Two-handed launcher firing pose.
There is a dedicated fixed right hand included for the launcher, but getting into this pose isn't exactly easy..

Together with the Launcher Strike Gundam.

Snap-fit build

After the masterpiece PG Strike Gundam came out in 2004, I figured the Sword/Launcher or Perfect Strike would eventually get the PG treatment too. But it took a whopping 16 years before it finally arrived in 2020. That said, they must have felt bad about just tacking on weapons to the existing PG Strike, because a good number of the body's armor pieces have been upgraded as well.

Starting with the Strike Gundam itself, various armor parts have been changed across the whole body — head, shoulders, chest, arms, legs, you name it. The detail and sense of depth have generally been upgraded, and with extra finish-style coated parts tucked into every corner of the armor, it definitely has a more refined look to it. (See thepartial review page for reference.) That said, since only the armor was changed, the articulation structure and frame are pretty much the same as before. But the original kit already showed off some of the best articulation and joint strength ever seen, so even 16 years later it still holds up without any shame. Though once you actually get your hands on it, the frame material does feel a bit stiff and the detail looks relatively rough compared to modern kits — you can definitely tell it's an older kit.

The Aile pack has also seen quite a few changes compared to the original, though it's less about upgraded detail and more about structural changes needed to make up the Perfect Strike configuration. Holes were added to the sides to mount the Sword and Launcher, making it longer overall, and the lower section was also extended with holes to secure the four battery packs. The wings got thicker hinges too, which has the effect of making them longer — so overall it's got a lot more volume to it. Everything else about how it works and its general style remains the same as before.

The Sword pack and Launcher pack are cleanly executed with color separation worthy of the PG grade, though there isn't really anything you'd call a frame per se. The Sword pack feels like it's mostly just a bigger version of the MG one, though the gimmick of detaching the battery pack from the dedicated backpack has been upgraded a bit. The Launcher pack gets a new gimmick where the launcher's nozzle deploys, and the battery pack at the rear has a premium gimmick where you open covers in four directions to detach it. There's also a new gimmick where the Gatling gun on the right shoulder Launcher pack weapon extends — though the mounting tends to be loose and pop off easily.

Along with the Aile pack, you can also attach the Sword/Launcher packs to the existing Skygrasper. The weapons attach using various supplementary parts. You can apply these weapon packs individually to build the Aile/Sword/Launcher Strike Gundam, but ultimately the highlight of this kit is combining them all at once into the Perfect Strike Gundam configuration. And to get around the grip strength issues with the single-piece molded articulated fingers, fixed hands for both sides are included — a right hand dedicated to the Sword and a left hand dedicated to the Launcher, ensuring a solid grip.

Once you've got it set up as the Perfect Strike Gundam, durability is naturally a concern. The body's joint strength is excellent and the armor connections are fairly solid. But because it's so big and heavy, standing it on the ground in a decent pose is tough — you'll really want to display it on the included stand if at all possible. And since the back is so heavy, the waist tends to fold backward, so an extra part is included to support the rear of the waist and prevent that. The problem is this part doesn't stay attached to the waist very well — in my case I ended up securing it with double-sided tape. Once it's fixed in place though, it does a solid job of keeping the waist from folding back.

The large included stand has big, sturdy mounting pins, so the connection itself isn't a problem even with the heavy Perfect Strike sitting on top. But because the kit is so heavy, the fixing parts at the base of the stand pillar have a tendency to suddenly come apart at the worst times. You'll probably want to slather some glue on that base connection point — otherwise you might get a nasty surprise when the whole pillar just topples over out of nowhere.

Since this kit comes loaded with such impressive weaponry, striking a pose with the Sword and Launcher just oozes presence. The complex structure makes it hard to pull off a huge variety of poses, but at least the stability of whatever pose you do set is better than any other PG out there — so you should be able to get some really impressive display poses out of it. (It does eat up an enormous amount of display space, of course..)

All in all, this is a top-tier PG that should make a great gift for anyone who's been waiting for a PG Perfect Strike. The upgraded Strike body looks fantastic too, so even if you already own the original PG Strike, it's well worth building again. Sure, you'll need to keep in mind that it's a pretty substantial build, but as long as you've got the display space, this kit will absolutely dominate everything around it — that much is certain. :-)

PG Perfect Strike Gundam | 2020.2 | ¥25,000