Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining + decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

RG Gundam - A handsome face. Even at this small scale, the depth created by the rows of drilled-out duct holes really stands

A handsome face.
Even at this small scale, the depth created by the rows of drilled-out duct holes really stands out.

Body detail shots.

Arm section.
The shiny copper-colored seals on the elbows really catch your eye.

The seals on the shoulders.
They carry markings indicating this is a 30th anniversary commemorative release.

RG Gundam - Above each of the six chest ducts, you apply shiny gold seals that catch the light and sparkle brilliantly depend

Above each of the six chest ducts, you apply shiny gold seals,
and they sparkle brilliantly depending on the angle of the light.

The backpack is designed quite thick relative to the scale.

Beam saber section.
It's interesting that there are two handles mounted on top of the backpack.

Leg section.

The parts separation across the entire body is just incredible..

Calf section detail shots.

Several shiny copper-colored seals are applied to the knee joints.

Foot section

Sole detail

RG Gundam - The round joint areas on the sides of the elbows, knees, and ankles are hollow in the center.. This is the kind o

The round joint areas on the sides of the elbows, knees, and ankles are hollow in the center..
This is the kind of detail you'd only expect on a PG, let alone an MG, yet here it is on a 1/144 scale kit.

The weapons and accessories lineup sticks to the basics.

RG Gundam - The Core Fighter boasts impressive color separation despite its tiny size. (1/3)

The Core Fighter boasts impressive color separation despite its tiny size.

The canopy even opens..!!

RG Gundam - And on top of that, it can even transform into the Core Block.. Just like the MG, you can choose between two opti

And on top of that, it can even transform into the Core Block..
Just like the MG, you can choose between two options: a fixed type or the Core Fighter transformation form.

RG Gundam - Here's the interesting part though — the RG's fixed-type Core Block has two ball joints built inside, so when the

Here's the interesting part though — the RG's fixed-type Core Block has two ball joints built inside,
so when the Core Fighter isn't stored in it, it's designed to function as a waist joint.
This is something that was never achieved even on the MG or PG.

RG Gundam - Wow.. I can't believe they managed to pull off such a smooth Core Block combination system even at 1/144 scale —

Wow.. I can't believe they managed to pull off such a smooth Core Block combination system even at 1/144 scale — that's seriously impressive.

The cockpit hatch opening is of course reproduced as well!

The beam rifle's color combination is a bit questionable,
but the internal frame is reproduced as well.

The bazooka features a barrel molded in one solid piece at high quality, and the color separation is spot-on too.

RG Gundam - The detail is just unbelievable for a 1/144 scale kit.. Being able to see the missiles inside takes it a step abo

The detail is just unbelievable for a 1/144 scale kit..
Being able to see the missiles inside takes it a step above even the MG.

RG Gundam - Just like the MG, every weapon has a palm locking mechanism, but the actual holding strength doesn't seem all tha

Just like the MG, every weapon has a palm locking mechanism,
but the actual holding strength doesn't seem all that great..

The shield feels relatively straightforward in comparison.

RG Gundam - One more thing to watch out for here. If the shield connects to the arm really loosely, there's a good chance you

One more thing to watch out for here.
If the shield connects to the arm really loosely, there's a good chance you've got the left and right arms swapped.
The inner frames of both arms look almost identical, so it's easy to mix them up without realizing it.. but if you look closely, they are slightly different.
If the shield just won't stay on properly, try disassembling both forearms and swapping them around — nine times out of ten the shield will lock on just fine.
That said, even when assembled correctly, the holding strength isn't exactly great, which is a bit of a problem..

RG Gundam - In that case, a quick temporary fix of wrapping a single layer of scotch tape around the connection point can imp

In that case, a quick temporary fix of wrapping a single layer of scotch tape around the connection point
can improve the holding strength quite a bit and save your sanity.

You can also store weapons like the beam rifle and beam sabers inside the shield.

Open the mount on the back of the rear skirt and you can attach the bazooka there too.

RG Gundam - Fully armed with the bazooka equipped as well. (1/2)

RG Gundam - Fully armed with the bazooka equipped as well. (2/2)

Fully armed with bazooka included

A 1/144 Amuro figure is included with a stand.
But the silhouette looks... kind of feminine. ^^;

Outer armor removed shot.

Is this really 1/144!?!?
Who would've thought the day would come when I'd need shots like this in a 1/144 review..

Internal frame

Body and arm frame

Even that tiny little head has a frame inside..

Arm and leg frame.

Foot and thigh frame.
The thigh area has a properly reproduced mechanical frame.

Articulation in frame state.
In frame state, the articulation is absolutely top-notch..

A crouching pose is just the basics..

Frame action poses

RG Gundam - Stripping it down one more level — this is what it looks like assembled using only the skeleton parts freshly cut

Stripping it down one more level —
This is what it looks like assembled using only the skeleton parts freshly cut from the B runner.
In other words, just the bare skeleton parts with nothing else added.

Upper body skeleton

Lower body skeleton.

The articulation of the bare skeleton alone is a bit better than the frame.

Front and rear of the body's articulated frame parts.

The articulated sections of the body are as shown above.

RG Gundam - Interestingly.. a sliding hip joint gimmick has been incorporated that allows forward and backward movement. It's

Interestingly.. a sliding hip joint gimmick has been incorporated that allows forward and backward movement.
It's a pretty clever idea, I'll give it that.

RG Gundam - For actual assembly, you need to remove the body skeleton from the runner, split it into three sections, and reas

For actual assembly, you need to remove the body skeleton from the runner,
split it into three sections, and reassemble it together with the outer armor.

The waist and side skirt mounting sections are also provided as separate articulated frame parts.

Articulated frame parts for the arms.

RG Gundam - Assembly tip #1. At the top of the arm frame parts, there are 2 pieces that look like leftover parts you're suppo

Assembly tip #1.
At the top of the arm frame parts, there are 2 pieces that look like leftover parts you're supposed to remove before assembly —
but these are NOT leftover parts. They're actually used as the shield mounting bracket,
so do NOT throw them away.
If you can't read Japanese, you might accidentally toss them, so please make sure to keep them and use them when building the shield..
Without these, the shield will just be floating in mid-air ;;

RG Gundam - Assembly tip #2. The raised bump in the middle of the arm is meant to be removed before assembly.. At first glanc

Assembly tip #2.
The raised bump in the middle of the arm is meant to be removed before assembly..
At first glance it looks like it's attached, so you might be tempted to cut it off with nippers —
but it's actually a part you pull out, not cut out.
Don't cut it — just pull it out with force.

RG Gundam - Once you pull it out, it leaves a T-shaped slot as shown above — that's where the elbow armor clips in. I tried c

Once you pull it out, it leaves a T-shaped slot as shown above — that's where the elbow armor clips in.
I tried cutting it off with nippers as an experiment, and sure enough, without that T-shaped slot you can't attach the armor.
In that case you can carefully carve it out with a knife, but either way, just be careful.

Articulated sections of the arm frame parts.

RG Gundam - Articulated sections of the leg frame parts. There are so many articulated points that it's worth studying them c

Articulated sections of the leg frame parts.
There are so many articulated points that it's worth studying them carefully before you start moving things around.

RG Gundam - With the leg frame, the joints are stiff but the material is soft, so it's a bit on the weak side. If you apply f

With the leg frame, the joints are stiff but the material is soft, so it's a bit on the weak side.
If you apply force in the wrong direction, the shin area can bend like it's about to snap, just like in the photo above.. (T_T)

The various cylinder parts are pre-inserted before assembly, just like the MG First Gundam Ver. 1.5 frame.

RG Gundam - The sliding gimmick on the thigh. It's less of a slide and more of a linked movement where the front thigh armor

The sliding gimmick on the thigh.
It's less of a slide and more of a linked movement where the front thigh armor moves in sync.

The sliding gimmick below the knee.
It actually slides properly.. Impressive.

Even the sole of the foot is realized as a single articulated frame part.

RG Gundam - Part of the rear section of the foot sole part needs to be removed before assembly. That piece is genuine leftove

Part of the rear section of the foot sole part needs to be removed before assembly.
That piece is genuine leftover parts, so feel free to toss it.

Bandai being generous enough to mold even minor details like the beam saber mount as articulated frame parts..

RG Gundam - In addition to the fixed hands, articulated hands are also included. Like the MG, three finger segments are joine

In addition to the fixed hands, articulated hands are also included.
Like the MG, three finger segments are joined together, but since the first knuckle also moves,
you get quite natural-looking hand poses.

RG Gundam - Articulation with all the armor on. I was a little disappointed that the hip joints don't raise as high as I expe

Articulation with full armor on.
I was a little disappointed that the hip joints don't raise as high as I expected once the armor is on,
but either way, the full bend is properly pulled off.

The arms and legs spread out wide to the sides too.

The legs with sliding armor panels reproduced both above and below the knee.

The thigh sliding armor moves quite aggressively and by a good amount.

The sliding gimmick where the knee separates and moves is excellent too.

The armor on the back of the elbow does slide a little,
but the range of motion is so narrow you can barely tell.

Foot articulation. The sole moves in three separate sections..;;;;

Surprisingly, the front-to-back range of motion in the shoulders is on the narrow side.

RG Gundam - If you swap out the Core Fighter for the fixed-type core block, the waist does get a little articulation — but th

If you swap out the Core Fighter for the fixed-type core block, the waist does get a little articulation —
but the range is so limited it doesn't seem to help all that much.

RG Gundam - The front-to-back sliding hip joint gimmick is also.. a novel idea, but it doesn't seem to actually improve hip a

The front-to-back sliding hip joint gimmick is also..
a novel idea, but it doesn't seem to actually improve hip articulation as much as you'd expect.

RG Gundam - The cover flaps on top of the backpack verniers are articulated too — the fact that they bothered with such tiny

The cover flaps on top of the backpack verniers are articulated too —
the fact that they bothered with such tiny details at this small a scale is just mind-blowing.. @_@

Natural shooting pose

RG Gundam - Kneeling pose. With the limited upward angle of the hip joints.. it's hard to get a really natural-looking pose o

Kneeling pose.
With the limited upward angle of the hip joints.. it's hard to get a really natural-looking pose out of it.

RG Gundam - Kneeling beam saber action pose (1/3)

Kneeling beam saber action pose

RG Gundam - Beam saber cool poses. (1/4)

RG Gundam - Beam saber cool poses. (2/4)

Beam saber cool poses.

RG Gundam - Open up the bazooka mounting point and plug in the separately included adapter, and you can connect it to the Act

Open up the bazooka mounting point and plug in the separately included adapter,
and you can connect it to the Action Base 2 for 1/144 scale.

RG Gundam - Bazooka action poses on the stand. (1/7)

RG Gundam - Bazooka action poses on the stand. (2/7)

RG Gundam - Bazooka action poses on the stand. (3/7)

RG Gundam - Bazooka action poses on the stand. (4/7)

RG Gundam - Bazooka action poses on the stand. (5/7)

Bazooka action poses on the stand.

RG Gundam - Alongside the HGUC First Gundam. There's just no comparison in terms of detail and overall quality — the gap is e

Together with the HGUC First Gundam.
There's just no comparison in terms of detail and overall quality — the gap is enormous.

RG Gundam - Alongside the 30th Anniversary HG First Gundam. The design concept is pretty much the same, but the precision of

Alongside the 30th Anniversary HG First Gundam.
The design concept is pretty much the same, but the precision of the internal gimmicks is on a completely different level.

The shield and other design concepts are pretty much the same too.

Similar designs, but these are kits in a completely different league..

RG Gundam - Alongside the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, which shares a similarly heavy panel line count. The RG First Gundam is

Alongside the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, which shares a similarly heavy panel line count.
The RG First Gundam is 1/144 scale, but its internal gimmicks are somewhere between MG and PG level.

Straight build

This is what a
30th anniversary kit should be!

In 2010, Bandai released a number of special kits to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gunpla, but none of them really felt all that special. The 30th Anniversary HG First Gundam was fresh, sure, but quality-wise it was pretty ordinary and didn't make much of an impact.. The 30th Anniversary MG clear color event also just reeked of a cash grab. I kept thinking that a 30th anniversary should at least deliver some kind of culture shock.. and now, finally, that kit has arrived!

As part of a project to push 1/144 scale to the extreme, Bandai suddenly announced a new grade called RG (Real Grade), and the first release was naturally the First Gundam. Bandai was hyping it up heavily even before launch — with a confidence that came out of nowhere — but a lot of Gunpla fans reacted with a bit of a side-eye, like "why are they so insistent on keeping it that small?" That said, there was also a sense of anticipation, since Bandai has surprised us plenty of times before, and surely they had something new up their sleeve..

Now that I've actually cracked open this much-talked-about RG, I can say — this kit genuinely delivers a "culture shock." It's not a perfect kit by any means, but in so many ways it makes your hair stand on end, sends a cold shiver down your spine, and leaves you feeling equal parts thrilled and baffled. The exclamation I kept muttering throughout the build was this:

Wait. This is
really 1/144???!?!??

A fair amount of info about this kit was out there beforehand, but there's a huge difference between seeing and reading about something versus actually building it. I already knew about the incredible parts breakdown, the full-body inner frame, the impressive articulation, the elaborate seals and all that.. but the culture shock of actually getting your hands on it and feeling it for yourself is on a completely different level..

This kit was conceived from the start to pursue a 1/144 scale that feels like an MG, and to that end, it throws in absolutely everything — a full-body inner frame, all kinds of slide gimmicks, perfect color separation, and single-piece molding as premium molding options. Actually, to be blunt, the technology used here is clearly one or two levels above your typical MG, so it ends up feeling more like building a PG than anything else.

● The jaw-dropping full-body articulated frame + articulation

The most stunning thing is, without a doubt, the articulated frame that makes up the entire body. This is Bandai — the emperor of injection molding — showing off the same kind of technology that blew everyone away back in the PG and MG First 1.5. Two types of plastic with subtly different melting points are cleverly molded together, embedding articulated joints throughout a single part on the runner. But what's used in the RG is far more refined and complex than what was used in those older PG/MG kits. That's probably a reflection of how much the technology has advanced over the years — there are an incredible number of articulated points built right into the single-piece parts themselves, and it even pulls off something like the knee slide interlock gimmick without any assembly required, since the gimmick is literally molded right in. Absolutely mind-blowing.

And it's not just the major sections like the legs and arms — the fingers, the soles of the feet, even minor details like the beam saber mounting pins, all the key articulated parts of the body are molded as part of the articulated frame. As a result, this kit needs absolutely no polycaps whatsoever. The fact that such a bold technical achievement was pulled off at 1/144 scale is just astonishing. Then again, maybe the smaller scale actually made it more feasible since there's less stress on the joints and fewer durability concerns... Either way, it's genuinely shocking and thrilling stuff.

The level of panel separation on the armor parts is also insane — enough to make most MGs look laughably simple by comparison. And to maximize the effect of all that split armor, the white armor pieces are divided into three shades: pure white, slightly gray, and a slightly off-white/yellowish white. Even just in a straight build, you can really feel how extensively the parts are broken up, and fundamentally, this color combination comes from carrying over the design and color concept of the 1:1 Gundam that went from Odaiba to Shizuoka.

The articulation is also top-tier — you'd have to compare it to the latest MG/PG kits to find anything on the same level. Full limb folding is of course there, and all the various slide armor pieces are beautifully reproduced, making posing a real treat. Some joints feel a little iffy in terms of joint strength, but overall the joint strength is solid.

● Premium gimmicks and options

The RG is 1/144 scale, but you can clearly see that significant development costs were poured into making a kit that surpasses most MGs. In short, it's a declaration that every available technique will be used — just look at the bazooka parts, all molded in single pieces just like the latest MGs. The color separation is perfect, single-piece molding is used throughout, and the detail on the magazine section is arguably better than what you'd find on an MG. The beam rifle even goes so far as to reproduce the inner frame — a level of arrogance I can respect.

Every time a First Gundam kit comes out, the question of whether the Core Fighter and Core Block are reproduced is always a big deal — and sure enough, the RG goes beyond the limits of 1/144 scale by reproducing a transformable Core Fighter that can actually be stored inside the body. The Core Fighter itself has an opening canopy, and the cockpit hatch opening on the body is implemented as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

There's one more new addition to the Core Block reproduction: like the MG and PG, you can store either a fixed-type or Core Fighter-type core block, but the difference here is that the fixed-type core block has two ball joints built into it. In other words, if you insert the fixed-type core block into the waist instead of the non-articulating Core Fighter, it actually functions as a waist joint with some range of motion. It's a truly remarkable idea that you haven't seen in even PG or MG kits — though the range of motion isn't all that wide, so it's not super noticeable, which is a bit of a shame.

With 1/144 kits, it's generally been taken for granted that weapon mounting points and transformation gimmicks are handled with swap-out parts, but not with the RG. The bazooka mount on the rear, the Core Fighter transformation gimmick — every single gimmick uses its own built-in articulation rather than swappable parts. In other words, the excuse that "it couldn't be done because of the small scale" was just that — an excuse (^^;) — and it was really just about saving development costs and keeping things simple. In that sense, it's clear that this RG was designed with the intent to implement every technique that had been held back all this time.

The sticker seals are also a cut above anything I've seen before — super high quality, with shiny silver and copper seals as well as excellent clear seals. There's also a lot more of them than you'd get with most MGs, and since the color scheme is already striking, adding the seals on top of that takes the flashiness to another level entirely.

● It can't be perfect

In terms of gimmicks and overall construction, this is a kit that deserves the word "fantastic" plastered all over it dozens of times — but it couldn't be perfect.

First off, thanks to the sheer number of precision gimmicks and articulated parts, the kit feels a bit unstable when you're handling it overall. There are so many things moving around that when you try to get it into a pose and stand it up, there's a lot to fiddle with. Put another way, the pose tends to fall apart easily. It's probably unavoidable given how many articulated parts there are, but it's definitely not something you can call a strong point. The feet in particular, with their triple articulation, are great in theory... but the ground contact feels a bit iffy, probably because of all those moving parts. You can get it to stand without too much trouble once you dial in the pose, but there's just no sense of the feet firmly planted on the ground. It kind of feels like it's standing on tiptoe?

On top of that, the shield mounting pin can feel a bit loose. Some people might be puzzled to find that the part that plugs into the forearm doesn't hold properly — in that case, it's because the skeleton or armor of the left and right forearms have been swapped. They look symmetrical but are actually slightly different, so try disassembling and reassembling them carefully with the manual to tell left from right, and the shield should hold. That said, even when assembled correctly, the hold isn't exactly rock-solid, so a simple fix like wrapping a bit of tape around the mounting point — like I did — might be a good idea.

Beyond the shield, the beam rifle, bazooka, and beam saber also have pegs to lock into the palm hole like on an MG... but overall, getting them to hold isn't all that easy. They do lock in, but you'll have to wrestle with them quite a bit to get them in. Overall, the weapon mounting on this kit leaves something to be desired.

The biggest inconvenience by far is the sheer number of parts — especially the tiny ones. Because so many parts are crammed into such a small scale, there's a very high chance of one or two small parts flying off into the void when you're cutting, cleaning up, or assembling them. I personally lost and found certain parts multiple times during the build... I thought I'd been toughened up by Kotobukiya's Armored Core series, but yeah, you still need to be careful. (The Armored Core kit parts are genuinely microscopic...)

And the weird thing is... you know they're hard to find once they go flying, but even just gently dropping one while cleaning it up can have you searching for over 10 minutes =.=; It didn't happen much with other Bandai kits I've built before, but I really struggled hunting down parts on this one. In my case, the F-1 part near the knee and E-29, E-30 kept disappearing on me, so heads up on those.

Also, when handling the articulated frame for the arm section... the manual tells you to remove two parts that look like leftover parts sticking out of the upper arm — do NOT throw these away. These parts are actually for mounting the shield, so if you lose them, your shield will be floating in mid-air ^^; If you can't read Japanese and toss them by accident, you're going to have a bad time, so please be careful.

There are also some things to watch out for when applying the ultra-high-quality seals. Despite being 1/144, the kit comes with an enormous number of stickers — almost Ver.Ka levels in terms of quantity. Of course, being stickers, they're not hard to apply, and the borders around the seals are minimized so sticking them all on as-is doesn't cause any major issues. However, because the seals are small, there's a pretty high chance of losing one when you're peeling it off. And being high-quality seals, they're thicker and springier than usual — unlike regular Bandai seals, they have a tendency to go *ping* and fly off when you try to peel them with the tip of a cutter. I'd recommend peeling them off slowly and carefully, and I ended up losing one that I never found and couldn't apply... (If you spot which seal is missing from the review photos, you're seriously impressive... lol)

There are also minor issues like the front/rear skirts and backpack vernier parts popping off easily, but these problems tend to get overshadowed by the overall quality, and once the kit is finished, they don't feel like that big a deal ^^;

● The "AVATAR" of the Gunpla world

The RG First is, in a word, what it feels like to have every last cutting-edge design and molding technique Bandai has to offer all in one place. Despite being the small 1/144 scale, Bandai poured in every technique at their disposal without holding anything back, resulting in an absolutely extraordinary kit that surpasses most MGs and delivers quality that's practically on par with a PG. It's that feeling of "so this is what Bandai can do when they go all out." I know a little about injection molding from my own work, and the techniques used in this kit are almost criminal — especially for the price. How is something like this only ¥2,500...

Of course, some of you might hesitate because of its small size despite the incredible gimmicks, and if you have large hands and don't enjoy assembling tiny parts, this might be a kit to avoid. But setting those personal preferences aside, the biggest appeal of this kit is the sheer "culture shock" — the kind that makes your hair stand on end. Looking at photos, hearing about it, reading reviews — none of that gets you even 10% of the way there. Actually building it is a completely different experience. What you see, hear, and imagine versus what you feel with your own hands — they're worlds apart. That feeling you can only get by building it yourself... maybe that's the real charm of plastic models.

I think this kit is going to become the "Avatar" of the Gunpla world. Just like that critic who said you can't talk about movies for the next few years without having seen "Avatar," I'd say you can't really talk about Gunpla for a while without having built an RG. I have a feeling I'll be referencing the RG — Bandai's showcase of technology — countless times in my future reviews of other kits.

I don't know about everything else, but this is the first kit in my life where I can genuinely feel that Bandai spared absolutely no expense on development. Getting a PG-level experience for just ¥2,500 — that might just be something to be grateful for. If you want to experience the shock of what truly insane quality feels like, go ahead and wishlist it!

RG Gundam | 2010. 7 | ¥2,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.