Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Seals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Various angles (1/6)

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Various angles (2/6)

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Various angles (3/6)

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Various angles (4/6)

Various angles

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Detail shots (1/4)

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Rear view with backpack removed

The molding inside the skirt is really dense too.

Backpack with energy-deflecting armor "Geschmeidig Panzer" mounted on both sides

The detail extends all the way inside the backpack too.

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - The Geschmeidig Panzer deploys flexibly via multiple joints. It's connected to the backpack

The Geschmeidig Panzer deploys flexibly via multiple joints.
It's connected to the backpack with a mesh pipe.

Rotating gimmick inside the 88mm railgun "Xiphias"

You can rotate the armor on both sides of the chest 90 degrees to raise the backpack upward.

The weapon "Nidhoggr" can fold its blades.

The Nidhoggr can be stored inside the Geschmeidig Panzer.

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - The right hand can swap between 3 different finger configurations, while the left hand only

The right hand can swap between 3 different finger configurations,
while the left hand only comes with 2 fingers on the right side.

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - If you fit the raised knuckle in the middle of the Nidhoggr into the groove on the dedicate

If you fit the raised knuckle in the middle of the Nidhoggr into the groove on the dedicated finger,
it holds on nice and firmly.

Articulation of the verniers on the back of the legs

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - The action base joint parts can be locked in with a horizontal slide, but once you actually

The action base joint parts can be locked in with a horizontal slide,
but once you actually put it on the stand, the weight is so heavy it keeps falling off T_T.
You really just have to balance the center of gravity carefully when placing it.

Leftover parts

Excellent limb articulation

Hip joint slide gimmick

Pulling the shoulder out lets you swing it forward dramatically.

Waist articulation

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Nidhoggr pose (1/3)

Nidhoggr pose

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Nidhoggr charge pose (1/4)

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Nidhoggr charge pose (2/4)

Nidhoggr charge pose

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Defense pose with Geschmeidig Panzer deployed to the front (1/3)

Defense pose with Geschmeidig Panzer deployed to the front

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Pose with backpack raised above the head and Xiphias deployed (1/4)

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Pose with backpack raised above the head and Xiphias deployed (2/4)

Pose with backpack raised above the head and Xiphias deployed

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam - Full Mechanics drug trio group shot (1/3)

Full Mechanics drug trio group shot

Together with the HG Forbidden Gundam.

Straight build shots.

This kit is the 1/100 Forbidden Gundam, released as the 3rd entry in the Full Mechanics series for Gundam SEED. With this, the drug trio — following the previous Calamity and Raider — are now all out in 1/100 scale. It stays true to the series concept of achieving MG-level looks without an inner frame.

First off, just like the previous kits, it's packed with dense detail all over the exterior. That means a fair amount of panel lining work, but the result is a refined look that gives MG kits a run for their money. The signature oversized backpack is pulled off beautifully in all its large, flashy glory, and the energy-deflecting armor "Geschmeidig Panzer" attached to both sides of the backpack can be deployed via multiple joints. It's connected to the backpack with a flexible mesh pipe, and the multi-joint construction is solid enough to hold whatever angle you position it at.

Limb articulation is pretty good overall, so posing isn't much of a problem, and there's also a gimmick where you can pull the shoulder out and swing it dramatically forward. Joint strength is generally solid, but the heavy backpack inevitably makes standing it upright a bit tricky. You can manage it by shifting the legs slightly back to balance the center of gravity, but leave it standing for too long and there's a good chance it'll topple backward. A stand would be ideal, but the action base joint parts are a bit flimsy and tend to pop off T_T. They're really no match for the Forbidden Gundam's size and weight, though if you get the balance just right it does hold reasonably well.

The included weapon "Nidhoggr" is also impressively large and packed with intricate detail — you can fold the blade and mount it on the Geschmeidig Panzer. Since the Nidhoggr is so big, you might worry about grip strength, but if you carefully align the protruding joint of the Nidhoggr with the groove on the inside of the dedicated hand part, it locks in pretty securely. You can also recreate the canonical pose of raising the backpack up over the head and deploying the 88mm railgun "Xiphias," with the armor panels on both sides of the chest — where the backpack connects — rotating 90 degrees to lift it into position. And inside the Xiphias there are three separate deployment gimmicks built in, so you really get to appreciate that level of intricate 1/100-scale gimmick recreation.

So while there's no inner frame, this is a kit that's been put together beautifully with MG-level aesthetics. That said, the massive backpack makes it unstable standing upright, and the stand joint parts don't hold very securely either, so you'll probably need to come up with a few workarounds for long-term display. In my case I just took the easy route and leaned it against the back wall of my display cabinet — but aside from that, the kit's visual quality and gimmicks are genuinely impressive. Either way, it's a kit that SEED fans will be happy to have, and I think it's especially significant in that all three of the drug-enhanced pilots' mobile suits have finally been brought up to a modern look in 1/100 scale. :-)

Full Mechanics Forbidden Gundam | 2023. 8 | ¥5,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.