HGUniversal Century

RGMGM-79 GM/GM

A Ver.Ka GM built for the Gunpla Mafia that turns out to be the best-moving GM Bandai has ever made.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

GM/GM · 1/144 · 2017

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2017

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the GM kit I recommend to people who think GMs are boring.

It takes the old RGM-79 silhouette, sharpens every panel line into a Ver.Ka edge, and backs it up with double-jointed elbows and knees that actually let it hold a fighting stance. I built mine expecting a filler kit and came away thinking it is one of the more honest, well-engineered HGs in the whole GM family.

Best for: GM diehards and HG collectors who want the most mobile 1/144 GM Bandai has produced, at a very approachable price

The full review

What it is

The GM/GM is Bandai reworking the humble RGM-79 GM for Gundam Build Fighters: GM's Counterattack, where it serves as the Gunpla Mafia's signature machine. Instead of the stubby 1995 HGUC proportions, this one stands taller and leaner with sharp Ver.Ka style panel lines running down the shins and forearms. The neck joint moved from a polycap to a proper part, the elbows and knees are double jointed, and the chest has an expanding joint that lets the arms swing forward for a real two-handed grip on the beam spray gun. It comes together in an afternoon and every joint feels like it was actually engineered rather than inherited from an old mold.

The catch

The accessory count is thin. You get the beam spray gun, a shield styled after the original RX-78 Gundam shield with a nicely detailed back, and the swappable heads (standard GM, a GM Command style head, and a G-bit inspired D.O.M.E head), and that is basically it. There is no rifle-and-bazooka loadout like other HG releases in this price range, so if you want a suit loaded with hardware out of the box, this is not it. Color separation leans on molded plastic well for a GM, but panel line accents and small trim still benefit from stickers if you want the full Ver.Ka look to pop.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already like the GM as a design and want the version that finally moves like a real Gunpla instead of a static army-of-one background unit. The hardpoints on the arms, legs, and both skirt armor pieces also make it a strong base for customizers who want to bolt on extra gear without cutting plastic. Skip it if you specifically want a screen-accurate One Year War GM for a UC diorama, since this is the stylized Build Fighters redesign, or if you want a kit stacked with weapons for the money. For anyone else curious about a cheap, fast, satisfying build with real posability, this earns its spot on the shelf.

The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

The build itself is quick, most builders clear it in a single sitting. Gates are placed sensibly on the sharper Ver.Ka edges, so cleanup is straightforward and does not fight the new panel line work. Nothing about the parts fit felt loose or fussy going together, which matters on a kit this size where sloppy tolerances would show immediately on the thin limbs.

The engineering is where this kit earns its keep. The expanding chest joint lets the arms swing forward for genuine two-handed weapon poses, the neck uses a solid part instead of the usual polycap so the head holds its angle, and the double-jointed knees and elbows mean it holds a low stance without looking stiff. With no bulky backpack or oversized weapon dragging it down, it balances on its own feet reliably, which is rarer than it should be at this scale.

Lore & trivia

01The GM/GM first appeared in Gundam Build Fighters: GM's Counterattack, an ONA spin-off where it serves as the signature Gunpla of the antagonist group calling itself the Gunpla Mafia.
02The kit ships with three interchangeable heads: the redesigned standard GM head, a GM Command style head, and a D.O.M.E head modeled after the G-bit units from After War Gundam X.
03Its neck joint uses a molded plastic part instead of the polycap found in most HG kits, part of the modernized internal engineering Bandai gave this GM redesign.