HGUniversal Century

Second V

A P-Bandai deep cut that rewards V and V2 fans with a genuinely improved head, hips, and color job.

MechaGrade Score

3.6/5

Second V · 1/144 · 2019

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2019

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This kit is a treat if you already know why the Second V matters, and a curiosity if you don't.

It takes the old HGUC V Gundam and V2 Gundam frame and reworks the head, neck, hips, elbows, and knees to sit closer to the lineart, then backs it with a fully new backpack. I came away impressed that a suit this obscure got this much actual retooling instead of a straight recolor.

Best for: Victory Gundam fans and HGUC completionists who want the definitive small-scale Second V, not first-time builders looking for a mainline suit

The full review

What it is

The Second V only shows up in the novel version of Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, so Bandai treating it to a P-Bandai exclusive HGUC release in 2019 already tells you this is a fan-service kit. What I like is that it does not just slap new colors on the old V Gundam mold. The backpack is entirely new tooling, and the head, neck, and hip joints were reworked so the proportions read closer to the actual art than the original HGUC V Gundam did. The blue body panels are molded plastic, not stickers, which matters a lot once you are looking at the finished suit on a shelf next to its siblings.

The catch

Because it shares runners with the older HGUC V and V2 Gundam kits, you end up with a noticeable pile of leftover parts you will never use, which feels wasteful for the price of a P-Bandai exclusive. Some of the finer color separation, like the red accents on the elbows, side skirts, and calves plus the beam rifle lens and cannon muzzle, still comes from foil stickers rather than molded color, so careful application matters. The mega beam cannon barely articulates on the back mount, and it is genuinely fiddly to get into the tiny hands as a handheld weapon.

Who it's for

If you already have a soft spot for Victory Gundam or you are chasing a complete run of HGUC V-series suits, this is worth tracking down, and the retooled head and hips make it a clear step up from the base V Gundam kit. If you are new to Gunpla or want your first HG to be a mainline, easy-to-find suit, skip this one. It is a P-Bandai exclusive built for people who already know what they are looking at, not an entry point.

The build story

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

Assembly leans on familiar HGUC V and V2 geometry, so if you have built either of those kits before, the gate placement and part fit will feel familiar. The new backpack and reworked head and hip parts are where the extra design attention clearly went, and they go together cleanly. Expect a fair number of parts left over on the runners since this kit borrows from two older molds rather than being tooled from scratch.

Articulation is better than you would expect from a suit this old on paper: the head rotates a full 360 degrees, and the front and side skirt armor pivots out of the way so the legs can actually swing forward without binding. Ankles pivot and tilt enough to hold a stance. The Minovsky shield folding between stored and deployed configurations is a nice bit of engineering for an accessory that could have just been a static plate.

Lore & trivia

01The Second Victory Gundam (LM313V10) never appeared in the Mobile Suit Victory Gundam TV anime; it is exclusive to the novel adaptation of the story.
02This HGUC release was a P-Bandai (Premium Bandai) exclusive, meaning it was sold direct rather than through general retail.
03The kit reworks the head, neck, hip, elbow, and knee joints compared to the standard HGUC V Gundam release so the proportions sit closer to the original lineart.
04Of the kit's runners, six were newly molded for this release, including a completely new backpack, while the rest share tooling with the earlier HGUC V Gundam and V2 Gundam kits.