MGMobile Suit Gundam SEED ECLIPSE

Eclipse Gundam Reactor 2

A P-Bandai black-and-red reskin that earns its price through engineering, not novelty.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Eclipse Gundam Reactor 2 · 1/100 · 2023

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2023

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a genuinely well-engineered MG wearing a limited-run price tag, and I think that combination is exactly what you're paying for.

The double-jointed elbows and knees plus that extendable hip axis give it a pose range that outperforms plenty of retail MGs I've built. The MA mode transformation is the kind of extra that impresses once and then mostly sits unused, but it doesn't cost you anything in the base MS build. Where it stumbles is the shared Freedom Gundam hip hardware, which needs a gentle hand or you're looking at a broken part mid-build.

Best for: MG collectors who already like the Eclipse Gundam frame and want the Reactor 2 recolor with a transformation gimmick on top

The full review

What it is

The Reactor 2 is P-Bandai's black-and-red follow-up to the retail MG Eclipse Gundam, built from the manga spin-off Mobile Suit Gundam SEED ECLIPSE. It reuses a good chunk of the original Eclipse frame and adds newly molded parts for the head, the R2-W1 beam rifle, and the R2-W2 real sword, so you get a suit that reads as its own machine rather than a straight recolor. Building it, what stood out to me was how much the hip and skirt engineering does the heavy lifting. The upper thighs peg into a socket that swings, raises, and rotates independently, and the skirts pivot out of the way to actually let you use that range instead of just claiming it on the box.

The catch

The transformation into MA mode is the marquee feature and it is fussy. Getting the shoulders and waist to sit at the right angle to lock the mobile armor silhouette takes several small adjustments, and more than one builder has called it a nice inclusion rather than a real selling point. The bigger practical issue is the J4 hip piece shared with the MG Freedom Gundam Ver. 2.0 mold, which is reported to crack if you force it while posing or transforming. Being a Premium Bandai exclusive also means no retail shelf price to compare against and a paint job over molded black and red that will show scuffs on white edges over time like any dark-colored kit.

Who it's for

I'd point this at builders who already have or admire the retail MG Eclipse Gundam and want the alternate colorway with the transformation gimmick bolted on, or anyone chasing the Eclipse line's Striker/Silhouette/Wizard pack compatibility. If your interest in this suit is purely aesthetic and you don't care about MA mode, the standard MG Eclipse Gundam gets you the same underlying engineering for less hassle and, usually, less money. Go in expecting to handle the hip joint carefully during your first few pose adjustments, and treat the transformation as a one-time party trick rather than a feature you'll cycle through often.

The build story

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

The build leans on the existing Eclipse Gundam runners with new parts grafted in for the head, rifle, and sword, so the assembly feel is consistent with the original release, well-fitted joints and clean gate placement, but you'll want to go slow around the hip block specifically because of the shared Freedom Gundam hardware. That J4 piece is the one spot in the whole build where I'd tell someone to stop and read the instructions twice before applying pressure.

Where the kit earns its keep is articulation. The hip's peg-and-socket thigh mount lets you swing, raise, and rotate independently of the skirt armor, and the front, side, and rear skirts pivot out of the way instead of blocking the leg. Color separation on the black and red scheme is handled through molded plastic rather than paint or heavy stickers, which pays off on a display shelf. The MA mode and included display base for floating it are a genuine bonus even if the transformation itself is a bit of a fiddly process to nail.

Lore & trivia

01The Eclipse Gundam Reactor 2 originates from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED ECLIPSE, an official side-story manga rather than the mainline anime.
02The kit shares two runners with the MG Freedom Gundam Ver. 2.0, which is also the source of its most commonly reported build issue, the crack-prone J4 hip piece.
03It was released in September 2023 as a Premium Bandai (P-Bandai) exclusive priced around 119.99 USD through import retailers.
04The suit is compatible with the separately sold Striker, Silhouette, and Wizard equipment packs from the broader Eclipse Gundam line.