MGUniversal Century

RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.One Year War 0079

The 2005 MG that finally gave the original Gundam hands that could act.

MechaGrade Score

4.1/5

RX-78-2 Gundam · 1/100 · 2005

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2005

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the kit that quietly reset what an MG RX-78-2 could be.

It took the animation-classic silhouette and built a frame under it that actually moves like a soldier, not a statue. Two decades on it still holds poses the vinyl-era MGs never could, and that alone earns it a real spot on the shelf. It is not the cleanest build in the line and some of that detail needs a marker to pay off, but the bones underneath are excellent.

Best for: UC purists who want the classic 0079 Gundam with hands and articulation good enough to actually pose

The full review

What it is

I built this expecting another nostalgia-grade reissue of the original suit and got something better. This kit reworks the classic RX-78-2 with a frame pulled from the more advanced PS2-era design work, so the shoulders raise, the elbows and knees double-joint, and the hip axis slides forward for real crouches instead of the stiff, straight-legged stance older MGs were stuck with. The manipulator hands were a genuine first for the MG line at the time, three-finger parts you can split apart for extra grip articulation, and holding the beam rifle two-handed just works instead of fighting the peg. It feels like the suit finally caught up to how it moves in the show.

The catch

The waist rotation is limited, boxed in by the skirt armor, so full torso twists are not really on the table, and the legs move well front to back but do not have much side to side give. There is real color separation molded in, but a lot of the fine surface detail and the trim lines only pop if you go in with Gundam Markers or panel line accents, this is not a kit that looks finished straight off the runners. It also comes from 2005, so fit is good but not modern-MG tight, and the marking seals need topcoat if you want them to survive handling.

Who it's for

Buy this if you want the definitive articulated take on the original 0079 Gundam and do not mind spending an afternoon with markers and panel liner to make the surface detail sing. It rewards builders who like posing their kits in dynamic combat stances, the deep crouch and shooting poses are the whole point. Skip it if you want a kit that looks complete straight out of the box with zero extra work, or if you are set on the sleeker Ver.Ka proportions instead of the classic animation shape. For anyone building a UC shelf around the original Gundam, this is still the one to get.

The build story

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

The build itself is straightforward MG-standard snap fit with clean gate placement, nothing exotic in the runner layout, and the frame goes together fast since this is a 2005-era part count rather than a modern bloated one. Fit is solid, not the razor-tight click of newer tooling, but nothing rattles once assembled.

The engineering is where this kit earns its reputation. The shoulder raise, double-jointed limbs, and sliding hip give it a genuinely wide pose range for its age, and the split-finger manipulators were a first for the line, letting you get a proper two-handed grip on the beam rifle instead of the stiff single-peg hold older kits were stuck with.

Lore & trivia

01This kit's frame and proportions were pulled from the more detailed RX-78-2 model built for Bandai's PS2-era Gundam games rather than a straight rehash of the 1980 anime model.
02It was the first Master Grade to include split, three-part manipulator hands for extra finger articulation, a feature that became standard on later MG releases.
03It released in March 2005 under Bandai's One Year War 0079 sub-line and was later reissued in Animation Color and Extra Finish variants.