MG Gundam Mk. II ver. 2.0

I grabbed this kit so that some friends and I could get together and spend a day working on all of our modeling projects. It's actually the second kit I have of the Mk. II, which may go to show how much I appreciate this particular gundam. I feel that it is truly the greatest example of what made the earliest gundam series so great, and that is that the mobile suits weren't designed to sell toys (hello Gundam Build Fighters), but to look like actual military weapons. There is not a lot of style to be found in the Mk. II, but its simplicity in design is what draws me to it.

Officially designated as the RX-178 Gundam Mk. II, this Gundam was developed by the Titans to test new configurations of armor. The theft of the prototypes by the AEUG was a blow to the ego of the Titans, but ultimately did little to stifle the development of improved mobile suits as all of the necessary data had already been gathered. Initially entrusted to the young newtype pilot Kamille Bidan, the Mk. II would eventually be piloted by several others -- notably Lt. Emma Sheen and Elle Vianno.

This kit was fun for me because it was a real opportunity to see how these kits have improved over the years. The original version I had of the Mk. II was released in 1999, and this 2.0 version was released in 2005. The difference was evident in the build, but not necessarily visible in the finished product. The parts that set this kit apart from previous versions are the number of places where the armor slides out of the way during movement, which allows for maximum coverage and great posability. It is especially evident in the fact that this kit has nearly no issues pulling off a kneeling pose, something many models cannot do.

This kit also came with several fun extras, most notably for me the stand which is meant to look like the hangar for the Mk II. Many of the weapons saw no real change from the earlier kit, but the shield has a much more flexible system for adjoining to the arm. The beam rifle and bazooka seem to be nearly the same, except that the bazooka has a pivoting grip which allows it to actually be used in an over-the-shoulder manner.

I really loved this kit, and during its construction there was a lot that got me excited -- from sliding armor pieces and detailed feet to compatibility with the old G-Defenser. Plus, it's a pretty low-priced master-grade kit. I would highly recommend it.