Most Wanted #3: Gundam GP02A "Physalis" ver. Ka

As we enter my top-3 most wanted MG kits, we start to see some familiar faces. I already own the MG GP02A, it was one of my earliest kits. It is also one of the earliest kits released in the Master Grade line, released in June 1998. It's one of my all-time favorite gundams, and I really do love the original kit. But as detailed in my post spotlighting the original kit, there is definite room for improvement.

As seen in Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3

We've now seen several kits which solve one of the GP02A's primary problems: it's heavy wing binders. The MG 00 Raiser and the HG Kshatriya both have locking connections for the wing binders. It seems that this would be one of the most beneficial updates we could see for a ver. Ka. Those binders are truly one of the aspects that make this design so iconic (it's appeared in many games and even in Build Fighters), but on the old kit they start to wilt almost immediately and quickly fold down under their own weight.

G-System 1/60 Scale

The old kit is pretty simple, and could use some improved and sharper detailing. We've seen other ver. Ka's (Sazabi), the RG line, and even a few other MG's (RX-78-2 ver. 3.0) make great use of multiple shades to create better color separation and more intricate panels. We see multi-color thrusters on many kits these days, as well as opening panels. Think about how the leg armor on the Sazabi ver. Ka opens, separates, and hides thrusters, and think about how that design could translate to the GP02A. The giant shield, perhaps the most memorable aspect of the gundam, is also in desperate need of better detail. Again, the Sazabi's shield is a great example, but even smaller shields like the Freedom Gundam 2.0's or the Sword Impulse do a great job of adding complexity and detail to relatively mundane designs.

MG 1/100

The kit would also benefit from some of the newer inner-frame and other articulation improvements. The GP02A would benefit from hip improvements seen in many other gundams, including the ability to pivot one hip forward or back in relation to the other, or as seen in the Destiny and Freedom 2.0, the ability to pivot out or down would improve the leg maneuverability. As would improved knee joints and sliding or moving armor. We've also seen wide-range improvements in the shoulder joints of nearly all kits these days. Even the recent HGUC kits have far better shoulder joints than the MG GP02A. Other than that, it would be nice to have the kit capable of holding it's shield in some way. We've also seen improvements in extra articulated arms such as in the MG Jesta and Buster Gundam, which could be applied to improve the bazooka's posability.

At this point, I'd love to see this kit transformed into a ver. Ka, or even a 2.0. I imagine it would probably be pushing the $100 range, but I would gladly spend that kind of money on a kit that makes the types of improvements I've talked about.