With the relative absence of the Master Grade line, Gunpla builders and modelers are turning towards the Real Grade line to scratch those itches for intricate detail and engineering. And while recent Real Grade releases have been great, the line did have hiccups when it started, as most new products did. Some are even calling it a ‘syndrome’ which I personally don’t buy, but I can’t deny there’s merit to the apprehension of building older Real Grades.
So, while there will definitely be some who’ll cry out that we’re getting another RX-78-2 Gundam kit, I personally believe this is a needed release as it’s almost 15 years since the first RG kit back in 2010 and there are definite improvements introduced in this Ver.2.0.
I won’t explain everything here as Bandai Spirits did out a great page explaining all features of this kit. I’ll just note some that I found interesting.
For starters, let’s check out how it looks and… I am reminded of the Perfect Grade Unleashed version released some years back. I don’t think we can rule out that the PGU didn’t have design influences trickling into this kit. RX-78-2 designs often cycle between recessed chest vents, as seen with the original RG and MG 2.0 kits, and separately colored overlaid parts like the MG 1.5 and PGU versions. Clearly the RG 2.0 is going with the latter.
To further illustrate these changes, let’s compare the two.
The most obvious difference is the aforementioned chest vents, but the overall layout of the details is also different. The 1.0 went with more panels with multi-tone colors while the 2.0 only has white in several tones. The 2.0 also has these “tick” marks that expose parts of the inner frame across the armor. It’s the proportions where the 2.0 overlaps with the PGU version with the taller torso and “rounder” head unit.
This is the reason I’m thinking of getting two copies as the inner frame looks really good. They emphasize how it represents the semi-monocoque construction of the RX-78-2 Gundam in-universe. For those unfamiliar, monocoque is a structural system often used in vehicles that distribute the external loads and forces to the external armor, similar to an egg shell. In Gundam, the RX-78-2 utilizes a semi-monocoque frame where both the inner frame and external armor share the load. This allows the internal space of the frame to be utilized for mounting additional equipment.
Just like the PGU, you can display the inner frame by itself and still get a realistic-looking kit. Let’s once again compare this with the original.
The inner frame of the original Real Grade is a fully functioning structure utilizing the Advanced MS Joint parts. They mention how traditional inner frame construction is properly covered by the external armor when in a neutral position, but when you start moving the kit, ‘vulnerable’ parts of the inner frame are exposed. For the RG 2.0, movement of the external armor and inner frame are considered together, with the external armor following the inner frame during movement.
For all intents and purposes, this is not just a mini-Master Grade, but it might be approaching mini-Perfect Grade levels of detail.
One more point I’d like to note is the Core Fighter/Block system for this kit. Modern kits often have joint assemblies to accommodate the articulation expected for the torso unit. Though as you may know, the RX-78-2 uses a Core Block system which poses a challenge in keeping the same range of articulation while keeping this feature.
The solution presented by the RG 2.0 is to provide articulation in the Core Block itself. As seen here, the Core Fighter still looks the same from the outside, but its transformation mechanism also includes joints that provide torso flexion while, hopefully, not sacrificing stability. Not to mention the cockpit hatch still opens as expected.
Here are all the weapons and accessories that come with the kit, and it is the expected “sword, board, and rifle” assortment. It also comes with multiple pairs of replacement hand/manipulator parts, which is another departure from the original where it came with fully articulated digits. I believe most people opted to use fixed-pose hands and Bandai Spirits agrees with this.
People have been clamoring for RG 2.0s and we’re finally getting one. This does decrease the chances of getting entirely new kits in favor of updated versions of older releases. On the flip side, they can also do one MG 3.0 and not release anything else. Basically, everything is once again on the table for possible a modern RG treatment. Personally, there really are a handful of kits needing this; I’m looking at your RG Zeta Gundam.
RG 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.2.0
August 2024 / ¥3,500
Order via HobbyLink Japan
