High Grade RX-178 Gundam Mk-II Revive Review

This is the High Grade 1/144 RX-178 Gundam Mk-II Revive. This review is going to be slightly different than my usual ones, because there are actually two versions of this kit: the Titans version and the A.E.U.G. version. They’re the exact same kit, the only difference being their color schemes. So you pick which one you want, or do what I did and buy both.

•DETAIL•
The first thing I’m going to say about this kit is that it looks awesome! No matter which of the two versions you get, this is just an awesome looking mobile suit! It’s a really great representation of the Gundam Mk-II as it’s seen in the anime.
Depending on which version you get, the amount of panel lining needed on this kit will be either very minimal or just minimal. One of the good thinks about the Gundam Mk-II is that it’s never had terribly many panel lines. Because of it’s brighter coloring, the A.E.U.G. version needs more panel lining work than the Titans version does, and both kits require very minimal paintwork to get them looking the way they do on the box. Both kits include the same sticker decals for the eyes, head cameras, body cameras, and weapon sights, however, only the Titans version includes a separate set of unit number decals to let you pick the unit number for it you want.

•ACCESSORIES•
Whether you buy the Titans or the A.E.U.G. version of this kit, you’re going to get the exact same accessories since both kits have all the exact same pieces, just in different colors. With this kit, you’re going to get one beam rifle, one hyper bazooka, one vulcan pod that attaches to the head, two beam saber hilts, two beam saber blades, one adapter to attach the shield to the bottom of the arm, one adapter to attach the shield to the side of the arm, and one shield. The shield can be attached to either arm, and both the beam rifle and hyper bazooka can be held it either the left or the right hand. The beam rifle is mainly designed to be held in the right hand, but again, it will fit in the left hand, too.

•ARTICULATION•
To start, how good the head articulation is depends on whether you do or don’t have the vulcan pod unit attached to the head. The head can rotate a full 360 degrees whether it has the vulcan pod unit on or not, however, the head is much easier to rotate without the vulcan pod unit on because there’s less fiddling around with the head you have to do. The head can also look down, and thanks to a hinge on the neck, can look up quite far. Each arm rotates a full 360 degrees at the shoulders, and while they don’t swing forward, they do swing upward (similar to the HG 1/144 RX-78-2 Revive). The arms move all the way outward, rotate a full 360 at the biceps, and get a full double bend at the elbows. The hands are on ball joints, so they each rotate a full 360, tilt up and down, and tilt side to side. You get a good forward bend at the abdomen, but not much side to side rotation at the waist. The legs move all the way forward, all the way outward, and a little bit backward. The knees are double jointed, however, because of the shape of the legs, you only bend at the knee just a little past the halfway point. The feet are on a polycap hinge and balljoint, giving them a really good range of forward backward movement, and a decent side to side tilt.

•GIMMICK•
This is a pretty straight forward kit, so it doesn’t really have many gimmicks. The beam sabers attach to the backpack, and the back skirt has a section that flips out to attach the hyper bazooka to the back skirt. Also, the shield can replicate the collapsed form by pegging the lower section of the shield into near the top section of it.

•MY ISSUES WITH THE KIT•
This is one of those kits where it’s actually difficult for me to find things to nitpick about. The vulcan pod unit can make posing the head a little difficult, and I don’t like the limited range of rotation at the waist. I’m also not crazy about the bend at the knees, but being High Grade kit, there wasn’t too much Bandai could do to avoid that, given the design of the legs.

•FINAL THOUGHTS•
All in all, this is a really well done kit, and I really like both the Titans and A.E.U.G. versions of it. This kit is both fun and easy to build, and is a good choice for builders of all skill levels. Bother versions of this kit usually retail for less than $20, but the Titans version is often a couple more dollars than the A.E.U.G. version, but both are still affordable options for builders on a budget. Whether you’re a fan of Mobile Suit Gundam Z, or you’re just looking for a fun project to work on, I highly recommend picking up whichever version of this kit suits your fancy.