MG 1/100 Gundam Exia Ignition Mode

Just a heads up: Because this is a Master Grade kit, my review is going to be longer in order to go into more detail.

This is the Master Grade 1/100 Gundam Exia Ignition Mode. 🙂 The Exia comes from the Gundam 00 anime series, and is the first Gundam in the series that we’re introduced to. Honestly, it only took a few episodes for the Exia to win me over. I literally ordered this Master Grade kit a day after I started watching Gundam 00. 😀 This is one of the pricier kits out there, but it comes with the parts to customize the Exia into one of two forms: Ignition Mode and Battle Damaged Repair form. Just to be clear, you do not get the pieces to build two individual model kits in the box. You are getting the Master Grade Gundam Exia, along with additional pieces that you can swap out to change it’s appearance. Also, you get not one, but two LED light unit pieces in this kit to light up the GN Drive. 🙂 Each light unit piece requires two LR41 button cell batteries, which unfortunately, are not included. However, they can be purchased very cheaply online (I got a pack of 20 of them for $6 on Amazon). Not many Master Grade kits include the LED light units, so I really like that Bandai includes a couple of them with this kit.
Being a Master Grade kit, this kit has a very wide range of poseability. The translucent pieces on the arms, as well as several other pieces, are made of a soft plastic that is bendable, but not super flexible. However, they do not obstruct the movement of the arms. These pieces add a very cool touch to the kit, as the ones on the legs are almost like windows that let you see the mechanics of the upper legs. And like any good Master Grade kit, this one features an opening cockpit. The overall design of the Exia allows for easy posing with little to nothing impeding movement. The shoulders get pushed up when the arms move outward due to the translucent piece that connects the arm and shoulder, but this doesn’t prevent the arms from moving. The elbows and knees each bend at two points, and the feet actually bend at both the front and tip. The absence of side skirts maximize outward leg movement, and the front skirt pieces connect by both a hinge and balljoints, allowing you to easily adjust them from any forward or upward movement in the legs. The back skirt pieces are also on balljoints, but unlike the front ones, don’t have the addition of hinges. This still makes it so the legs get a good amount of backward movement. Finally, while the head is on a hinged balljoint, allowing it to turn side to side, look up and down, and tilt side to side, there’s no movement in the neck at all. The neck is molded into one of the torso pieces, making it completely stationary. While the head still gets a good range of movement, that range could have been made even better had Bandai made the neck a separate part from the body. I’ll admit, considering how great of a job Bandai did creating and engineering this kit, I was a kit surprised that they didn’t add any neck articulation.
In terms of accessories, you get a LOT with this kit. 😀 You get all of the parts to convert the Exia into it’s repair form, but you also get a small display base for the GN Drive, an action base adapter piece, a shield, two beam sabers, two beam daggers, to GN Blades (one short bladed and one long bladed), the Exia’s signature transforming GN gun blade, and a piece to cover the spot that the GN Drive goes in the back for when you want to remove it to display the GN Drive with the Gundam Exia. Like I said, lots of accessories. 😀
I’m going to be honest with you guys. In order to try and keep my reviews unbiased, I actively look for things that could be considered flaws or downsides, but I just can’t with this one. This kit is just that well done. Yes, the complete lack of movement in the neck is something that I consider a flaw, but it’s only a very small one that really takes nothing away from the overall articulation or quality of this kit. The only real nitpicks I have are that it’s a bit of a pain in the neck how long it takes to convert it to the battle damaged repair form, and that you have to paint the cloak parts brown. Other than that, I have nothing but good things to say about this kit. 🙂
All in all, the Master Grade 1/100 Gundam Exia is like candy for the eyes. Easily one of the nicest Master Grade kits I’ve had the joy of building. 😊 It’s a fantastic representation of the Gundam Exia as it’s seen in the anime, and is sure to please fans. I definitely recommend this kit for any collection. 🙂 If you aren’t interested in the battle damage repair form parts, Bandai makes a separate Master Grade Gundam Exia that doesn’t come with them, but I don’t know if that one includes the LED light units or not. Either way, it’s an excellent addition to any collection. 😊