Originally scheduled for release in February 2023, the Gunpla "MG Ver.Ka" 20th-anniversary commemorative work, "MG 1/100 Z Gundam Ver.Ka," will finally be officially released on April 29, 2023, after a two-month delay. Recently, BANDAI SPIRITS Hobby Division also released the product's box art and prototype images.
The "MG 1/100 Z Gundam Ver.1.0," released 17 years ago, already incorporated many design elements from mechanical designer Hajime Katoki during its development. However, due to production technology limitations at the time, most designs that combined anime settings could not be fully realized in three dimensions. This, however, led to the creation of derivative models like the Zeta Plus, which featured excellent transformation designs. 17 years later, as the "MG Ver.Ka" brand celebrates its 20th anniversary, Hajime Katoki has set a new goal for himself: to re-challenge a new version of the Z Gundam that is even closer to the anime settings, utilizing the latest modern technology.
The "MG 1/100 Z Gundam Ver.Ka" features three major design concepts: "1. Original Ver.Ka styling that integrates anime settings," "2. Creating Gunpla's highest-level transformation mechanism by utilizing articulation and locking mechanisms," and "3. The culmination of Ver.Ka's 20th anniversary: evolution of mechanisms and mechanical texture." It does not adopt the recent MG 2.0 or RG product styles with small heads, slender bodies, and extensive detailed sculpting. Instead, it is based on the anime design drafts drawn by Z Gundam designer Kazumi Fujita, combining sharp, cool exterior armor lines with a more substantial physique, and featuring a new transformation mechanism that is more refined in design yet maintains its form, stability, and articulation.
Thanks to the precision molding technology feedback from the RG series, many parts can reproduce tiny holes, pegs, and armor layers without further splitting, significantly reducing the part count of the "MG 1/100 Z Gundam Ver.Ka" and simultaneously lowering assembly difficulty. The overall parts utilize a diverse range of molded colors, and through precise color separation and part division technology, all areas except the head camera and sensors can be fully reproduced without painting. Furthermore, areas such as the chest blade antenna, soles of the feet, and flight armor utilize EXTRA FINISH processing to achieve a metallic luster. Notably, the blue armor parts, unlike the pure blue tones of recent products, feature a greenish hue closer to older kits. The original fuselage marking waterslide decals, a hallmark of Ver.Ka, have also been slightly reduced in quantity this time to better align with the refined settings of the anime version.
MG 1/100 Zeta Gundam Ver.Ka
Suggested Retail Price: 7,150 JPY (tax included)
Estimated Release Date: 2023/04
Product Specifications: 1/100 Scale Assembly Model Kit
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