Kimi The Builder

My first MG Blue Giant kit

I was planning on doing this Unboxing and First Impression post for quite some time. I have had the MG Gouf Ver.2.0 in my backlog for a long time, and now, finally, I get to do the Unboxing post for this MG kit! 

I admit that even though I still have a ton of blog backlogs that I need to clear, I still find myself curious to know what I’m getting here with the MG Gouf Ver.2.0. But it has been quite a while since I made a new Unboxing post, and my curiosity is starting to get to me.

So that is why I decided to do a new Unboxing and First Impression post for the MG Gouf Ver.2.0.

Yes, I know that this kit has been out for a while, and to be honest, I have never worked on one before. So you can imagine why I have been itching to open this up. Plus, it is nice to finally calm that curious side of mine that has been begging me to open the box and see what I’m getting here.

So, without further ado. Let us get into it, shall we? 

Release Date: Late May 2009

Estimated price: MYR RM 146 ( USD $ 33.70* / EUR € 31.49*)

*The price is subject to change, depending on the situation

The Packaging

The one thing I can say about this boxart when I saw it for the first time is that it looked boring. Yes, I’m aware that the boxart I see here is a recreation of that iconic scene from the TV Anime, but I wished Bandai would’ve picked a more action-oriented one instead of using the most boring (but iconic) shot of the Gouf. 

So what kind of scene would be good here, then?

Maybe the fight scene with the Gundam for the first time? I know that would be too close to Ver.1.0’s box art, but honestly? I wouldn’t mind a remastered version of that artwork instead of what we get here. 

Looking at this boxart, I understand why newbies might not be interested in getting this if this is the first thing they see. Yes, fans of the MSG anime would love the art shown here, but to normies? I don’t think they would be interested enough to pick this one up just by looking at the boxart. 

But I’m not saying that the artist didn’t do a good job here. In fact, the opposite. Honestly, we feel the artist did a fantastic job remaking the shot from the anime to the boxart. I admit that I love the boxart artwork here. It’s just that we feel it’s not eye-catching enough, you know?

Honestly, this boxart works if it’s a boxart for a fan-exclusive/limited release, but a mass consumption release? That is where it fails. But then again, art is subjective, so what I feel about it might not be the same for others.  

Despite what I feel about the boxart, the same can’t isn’t true for the rest. Because if the art doesn’t grab you, well, all the badass detail of what you’ll learn about the MG Gouf Ver.2.0 will. 

Why?

Well, it’s because all the promotional pictures of the MG Gouf Ver.2.0 that Bandai used on the side section of this boxart look absolutely fantastic. Yes, you still get all the expected info to learn about all the badass things you can do with the MG Gouf and what to expect inside the box. But thanks to all the badass pictures of the Gouf, you will have a good time doing so.

But best of all is the box configuration because it comes in that beloved big, fat, and beautiful squarish MG box. Yes, even though it takes space vertically, it is easier to store and keep. Plus, unlike the new thin MG boxes that Bandai is releasing now, these old fat MG feel more like an MG kit. The new slim MG boxes they go for here feel like you’re getting an RG kit. It doesn’t feel the same. 

I sincerely hope Bandai stops releasing new MG kits in slim boxes and return to releasing them in these lovely thick MG boxes. 

The Parts

As I move on to the actual unboxing part of this unboxing, I admit that this is the part that I look forward to the most. Because since this is an MG OYW Ver.2.0 kit, I know that Bandai will not let me down in the parts department. 

And lo’ and behold, Bandai didn’t disappoint here. Firstly, the level of detail I see on the parts for the MG Gouf Ver.2.0 will make every internal parts painter and mechanical nut happy. Plus, I’m impressed by how well crafted all the detail I see in the mold of the parts.

Secondly and lastly, I’m immensely impressed by the quality of the plastic materials Bandai used here as well. I can feel that some of the materials made the parts feel sturdy, which gives me the confidence that no matter what I do to it, it’ll be fine. 

However, I did notice that there are bits here and there that feel a bit more fragile than the rest. But even with that said, I can safely say that the quality of the plastic that I see on most of the mold and the materials is fantastic.

And it increases my excitement at the thought of working on them. 

The only thing that I’m looking forward to is working on the dry transfer decals.

Yes, it comes with the dry transfer decals.

The manual

The MG Gouf Ver.2.0’s manual is probably the part I enjoyed going through most of this Unboxing process. Because as how it is with most MG OYW Ver.2.0 kits, I know that I’ll get a lore-rich manual, and also, you get to learn how the Gouf came to be. 

And again, as expected, I find myself not disappointed. The lore part here is a joy to go through! But since this is an old MG kit, most of the lore is in Japanese. 

Admittedly, that is not an issue nowadays since we can use a translation app to translate the untranslated parts.

I admit that I had a lot of fun going through the manual to learn more about the Gouf. But the best part about the MG Gouf Ver.2.0’s manual is the building instructions section. 

You get clear visuals on the building instructions that are enough for your average builder to go through. However, since this is an MG kit, there are bits that we can see that those new to the hobby might struggle with here because, as we talked about earlier about the lore bit, some of the more detailed building instructions are in Japanese. 

But again, we are sure of how modern smartphone tech is nowadays. You can always use an advanced language translation app to translate the untranslated bits. Plus, even in its untranslated form, I don’t think it would be much of an issue for newbies since it’s still visually clear enough to understand.

Admittedly, it is my first time working on this. So, I admit that I had a lot of fun going through the pages and the insides. But to be honest? I’m just really excited to get my hands working on this. 

And it does look like a kit that I will have tons of fun working on at first glance. 

And that concludes our Unboxing and First of the MG 1/100 MS-07B Gouf (MG) segment for today. I’m aware that it has been quite a while since I did an Unboxing Blog Post, and also, it has been quite a while since I released a new review. 

And I intend not to keep it that way. 

Because at the time of writing, I’m currently working on a new Gunpla review, and rest assured, we will have more Unboxing posts in the future.

Anyways. We’ll be back again next Thursday (hopefully) with a new blog post. So do look forward to that! 

Oh, one more thing before we go, it would be a tremendous help to us all here in the blog if you guys were to leave a like on our posts and subscribe to the blog if you find yourselves enjoying our gunpla/plamo-related posts. We would appreciate it if you guys would take the time to show your support by leaving an upvote on our R/Gunpla posts and by leaving a like on our Facebook and Instagram posts or pages! 

We are also open to any good and bad feedback, so feel free to write away.

Hopefully, by sharing our love and passion for building and writing about gunplas or other plamos here, we sincerely hope this post will inspire you guys to pick up on the hobby. Or better yet, reignite your love and passion for the hobby.

We shall see all of you again soon, and we hope all of you here have a splendid day and week ahead! Oh, before we go, please have an excellent time building your awesome gunplas there and until next time.

Ciao!