MG Hyaku Shiki

The latest addition to my Char Aznable’s MS Collection is none other than the MG Hyaku Shiki. I saved this model for last because I didn’t want to bother with gold plating. The Hyaku Shiki is a very old MG model; the year printed on the box is 2001. This model was probably a big attention getter at the time due to the flashy gold plating. I know it sure got my attention when I first saw it back then and now the model is finally mine after seven years! haha!

The MG Hyaku Shiki has very few runners of parts (10 total) coming out of its rather small MG box. There’s also no screws and many foil stickers to deal with. Going over the parts, everything looks rather simple and straightforward since you can easily make out what goes where even without looking at the manual. The gold pieces are connected to the runn frame from its inner side (take a look at the 6th pic) so that when you cut the piece, you can actually avoid leaving a dull spot on the gold part; this is smart thinking on Bandai’s part. The minor bad part about this is that you have to cut the piece then snip off the remainder on the piece to clean it off otherwise it’ll prevent pieces from fully closing. Foil stickers are just for the eyes, and front and back sensors on the head. It’s funny how the eye foil sticker is all black since the Hyaku Shiki doesn’t have any “eyes”. I was going to use gloves at first to not leave fingerprints but then I decided I rather have dexterity and efficiency so I didn’t use them. The gloves are from my Max Factory Genesic GaoGaiGar Ver. Final.

Construction was VERY EASY. No indirect assembly. No zigzag lines to follow. Just slap two halves together to make one (for the most part). This due to the fact that the Hyaku Shiki has no gimmick in and of itself anywhere though and that this is an old kit. The whole model from top to bottom is just plain and linear; this is almost like a HG kit with a fancy touch. It should take about 5-6 hours to complete this model at “casual speed”, depending on whether you want to slap all those decals on or not (I did).

The articulation in this model is pretty basic. The arms and knees can bend. The body can twist. The head and ankle can slight rotate. This is basically it. The shoulders are fixed and so is the area where the legs connect to the hip, making this kit limited in action poses. Dynamic poses can still be pulled off but nowhere near as flashy as its gold plating. I don’t mind it though since this is a very stable model and stands very well. I certainly hope Bandai considers releasing a Ver 2.0 though ^_^;

I bought this model solely to complete my Char’s MS collection but I still appreciate it for what it is. It’s a great looking kit and very easy to build so I don’t see any harm in buying it if you can find it for a great deal (less than 35).

Others who’ve reviewed this model:

An American Salary Man (HD Ver.)

It’s a Gundaaaam! (HD Ver.)

Martin Wandering