1. Introduction
This time I built the MG 1/100 Justice Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
The main reason I picked up this kit was the large mobile armor "Fatum-00" and its deployment gimmick — something I had been curious about for a long time.
I had previously built the MG Freedom from the same SEED series and came away genuinely impressed by how complete that kit felt, so my expectations for Justice were already pretty high going in.
2. Product Details
- Product Name: MG 1/100 Justice Gundam
- Series: MG (Master Grade)
- Scale: 1/100
- Manufacturer: Bandai Spirits
- Reference Link:
· MG 1/100 Justice Gundam | Bandai Hobby Site
3. Package Contents
This kit includes the following.
| Box Art |
The front features a large illustration of Justice soaring with the Fatum-00 deployed on either side — I literally stopped in my tracks when I spotted it on the shelf. The vivid pinkish-red and white colour scheme stands out noticeably even among other MG series boxes. |
| Side & Rear Panels |
The sides of the box include diagrams showing the Fatum-00 deployment sequence as well as the shoulder and leg slide mechanisms, and even before I started building I could tell there was a lot going on with this kit. The unpainted completed photos on the back panel show how well the colour separation is handled straight out of the box, which only made me more eager to get started. |
4. Building Process
| Difficulty | ★★★☆☆ (Typical MG-level build challenge) |
| Build Time | Approximately 5 hours |
| Notable Points |
The section that gave me the most trouble was the movable frame around the Fatum-00. The internal structure is fairly intricate, and I found myself flipping back and forth between the manual and the actual parts multiple times to make sure the orientations were correct. At one point I assembled a section incorrectly and had to disassemble it — the tabs had locked together firmly and prying them apart without damaging anything took real patience. I’d strongly suggest taking your time through that part. The main body assembly, on the other hand, follows a flow very similar to the MG Freedom, so if you’ve built that kit before you’ll likely move through it at a comfortable pace. |
5. Out-of-Box Appearance
The first thing that hit me after finishing the build was how much better the overall silhouette looked with the Fatum-00 mounted on the back than I had imagined. I placed it next to my MG Freedom, and the sheer volume of the rear unit is on a completely different level — Justice has a presence all its own. That said, the weight of the lifter does pull the model backwards, and I quickly realised that standing it without a base is basically not an option.
| Articulation & Posing |
Using the shoulder pull-out mechanism, I found it easy to push the arms well forward into natural-looking poses. I tried holding the Lacerta Beam Sabers in a two-handed grip, and thanks to the shoulder and waist swing joints I was able to reproduce that characteristic Athrun-style twisted-torso pose quite faithfully. The leg frame slide gimmick also gives a solid range of motion — I could get a low, bent-knee stance that looked grounded and stable. |
| Gimmicks |
The Fatum-00 deployment gimmick was the thing I had been looking forward to most, and actually moving it for the first time — feeling the wings slowly spread open on both sides — gave me a real sense of satisfaction after all that building. The boarding gimmick, where you slide the cockpit open and seat the Justice unit inside, worked more smoothly than I expected. The Super Lacerta beam boomerangs also clip on and off securely, with no real risk of them falling loose during handling. |
6. Good & More
【🙆♀️ Good 🙆♂️】
· The Fatum-00 deployment and boarding gimmicks are genuinely fun to play with, and they give the kit a sense of volume and interactivity that the MG Freedom simply doesn't have
· The waist, shoulder, and leg joints work well together, making it relatively straightforward to pull off those signature SEED action poses
· Even straight out of the box, the colour separation is handled well enough that the finished model looks great without any painting at all
【💁♀️ More 💁♂️】
· The weight of the Fatum-00 pulls the model backwards significantly, making freestanding display without a base almost impossible
· Small parts — especially around the ankles — have a tendency to pop off when you're repositioning the model, which requires careful handling every time
· The lifter can clash with the arm units when moving the arms widely, so you'll find yourself repositioning the Fatum-00 every time you want to change the arm pose
7. Additional Info
| Display |
I currently have mine mounted on the included stand in flight mode with the Fatum-00 fully deployed. Raised off the surface like that, the spread of the lifter wings really comes through, and it commands quite a bit of attention on my desk. If you’d prefer to display it in a grounded standing pose, I’d recommend picking up a separate action base from your local hobby shop. |
| Seam Lines |
The part separation on the main body is well thought out, and after finishing the build I had a hard time finding any obvious seam lines even when I went looking for them. Some of the weapon parts do have seams, but under-gate runners are used in several places, which keeps gate marks hidden from the visible surfaces — not something you’ll find yourself worrying about on an unpainted build. |
8. Conclusion
That wraps up my review of the MG 1/100 Justice Gundam.
Having built it myself, I’d say the Fatum-00 deployment gimmick alone is reason enough to consider this kit. Compared to the MG Freedom, the build does take a bit more time and care — particularly around the lifter frame — but the payoff in terms of what the finished model can do more than makes up for it. I’ve been keeping mine on my desk in flight pose on the stand, and I keep finding myself reaching over to spread those wings open again.
The Fatum-00 interference issue and the difficulty standing the model unassisted are worth knowing about before you start, but as far as SEED-series MG kits go, this one sits near the top for me. If you’re a fan of Gundam SEED or you tend to choose kits based on their interactive features, this one is well worth your time.
