This is a hands-on review of the MG 1/100 Shin Musha Gundam Sengoku no Jin Kokui Ooyoroi (真武者頑駄無 戦国の陣 黒衣大鎧). It’s a Premium Bandai limited kit that reimagines the Shin Musha Gundam from the game Dynasty Warriors: Gundam in a black-based Ooyoroi (great armor) color scheme. This time I built it out of the box with no painting, and assembly took about 240 minutes. The plated red outer armor, silver metallic molded color, and the folding screen with silver foil stamping combine into a display presence that is genuinely one of a kind. On the other hand, because it is based on an older-generation MG kit, the range of motion is limited, and the firearm (Tanegashima) is hard to hold in the hands — honest caveats I only discovered once I started building. Below is everything you need to judge its worth as a kit made for display.

1. Introduction ― Building the Shin Musha Gundam in Kokui Ooyoroi

The Shin Musha Gundam (真武者頑駄無) is a machine designed by Hajime Katoki that appears in the game Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. This kit turns the Musha Gundam into a realistically proportioned MS (Mobile Suit), and the “Sengoku no Jin Kokui Ooyoroi” version dresses it in a lavish outfit of black robes and great armor. It is a special Premium Bandai limited specification. The first thing I felt once it was finished is that this is a kit made to be “displayed” rather than “posed.” Its bearing, like that of a Sengoku-era warlord, has a presence closer to a work of art than a Gunpla.

2. Product Information

• Product name: MG 1/100 Shin Musha Gundam Sengoku no Jin Kokui Ooyoroi
• Series: MG (Master Grade) / 1/100 scale
• Release: January 2022 / suggested retail price 10,890 yen (tax incl.) ※Premium Bandai limited
• Set contents: main body, tachi sword, firearm, spear, naginata, display base, folding screen, wooden-plaque-style nameplate, stands (for spear/naginata, for firearm/tachi)
• Coloring: molded colors renewed to a black base. Plating applied to the red outer armor sections, metallic molded color used for the silver outer armor sections. The folding screen features silver foil stamping.

Compared with the standard “MG Shin Musha Gundam,” this is a special color model that renews the molded colors and plating specification for the Kokui Ooyoroi and adds the lavish base and folding-screen parts. It comes with weapons bearing musha-style names, such as the tachi “Nichirinmaru” and the firearm “Tanegashima.”

3. Packaging and Kit Contents

The box has a special Japanese-style design that catches the eye. Inside, the jet-black armor parts combine with red plated parts and silver metallic molded parts. Add to that the various weapons — the tachi, spear, naginata, and Tanegashima — plus the special display base, folding screen, and wooden-plaque-style nameplate. The moment you spread out the runners, you can tell this kit is aimed at something different from a normal Gunpla — a truly lavish set of contents.

4. Assembly ― About 240 Minutes / Take Care with the Plated Parts

This time I built it out of the box with no painting, and assembly took about 240 minutes. I rated the difficulty at 3 stars. Because it is based on an older-generation MG kit, the structure itself is standard, but the plated parts call for a bit more care.

There are mainly three points worth watching to build it cleanly.

• The base kit is an older design: it is built on the frame (skeleton) from the MG Gundam Ver.O.Y.W.0079 line. Compared with recent MGs the design is dated, and the assembly process was standard.
• Clean up the gates on plated parts carefully: when cutting the gates (the joints between the runner and the parts), a whitened, conspicuous cut mark spoils the beauty. Cutting out the plated parts and dealing with the under-gates that come out from the back of the parts both demand careful work.
• You’ll want to surface-treat the base: with the included dedicated stand (base) left as molded, the plastic texture can look a little cheap. Surface treatment such as a shot of flat coat improves it.

There are few tricky spots in the main-body assembly itself, so I felt this is a kit where the more effort you put into the parts that “affect the perceived texture” — the plating and the base — the higher your satisfaction rises.

5. Out-of-Box Review ― A Display Presence That Is One of a Kind

The biggest highlight once it was finished is the overwhelmingly good looks when you set it up together with the large folding screen and weighty weapons. Its Japanese-style beauty as a display piece is one of a kind, and even built out of the box it becomes the star of the display shelf.

• Color separation: the black armor, red plating, silver metallic molded color, and the various Japanese-style ornaments come together at a high level, making it extremely lavish even out of the box.
• Articulation: honestly, the range of motion left me wishing for “just a little bit more.” This is a design that prioritizes the standing figure over playing with posing.
• Gimmicks: the display gimmick that lets you rack the diverse musha-style weapons — the tachi (Nichirinmaru), spear, naginata, Tanegashima, and more — neatly on the dedicated base is excellent.

That said, there are points I honestly found bothersome. Because it is based on an older kit, the range of motion is narrow, and to be frank it’s tough to enjoy vigorously moving it around. And the gun-type weapons, the firearm (Tanegashima) in particular, are difficult to fix and hold securely in the wrists, so you may feel some stress when trying to have it hold them. Your assessment here changes depending on whether you can accept that this is not a kit for playing with movement.

6. Place in the Series ― Compared with Other Kits

This is a Premium Bandai limited special color model that takes the standard “MG Shin Musha Gundam,” adds the lavish base and folding-screen parts of the “Sengoku no Jin” set, and further renews the molded colors and plated parts to the Kokui Ooyoroi specification. If the standard version is a kit for enjoying the sculpt of the Musha Gundam itself, this one is a collector’s item that pushes the Japanese flavor to the limit. Even for the same machine, the direction each aims for is clearly different.

7. One Tip for a Cleaner Finish

This time I built it out of the box with no painting, but for those who want to put in one more bit of effort, here are finishing steps that suit it well.

• Refine the base texture: because the quality of the body and weapons is high, the plastic feel of the base (stand) tends to stand out. I recommend spraying a flat top coat on the surface of the base, or adding a little panel lining or paint to refine the texture.
• It changes the overall premium feel: working on the base makes the plating of the folding screen and armor stand out even more, dramatically raising the sense of luxury as a display piece. It’s the most cost-effective extra step.

8. What to Check Before Buying

• Because it’s a kit with an older base structure, don’t expect the flexible action articulation of the latest Gunpla.
• With the large silver folding screen and base, plus the long, sweeping weapons, you’ll need a fair amount of display space to show it off.
• It’s a limited kit with elaborate katana and Japanese-armor design motifs. For anyone who loves Japanese culture or Japanese-style mecha, I think the design is irresistible.

9. Good & More

【Good】

• Overwhelming presence that looks great on display: the glittering plated parts, large folding screen, and lavish weapons combine so that just displaying it gives you a high level of satisfaction, like a piece of interior decor.
• A design that resonates with Japan lovers and musha fans: the sculpting of the weapons, starting with the tachi (Nichirinmaru), and the Kokui Ooyoroi coloring are exquisite — a bearing you could call the pinnacle of Japanese-style Gunpla.

【More (points of concern)】

• Limited range of motion and weak weapon retention: because it’s based on an older kit, the articulation is modest, and it’s especially hard to have it hold the gun-type weapons firmly.
• Texture of the base parts: the plastic feel of the base looks somewhat cheap, so I recommend adding simple surface treatment or paint to improve the texture.

10. Score

Overall: ★★★☆☆

Because it’s based on an older MG kit, the range of motion is narrow and the gun weapons are hard to hold, so honestly it’s tough to enjoy playing with movement. I also felt I’d want to add a bit of surface treatment to the plastic feel of the stand. But the looks when you dress it up with the plated parts and the large folding screen and weapons for display are overwhelming, making it an irresistible piece for Japan lovers and fans of limited kits.

11. Conclusion

This is a limited kit packed with the romance of Japanese-style Gunpla, pursuing its value as “a work of art to display in the tokonoma alcove” over action posability. I can especially recommend it to those who love Japanese motifs such as the Musha Gundam and Japanese swords, and to anyone who wants to enjoy a premium standing display rather than posing. As for how to display it, the way that lets you savor its beauty most is to quickly refine the texture of the base, then set the tachi and various weapons on the rack against the silver folding screen and display it in a dignified, imposing standing pose.