Gunpla Build - High Grade Gundam Age II Magnum

So Gundam AGE recently became free to stream on Tubi, and I figured that at that price, it was worth giving a chance.

I’ll say this - it’s not the best show I’ve ever seen, but it’s not nearly as bad as the Collective Internet made it out to be.

And as usual, when I’m watching a show for the first time, I tend to want to build one of its model kits. The only problem is that while I like some of the show’s mobile suit designs, I don’t tend to like most of the Gundams (which just so happen to be AGE kits that get reprinted the most, at least in my experience).

But there is one that I’ve liked even before watching Gundam AGE. It’s a customized version from Gundam Build Divers, but that still counts, right?

Let’s build the Gundam Age II Magnum:

About the AGE II Magnum

The AGE II Magnum is the personal mobile suit of Kyoya Kujo, who is the highest ranked player in the online game of GBN, the leader of the game’s highest ranked clan, and an all around awesome dude who sure loves the community he’s a part of.

Known colloquially as “The Champ”, Kujo is a force to be reckoned with throughout the events of both Build Divers and its sequel, Build Divers Re:RISE.

Like everything in the Build subseries, this mobile suit is a customized version of an existing design, in this case the Gundam AGE-2 Normal. Here is what the instruction manual has to say:

A Gunpla used by champion Kyoya Kujo, which uses the AGE-2 as its base. It is a hi-spec kit that has been customized in order to be compatible with his distinguished battle style.

It not only has an upgraded basic structure, but it also has offensive capabilities in its wings and shield and can immediately demonstrate attacks from various situations and positions and displays its super attacking characteristics.

The transformation mechanism adapted in the Gunpla it was based on has been upgraded to the Phoenix Mode, making it a perfect model fit for the GBN champion.

About the Gundam AGE-2

For those who haven’t watched the show, Gundam AGE tells the story of multiple generations of a single family. Each new generation gets a new mobile suit, hence the numbering scheme (AGE, AGE-2, AGE-3, etc).

Furthermore, the show is something of an homage to the first ten years of Universal Century stories, with each generation being roughly based on First Gundam, Zeta, ZZ, and finally Char’s Counterattack.

As a result, the AGE-2 is a transformable MS that is clearly a nod to the Zeta Gundam:

About the Visual Design

_Gundam AGE_’s mecha design team was largely made up of alumni from Gundam 00, including lead designer Kanetake Ebikawa. I can’t in good faith say that I dislike all of Ebikawa’s work, since he’s created some mecha that I’m quite fond of (including the Core Gundam and the Graze).

But I do think that some of his designs can be a little bit samey at times, most notably when he’s asked to design lead Gundams. He tends to use a limited range of very bright primary colors (as well as recycles the same basic head design), he leans heavily on simple geometric shapes, and for some reason he loves strapping big, long weapons onto a mobile suit’s shoulders.

Here a couple of images to help get my point across:

Like it or not, dude’s got a “type”. And what I love about the AGE II Magnum is that it keeps the “bones” of the Ebikawa style, but puts its own spin on his ideas in order to create something with a different vibe and a different kind of theming.

For example, consider the color scheme. It’s not just that it’s different from Ebikawa’s favored bright primary colors (though that change is certainly welcome). It’s that the purple color evokes the feeling of royalty, which is extremely fitting for a mobile suit used by The Champ.

Also, while purple is not technically blue, it’s not that far off from it either. It’s like when some Gundams use orange instead of yellow; it’s different, but still in the same ballpark.

Next, take a look at the head. It’s not completely different, but it has a longer, meaner V-Fin, as well as more color. It gives off a much more intimidating, dareisay royal vibe.

Lastly, look at the shoulder mounted weapons. Again, this is in keeping with the Ebikawa style, but the weapons on the Age II Magnum are shorter, and more centered on the shoulder. This has a noticeable effect on the silhouette of the mobile suit. Maybe it’s just because I have this “royal” theme on my mind, but I think they make the upper half of the mobile suit look like a crown.

In comparison, the blades on the original AGE-2 look like a set of wings, which is actually a really good (and thematically appropriate) idea! It’s just that they look so much like all the other long, low-mounted blades/swords/wings/whatevers found on other Ebikawa mecha.

So yeah, the AGE II Magnum makes the AGE-2 go from looking like the 00 Gundam’s edgelord cousin to “King Shit of GBN”.

Weapons and Stuff

The main weapon of the AGE II Magnum is the Hyper DODS Rifle Magnum, a customized - and even more poweful - version of AGE’s most iconic weapon, the DODS Rifle.

For those who haven’t watched AGE, the gimmick of the DODS Rifle is that it somehow rotate the beam energy in the barrel to give it a drill effect, making it more powerful than usual. It’s silly, but the results speak for themselves, as DODS Rifles tend one-shot and rip through all types of enemy mobile suits (and even asteroids).

It also has a Shiguru Shield, the gimmick of which is that it’s a shield that also doubles as a sword. So I guess it can block an attack and then try and stab its attacker.

Lastly, we have the F Funnels, which are classic Gundam funnels, except instead of being guns, they’re swords. They remind me a bit of the Darilbalde’s remote weapons.

(oh, and it has beam sabers of course, but they’re nothing special)

Appearances

The AGE II Magnum appears throughout Gundam Build Divers, though by far its best appearance is its first. The Prologue episode of Build Divers depicts a championship battle between Kujo and his Avalon clan against the 7th Panzer Division (led by his rival and good friend Rommel, who pilots his Grimoire Red Beret).

In an incredible battle (that is in no way indicative of the quality or tone of the rest of the Build Divers show), the two square off and ultimately fight to a stalemate:

The whole competition is a fantastic showcase of the AGE II Magnum’s weapons and abilities, and it is the only time we get to see it compete against competent, veteran players, rather than hapless mooks or computer viruses or main characters with plot armor and bullshit space magic.

About the Model Kit

While the Gundam AGE TV show may not be loved, I’ve heard nothing but good things about its High Grade Gunpla. I’ve seen builders claim that a lot of the niceties we see in modern High Grades got their start with the AGE line, so I have a feeling this is going to be a very good build.

Other Thoughts

• I don’t know if the link will still work by the time you read this, but here is the Build Divers Prologue on an official Bandai Youtube channel, in case you want to watch the AGE II Magnum in action.
• While the original mobile suit is called the AGE-2 (with an Arabic number), this version is explicitly named the Age II (with a Roman numeral). According to the Gundam Wiki, this was done to differentiate it as a next gen MS that surpasses the original AGE-2.
• Back to that meme - I only showed you the Ebikawa-style illustration, but I’m also quite fond of the Kuniko Okawara style:

As well as the Masami Obari style: