Build one of the most unconventional Gundams ever created with the WD-M01 ∀ Gundam Turn A MG 1/100 from Bandai Spirits. Designed by legendary futurist Syd Mead, whose work includes Blade Runner, TRON and Aliens, the Turn A throws the traditional Gundam design rulebook out of the window.
Its smooth armour, unusual proportions, leg-mounted thruster system and unmistakable “moustache” face make it unlike almost anything else in the Gundam universe. Bandai clearly recognised its importance too: when this kit arrived in August 2007, Turn A was chosen to become the landmark 100th release in the Master Grade series.
The Gundam That Looks Like Nothing Else
The ∀ Gundam, pronounced Turn A Gundam, is the central Mobile Suit of Turn A Gundam, Yoshiyuki Tomino’s 1999 television series.
Thousands of years before the events of the series, Turn A was an extraordinarily advanced machine. Eventually buried beneath the surface of Earth, it is rediscovered and activated by Loran Cehack when conflict erupts between Earth’s population and the returning Moonrace.
What initially appears to be an unusual ancient Mobile Suit gradually reveals itself to be something considerably more powerful.
And considerably more terrifying.
Designed by Syd Mead
The Turn A’s appearance makes much more sense once you know who designed it.
Rather than using one of Gundam’s established mechanical designers, Sunrise turned to legendary American industrial designer and visual futurist Syd Mead.
The result was radical.
Instead of the traditional Gundam face, Mead gave Turn A the famous sweeping white moustache.
Instead of a conventional backpack, much of the propulsion equipment was incorporated into the legs.
Instead of covering the machine in familiar vents and angular armour, Turn A uses smooth, almost architectural surfaces.
Bandai’s MG development specifically analysed Mead’s original artwork when translating the design into three dimensions.
The 100th Master Grade
This isn’t just another MG release.
Turn A Gundam was Master Grade No.100.
Bandai chose the machine for this milestone and approached the model as something approaching a three-dimensional technical study of the original design. The kit recreates features such as the unusual leg thruster vanes, opening chest and mechanical structures that make the Turn A so different from conventional Gundams.
For collectors interested in the history of Gunpla itself, that gives the MG Turn A a special place in the lineup.
Movable Leg Thruster Vanes
One of Turn A’s most distinctive mechanical features is its unusual propulsion system.
Rather than simply mounting enormous thrusters to the backpack, Turn A incorporates its thruster vanes into the legs.
The Master Grade recreates these structures with movable components, providing a fascinating look at the engineering behind Syd Mead’s unconventional design.
It’s exactly the sort of mechanical feature that makes the MG particularly interesting to build.
Opening Chest Hatches
The chest isn’t simply a solid piece of armour.
Sections can be opened to reveal the Multi-Purpose Silos hidden underneath. The internal missile equipment is represented inside the chest, giving the otherwise extremely clean exterior a surprising amount of mechanical detail.
And those silos have another purpose.
A much more important purpose.
Yes. It Includes the Cow.
Anyone who has watched Turn A Gundam knows exactly where this is going.
Bandai includes a tiny 1/100 scale cow.
The missile equipment inside the chest can be removed, allowing you to place the cow inside the Turn A and recreate the memorable scene from the anime.
There aren’t many Master Grades where the accessory list reads:
Beam Rifle.
Shield.
Gundam Hammer.
Beam Sabers.
Cow.
This is one of them.
Transformable Core Fighter
Turn A’s cockpit section can be transformed into its Core Fighter, providing another functional feature within the model.
The Core Fighter can be detached from the Gundam and displayed separately, adding another element to what initially looks like a surprisingly simple Mobile Suit design.
It’s another example of why the Turn A is considerably more mechanically complicated than its smooth exterior suggests.
Beam Rifle
The Turn A comes equipped with its distinctive Beam Rifle.
Rather than simply copying the familiar RX-78-style weapon, the rifle follows the same futuristic design language as the Gundam itself.
The weapon incorporates movable functionality and can be configured between its standard and maximum-output forms.
It can also be mounted onto the Gundam’s back using the supplied adapter.
Gundam Hammer
And then there’s the Gundam Hammer.
Despite being one of the most technologically advanced Gundams ever created, Turn A apparently still appreciates the effectiveness of hitting something extremely hard with an enormous spiked ball.
The weapon is one of the most visually entertaining accessories in the box and gives you some fantastic action-pose possibilities.
There’s something wonderfully Gundam about a machine possessing absurdly advanced technology while simultaneously carrying a giant medieval-looking hammer.
Beam Sabers
Two Beam Sabers provide the Turn A with more conventional close-combat weapons.
Their mounting points are incorporated into the Gundam’s unusual design and can be repositioned as required.
Combine them with the kit’s articulation for some excellent melee poses.
Shield
The large shield completes Turn A’s standard equipment.
Like the Beam Rifle, it can be attached to the Gundam’s back using the included mounting equipment.
Its long, curved shape fits perfectly with Syd Mead’s smooth industrial styling.
White or Blue Chest Detail
Bandai even gives builders a choice regarding one of Turn A’s most distinctive design details.
The cross-shaped chest component is supplied in both blue and white.
The blue version represents the familiar anime appearance, while the white option reflects Syd Mead’s original design artwork.
It’s a small inclusion, but a brilliant one for anyone particularly interested in the history of Turn A’s design.
Moonlight Butterfly
And then we get to what Turn A is really capable of.
The Moonlight Butterfly is one of the most extraordinary systems associated with any Gundam.
Turn A releases enormous quantities of nanomachines, creating vast wing-like structures extending from the machine.
The MG itself is designed with opening rear panels associated with deployment of the system. Dedicated Moonlight Butterfly effect parts were produced separately, rather than being included with the standard MG kit.
Add those effects and the already unusual Turn A becomes an absolutely spectacular display piece.
1/100 Loran Cehack Figure
Alongside the cow – because apparently we’re listing the cow first now – Bandai also includes a 1/100 scale Loran Cehack figure.
This gives you another small display element and helps reinforce the sheer size the Turn A would have if it actually existed.
Excellent Articulation
The unusual shape could easily have created articulation problems, but the MG was engineered specifically to maintain movement without the armour getting in the way.
The shoulders use moving armour structures, while the elbows, knees, hips and other joints provide the flexibility expected from a Master Grade.
The finished Turn A can achieve everything from relaxed standing poses to much more dramatic weapon-equipped displays.
A Brilliant Kit for Detailers
Turn A’s huge, relatively clean armour surfaces make it an interesting alternative to heavily panel-lined modern Gundams.
Experienced builders can experiment with:
- Panel lining
- Subtle armour shading
- Mechanical detailing
- Thruster vane painting
- Custom markings
- Metallic internal details
- Weathering
- Matte top coat
- Moonlight Butterfly displays
A restrained finish can look particularly effective on this design.
Or cover it in weathering and make it look like it’s actually spent thousands of years buried underground.
Build the Turn A Collection
Turn A becomes even more interesting displayed alongside other machines from the series, particularly its infamous counterpart:
Turn X.
The asymmetrical Turn X and the elegant white Turn A make one of the most unusual Master Grade pairings Bandai has ever produced.
For collectors who are tired of displays consisting entirely of variations on the traditional Gundam silhouette, the Correct Century offers something completely different.
Kit Features
- Manufacturer: Bandai / Bandai Spirits
- Grade: Master Grade (MG)
- Scale: 1/100
- Master Grade release: No.100
- Mobile Suit: WD-M01 / SYSTEM ∀-99 Turn A Gundam
- Series: Turn A Gundam
- Pilot: Loran Cehack
- Original mechanical design by Syd Mead
- MG concept design by Hajime Katoki
- Released: August 2007
- Movable leg thruster vanes
- Opening chest Multi-Purpose Silos
- Internal missile details
- Transformable/detachable Core Fighter
- Beam Rifle
- Gundam Hammer
- Shield
- Two Beam Sabers
- Beam Rifle and shield back-mounting equipment
- Blue anime-style chest cross
- White Syd Mead-style chest cross
- 1/100 Loran Cehack figure
- 1/100 cow figure
- Articulated construction
- Colour-separated plastic
- Snap-fit assembly
- No glue required
- Painting optional
Why Add the WD-M01 ∀ Gundam Turn A MG 1/100 to Your Collection?
Because there really isn’t another Gundam quite like it.
The MG Turn A Gundam combines one of the franchise’s boldest mechanical designs with a genuinely important place in Gunpla history as the 100th Master Grade release.
Syd Mead’s extraordinary design gives the finished model a silhouette completely unlike the usual RX-series Gundam, while the MG engineering reveals just how much is hiding underneath those deceptively simple white surfaces.
You get movable thruster vanes, opening missile silos, a Core Fighter, Beam Rifle, shield, Beam Sabers and the gloriously old-school Gundam Hammer.
And Bandai gives you a tiny cow to put inside its chest.
What more do you want?
The moustache. The Moonlight Butterfly. The Gundam Hammer. The cow. The WD-M01 ∀ Gundam Turn A MG 1/100 isn’t merely one of the strangest Master Grades Bandai has produced – it’s one of the most memorable.
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