HG GNY-001 Gundam Astraea

Release 2007. 12 (February 2008 issue)

Price ¥1,000

HG Gundam Astraea - This kit is a conversion add-on parts set, included as a supplement with the February issue of Dengeki Ho

This kit is a conversion add-on parts set, included as a supplement with the February issue of Dengeki Hobby.

HG Gundam Astraea - Box back. On the right is a scan of the box. It explains the three side stories of Gundam 00. The build m

Box back. On the right is a scan of the box. It explains the three side stories of Gundam 00. The build method involves using HG Exia as the base and swapping out various armor pieces.

The runners consist of a single half-size sheet.

Assembly manual section from Dengeki Hobby.

Head parts layout.
Left is the original Exia, right is the Astraea parts.

Head
comparison. The face uses the same parts.

HG Gundam Astraea - Torso parts layout. Again, left is Exia parts, center is shared parts, and right is Astraea parts. There

Torso parts layout. Again, left is Exia parts, center is shared parts, and right is Astraea parts. There are quite a few differences in the body.

HG Gundam Astraea - Torso comparison with Exia (1/4)

HG Gundam Astraea - Torso comparison with Exia (2/4)

Torso comparison with Exia

Arm parts. The structures attached to the shoulders and arms are different.

Arm comparison with Exia

HG Gundam Astraea - Leg parts layout and leg comparison with Exia. The round clear parts on the outside have simply been repl

Leg
parts layout and leg comparison with Exia. The round clear parts on the outside have simply been replaced with a different structure.

Astraea build complete.

Torso close-up. Love the sharp, crisp look.

The torso has
quite a lot of changes.

The back of the torso has a lot of changes too..

HG Gundam Astraea - All the head parts are new except for the face. The left is the Astraea Type P head using the standard Ex

All the head
parts are new except for the face. The left is the Astraea Type P head using the standard Exia face, and the right is the Astraea Type F head with the additional parts attached.

The wing on top of the shoulder is considerably larger compared to Exia.

Arm section

The legs have barely any changes.

Comparison with Exia. The overall feel is quite different.

HG Gundam Astraea - Action pose. The only weapon officially usable for Astraea here is that beam saber. According to the lore

Action pose. The only weapon officially usable for Astraea here is that beam saber. According to the lore, the rest of the weapons are all-new ones different from Exia's, but none of those weapons are included in this add-on parts set.

A whole different charm from Exia! The detail on the add-on parts is excellent too — good stuff.

This kit is the Gundam Astraea add-on parts included as a supplement with the February 2008 issue of Dengeki Hobby. There are three side stories for Gundam 00 in total: Gundam 00P serialized in Dengeki Hobby, Gundam 00F serialized in Gundam Ace, and 00V serialized in Hobby Japan. (See the box back scan for reference.) Seriously, how many side stories does one series need...

Anyway, the Gundam Astraea add-on parts — the main unit from 00P serialized in Dengeki Hobby — consist of a single small runner, and the detail quality is on par with Bandai's standard HG kits. The Astraea armor is applied to all sections: head, torso, arms, and legs. Most of the head and torso are new parts, while only portions of the arms and legs are changed.

Even with just these changes, the overall look feels quite fresh and it definitely comes across as a completely different kit. The design is nicely done too, with a great silhouette. The biggest concern was quality, but it matches up with the HG kit really well — no sense of mismatch at all.

More conversion parts for these side story kits will probably keep coming out, and while it could be seen as a bit of a cash grab, you could also look at it as providing a variety of fun options that add to the appeal of the Gundam 00 lineup. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.