Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack. Great bulk~

HG Gundam Virtue - Kits built like this really do let their backs do the talking. (1/3)

Kits built like this really do let their backs do the talking.

Upper body close-up. Color separation is pretty impressive.

The head has a surprisingly complex color scheme, so it has more parts than other kits.

Just look at those solid, chunky legs..

The arms have an unintentional(?) inner frame of sorts. There's even a tiny bit of detail in there.

The chest open gimmick for the GN Bazooka's burst mode is also reproduced.

The GN Bazooka's handle can slide forward and backward..

HG Gundam Virtue - The handle can also rotate 180 degrees sideways, and the handle itself can rotate about 45 degrees vertica

The handle can also rotate 180 degrees sideways, and the handle itself can rotate about 45 degrees vertically.

HG Gundam Virtue - Using all these articulation gimmicks, it can transform into the GN Bazooka in burst mode. Quite a luxurio

Using all these articulation gimmicks, it can transform into the GN Bazooka in burst mode.
Quite a luxurious weapon for a 1/144 scale kit.

The beam sabers are uniquely stored on the inside of the knee covers.

HG Gundam Virtue - Hmm.. all the other HGs use soft parts for those pink band sections, but since Virtue only uses them at th

Hmm.. all the other HGs use soft parts for those pink band sections,
but since Virtue only uses them at the elbows — probably because the part count is lower —
they just went with stickers on plain plastic instead. A bit of a minor flaw, I'd say..

HG Gundam Virtue - Articulation takes a slight hit because of all that bulk. Still, the knee joints are sort of double-jointe

Articulation takes a slight hit because of all that bulk.
Still, the knee joints are sort of double-jointed so they do bend past 90 degrees.
The shoulder forward/backward slide gimmick also moves better than average.

The shoulder connection joints are quite flexible up and down, so they move around reasonably well.

HG Gundam Virtue - When trying to get a kneeling pose, the joints themselves bend well enough, but the shins are so long that

When trying to get a kneeling pose, the joints themselves bend well enough,
but the shins are so long that it's hard to pull off the pose properly.

HG Gundam Virtue - The GN Cannons move across a pretty wide range, and there's also a barrel extension feature built in. Howe

The GN Cannons move across a pretty wide range, and there's also a barrel extension feature built in.
However, the part that slides in and out feels a bit loose..
It tends to retract when it should be extended, and pop out when it should be retracted.

They can rotate in multiple directions like that.

HG Gundam Virtue - The ankle joints are surprisingly flexible. Being double ankle joints, they have a wide range of motion fr

The ankle joints are surprisingly flexible. Being double ankle joints, they have a wide range of motion front to back.

The feet are small for the kit's bulk, but ground contact is still pretty solid.

The front skirts are designed so you can cut them apart for individual articulation, as usual.

HG Gundam Virtue - The GN Field deployment gimmick is also included. Four points on the GN Cannons and the sides of both legs

The GN Field deployment gimmick is also included.
Four points on the GN Cannons and the sides of both legs fan out slightly.

GN Field deployed!

GN Cannon action pose~

HG Gundam Virtue - The joints are solid and it grips the bazooka well, so even holding that big bazooka in one hand like that

The joints are solid and it grips the bazooka well, so even holding that big bazooka in one hand like that
the pose doesn't fall apart. Nice!!

Alright~ Stand on!
Here it is mounted on the separately sold Action Base 2 for 1/144 scale.

With that kind of bulk, even a slight pose looks dynamic.

Drawing the beam saber from the knee.

HG Gundam Virtue - Beam saber action. Finally, a soft beam saber included with an HG 00 Gundam.. In the case of Dynames and K

Beam saber action. Finally, the HG Gundam series gets soft-plastic beam sabers too..
In the case of Dynames and Kyrios, there were only the handles with no beam parts at all..;;;

GN Cannon action

GN Bazooka ready in burst mode!

HG Gundam Virtue - The highlight of Virtue is the burst mode! Transform the GN Bazooka into burst mode, then open the chest a

The highlight of Virtue is the burst mode!
Transform the GN Bazooka into burst mode, then open the chest and dock it in.

Quite the firepower on this weapon.. though not quite on the level of the GP02's nuclear bazooka..

GN Bazooka docked to the chest

Comparison with the FG Virtue. The HG looks just a tiny bit slimmer.

The difference in color separation compared to the FG is pretty obvious.

HG Gundam Virtue - The biggest difference from the FG is probably the detail and overall quality of the GN Bazooka. The HG Vi

The biggest difference from the FG is probably the detail and overall quality of the GN Bazooka.
The HG Virtue's GN Bazooka is seriously awesome!

The complete HG Gundam quartet, finally all together

Gundam Virtue, the last of the HG Gundam quartet, has finally arrived in HG form. It was always a kit with a lot of presence thanks to that massive backpack, and the FG version was pretty impressive quality-wise, so expectations were high — and cracking it open, it seems to live up to them.

First off, the color separation is obviously miles ahead of the FG. Despite that chunky body, they managed to fit double-jointed knees in there, and the shoulders have nice fore-aft and up-down range of motion — articulation-wise, it actually exceeded my expectations. That sheer bulk means even a simple pose looks dynamic, and there are little gimmicks tucked away here and there that give it a fun, detailed feel.

Several functional features you wouldn't normally expect at the HG level are well-reproduced here — the GN Bazooka's articulation and extension, the GN Bazooka burst mode, and as a bonus, four expansion points for recreating the GN Field are all faithfully included. The chest even opens and closes for burst mode, and HG kits with cockpit-area gimmicks like that are pretty rare.

Joint strength, which I was worried about given the bulky frame, is actually very solid. The ankle joints in particular are sturdy and flexible, which helps with proportions, and the grip and arm joints are strong enough that you can hold that massive GN Bazooka out with one arm extended without it drooping. The most important virtue of a backpack-heavy kit seems to have been well taken care of. :-)

On the downside, there are a few spots where the fit feels a bit loose. The extension parts on the GN Cannons on the back and the yellow parts for the GN Bazooka burst mode tend to pop out even when stowed away. The yellow part on top of the burst mode bazooka in particular doesn't hold very well.. So if you look through the review photos above, you'll notice a few shots where the GN Cannon has accidentally extended itself. ;;; Also, there are no action-style open hands included at all — just one basic left hand and one basic right hand.

Anyway, the HG Gundam series continues to impress, and Gundam Virtue is no exception. There's something about it that goes beyond what you'd expect — it feels fresh in a way that defies the usual assumptions. Despite the small scale, it's got that weighty bulk, tight color work and build quality, and a whole range of functional features reproduced. It's safe to say this is a very high-end kit for the HG class.

HG Gundam Virtue | 2007. 10 | ¥1,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.