HG CB-0000G/C

Reborns Gundam

Kit Review

Straight build

HG Reborns Gundam - Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HG Reborns Gundam (1/7) HG Reborns Gundam (2/7) HG Reborns Gundam (3/7) HG Reborns Gundam (4/7) HG Reborns Gundam (5/7) HG Reborns Gundam (6/7) HG Reborns Gundam (7/7)

HG Reborns Gundam - Upper body. The jewel-like clear parts on the chest look pretty cool. (1/2) HG Reborns Gundam - Upper body. The jewel-like clear parts on the chest look pretty cool. (2/2)

Upper body. The jewel-like clear parts on the chest look pretty cool.

HG Reborns Gundam - Black stripe seals run from the waist down through the skirt armor and thighs — works really well.. ^^

Black stripe seals run from the waist down through the skirt armor and thighs — works really well.. ^^

HG Reborns Gundam - Head

Head

HG Reborns Gundam - Arms and weapons (1/2) HG Reborns Gundam - Arms and weapons (2/2)

Arms and weapons

HG Reborns Gundam - Legs. (1/2) HG Reborns Gundam - Legs. (2/2)

Legs

HG Reborns Gundam - The backpack section. In cannon mode, this becomes the front.

The backpack section.
In cannon mode, this becomes the front.

HG Reborns Gundam - Both sides of the shield can be deployed like this.

Both sides of the shield can be deployed like this.

HG Reborns Gundam - Since the rear skirt in Gundam mode becomes the front skirt in cannon mode, all the skirt armor panels —

Since the rear skirt in Gundam mode becomes the front skirt in cannon mode,
all the skirt armor panels — front and back — are designed to move independently.

HG Reborns Gundam - The articulation is pretty great!

The articulation is pretty great!

HG Reborns Gundam - The arms bend in a unique way thanks to the transformation gimmick..

The arms bend in a unique way thanks to the transformation gimmick..

HG Reborns Gundam - Shooting pose. Maybe it's because of the larger size, but it just feels more powerful somehow. (1/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Shooting pose. Maybe it's because of the larger size, but it just feels more powerful somehow. (2/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Shooting pose. Maybe it's because of the larger size, but it just feels more powerful somehow. (3/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Shooting pose. Maybe it's because of the larger size, but it just feels more powerful somehow. (4/4)

Shooting pose.
Maybe it's because of the larger size, but it just feels more powerful somehow.

HG Reborns Gundam - Charging pose (1/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Charging pose (2/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Charging pose (3/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Charging pose (4/4)

Charging pose

Cannon Mode Transformation

HG Reborns Gundam - First, tilt the head forward and tuck the face into the chest.

First, tilt the head forward and tuck the face into the chest.

HG Reborns Gundam - Remove the hand, rotate the forearm 180 degrees, and attach the claw hand. (1/2) HG Reborns Gundam - Remove the hand, rotate the forearm 180 degrees, and attach the claw hand. (2/2)

Remove the hand, rotate the forearm 180 degrees, and attach the claw hand.

HG Reborns Gundam - Close the verniers and the cannon mode head is revealed. (1/2) HG Reborns Gundam - Close the verniers and the cannon mode head is revealed. (2/2)

Close the verniers and the cannon mode head is revealed.

HG Reborns Gundam - Rotate the large GN Fin Fangs on the back 90 degrees.

Rotate the large GN Fin Fangs on the back 90 degrees.

HG Reborns Gundam - When you bend the knee forward, the shin armor automatically spreads open.

When you bend the knee forward, the shin armor automatically spreads open.

HG Reborns Gundam - Lift the heel from Gundam mode up to form the instep in cannon mode.

Lift the heel from Gundam mode up to form the instep in cannon mode.

HG Reborns Gundam - Attach the Reborns Gundam's GN Buster Rifle to the arm and you're done.

Attach the Reborns Gundam's GN Buster Rifle to the arm and you're done.

HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode complete. The color scheme and head style give it a definite Guncannon parody vibe. (1/3) HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode complete. The color scheme and head style give it a definite Guncannon parody vibe. (2/3) HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode complete. The color scheme and head style give it a definite Guncannon parody vibe. (3/3)

Cannon mode complete.
The color scheme and head style give it a definite Guncannon parody vibe.

HG Reborns Gundam - The back of cannon mode looks kind of pathetic.. ;; (1/3) HG Reborns Gundam - The back of cannon mode looks kind of pathetic.. ;; (2/3) HG Reborns Gundam - The back of cannon mode looks kind of pathetic.. ;; (3/3)

The back of cannon mode looks kind of pathetic.. ;;

HG Reborns Gundam - Side view.

Side view.

HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode upper body. It actually looks pretty decent in its own way.

Cannon mode upper body.
It actually looks pretty decent in its own way.

HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode head. A classic Guncannon-style head.

Cannon mode head.
A classic Guncannon-style head.

HG Reborns Gundam - Two heads crammed onto one body, like conjoined twins..

Two heads crammed onto one body, like conjoined twins..

HG Reborns Gundam - The legs. In cannon mode, keeping the legs straight looks awkward — you have to leave them in this slight

The legs.
In cannon mode, keeping the legs straight looks awkward —
you have to leave them in this slightly bent, in-between stance.

HG Reborns Gundam - That somewhat pathetic-looking rear view.. Unlike the Gundam mode back, cannon mode really does look pret HG Reborns Gundam - That somewhat pathetic-looking rear view.. Unlike the Gundam mode back, cannon mode really does look pret

That somewhat pathetic-looking rear view..
Unlike the Gundam mode back, cannon mode really does look pretty weird from behind.

HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode action (1/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode action (2/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode action (3/4) HG Reborns Gundam - Cannon mode action (4/4)

Cannon mode action

HG Reborns Gundam - Alongside the Exia Repair version. The Reborns Gundam is quite a big kit for a 1/144.

Alongside the Exia Repair version.
The Reborns Gundam is quite a big kit for a 1/144.

The Reborns Gundam showed up near the end of 00 and caught a lot of people off guard — now it's out as an HG kit. The dual-sided Gundam with Gundam mode on the front and cannon mode on the back was quite a shocking design. The concept of turning around to transform into a completely different robot is pretty fun in its own way.

In the anime, the Reborns Gundam was interesting but didn't really come across as all that cool a unit.. but the HG kit turned out really nicely. For starters, it's bigger than a standard 1/144, the color separation is quite impressive for an HG, and the seals are used cleverly to reproduce the design colors well. The articulation is good and the joints are solid — in terms of kit quality, this is easily A-grade stuff.

The biggest point is that while the design felt a bit unfamiliar in the anime, the kit actually came out looking really great. Beyond the base quality, once you finish building it there's a real sense of something different about it — the transformation gimmick is surprisingly nice, the colors are excellent, and you genuinely think "this looks good." It might just become one of those classic cases where the plastic model beats the anime.

Anyway, if you like the design and the unique cannon mode appeals to you, this kit is absolutely worth picking up. :-)

HG Reborns Gundam | 2009. 9 | ¥2,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.