Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body

The uniquely four-horned head

Arm section

HG Gundam Harute - The backpack is ridiculously huge. (1/3)

The backpack is ridiculously huge.

GN Sword Rifle

Leg section

HG Gundam Harute - Interestingly, the action base connector uses a flip-open cover. Usually it's a removable cap, so I wonder

Interestingly, the action base connector uses a flip-open cover.
Usually it's a removable cap, so I wonder why they went with a hinged design here..??

The GN Sword Rifle can also deploy its claws.

Articulation is just so-so..

HG Gundam Harute - Sword mode action (1/4)

HG Gundam Harute - Sword mode action (2/4)

Sword mode action

HG Gundam Harute - Dual rifle action (1/4)

HG Gundam Harute - Dual rifle action (2/4)

Dual rifle action

HG Gundam Harute - Claw deploy action (1/3)

Claw deploy action

Transformation

HG Gundam Harute - Pull the chest forward, then rotate it 90 degrees upward along with the shoulders. Be careful, as the ches

Pull the chest forward, then rotate it 90 degrees upward along with the shoulders.
Be careful, as the chest piece tends to pop right off when you pull it out.

Rotate the arms inward.

Temporarily remove the knee covers, shorten the leg length, then reattach the covers.

Left is the default state, right is the shortened state.

Spread the backpack out in all directions.

Pull the grip section of the GN Sword Rifle outward, then..

Plug them into both sides of the spread backpack and the transformation is complete.

As you can see from the underside,
it's really just the limbs tucked in with the backpack spread open.

HG Gundam Harute - Viewed from various angles on the action base (1/9)

HG Gundam Harute - Viewed from various angles on the action base (2/9)

HG Gundam Harute - Viewed from various angles on the action base (3/9)

HG Gundam Harute - Viewed from various angles on the action base (4/9)

HG Gundam Harute - Viewed from various angles on the action base (5/9)

HG Gundam Harute - Viewed from various angles on the action base (6/9)

HG Gundam Harute - Viewed from various angles on the action base (7/9)

Viewed from various angles on the action base

Together with its predecessor, Arios Gundam.
The overall volume has grown enormously;

Compared with Arios in flight mode.
The style is completely different.

Together with Qan[T] and Zabanya.

Gundam Harute — the third kit from the 00 Movie and Allelujah's successor to Arios — has been released. The color scheme and design concept are similar to Arios, but the overall volume and style have been stepped up considerably. The backpack in particular has grown to a massive size compared to the main body.

Overall quality is solid, as you'd expect from a kit making use of the latest polycaps. The joint strength is sturdy enough that, despite the huge backpack, you can get it to stand fine as long as you balance the center of gravity properly — though an action base is pretty much a must for any action poses. Being a transformable kit, the articulation is just average, but the sheer bulk of the thing actually gives action poses a pretty impressive impact.

The transformation feels considerably simpler compared to Arios — you basically just tuck in the limbs and spread out the backpack. Despite how quick and easy it is, the end result looks quite different from the robot mode, which is pretty neat. The flight mode gives a very different impression from the slender Arios, coming across as heavy and powerful. The locked stability in transformed mode is also excellent.

Despite its imposing bulk and all those structural bits, the transformation is simple, and both robot and flight modes hold together solidly — so there's really nothing to complain about with this kit. :-) It looks great on display too, so if you like the design, this is a fun build that anyone can enjoy. :-)

HG Gundam Harute | 2010. 9 | ¥1,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.