Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HGBF Qubeley Papillon - Detail shots. (1/4)

HGBF Qubeley Papillon - Detail shots. (2/4)

Detail shots.

HGBF Qubeley Papillon - The red markings are handled with a large number of seals, but oddly enough, the red areas on the rea

The red markings are handled with a large number of seals..
Oddly enough, the red areas on the rear skirt and legs aren't included in the seals at all. ㅡ,.ㅡ
If you're gonna do it, do it properly... tsk tsk..

Some parts from the original Qubeley are left over as leftover parts.

The articulation is no different from the original Qubeley.

HGBF Qubeley Papillon - Flight pose (1/3)

Flight pose

HGBF Qubeley Papillon - Aerial pose (1/3)

Aerial pose

HGBF Qubeley Papillon - The Lance Bit can also be used like a rifle. (1/3)

The Lance Bit can also be used like a rifle.

HGBF Qubeley Papillon - Beam saber action (1/3)

Beam saber action

Together with the HGUC original Qubeley.

Together with the HG Build Strike Gundam.
There's quite a size difference.

A Qubeley variant called the Qubeley Papillon has been released as part of the Build Fighters lineup. As you can see, it's a kit where most of the external armor — except for the upper body and parts of the arms — has been redesigned, reborn with a larger and more grotesque look.

First off, the green molded color, which could easily look cheap, actually comes out quite rich and smooth, so even with just a straight build and seals applied, the kit's large size and unique design give it a real presence. The pink seals do a nice job of bringing out the accent details, but strangely, the pink areas on the rear skirt and legs aren't covered by seals, which leaves things feeling a bit half-baked. Those were areas that were all properly handled with seals on the original Qubeley, which makes it even more puzzling. If you're going to do it, do it right — it's a bit of a head-scratcher why they left it like this. -_-

Setting aside that awkward seal issue, the new Qubeley armor design does look pretty cool. The shoulder armor, which used to be so ambiguous front-to-back that it looked like a clamshell, has been redesigned into something larger and more flowing, giving the kit a strong personality. Add in the more elaborate side skirts and the new Lance Bit weapon, and it really feels like a completely different take on the Qubeley.

Despite the upgraded appearance, the overall parts layout and polycaps are identical to the Qubeley that came out 15 years ago — and that's a real issue. When you actually sit down to build it, it strongly feels like you're assembling an old kit, which is a bit of a letdown. The polycaps seem to have been adjusted in some way, as the joint strength feels slightly better than the original HGUC Qubeley, but overall it's hard to get that fresh, new-kit feel from this one.

That said, there's definitely something to be said for getting a rare Qubeley variation, and while it doesn't have the structural crispness of a modern kit, the fresh design is worth giving it good marks. It's a kit with a strong personality — one worth recommending at least once to any Gunpla fan looking to build something truly "different." :-)

HGBF Qubeley Papillon | 2014.2 | ¥2,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.