Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

The heat saber handle that was stored inside the shield can also be mounted on the side of the shin.

The massive vulcan pods mounted on both arms.

The attitude control thruster unit on the bottom of the dedicated backpack is detachable.

The back with the dedicated backpack removed.

A variety of weapon accessories are included.

The articulation is pretty good for a Gouf.
Previous Goufs weren't exactly known for their articulation.

HGBF Gouf R35 - Double heat saber action (1/3)

Double heat saber action

Heat rod action

Vulcan pod action

HGBF Gouf R35 - Alongside the HGUC Gouf. With a whopping 14-year gap between them, the newer Gouf R35 is clearly the better k

Alongside the HGUC Gouf.
With a whopping 14-year gap between them, the newer Gouf R35 is clearly the better kit in terms of quality.

Alongside the HG Zaku Amazing.

The Gouf R35 has been released as the 15th Build Fighters HG kit, based on the Gouf. The HGUC Gouf that served as its source material dates all the way back to 2000, so being a kit that's a whopping 14 years old, the Gouf R35 has been released as a completely new tooling.

The overall color scheme and design concept stays as close as possible to the original Gouf's image, but once you look at it piece by piece, you can tell it's a completely different take on the Gouf. On top of that, to fit the Build Fighters concept of loading up on various weapons, the legs are a bit chunkier, and large vulcan pods and a shield have been added to both arms. The addition of a big dedicated backpack also gives it a much more substantial, bulked-up volume compared to the original Gouf.

The base frame uses the latest HG polycap system, so unlike previous Goufs, it offers pretty flexible articulation and solid joint strength. It's especially nice to see the hip joint range of motion — which had been a bit of a letdown across all grades of Gouf kits — significantly improved here. Also, the heat saber handles that used to be stored inside the shield can now be mounted on either side of the legs, adding a more stylish, swordsman-like flair to the look.

The dedicated backpack, which looks like it'd be right at home in space, features a detachable attitude control thruster unit at the bottom. Even with the backpack removed entirely, the back still looks pretty solid thanks to the thrusters added to the base backpack and skirt. As for other weapons, the heat rod — a Gouf signature — is also included. The heat rod parts come straight out of the runner, but they're made of a slightly soft material so you can bend and hold them in whatever shape you like.

While it's technically a custom kit, it has a silhouette that feels right at home even in the original Universal Century setting — it's a well-made kit with a design and quality that'll hit that MSV nostalgia sweet spot for longtime fans. At this level, it seems like a great Gunpla worth building just for the fun of it, regardless of how you feel about the anime. :-)

HGBF Gouf R35 | 2014.6 | ¥1,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.