Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - Detail shots (1/4)

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Outer armor removed

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - Internal frame shots. Even though it's an HG, an internal frame is provided throughout th

Internal frame shots.
Even though it's an HG, an internal frame is provided throughout the entire body except for the head.

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - Dragonar-1 alone with Lifter-1 detached. (1/4)

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - Dragonar-1 alone with Lifter-1 detached. (2/4)

Dragonar-1 alone with Lifter-1 detached.

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - To attach Lifter-1 to the main body, you need to open the two vernier covers and swap out

To attach Lifter-1 to the main body, you need to open the two vernier covers and
swap out the center backpack parts.

Lifter-1.

You can also fold both the upper and lower wings to put it in a stowed configuration like this.

The stripe sections on the legs have some really nice color separation too~

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - Weapons lineup. The two circular discs in the middle are the Throwing Bombs that attach t

Weapons loadout.
The two circular discs in the middle are the Throwing Bombs that attach to the forearms.

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - The 75mm Hand Rail Gun LPS9 has a removable magazine on top, and these magazines can also

The 75mm Hand Rail Gun LPS9 has a removable magazine on top,
and these magazines can also be stored two at a time on the forearms.

Handle articulation on the Twin 105mm Hand Rail Cannon.

Hybrid Shield.
The number "1" section features a thick PET sticker that really shines.

The close-combat Laser Sword can also be configured in a two-unit connected form.

The close-combat Assault Knife is stored on the back of the lower leg.

Detaching the anti-MA grenades stored inside both shoulders.

Three hands are included in total.

You can choose between two different head antenna sculpts.

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - Since the forehead protrudes forward, you need to look up from below to get a good view o

Since the forehead protrudes forward, you need to look up from below to get a good view of the eyes.

One magazine is left over as a leftover part.

Excellent limb articulation

There's also a hip slide mechanism, though the range of movement is a bit limited.

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - The shoulder and waist articulation range isn't as wide as you might expect either. (1/3)

The shoulder and waist articulation range isn't as wide as you might expect either.

The wrists can rotate up and down.

The ankle lateral tilt range is excellent.

Vernier articulation on the backpack and Lifter-1.

Close-combat Assault Knife action with the main body only.

Close-combat Laser Sword — two-unit connected form action.

Kneeling pose with Lifter-1 attached.

Signature flight pose.

75mm Hand Rail Gun LPS9 firing pose.

Twin 105mm Hand Rail Cannon firing pose.

Laser Sword action.

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 - Alongside the HGUC First Gundam Revive. As you can see, it's right in line with standard

Alongside the HGUC First Gundam Revive.
As you can see, it's right in line with standard HG sizing.

This kit is the Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1, released in the HG grade. Following the HG L-Gaim Mk-II in 2021, the nostalgic mech Dragonar has now been renewed in HG form. It was released as a Premium Bandai web exclusive in Japan, though it did get a general retail release overseas. The catch, though, is that production numbers are low while demand is high, so even the general release version isn't easy to get your hands on... T_T

First off, this kit earned rave reviews both before and after release, and building it myself I couldn't help but be amazed at every turn. Clean molded colors, excellent color separation, smooth articulation, solid joint strength, and a fantastic array of weapon options — it came out as an almost perfect kit. The fact that even the red and blue stripe sections on the legs are perfectly separated into individual parts is genuinely impressive, and it's a nice bonus that a full-body internal frame is included even at the HG level.

On the building side of things, the plastic has a soft feel that makes cleaning up gate marks a breeze, and the smooth assembly combined with satisfying snap-tight fit gives you that perfect hands-on building experience. On top of that, the weapons are varied and faithful to the source material, and the highly functional Lifter-1 is included as well — for old-school fans who built the original Dragonar kits back in the 20th century, this lineup is nothing short of emotional.

And with all those weapons, you can easily pull off whatever pose you want while keeping everything locked in place solidly — this is a kit that's genuinely fun to pose. It's come out with such high quality that it could go toe-to-toe with just about any top-tier Gunpla out there, and you could honestly say it represents the pinnacle of Bandai's model kit engineering.

On the downside, at ¥3,500 the size might feel a little small for the price. Sure, the quality is absolutely worth the money, but some people might be disappointed that it's an HG-sized kit at an MG price point. Also, there seem to have been some production variances in the first run — quite a few people online have reported that the shoulder joints feel loose. In my case, every joint on the whole kit was perfectly solid, but it does seem like there's a bit of a lottery factor at play.

Either way, if you're an old-school fan who's been waiting for an up-to-date Dragonar model kit, this is one that might just bring tears to your eyes. The quality is on a whole different level compared to the recently remodeled HG L-Gaim Mk-II or Sirbine that got fans excited. And if you're seeing Dragonar for the first time but love the look of it, this is a kit I'd recommend without any hesitation whatsoever. :-)

HG Dragonar-1 Plus Lifter-1 | 2022.2 | ¥3,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.