Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Various angles

Detail shots

The kit comes with a shield and an Aura Sword as weapons.

Detail on the inside of the shield

Two types of nicely sculpted hands are included.

The shield handle locks firmly into the hand, so you don't need to worry about the shield staying in place.

The eyes can be assembled as either the organic type (left) or the mecha type (right).

Excellent limb articulation

HG Sirbine - The side skirts split front and back and move independently, so they don't get in the way of hip articulati

The side skirts split front and back and move independently, so they don't get in the way of hip articulation.

Toe articulation.
The toe joint strength is a little lacking, though.

The forward and backward range of motion on the shoulders is pretty impressive.

The waist can lean forward quite a bit.

Aura Converter articulation

Wing articulation

HG Sirbine - Aura Sword action pose 1 (1/3)

Aura Sword action pose 1

HG Sirbine - Aura Sword action pose 2 (1/3)

Aura Sword action pose 2

Aura Sword action pose 3

HG Sirbine - Aura Sword + Shield action pose (1/3)

Aura Sword + Shield action pose

Together with the MG Dunbine released in 2000.

HG Sirbine - Together with the HG Cybaster released around the same time. They're from completely different universes, b

Together with the HG Cybaster released around the same time.
They're from completely different universes, but there's something strangely similar about them.

This kit is the 1/72 HG Sirbine, released as a Premium Bandai online exclusive. It's the unit that appeared in the Seisenshi Dunbine OVA "New Story of Aura Battler DUNBINE" from 1988, and it's also a design by Izubuchi Yutaka, well known as the mecha designer behind Patlabor and Gundam 0080.

The standout feature right away is how the intricate gold patterns on the head, shoulders, torso, Aura Sword, and shield are all achieved entirely through parts separation — no shortcuts taken. Thanks to that, the straight build already looks fantastic with only a minimal number of stickers. The overall articulation is also excellent, with joints that are smooth yet hold their position firmly. Posing is easy and everything stays put, so even with just the Aura Sword you can pull off some seriously dynamic poses.

That said, the joint strength on the three-part toes is a bit lacking — even a little pressure tends to make them lose grip on the ground and the pose collapses. It's not an issue at all if you put it on a stand, but the toe joints do feel noticeably weaker compared to the solid joints on the rest of the body. The four wing joints on the back also feel a bit iffy in terms of holding position — after moving them around a few times, they tend to pop out pretty easily.

As for options, you get both an organic-type eye and a mecha-type eye to choose from. It's not just a simple eye swap though — you have to fully disassemble the head armor and replace the entire head frame, which is a bit of a hassle. The shield, which features some of the most elaborate color separation I've ever seen on a kit, is apparently an original design that Izubuchi Yutaka added specifically for the model. You can choose between mounting it on the forearm or having the hand grip the handle, and the connection between the hand and handle is solid enough that it holds up well given the shield's size.

Overall, this is a very well-done HG kit with a high level of quality throughout. Aside from the slightly iffy wing and toe joint strength, it's pretty much a flawless kit. If you're a fan of the Dunbine series, this is going to be a very welcome addition, and even if you're not familiar with Dunbine, if the design catches your eye it's definitely worth going for. :-)

HG Sirbine | 2021.7 | ¥3,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.