Gundam Base HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi-

Release 2023.8

Price ¥2,000

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Box Open & Runners

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack. It's roughly 1/35 scale.

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - Various angles (1/6)

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - Various angles (2/6)

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - Various angles (3/6)

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - Various angles (4/6)

Various angles

Side and bottom views

The cockpit hatch opens up.

Cockpit detail. Doesn't feel quite as intricate as I expected.

Two bonus ball joint parts and a stand joint part are included as accessories.

The stand joint part connects solidly to the crotch area.

The obligatory articulation shots

Forearm cylinder extension and claw articulation

The shoulder slides horizontally about 30 degrees along a rail.

The sole is flexible, so ground contact is pretty good.

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - Cockpit hatch open shots for boarding (1/3)

Cockpit hatch open shots for boarding

Claw pose on the ground

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - Flight pose (1/3)

Flight pose

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - I borrowed Izumi Noa from the MG Ingram as a 1/35 pilot figure. (She's painted, for refer

I borrowed Izumi Noa from the MG Ingram as a 1/35 pilot figure. (She's painted, for reference.)

The size and proportions are a pretty good match.

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - The leg holes are too shallow though, so her backside floats up off the seat T_T. Izumi N

The leg holes are too shallow though, so her backside floats up off the seat T_T. Izumi Noa is a petite character, and I think most seated 1/35 figures would have the same floating-butt problem.

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - I noticed the size looked about right, so I tried fitting in the figure that came with th

I noticed the size looked about right, so I tried fitting in the figure that came with the Gundam Tomica.

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - The Amuro figure fits like a glove. At least he can sit with his backside properly on the

The Amuro figure fits like a glove. At least he can sit with his backside properly on the seat. (Strangely fitting somehow..)

The Char figure has to sit at a slight angle because of his helmet and outfit.

HG Tolro-800 -Torohachi- - On a whim I tried sitting a Kotobukiya Hexa Gear Governor in there, but it's 1/24 scale s

On a whim I tried sitting a Kotobukiya Hexa Gear Governor in there, but it's 1/24 scale so it doesn't fit at all.

Size comparison with the HGUC RX-78 First Gundam Revive. The scale is pretty awkward...

This kit is the HG Torohachi released as a Gundam Base exclusive. The official name is the Tolro-800 -Torohachi-, but it's better known by its nickname "Torohachi." It's the little work-use mobile suit that protagonist Banagher briefly pilots in Episode 1 of Mobile Suit Gundam UC.

Gundam Base exclusives have mostly been plated versions, clear versions, or color variants, with only the occasional kit that added some new sculpt parts — most were simple reuse kits. But the Torohachi is a completely new-tooled kit, making it the first true "brand new" original Gundam Base exclusive. The subject matter itself also has that "wait, they actually made this??" surprise factor going for it.

The kit overall shows excellent color separation and sculpting quality befitting an HG release. The cockpit hatch open gimmick is faithfully reproduced, though the cockpit detail itself is a bit plain. All the joints that need to move do so properly, and the forearm cylinder extension gimmick and the shoulder horizontal sliding-along-a-rail gimmick are both well implemented. Joint strength is decent, so holding poses isn't an issue.

That said, the design doesn't lend itself to a huge variety of poses by nature. Still, the unique look gives even simple poses a fresh feel. As a bonus, two ball joint parts are included, along with one stand joint part — it locks firmly into the crotch area, so you can pull off stable aerial poses without worry.

So it's a well-made HG kit with solid quality, but the one nagging complaint is the scale. HG in Gunpla normally means 1/144, but this kit has no clearly stated scale. It feels like roughly 1/35 by eyeballing it, but matching it up with other Gunpla is going to be tricky.

The UCHG (Hard Graph) lineup in Gunpla did come out in 1/35, but the setting is completely different, and finding a suitably posed pilot figure to sit inside isn't easy either. I tried Izumi Noa from the 1/35 MG Ingram and the size and style matched up nicely, but the foot wells are too shallow, so she ends up hovering in a squat rather than sitting with her backside on the seat. The Gundam Tomica character figure was a perfect fit, but it's a shame that figures of Banagher or Audrey — as they appear in the show — weren't included with the kit.

For those wondering about compatibility with Kotobukiya's Hexa Gear Governors or Frame Arms Girl Minis, they're 1/24 scale so they don't match at all. Anyway, the kit itself is quite unique and quality is solid, so if the look appeals to you, it's definitely worth going for. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.