Kit Review

Straight build + partial paint + panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack. It's a pretty compact size.

Includes 1/550 figures of the GP01FB and GP02.

Close-up detail shots

The red inside the verniers was hand-painted.

Remove the top cover and you'll find some interior molding underneath.

Spread the lower front section open on both sides and you'll find the large mega particle cannon.

The flexible claw arms — those pincer claws — can move like this.

Detail inside the claw

HGM Val-Walo - The arm section connecting the claws gives you two parts to choose from — a retracted form and an extended for

The arm section connecting the claws gives you two parts to choose from — a retracted form and an extended form.

Attack pose with one claw extended

The range of motion on both claws is roughly this much.

Mega particle cannon open as well

An action pose of sorts

This kit also includes two 1/550 figures —
the GP01FB Zephyranthes Full Burnern and the GP02 Physalis.

The detail is pretty impressive for the scale.

HGM Val-Walo - The Physalis has even better detail — you almost can't believe it's 1/550. (1/3)

The Physalis has even better detail — you almost can't believe it's 1/550.

HGM trio collection

All 6 figures from the 3 HGM kits together.
The GP02 has the best quality of the bunch.

Finally got all the GP01, 02, and 03 figures together.

HGM Val-Walo - Sure, the HGM line only got these 3 kits before it was discontinued... but as a line of injection-molded MAs a

Sure, the HGM line only got these 3 kits before it was discontinued...
but as a line of injection-molded MAs at a much lower price point than the EX kits, it's still a pretty landmark lineup in its own right.

Straight-built state

The last entry in the HGM series — which only ever got 3 kits — is the Val-Walo from 0083. I have vivid memories of it as the mobile armor that Zeon warrior Karius kept repairing and taking back into battle on his own, but honestly it's not exactly the most well-known or high-profile unit out there.

So at first glance, it might seem like the least obviously appealing kit of the three HGM releases. Even within 0083, it can't quite match the charisma of the Den'an Zon or the Neue Ziel. It's mainly memorable through the image of warrior Karius — that's about as far as it goes...?

But there are kits that, once you've actually built them, end up being surprisingly satisfying — and this HGM Val-Walo is one of them. For starters, the price is incredibly friendly at ¥1000 (just imagine what an EX kit would cost!). The design looks simple at first, but it's actually quite compact and three-dimensional in a nice way, the claw movement works well... all in all, it delivers way more quality and satisfaction than you'd expect just from looking at it.

The flexible claw arms can move across a pretty decent range, but the extendable arm section itself is handled via swappable parts. The front mega particle cannon is also reproduced based on the design specs.

Compared to the previous Den'an Zon and Neue Ziel, there are also fewer spots that need partial painting — which is actually a plus. In other words, the color separation is done well enough that even a straight build looks relatively decent.

It's got a strong personality, a low price, and high satisfaction — making it a great recommendation as a "cure for Gunpla fatigue" for anyone who's gotten a little tired of standard Gundam-type kits. If you're a fan of 0083 and were impressed by the image of Karius as that tough lone-wolf warrior, this is definitely a kit worth taking on.

HGM Val-Walo | 2002.6 | ¥1,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.