Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Detail shots (1/4)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Outer armor removed

Inner frame provided in pre-assembled form

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Frame detail shots (1/4)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Frame detail shots (2/4)

Frame detail shots

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - The only thing that could really be called metal parts is a small section on the back of the t

The only thing that could really be called metal parts is a small section on the back of the thighs..

Articulation of the frame

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - When bending the waist sideways, the armor sections on each side independently slide up one mo

When bending the waist sideways, the armor sections on each side independently slide up one more notch.

Forward articulation of the shoulders

Forward and backward articulation of the waist

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - A slightly updated hip joint sliding gimmick has been applied. When you move the legs, the hip

A slightly updated hip joint sliding gimmick has been applied.
When you move the legs, the hip joints automatically drop straight down.

You can pull off a kneeling pose that's practically at the level of sitting flat on the ground.

The parts for connecting the backpack are also provided in separate packaging.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Weapons lineup. The color separation is perfect~

Weapons loadout.
The color separation is perfect~

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - The secondary grip on the inside of the shield can be raised or laid flat, and inserted into e

The secondary grip on the inside of the shield can be raised or laid flat, and inserted into either of two positions.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - The Gerbera Straight, which mounts at the side skirt position, can also be swung out to the si

The Gerbera Straight, which mounts at the side skirt position, can also be swung out to the side,
and the retention is much more secure compared to previous Astray kits.

Using a dedicated joint part, the beam rifle can be stored on the rear skirt.

Five types of hands with great sculpting are included.

The joint parts for the Action Base lock into the rear skirt very securely.

The gimmick of lowering the backpack downward is also reproduced.

Leftover parts

Even with the armor on, it delivers top-tier articulation.

The front skirts rotate so they don't interfere with the hip joint range of motion.

On the front feet, the big toe section moves independently.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - An all-time best crouching pose (1/3)

An all-time best crouching pose

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Dynamic Gerbera Straight poses (1/5)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Dynamic Gerbera Straight poses (2/5)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Dynamic Gerbera Straight poses (3/5)

Dynamic Gerbera Straight poses

Beam saber action

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame - Beam rifle mid-air leap pose (1/3)

Beam rifle mid-air leap pose

Together with the MG Astray Red Frame.

Together with the HiRM Gundam Barbatos & Wing Gundam Zero EW.

The Gundam Astray Red Frame has been released as the third kit in the High Resolution Model (HiRM) line. The basic concept remains the same — a pre-assembled frame with metal parts, with armor pieces provided as injection-molded plastic. That said, metal parts are applied to only a very small portion of the frame, and it really does seem like the amount of metal keeps shrinking with each new entry in the series.

The straight build visuals are excellent, thanks to the gloss injection-finished black and white armor and the precise color separation. However, the proportions have come out noticeably beefier compared to previous Astray kits, and that's split opinions right down the middle. The forearms, thighs, torso, feet — pretty much every part feels like it's packed on extra muscle, to the point where you might wonder if it's been hitting the gym a bit too hard (?). If the previous Astrays had a graceful, feminine quality to them, this HiRM Astray goes in a thoroughly masculine direction.

And of course, articulation is practically synonymous with the Astray name — and the HiRM Astray delivers that in spades. Full bend on the arms and legs goes without saying, and the hip joint range of motion has been pushed to the absolute limit, allowing poses that go beyond a simple kneeling position to something closer to sitting flat on the floor. New gimmicks have been added to both shoulders and the hip joints as well, making this kit practically the final boss when it comes to dynamic posing.

That said, joint strength is a bit of a controversial topic here. Overall, the joints aren't just tight — they're stiff to a degree that feels excessive. Sure, loose joints are worse, but these are stiff in a way that's genuinely hard to wrap your head around. For example, if you apply a little force to move a joint, it won't budge at all — but if you really crank on it, you lose control and it swings past the angle you wanted. They're stiff enough to make you worry something might snap, and there's not even a hint of smoothness to be found anywhere.

If you're imagining the kind of joints you get on an MG — firm but smooth — these are nothing like that. The stiffness is relentless throughout, and it's uncomfortable enough that you genuinely worry about breaking something mid-pose. It honestly doesn't feel very Bandai-like to clamp the joints down this hard to the point where they're so difficult to control. On the plus side, any difficult pose you put it in will hold rock solid — but no matter how you look at it, the phrase "too much of a good thing" just keeps coming to mind.

Looking at everything else, the standard weapons are well covered, and the newly implemented side skirt mounting gimmick for the Gerbera Straight is especially solid. The joint parts for mounting it on an Action Base also lock in securely with a sliding mechanism — it really feels like the whole kit was developed with an almost burning desire to make everything as sturdy as possible.

To sum it up, this kit delivers best-in-class articulation and visuals, but the slightly chunky proportions and overly stiff joints are a letdown. The reduced presence of metal parts also makes the series identity feel a bit diluted. With previous entries, the metal parts justified the high price tag, but if it's going to be this close to a straight injection kit in terms of materials, you have to wonder whether the ¥13,000 price point was really warranted.

It's a kit with clear strengths and weaknesses, but if you're an Astray fan, it's definitely worth building at least once. Compared to the somewhat underwhelming quality of the earlier HiRM releases, this one does feel like a step up. Personally, the Astray is my absolute favorite unit from the SEED lineup, so I had a good time building it — but it's also the kind of kit that makes you stop and think again about what the HiRM series is really supposed to be at that price point. :-)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame | 2018. 11 | ¥13,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.