Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red (1/6)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red (2/6)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red (3/6)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red (4/6)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red (5/6)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red (6/6)

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

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

Detail shots

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - New arms, a small backpack, and a sub-arm have been newly added for the Powered Re

New arms, a small backpack, and a sub-arm have been newly added for the Powered Red.

The main body minus the arms is identical to the original.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - The pre-assembled frame is also the same as the original kit, just with the arm fr

The pre-assembled frame is also the same as the original kit, just with the arm frames removed.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - There's a gimmick where you manually pull out and extend the elbow and wrist joint

There's a gimmick where you manually pull out and extend the elbow and wrist joints outward.

There's also a linked gimmick where the bicep pops out when you bend the elbow.

There's also a movable cylinder (in black) underneath the armpit.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - Fully articulated fingers reused from the PG Gundam Astray. The ball joints connec

Fully articulated fingers reused from the PG Gundam Astray.
The ball joints connecting the hand to the fingers tend to pop out easily —
the finger knuckle joints are stiffer than the ball joints, so they have a tendency to come loose when you open and close the fingers.

Same weapons loadout as before, just with the beam rifle removed.

Joint parts for the Action Base.

Leftover parts

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - Limb articulation. On the arms, the shoulder armor is so large that there's some i

Limb articulation.
On the arms, the shoulder armor is so large that there's some interference when bending the elbow.

The shoulder can be raised up high, and the hold is very solid.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - There's also a joint that lets you spread the shoulder outward slightly, like expa

There's also a joint that lets you spread the shoulder outward slightly, like expanding it to the side.

Sub-arm articulation for the Gerbera Straight.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - Imposing poses (1/5)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - Imposing poses (2/5)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - Imposing poses (3/5)

Imposing poses

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - The signature uppercut pose (1/3)

The signature uppercut pose

Drawing stance

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - Kneeling pose (1/4)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - Kneeling pose (2/4)

Kneeling pose

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - The solid joint strength makes it really easy to pull off dynamic poses. (1/4)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - The solid joint strength makes it really easy to pull off dynamic poses. (2/4)

The solid joint strength makes it really easy to pull off dynamic poses.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - The wide feet and flexible ankles provide stable ground contact even in poses wher

The wide feet and flexible ankles provide stable ground contact even in poses where the center of gravity is off to one side.

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red - Beam saber pose on the Action Base. The connection between the stand joint parts a

Beam saber pose on the Action Base.
The connection between the stand joint parts and the main body is nice and solid too.

Together with the HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame it's based on.

The Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red has been released as the 6th kit in the High Resolution Model (HiRM) lineup. It's a variation kit based on the HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame released in 2018, with additional parts for the Powered Red configuration. The grotesquely oversized arms are what really make this mobile suit stand out.

First off, everything except the arms — the head, torso, and legs — is completely identical to the original HiRM Red Frame, right down to the molded colors of the frame and outer armor. The pre-assembled body frame is also the same as before, just with the arms left out. If there's one difference to nitpick, the seal layout is the same but the red stripe seals are printed just a tiny bit thinner. The main body still delivers a high level of articulation with that satisfyingly stiff feel. For a more detailed look at the body frame and articulation, please refer to the HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame reviewfor more details.

The newly added large arms don't have a separate inner frame, but they're put together with surprisingly many parts and quite a bit of precision. Roughly half of all the runners feel like they exist just for the arms, and the assembly experience is noticeably different from the main body. The main body uses a pre-assembled frame produced at a factory in China, with outer armor parts made at the Shizuoka headquarters factory attached on top — so compared to regular Gunpla, the assembly feel was a bit less smooth. The Powered Red's arms, being 100% Shizuoka-made, feel just like regular Gunpla — smooth and satisfying to put together.

The large arms for the Powered Red include a gimmick where you manually extend the elbow and wrist joints outward, plus a linked joint where the bicep pops out when you bend the elbow. The shoulder joint is also part of these large arms, and they're well designed to let you raise the arm up high. There's also a linked cylinder-type part in the armpit area, and most importantly, the joints are sturdy enough to properly support those massive arms.

The large hands reuse the single-piece molded fingers straight from the PG Gundam Astray Red Frame. The sculpt looks great, but the old problem of finger ball joints popping out while posing the knuckles is still there. It happens because the finger knuckle joints are stiffer than the ball joints connecting them to the hand — but if you get the hang of it, it's not really that stressful. (Still a little annoying though.)

In addition to the arms, the Powered Red parts also include a small backpack and a sub-arm. Using the sub-arm, you can mount the Gerbera Straight vertically behind the left shoulder. Extending the sub-arm lets you position it like it's hanging at the left side, and you can naturally recreate a drawing stance as well.

The biggest strength of this kit is that despite having an inherently unstable top-heavy structure, it delivers near-perfect joint retention. The articulation is top-tier and the joints are rock solid, so whatever pose you put it in, it holds — and you don't have to fight it to get the pose you want. You can just bend it however you feel like and it stays put, making it an ideal action figure-style plastic model. Sure, the joints feel a bit stiff rather than smooth, but solid hold after posing is what really matters.

On the flip side, the biggest weakness of this kit is the price. The HiRM series already sits at a somewhat hard-to-justify price point, but ¥16,000 — PG-level pricing — feels like too much. (T_T) Looking at what you get, the box is smaller and the volume is less than the MG Rick Dom Renewal that came out the same day at ¥5,000, yet it costs three times as much. Sure, there are special parts like the pre-assembled frame, but honestly even at half the price — ¥8,000 — it would still feel expensive for what's included.

That said, it's undeniably a unique and impressive kit with a powerful silhouette, top-tier articulation, and solid joint strength. Judged purely as a kit, I'd love to give it a strong recommendation — but whether it's worth the investment is something you'll have to decide for yourself. :-)

HiRM Gundam Astray Red Frame Powered Red | 2022. 3 | ¥16,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.