Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - Various angles (1/6)

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - Various angles (2/6)

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - Various angles (3/6)

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - Various angles (4/6)

Various angles

Detail shots

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - For weapons, you get a 60mm portable machine gun (multi-magazine type), a 4-tube portable missile lau

For weapons, you get a 60mm portable machine gun (multi-magazine type), a 4-tube portable missile launcher, and a general-purpose portable shield.

The weapons can be mounted/stored on the weapon rack on the back.

The weapon rack can also be extended like this using the two-stage sub-arms.

There are 5 hands in total, and you have to swap out the back-of-hand parts as needed.

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - When you bend the arm forward, the cylinder on the chest moves in sync with it. At first glance the c

When you bend the arm forward, the cylinder on the chest moves in sync with it.
At first glance the cylinder looks like it's gold-plated, but it's actually handled with a sticker.

Leftover parts.

High level of limb articulation

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - The legs fully extended and fully folded. Due to the reverse-joint design, the legs can't straighten

The legs fully extended and fully folded.
Due to the reverse-joint design, the legs can't straighten out completely.

The shoulders are also pretty flexible front-to-back and up-and-down.

Thanks to the unique arm structure, the wrists rotate a full 360 degrees.

The waist bends forward an incredible amount.

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - The waist can twist diagonally and bend downward at the same time, giving you a range of waist moveme

The waist can twist diagonally and bend downward at the same time, giving you a range of waist movement you'd rarely see in previous kits.

The hip joints can also spread out wide to the sides.

The ankles also tilt quite a bit horizontally, which really helps with getting a solid ground contact.

Getting a kneeling pose is a piece of cake.

You can get dynamic poses even without a stand.

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - Various other poses (1/4)

HG MAILeS Byakuchi - Various other poses (2/4)

Various other poses

Comparison with the 1/144 EG First Gundam.
It's noticeably bigger than a typical 1/144 Gunpla.

This kit is the MAILeS Byakuchi, released as number 0 in the Kyoukai Senki HG series. The Byakuchi isn't from the main anime series — it's actually from the spin-off "Kyoukai Senki Frost Flower," serialized in Hobby Japan. Despite that, it was the very first one out of the gate with the #0 slot in the HG lineup, ahead of the main series units.

First thing you'll notice is that distinctive Kyoukai Senki reverse-joint, hunched-over proportions. Apparently the mecha designs in Kyoukai Senki were created from the ground up so that the plastic model can replicate every pose seen in the anime. Thanks to that, the articulation here is absolutely top-notch. With no skirts at all, the hip joints rotate without any restriction, and that's combined with flexible shoulders, waist, and ankles. The waist in particular is something else — it can bend way forward while also twisting diagonally to the side, giving you a range of motion that's genuinely unprecedented.

The joint structure is polycap-less, and overall every single joint is tight and solid with not a loose spot to be found. Without polycaps there's always the possibility of wear over time from repeated posing, but given Bandai's characteristically smooth material feel, I don't think it'll be much of an issue. In terms of articulation and joint strength, this is easily an A++ action figure-style plastic model.

As you'd expect from an HG, the overall color separation is solid, and a straight build is more than enough to capture the look of the original design. For weapons, you get a 60mm portable machine gun (multi-magazine type), a 4-tube portable missile launcher, and a general-purpose portable shield. The word "portable" (携行, kyuukou) might sound a bit unusual, but it literally just means you carry it around with you. The weapons can all be stored on the weapon rack on the back, and the rack itself can be extended and folded using a two-stage sub-arm system.

Overall this is a clean, well-made kit, and no matter how you bend it, dynamic poses just come naturally. There's really not much to complain about as a plastic model — the main sticking points would be the mixed reception to the source material itself, and whether or not you're on board with the reverse-joint design aesthetic. That said, if the style doesn't bother you, or you're a fan of highly poseable kits, this is definitely one you can have a lot of fun with. :-)

HG MAILeS Byakuchi | 2021. 9 | ¥2,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.