Kit Review

Straight build + decals

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - Size comparison with the universal standard — a cigarette pack. It's a pretty compact little thi

Size comparison with the universal standard — a cigarette pack. It's a pretty compact little thing.

Cockpit close-up shot

The instrument panel. The instrument panel decals don't really feel all that detailed.

The molding without any decals applied. Pretty average level.

Detail of the rear of the cockpit

Detail of the lower cockpit area

Detail viewed from above

The cockpit detail without the pilot. The cushion section has color separation. :-)

The propeller section. Looks like a one-eyed frog. :-)

View from below. It looks a bit more impressive from underneath. :-)

View from below.

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - The propeller section can rotate, but it feels a bit loose. It's not easy to keep it level when

The propeller section can rotate, but it feels a bit loose.
It's not easy to keep it level when you set it down on a flat surface.

The machine gun section can move at two different points.

Horizontal rotation is also possible.

The leg(?) section can be extended.

True to Bandai fashion, you can remove the outer armor panels.

The frame of the propeller section

The body frame with some of the armor removed.

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - I was expecting mold detail on the inside of the covers like on an MG, but there's nothing there

I was expecting mold detail on the inside of the covers like on an MG, but there's nothing there at all. Hmm....

The color-separated 1/35 figures in question. Something only Bandai would ever attempt... ^^;

Close-up shot of the standing figure

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - The figure's face looks quite a bit different from the handsome box art illustration...;; "

The figure's face looks quite a bit different from the handsome box art illustration...;; "Who are you?"

A folded version of the telescope and tripod is also included.

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - There are three holes punched into the runner — these are temporary fixing points to help you ge

There are three holes punched into the runner...
These are temporary fixing points to help you get the angle right when gluing the tripod together.
A neat little touch ~

Pilot figure

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - As is typical with military model kits, various accessory parts are provided in the leftover run

As is typical with military model kits, various accessory parts are provided in the leftover runner spaces.
This kit doesn't include a huge amount — just the adhesive time bombs and a pistol that appear in the anime.

Since the MG Ingram is also 1/35 scale, it makes a quick appearance here for a comparison shot.

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - A 1/35 scale pilot comparison. The one in the middle is the Patlabor figure before painting, and

A 1/35 scale pilot comparison. The one in the middle is the Patlabor figure before painting, and the one on the right is after painting.
There's quite a height difference... which is actually because the Patlabor lore states the cockpit is so cramped that
only shorter people can pilot it. That said, the difference still feels like a lot;;
It kind of feels like comparing an anime-style figure to a realistic-style figure.

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - All the 1/35 MG Ingram figures assembled together. The ones in normal standing poses are all pre

All the 1/35 MG Ingram figures assembled together.
The ones in normal standing poses are all pretty much the same size as each other.
It really highlights the difference between color-separated figures and regular ones.
(Though for some reason it's giving off a bit of a mob beatdown vibe...;;)

Straight build

◎ What is Hardgraph?

A very unique lineup has been added to the nearly 30-year history of Gunpla. It goes by the name Universal Century Hard Graph (UCHG for short), and it covers various military mecha from the One Year War at the standard military scale of 1/35.

This isn't Bandai's first foray into military modeling — they actually earned quite a reputation back in the day with their 1/48 tank series, which had some pretty impressive detail. But they seemed to realize that wasn't really their lane, and up until recently they'd been sticking to their guns with Gundam and mecha kits. This Hardgraph series is a clever blend of Gunpla and military modeling — taking fictional military mecha and turning them into military-style model kits with their own (self-styled) take on the lore.

The basic detail level and parts construction follow the conventions of typical military model kits. You'll find an abundance of small, thin parts that you rarely see in Gunpla, and the series prioritizes fine detail over ease of assembly or durability. And as you can tell from the fact that many of the MS IGLOO staff were involved in this Hardgraph series, it leans more toward Zeon than the Federation.

◎ Kit #1: Wappa

The first entry in the Hardgraph series is the Wappa, a mecha that appears in episode 14 of the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV series. Some people casually call it the "Whopper" (like the Burger King burger ;), but going by both spelling and pronunciation, "Wappa" is the correct way to say it. It's a single-seat compact mecha that hovers using two propellers and can attack with a machine gun — a pretty unique design.

Specs: Length: 5.5m / Width: 2.1m / Height: 2.7m

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set - The Wappa as it appears in Mobile Suit Gundam 0079, episode 14. The TV version looks pretty roug

The Wappa as it appears in Mobile Suit Gundam 0079, episode 14. The TV version looks pretty rough and blocky. ^^;

Swarming around the RX-78 like a pack of dogs...

And attacking by slapping adhesive time bombs onto it like this.

As you can see, the anime design is pretty plain, but in the Hardgraph version it's been completely refined to look like a real combat mecha. Since the nature of the Hardgraph series means it deals with fictional mecha, there's no real historical accuracy to worry about — the designers basically did whatever they wanted, so there's not much to complain about in terms of lore accuracy. ^^;;

The detail is very fine and reaches a level you rarely see in regular Gunpla — it'll feel genuinely refreshing for those who are used to Gunpla. That said, it falls slightly short of the detail level found in other recent military model kits. Still, it's solid enough to give off a proper military model vibe.

Snap-fit assembly (no glue needed) is partially used here, so more than half the kit can be put together just by snapping parts together. When you consider that most regular military kits require glue throughout, it really does feel like a Bandai-style take on military modeling. That said, small parts, parts that don't hold well on their own, and figure assembly still require glue in all the right places.

Also, since Bandai is clearly deep in their internal frame phase right now, this Wappa also features a partial inner frame and removable outer armor. I was a little caught off guard that the inside of the outer armor panels has no mold detail like on recent MGs, but I suppose I should just be grateful that you can open it up and see the inner skeleton at all.

The Wappa itself has color separation on the propellers and cushion sections, so even a straight build gives you a decent sense of the color scheme. The color separation on the figures was especially unexpected — classic Bandai. ^^; All this color separation definitely makes the straight build pop with color, but for those who paint, it probably just saves a bit of masking work, so it might come across as an unnecessary price hike. This review was originally going to be done as a pure straight build, but to give you a sense of where the decals go and how they look, I went with a straight build + decals format instead. :-)

One downside is that the connection between the propeller section and the body is loose and wobbly. It's supposed to sit level on a flat surface, but it keeps shifting around on its own. You'll probably want to apply a bit of super glue to the joint and let it cure to tighten things up.

Also, durability is in a completely different league from regular Gunpla — don't even try to compare them. As you can see from the photos, the structure itself is thin and slender, so it'll break easily if you're not careful. Tank and armored vehicle military kits also need to be handled with care, but the Wappa's design is inherently fragile by nature. So this is a delicate kit that needs a lot of attention when it comes to storage and handling. ^^;

If you've been feeling a little burned out on regular Gunpla, or if you've always had a soft spot for military model kits alongside Gunpla, this is definitely a kit you'll enjoy building. The combination of snap-fit and glue-based assembly is well thought out, and it comes with removable outer armor and some articulation to go along with it — there's a lot of fun packed into the build. The color separation is great too, so even a straight build looks pretty good, and adding a paint job on top of that would make it look even better. Once you actually sit down and build it, you can feel through your fingertips that the development team put a lot of care into this kit.

Honestly, within the Hardgraph series, all the attention has been focused on the second release — the 1/35 Zaku head — which has left this Wappa feeling a bit like the overlooked underdog. Early sales weren't great either, and as the first product in what should be a major series, it feels a little underwhelming. But the kit quality itself is good enough that it doesn't deserve to be forgotten, and I think it'll earn its proper recognition over time.

Personally, I'm rooting for these kinds of new experiments to succeed — and I hope it leads to more of those smaller mecha that were always a bit tricky to do in injection plastic getting released with this level of fine military-kit detail. Highly recommended for anyone who used to love tank-type military model kits and is craving something fresh after getting a little tired of the same old Gunpla formula!

UCHG Zeon Mobile Scout set | September 2006 | ¥1,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.