Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack — the universal standard for size reference.

Action pose

The leg attachment below the skirt has an unusual structure where it rotates from the inside.

Such a cute pose~ The knees bend quite a lot, but the feet barely move at all. (-_-;)

HGUC Gyan - The shield's mounting mechanism is pretty clever. Thanks to the connecting joint, you can rotate it to attach it

The shield's mounting mechanism is pretty clever. Thanks to the connecting joint, you can rotate it to attach it facing sideways or forward.

You can rotate it to swing the shield out to the front.

HGUC Gyan - Size comparison with HGUC No. 1, the Guncannon. It's on the larger side since it's over 20 meters tall in the lor

Size comparison with HGUC No. 1, the Guncannon. It's on the larger side since it's over 20 meters tall in the lore.

Straight build before panel lining.

HGUC No. 2 is, somewhat unexpectedly, the "Gyan." In English it's written "Gyan," but since Japanese doesn't have that particular vowel sound, it ends up written that way. Since that's what it's called in the original series, let's just go ahead and call it Gyan. (^^;)

It's a bit of a mystery why Gyan got released ahead of so many other more popular candidates, but it is a pretty unique mobile suit in the Gundam universe, so I guess it was chosen to give the HGUC line some variety. Or maybe they just released it on a whim... (-.- ooh, getting chilly)

As you can see, the design colors are reproduced almost perfectly. HGUC really does stand apart from the rest. It's also on the larger side for a 1/144 kit since the unit itself is big in the lore. Arm and leg articulation is pretty good — the arms bend 90 degrees and the knees have a solid range of motion too — but the feet are basically locked in place by the leg armor. Interestingly, the thigh connection below the skirt is set up to rotate horizontally, which lets you pull off some pretty quirky poses.

One thing to note — my digital camera tends to struggle with blues that have a greenish or purplish tint, and this kit is one of those cases. In person, the blue parts on the body and feet have a pretty strong violet hue to them, but for some reason the camera just can't pick that up. In real life, the molded color is actually quite fresh and nice-looking.

It's a relatively unpopular mobile suit, but once you've built it, it's actually a pretty satisfying kit. If you like the design, it's worth building just for a change of pace — it's a refreshingly unique one. ^^

HGUC Gyan | 1999.7 | ¥800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.