Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body

The unique head and nose.

Back and backpack section

Legs

Arm section

There's an internal frame on the front inside of the body.

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - The transparent part over the eye is designed so you insert a clear cellophane-like piece from t

The transparent part over the eye is designed so you insert a clear cellophane-like piece from the inside.
Look closely and you can see something like a scale/grid printed on it too.

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - A wire runs through the inside connecting the multi-segmented trunk, and as shown, the end of th

A wire runs through the inside connecting the multi-segmented trunk,
and as shown, the end of the wire is fixed inside the head.

Thanks to that, you can move each segment of the trunk naturally and firmly like shown.

You can move a lever under the head to change the position of the eye.

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - It's a design that's a bit tricky to evaluate for articulation ^^; There are no separate bending

It's a design that's a bit tricky to evaluate for articulation ^^;
There are no separate bending joints in the middle of the arms or legs.

The legs spread out to about this much on either side..

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - The triple rocket launchers that look like fingers are connected with ball joints, so you can sp

The triple rocket launchers that look like fingers are connected with ball joints,
so you can spread them apart slightly like shown.

And each of the three segments can move individually, bending inward/outward a little.

It looks like one solid piece, but the waist can rotate too.

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - Triple rocket launcher firing pose (1/5)

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - Triple rocket launcher firing pose (2/5)

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - Triple rocket launcher firing pose (3/5)

Triple rocket launcher firing pose

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - Six-barrel rocket launcher, fire! (1/4)

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - Six-barrel rocket launcher, fire! (2/4)

Six-barrel rocket launcher, fire!

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - I'm hungry~ Feed me~ (1/5)

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - I'm hungry~ Feed me~ (2/5)

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - I'm hungry~ Feed me~ (3/5)

I'm hungry~ Feed me~

If the Acguy has its lonely/left-out pose..
The Juaggu has this adorable pose~ ^_^

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - Underwater navigation mode (1/4)

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - Underwater navigation mode (2/4)

Underwater navigation mode

Together with its siblings, the HGUC Acguy and Gogg.

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] - Along with the HGUC Zogok.. it's so moving to see the Juaggu finally get a release when it seeme

Along with the HGUC Zogok..
It's so moving to see the Juaggu finally get a release when it seemed like it would never happen ^^

Straight build

Oh my goodness. The Juaggu is getting an HGUC release!!

When Gundam UC — that is, Unicorn — got its anime adaptation, a retro wave swept through the HGUC lineup too. Classic Universal Century units that made brief appearances got kitted up, which made old-school fans very happy. That's how we got newly reborn versions of classic UC suits like the GM III and Dra-C — and now the Juaggu has been reborn as well. Of all things, the Juaggu, no less...

The Juaggu is a bizarrely shaped Zeon MS from First Gundam, and its design is even more grotesque than its relatives the Gogg and Acguy. A long trunk-like nose (or is it a mouth?), hands with three rocket launchers instead of fingers, a flat head... it really feels like a design that was drawn with aliens in mind.

Bandai's Gunpla developers tend to put extra care into designing the older Universal Century suits, and you can really feel that especially when you look at kits that are still considered masterpieces today — the MG Zaku II 2.0, the Acguy, the Ball, and so on. And the newly designed HGUC Juaggu, made for old-school fans, has come out as a high-quality kit that lives up to expectations ^^

In terms of proportions, it looks like they did a good job preserving the classic design while giving it a tasteful refinement. The color separation also has some real effort put into it, so even a straight build looks great — though it was a little disappointing that the four red beam cannons on the chest are handled with stickers. With just a bit more effort, those could've been separate parts. Hmm.

Articulation is a bit tricky to evaluate given the design — mainly because there aren't really any mid-limb joints to speak of. That said, it still moves around in various places and the waist rotates too, so pulling off a variety of action poses isn't really a problem. The three rocket launchers in place of fingers also each have some individual articulation, and ball joints at each connection point let them move with a surprisingly nice range of motion ^^

Also worth noting is the articulation of the multi-segmented trunk — a coated wire is threaded through each segment from the inside, allowing it to flex freely. On top of that, the wire-like internal structure holds its position perfectly after you pose it, making this arguably the best gimmick in the whole kit.

The mono-eye, symbol of Zeon, can be rotated to various angles using a lever under the head, and the transparent visor protecting the eye is assembled by inserting a separately included clear cellophane piece. That cellophane even has a scale/grid printed on it — it's clear that a surprising amount of attention to detail went into this kit, more than you'd expect from an HGUC ^^

Overall, the building experience is something I'd call "very satisfying." Thanks to the unique, carefully thought-out parts layout and the fun assembly process, this is a kit I'd recommend even to newcomers who've never seen the Juaggu before. (As long as you don't mind the bizarre design, of course..) Either way, it's been a while since I've come across a kit that really feels like it was made with some genuine craftsmanship.

For old-school fan veterans, the HGUC Juaggu is an absolute must-buy, no question ^^ Just the fact that it exists is something to be grateful for — and on top of that, the quality is a notch above your typical HGUC. Plus, that monstrous design we used to see in encyclopedia books as kids has been cleanly reborn after 30 years, and there's something about it that hits even harder than the Acguy or Zogok when it comes to bringing back that rush of nostalgia. Maybe it's because this was a kit we never thought would ever get an HGUC release, so getting blindsided by it makes it all the sweeter. Now I'm cautiously hoping we might see its sibling units — the Zogok, Agguguy, and Acguy (not the Acguy, the other one) — get releases too :-)

HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.] | 2012.3 | ¥1,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.