Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body

Head section

Backpack and unique arm section

Legs

Articulation is pretty good considering how it looks.

Both hip armor pieces move independently,
maximizing the legs' articulation.

The inner arm for holding the beam saber moves separately,
and the claw section articulates well too.

The shoulder and the structure below it are articulated as well.

The backpack moves around in various ways too.

HGUC Byarlant Custom - Claw arm attack! (1/4)

HGUC Byarlant Custom - Claw arm attack! (2/4)

Claw arm attack!

HGUC Byarlant Custom - Double beam saber action (1/4)

HGUC Byarlant Custom - Double beam saber action (2/4)

Double beam saber action

A separate part is included for mounting on a separately sold action base.

HGUC Byarlant Custom - In-flight pose (1/5)

HGUC Byarlant Custom - In-flight pose (2/5)

HGUC Byarlant Custom - In-flight pose (3/5)

In-flight pose

HGUC Byarlant Custom - Aerial double claw attack (1/3)

Aerial double claw attack

HGUC Byarlant Custom - Aerial beam saber action (1/4)

HGUC Byarlant Custom - Aerial beam saber action (2/4)

Aerial beam saber action

Together with the HGUC First.
It's got an incredibly imposing presence for an HGUC kit ^^

A group shot with the mobile suits appearing in Unicorn Episode 4.

Straight build

Ooh~ the Unicorn magic never ends~
This time around we've got another unexpected kit — the Byarlant Custom. It's a customized version of the Byarlant from the original Zeta Gundam, but unlike the other Unicorn versions that usually just do minor refinements, the Byarlant Custom looks quite different from the original Byarlant. The overall silhouette and style are similar, and the torso is somewhat recognizable, but the arms, backpack, and feet are essentially a completely different design altogether. So if you were hoping for the Zeta version's Byarlant, this kit might leave you feeling a bit conflicted.

In terms of style alone, it feels like a full refresh into a modern aesthetic — but something about the color scheme and the angular design gives it a rather bizarre (-_-) impression, quite unlike the elegant feel of the original Byarlant.

The Byarlant is already an exceptionally large MS to begin with, so this kit comes out as an extra-large size even among HGUC kits. (Though of course, you can't really compare it to something like the Psycho Gundam...) At a glance it's got the volume of an MG kit, and the price reflects that at ¥2600 — pretty steep for an HGUC — with a fairly high parts count to match. One thing I definitely want to give it credit for is that, befitting a large kit, the color separation is done really well, and a straight build with just the seals gets you very close to the design colors. Just keep in mind that the molded colors don't have the most premium feel to them.

The bizarre, heavily-laden design might have you worried about articulation and joint strength, but thankfully it's actually quite flexible and the joints are solid enough. Because the upper body is so large, you do need to balance the center of gravity carefully when standing it on a flat surface, but it's nothing that causes any real problems.

There are no separate weapons — you just get two beam effect parts for the beam sabers — so pulling off a wide variety of action poses is a bit tricky. That said, the kit has such a unique and massively imposing build that even just spreading the arms a little gives you a really dynamic pose. It's that classic "presence over poseability" type of kit.

The design has changed quite a bit, which makes the identity feel a little ambiguous, but for old-school fans who have a soft spot for the distinctive MS designs from the Zeta/ZZ era, this should be a genuinely fun kit. From Bandai's perspective, it seems like they figured a modern-refined kit under the Unicorn banner would sell better than a design that still carries that somewhat dated Zeta-era feel. And if it sells well enough, they'd probably plan to release the original version too — but looking at past precedents, I wouldn't get my hopes up too much. Looks like we'll just have to be happy with the Unicorn version... especially since more than half the parts would need to be swapped out to put together the original Byarlant anyway -_-;

Either way, it's always a welcome thing when beloved classic mobile suits get a new lease on life, even if it's in a roundabout way like this. Personally, this kit exceeded my expectations in terms of quality, and if you're into clean builds with a sharp, stylish look — especially if you're a Gunpla fan who loves a kit with serious presence — I think you'll have a great time building this one :-)

HGUC Byarlant Custom | 2012.11 | ¥2,600

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.