Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

HGUC Qubeley - The Qubeley's signature pink band sections are now done through color separation instead of stickers li

The Qubeley's signature pink band sections are no longer stickers like before,
and since they're now achieved through color separation, it gives a much cleaner look.

Only the small pink sections on the shoulders are still handled with seals.

The purple parts on the feet are all color-separated as well.

All the panels on the rear skirt are removable.

The eye seals let you choose between two options — pink or green.

The molding and color separation on the inside of the shoulders have been upgraded as well.

HGUC Qubeley - Movement of the chest cover. There's no dedicated articulation gimmick on the cover itself, but it can

Movement of the chest cover.
There's no dedicated articulation gimmick on the cover itself, but it can move up and down to a certain degree just by resting in place.

Interestingly, the purple section on the back of the legs is articulated too.

Two hand types are included — open hands and fists.

HGUC Qubeley - The open hands are articulated. It's not that every finger moves individually — the thumb and the other

The open hands are articulated.
It's not that every finger moves individually — the thumb and the other four fingers all move together as one unit.

HGUC Qubeley - The beam saber can be stored inside the wrist, and it's nicely designed so that the protruding part loc

The beam saber can be stored inside the wrist,
and it's nicely designed so that the protruding part locks into the lower part of the palm when held.

HGUC Qubeley - The pink cover near the back of the hand is articulated, but it tends to slip back in while you're fidd

The pink cover near the back of the hand is articulated.
But it tends to slip back in while you're fiddling around with it, so you end up having to pull it back out constantly.
On the plus side, it does give the wrist just a tiny bit more range of motion..

HGUC Qubeley - The articulation isn't a massive leap over the original HGUC, but there's been a big improvement in ter

The articulation isn't a massive leap over the original HGUC,
but there's been a big improvement in terms of joint strength.

True to the Qubeley's character, the neck can tilt quite far upward.

The wrist has a pretty wide range of motion.

HGUC Qubeley - Flying pose with shoulders folded in (1/3)

Flying pose with shoulders folded in

Aerial pose

Action pose

Beam saber action pose

Dynamic po~se

Alongside the original HGUC Qubeley.
The Revive version is noticeably a bit bigger too.

Straight build

The Qubeley has arrived as the latest release in the ongoing HGUC Revive lineup. Originally released as HGUC No. 4, it's been a whopping 16 years since we've seen an upgraded version. To be fair, the original Qubeley was actually one of the better early HGUC releases in terms of proportions and sculpt — but its large size meant the joints were pretty flimsy, making it a bit of a pain to handle.

This Qubeley Revive version seems to have taken that issue to heart, delivering a major upgrade in terms of durability. New polycaps combined with a number of high-quality plastic joints have improved the stability of the key sections, and the solid feel you get when handling it is worlds apart from the original.

Looking at the details piece by piece, there are quite a few shape changes, but from an overall proportions standpoint the original held up pretty well, so the difference isn't dramatic. That said, it does feel about 10% bigger, and more importantly, the vast majority of those pink band markings are now meticulously color-separated — which is a huge upgrade. On the original HGUC, all of those were handled with stickers, which left the finish looking pretty rough. The Revive version pulls off the design colors incomparably cleaner. Sure, the small pink holes on top of the shoulders still need seals, but with color separation applied across a huge number of parts — including the purple verniers on the soles of the feet — the straight build quality and the overall satisfaction of putting it together both feel like a massive step up.

And the Qubeley's signature long, slender fingers are now articulated, which really adds to the naturalness of the poses. They move in two groups — the thumb and the remaining four fingers — rather than individually, but combined with the smooth wrist articulation, it all comes together to make those elegant body lines feel even more refined.

Just glancing at photos, the original HGUC and the Revive version might not look all that different — but once you actually build it, the premium feel during assembly and the stability of the finished model make that 16-year gap very real. The original HGUC Qubeley was already a solid kit, but the Revive version addresses the main shortcomings of the original and delivers thorough color separation, making it feel like the definitive 1/144 Qubeley. If you're an old-school fan who loves the grotesque mobile suit designs from the Z/ZZ era, this is definitely a kit you'll want to build :-)

HGUC Qubeley | 2015.12 | ¥2,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.