Kit Review

Straight build +
panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - Now this is luxury..! This is a massive amount of sticker seals — something you rarely see

Now this is luxury..!
This is a massive amount of sticker seals — something you rarely see in HGUC kits.

Upper body front shot. The excellent color separation and stickers look great.

Even the backside gets a cute little sticker..

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - The color separation on the yellow parts all over the body is seriously impressive. They've

The color separation on the yellow parts all over the body is seriously impressive.
They've gone ahead and separated colors even in areas that are usually skipped at 1/144 scale!
Sure, there are still plenty of spots where the color separation falls short,
but that's because the design itself is just so complex.. ^^;
The round part on the shield in particular — this is a spot that almost never gets color separation in other 1/144 kits,
but the luxurious HGUC Hazel Custom has even that separated. ;;

Those legs and knees are outrageously chunky.

The magazine on the side is removable.

The crotch area extends downward.. a part that'll probably be used in future variation kits.

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - Three types of hands are included, and they're all action-style hands with great detail and

Three types of hands are included, and they're all action-style hands with great detail and proportions.

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - That's a dedicated rifle-holding hand, a dedicated beam saber-holding hand, and an open han

That's a dedicated rifle-holding hand, a dedicated beam saber-holding hand, and an open hand — three sets in total.

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - Pay special attention to the beam saber hand. The one above is the typical all-in-one actio

Pay special attention to the beam saber hand.
The one above is the typical all-in-one action beam saber hand that comes with regular HGUC kits (which requires painting).
Now look at the Hazel Custom's version below — it uses a dedicated hand part combined with a soft-plastic beam saber that you rarely see in HGUC kits,
resulting in perfect color separation.
This is a strong point that shows just how luxurious the HGUC Hazel Custom really is..!!

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - That said.. the connection on the beam saber and rifle hands is really weak. If you don't g

That said.. the connection on the beam saber and rifle hands is really weak.
If you don't glue them in place, they keep falling apart and it'll drive you crazy.. ;;

Two awesome shields included!

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - The shield attachment method is a bit unique.. the shield itself only has a small round peg

The shield attachment method is a bit unique.. the shield itself only has a small round peg attached to it.

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - The left arm has attachment pins at two 90-degree positions, and you just slide whichever s

The left arm has attachment pins at two 90-degree positions,
and you just slide whichever shield you want in from the top to lock it in place. Pretty neat-

Backpack articulation gimmick.

Articulation. Chunky as it looks, everything folds up completely!

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - Notably, both the elbows and knees use double joints — rare for 1/144 scale — which is what

Notably, both the elbows and knees
use double joints — rare for 1/144 scale — which is what makes that full fold possible.

On top of that, the ankles bend forward quite dramatically too.

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - The waist moves a bit forward and back too.. but the backpack throws off the center of grav

The waist moves a bit forward and back too.. but the backpack throws off the center of gravity and the upper body keeps tipping backward.
A bit of a shame..

Action poses~

Check out the leg and knee articulation!

The large shield can also be mounted on the back.

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - A very natural sword-drawing pose that you rarely see at 1/144 scale. It's all thanks to th

A very natural sword-drawing pose that you rarely see at 1/144 scale.
It's all thanks to the double elbow joints working together with the dedicated action beam saber hand.

Beam saber action pose.

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] - Comparison with the HGUC First. They're about the same size, but the Hazel Custom is way mo

Comparison with the HGUC First. They're about the same size, but the Hazel Custom is way more complex and loaded with stuff..;;

1/144 is evolving~!

Straight build front / rear

A new addition to the HGUC lineup! The Hazel Custom from Advance of Zeta has arrived as an HGUC kit.
I was a little worried about how well such a complex design with its intricate color scheme would translate to a small scale.. but once I cracked it open, it's simply very good. Overall, this is a surprisingly luxurious kit for something at 1/144 scale.

First off, the sharply angular proportions are captured quite well. The refined, complex panel lines and structural details come out looking great with what I'd call the best color separation among 1/144 kits. All those yellow parts, and even the dark gray sections on the shield, are separated at a level you rarely see in HG kits. That said, since the original design has such a complex color scheme to begin with, the verniers and a few other areas still lack color separation. Even so, the straight build quality is high enough that just adding panel lining without any spot painting gives you a pretty flashy kit. There are tons of panel lines and tiny bolt-shaped details, so the panel lining work is almost on par with an MG. It does make the overall look that much sharper, though.

Here's why this kit earns the "luxury" label — while most HGUC kits come with little to no sticker seals, the HGUC Hazel Custom includes a wide variety of stickers on par with a typical MG. Beyond the color separation that already exceeds the average HG, the hands and beam saber parts stand out in particular.

All three hands included with the Hazel Custom are anything but ordinary. There's an action-style open hand and dedicated hands for holding the rifle and beam saber, and they all have the kind of stylish look you'd expect from resin parts. The beam saber hand in particular is a first-of-its-kind design that looks incredibly natural. On top of that, the beam saber part itself is made of soft plastic — rare for an HG kit — which completes the perfect beam saber-holding hand combination. As you can see in the photos above, the old all-in-one beam saber hand parts that occasionally came with HG kits were already well-regarded for their detail, but the Hazel Custom's version adds perfect color separation on top of that — a truly luxurious result.

The articulation is outstanding as well. Double joints — rarely seen in HG kits — are used at both the elbows and knees, allowing full fold on all four limbs as far as the structure allows. The ankles are also very flexible, folding almost completely forward (also top-tier for an HG kit). The overall wide range of motion in the legs really brings dynamic action poses to life. With the fully folding arms, you can even pull off a natural sword-drawing pose!

There are a few downsides though — most notably, the two hand parts for holding the beam saber and rifle have weak connections. After handling them a bit, they just pop... pop... apart;; Probably best for your sanity to just glue them in place. Also, the waist joint moves forward and back unnecessarily, which means the weight of the large backpack tends to make the upper body lean backward. And the leg joint strength feels a little on the weak side. The body is light enough that it won't topple over easily, but I wouldn't call it sturdy by any means. It feels ever so slightly loose — could've been a bit tighter..

Also.. the yellow shoulder parts are actually swappable, but I lost them while cleaning up. T_T So they're missing from the review — my apologies.. sob~

Excellent detail, top-tier color separation for an HG, top-tier articulation for an HG, luxurious stickers, and an even more luxurious beam saber combination — in many ways, this is a premium product that Bandai clearly put a lot of care into. And at just ¥1300, the quality-to-price ratio is among the best of any Gunpla out there.

It's a bit puzzling why they suddenly put so much effort into an AoZ kit, but regardless, this is a masterpiece that any Gunpla fan will treasure for a long time. ^^

HGUC Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] | 2005. 9 | ¥1,300

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.