Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body close-up

HGUC Nu Gundam - The much-talked-about head. Not only did the head size shrink proportionally, but the one-piece helmet constr

The much-talked-about head. Not only did the head size shrink proportionally,
but the one-piece helmet construction means seam lines are completely gone.

Clean, sleek legs with a simple yet refined look.

Same weapon loadout as the MG

HGUC Nu Gundam - The yellow parts on both sides of the fin funnels are... handled with stickers, just like the MG. If they wer

The yellow parts on both sides of the fin funnels are... handled with stickers, just like the MG.
If they were going to do everything else right this time, why couldn't they do that part properly too.. -_-

HGUC Nu Gundam - The knee joint detail is nearly identical to the MG, but being a 1/144, the cylinders don't move and the pipe

The knee joint detail is nearly identical to the MG, but being a 1/144, the cylinders don't move
and the pipes in the back are just plain plastic.

Oh.. the sole detail is pretty nice.
That said, unlike the MG, the front and rear toe claws don't fold.

A rich weapons lineup — the full Nu Gundam armament set.

HGUC Nu Gundam - The body without weapons. The proportions are sleek and modern. Probably because the head looks a bit small;

The body without weapons. The proportions are sleek and modern.
Probably because the head looks a bit small;

HGUC Nu Gundam - It's not quite an inner frame per se.. but there is a bit of a skeleton in parts of the arms and legs. (Hones

It's not quite an inner frame per se..
but there is a bit of a skeleton in parts of the arms and legs.
(Honestly, I was kind of hoping for a proper inner frame.. this is a bit of a letdown)

HGUC Nu Gundam - The bazooka, rifle, and shield are above-average quality. Color separation and detail are nearly identical to

The bazooka, rifle, and shield are above-average quality. Color separation and detail are nearly identical to the MG.

As you'd expect from a recent kit, the inside of the skirts has molded detail, just like the MG.

HGUC Nu Gundam - There are 5 hand types in total, and the fixed grip hands for the rifle and bazooka have pegs on the palms th

There are 5 hand types in total, and the fixed grip hands for the rifle and bazooka have pegs on the palms that
lock into the weapon handles, unlike the MG — an incredibly firm gripis the result.
Grip strength was the single biggest annoyance with the MG Nu Gundam, so it's nice that the smaller scale actually works in its favor here.

HGUC Nu Gundam - Fin funnels with a construction nearly on par with the MG. The joints are super tight and absolutely not loos

Fin funnels with a construction nearly on par with the MG.
The joints are super tight and absolutely not loose.
But those yellow stickers are still a bit... -_-

HGUC Nu Gundam - Like the MG, the internal peg parts connect by laying them sideways, but the fit is seriously strong. It's so

Like the MG, the internal peg parts connect by laying them sideways,
but the fit is seriously strong. It's so tight it's actually hard to pull apart.

HGUC Nu Gundam - The detail on the back of the fin funnels is excellent too. Just like the MG, numbers are molded onto the bac

The detail on the back of the fin funnels is excellent too.
Just like the MG, numbers are molded onto the back of each fin funnel
so you don't get confused about the order they go in. Nice touch.

Even at this small scale, the beam saber's articulated parts are faithfully reproduced.

This kit leaves 3 leftover parts — that's because there are 3 sets of runners that repeat the same 2 sheets..

HGUC Nu Gundam - The fin funnel mounts on the backpack use a ratchet-lock system, so you can change the angle by pulling them

The fin funnel mounts on the backpack use a ratchet-lock system,
so you can change the angle by pulling them out and reinserting them.

So you can control the fin funnels to angle forward like this.

Articulation is a bit more average than I expected.

That said, the shoulder's range of motion in all directions seems quite effectively wide.

The neck's ability to tilt backward is also reproduced.

The vernier cover on the back of the shin is also articulated.

HGUC Nu Gundam - Interestingly, the bazooka mounting pin in the center of the backpack moves forward and backward. It's a feat

Interestingly, the bazooka mounting pin in the center of the backpack moves forward and backward.
It's a feature the MG didn't have.. and it lets you get a slightly better angle when posing for action shots.

The small beam saber articulation on the left arm is also properly implemented.

HGUC Nu Gundam - A pretty convincing draw pose and beam saber action pose. Even with a rough pose, the angles come together re

A pretty convincing draw pose and beam saber action pose.
Even with a rough pose, the angles come together really well~.

Alright.. time to gear up and strike a proper pose!

HGUC Nu Gundam - Fully armed action pose. The fin funnels are light and the attachment is incredibly solid, so they barely aff

Fully armed action pose.
The fin funnels are light and the attachment is incredibly solid, so they barely affect the center of gravity.

HGUC Nu Gundam - Bazooka action. Unfortunately, unlike the MG, the beam saber section on the backpack doesn't rotate.. so the

Bazooka action. Unfortunately, unlike the MG, the beam saber section on the backpack doesn't rotate..
so the beam saber gets seriously in the way of the bazooka's rear end.

Kneeling bazooka pose.

Pretty natural pose for an HGUC, don't you think?

HGUC Nu Gundam - Being a space-use mobile suit, it really shines on a stand! (1/3)

Being a space-use mobile suit, it really shines on a stand!

The backpack beam saber draw pose is also superb!

Beam saber action pose

Even with a casual pose, it just oozes coolness.

HGUC Nu Gundam - Beam rifle aiming pose in flight (1/4)

HGUC Nu Gundam - Beam rifle aiming pose in flight (2/4)

Beam rifle aiming pose in flight

Ahhh.. oozing coolness..

HGUC Nu Gundam - The most talked-about comparison — MG Nu Gundam vs. HGUC. The MG has a solid, weighty feel, while the HGUC sh

The most talked-about comparison — MG Nu Gundam vs. HGUC.
The MG has a solid, weighty feel, while the HGUC shows off cleaner, more refined lines.

HGUC Nu Gundam - Body-only comparison. The HGUC's detail is a bit simpler, but the design concept and color separation are nea

Body-only comparison. The HGUC's detail is a bit simpler,
but the design concept and color separation are nearly identical to the MG.

HGUC Nu Gundam - Well.. at least in terms of "arm articulation", the MG still edges ahead. Leg articulation is about

Well.. at least in terms of "arm articulation", the MG still edges ahead. Leg articulation is about the same..

HGUC Nu Gundam - Comparing the notorious big head — MG Nu Gundam head vs. HGUC. Looking at it like this it seems like just a s

Comparing the notorious big head — MG Nu Gundam head vs. HGUC.
Looking at it like this it seems like just a scale difference, but the head proportion is indeed smaller on the HGUC.
The shape itself is very similar, but yeah, the MG Nu Gundam head really was huge -.-;

The beam rifle and bazooka are al~most identical in color separation and detail too.

Even the red missiles inside the bazooka are the same.

The shield detail is nearly identical too.

HGUC Nu Gundam - The fin funnels look simpler on the HGUC side as expected, but the back detail is actually more refined on th

The fin funnels look simpler on the HGUC side as expected, but the back detail is actually more refined on the HGUC.
The HGUC is smaller and lighter, plus the hinges are stiffer, so the holding strength is better than the MG.

Together with the benchmark kit HGUC First, and its companion the HGUC Re-GZ.

HGUC Nu Gundam - The Char's Counterattack HGUC lineup is clearly benefiting from the high-quality policy.. hurry up and come o

The Char's Counterattack HGUC lineup is clearly benefiting from the high-quality policy..
Hurry up and come out, Sazabi!

Must buy!

Straight build

Finally.
This kit is one where I can genuinely say "finally" and mean it.

The Char's Counterattack kits, which Bandai seemed to be holding back as hidden cards for the HGUC line for who knows how long, have been pouring out lately.
And the crown jewel of them all is naturally the main character's machine, the Nu Gundam. The Sazabi is no slouch either, but
the Nu Gundam — Amuro's final mobile suit beloved by everyone — is a kit that went beyond being highly anticipated to one that fans were just plain tired of waiting for..

To sum up the overall impression in one phrase — "Expected
high quality". By today's kit quality standards, this is exactly the kind of high-quality kit you'd expect from a Nu Gundam release. But there's a bit of an ambiguous nuance in that statement — it also means it didn't really go beyond what was expected.

Even before release, the Bandai developers were making all kinds of bold claims — that the HGUC lineup would be divided into "before and after the Nu Gundam," that this would be yet another HGUC that surpasses the MG, and so on. Honestly, compared to all that hype... it's a kit that's just a little bit... hard to call truly special.

First off, the proportions are excellent — the head is smaller compared to the MG, and the silhouette flares out nicely toward the bottom for a sleek look. Given that it has to carry all those massive weapons, joint strength is especially important for this kit, and thankfully the newly developed polycaps deliver — the joints are stiff enough, actually maybe even a little too stiff. No need for die-cast parts to manage the center of gravity like on the MG; the body itself holds any pose rock-solid. The fin funnel joints in particular are even stiffer than the MG's, so there's absolutely no need to worry about them not holding their angle. ^^

The detail is on par with the MG, but overall it has a clean, simplified feel that suits the 1/144 scale nicely. Just right — both in proportions and detail. The color separation is a step up from previous HGUC kits, with the white sections of the backpack and even the red parts of the rear skirt — areas that usually don't get separated — broken out into separate parts, mimicking the MG approach.

One of the highlights of this kit is the head helmet armor, which is molded as a single solid piece — something even the MG never attempted. You might wonder if it was really necessary to go that far just to get a clean helmet... but either way, it comes out looking great with no seam lines, so no complaints there.

The detail and color separation on the weapons are nearly identical to the MG's, so even as a straight build, the color layout and detail hold up perfectly against the MG.

That said, there are still some points that feel like they were left out — like the fin funnel tips still handled with yellow stickers, the part separation on the claw sections that could've used just a tiny bit more attention, and the beam saber rotation feature on the backpack, among other things. These are all things that clearly would've been possible at this quality level, and if Bandai really meant what they said about "an HGUC on a completely different level from before"— then they really should've gone the extra mile and given us those little extras too.

Sure, they probably had to keep some differentiation from the MG in mind, but recent MGs have already pushed quality up quite a bit... If the HGUC had matched the MG's level of part separation, I think it would've genuinely blown people away. (Maybe I was asking for too much...?)
Well, anyway — expectations were high, and Bandai did stoke those expectations themselves, so...
But honestly, part of it is probably that recent HGUC kit quality has been rising so steadily that it's getting harder to feel that same sense of excitement.

Still... the kit itself is undeniably sooooo pretty T_T
The joints are light and sturdy, holding poses easily, and while the articulation isn't exceptional, there's something about it — strike an action pose and it just oozes dynamism and charisma. There are kits out there that look incredibly cool with just the slightest pose adjustment, and the HGUC Nu Gundam is exactly that kind of kit.
If anything, the fact that a kit I was so hyped for actually turned out great has left me feeling a little... deflated. Like, now what do I look forward to?
(Well, there's always the Sazabi! ^^)

In conclusion, this wasn't quite the earth-shattering revolution some were hoping for, but as expected, our Nu Gundam has been released in thoroughly "solid" quality, and it's definitely not going to disappoint. In short: a must-buy kit. You can pull the trigger without a second thought and it'll reward you fully — a top-tier HGUC. It was always a kit with huge long-term potential, so Bandai put in the effort accordingly, right? This one looks set to sell well for a long, long time and wear those molds down good. ^^

If only they hadn't hyped it up so much right from the start... tsk!

And one more thing — the MG Nu Gundam is still very much a great kit worthy of being called a classic. ^^
How that big thing manages to hold a proper pose and stay standing for years on end is genuinely impressive... T_T b

HGUC Nu Gundam | 2008. 3 | ¥2,700

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.