Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

Outer armor removed shot.

Inner frame shots.
Despite being an HG, it comes with a full-body frame — impressive!

HG Gundam Barbatos - Frame detail shots. The waist is incredibly slim with just pipes running through it.. (1/5)

HG Gundam Barbatos - Frame detail shots. The waist is incredibly slim with just pipes running through it.. (2/5)

HG Gundam Barbatos - Frame detail shots. The waist is incredibly slim with just pipes running through it.. (3/5)

Frame detail shots.
The waist is incredibly slim with just pipes running through it..

HG Gundam Barbatos - Since the ankle polycap only goes in halfway from the back, the frame can stand on its own but it's not

Since the ankle polycap only goes in halfway from the back,
the frame can stand on its own but it's not easy to pose properly ^^;

Articulation on the frame is at full-bend level.

The shoulders raise upward like this..

The upper body can pivot forward and backward on a rotating joint.

HG Gundam Barbatos - You can remove the covers on both sides of the backpack and attach separate arms as shown above. This is

You can remove the covers on both sides of the backpack and attach separate arms as shown above.
This is meant to be used together with separately sold weapon accessory parts.

The left forearm comes in 2 different types..

HG Gundam Barbatos - Remove the shoulder and swap out the left arm to recreate Form 1. (The standard configuration is Form 4)

Remove the shoulder and swap out the left arm to recreate Form 1.
(The standard configuration is Form 4)

As you'd expect from a modern kit, the articulation is excellent.

First time seeing ankle articulation this insane since Gundam 00..

The vernier in the center of the backpack is also articulated.

First, let's strike a cool pose~

HG Gundam Barbatos - Mace action poses (1/4)

HG Gundam Barbatos - Mace action poses (2/4)

Mace action poses

HG Gundam Barbatos - Aerial sword action using a separately sold Action Base 2 (1/3)

Aerial sword action using a separately sold Action Base 2

HG Gundam Barbatos - More mace action poses (1/3)

More mace action poses

Bandai's ambitious 2015 project — Gundam Barbatos from "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans" has arrived as an HG kit, launching alongside the anime broadcast. True to the pedigree of a Bandai-Sunrise passion project, the HG Barbatos comes out a clear step above your typical HG in terms of quality.

First off, it's pretty amazing that this thing has a full-body frame structure — and it's not even an RG or MG, it's an HG. The ankle polycap situation where only half of it fits in on the frame alone is a bit awkward, but regardless, for an HG it shows off a surprisingly clean and efficient frame system.

The frame material itself has a really premium feel to it — it goes together with a smooth, snug fit even without polycaps, and the articulation is top-notch. In particular, those crazy ankle joints we haven't seen since Gundam 00 are back, bending nearly 90 degrees horizontally, which gives it fantastic ground contact for posing ^^

The color separation is also about as good as it gets for an HG, though quite a few areas still need stickers. The yellow on the underside of the shoulder armor is a bit disappointing since there's not even a sticker for it — but even with just a straight build, you're getting a clean 95% of the intended colors. And as always, with a new Gundam design like this, the finished model's proportions end up looking way better than the original illustrations :-)

For weapons, you get a mace shaped like a medieval flail and a nodachi (太刀), along with arm parts for future weapon accessory attachments. The left arm also comes in both Form 4 and Form 1 versions, so along with the shoulder armor, you can swap parts to recreate each form.

As befitting such an ambitious release, the kit quality really does feel a notch above your average HG — both the building experience and the fun of handling it after completion are excellent for the price. That's probably where the whole "¥1000 worth of happiness" saying comes from. The only thing is, everything feels a little on the soft side, so it doesn't have that super tight, locked-in feel throughout — though it's not loose either, so it's not really a dealbreaker. Still, having only one hand shape is a bit of a letdown; it would've been nice to throw in an extra open hand or two given how good the proportions are.

Anyway, Iron-Blooded Orphans is off to a great start — both the anime and the model. The kit is honestly good enough to recommend on its own merits regardless of whether you watch the show, so if you've been getting a bit tired of the usual gun-toting, boxy Gunpla designs, this is definitely worth picking up for a fun, low-pressure build :-)

HG Gundam Barbatos | 2015.10 | ¥1,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.