HG

Man Rodi

Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

HG Man Rodi - Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HG Man Rodi (1/6) HG Man Rodi (2/6) HG Man Rodi (3/6) HG Man Rodi (4/6) HG Man Rodi (5/6) HG Man Rodi (6/6)

HG Man Rodi - Detail shots (1/4) HG Man Rodi - Detail shots (2/4) HG Man Rodi - Detail shots (3/4) HG Man Rodi - Detail shots (4/4)

Detail shots

HG Man Rodi - Half-armor removed shot

Half-armor removed shot

HG Man Rodi - The arms and legs have a skeletal frame structure. (1/2) HG Man Rodi - The arms and legs have a skeletal frame structure. (2/2)

The arms and legs have a skeletal frame structure.

HG Man Rodi - Weapons included are a submachine gun and a Hammer Chopper.

Weapons included are a submachine gun and a Hammer Chopper.

HG Man Rodi - A weapon rack can be slid out from the rear skirt.

A weapon rack can be slid out from the rear skirt.

HG Man Rodi - As you can see, both weapons can be stored on the rack. (1/2) HG Man Rodi - As you can see, both weapons can be stored on the rack. (2/2)

As you can see, both weapons can be stored on the rack.

HG Man Rodi - Just like Barbatos and Gundam Gusion, the waist frame is nice and slim.

Just like Barbatos and Gundam Gusion, the waist frame is nice and slim.

HG Man Rodi - The arms bend quite well, but the leg articulation isn't great.

The arms bend quite well, but the leg articulation isn't great.

HG Man Rodi - On the plus side, the waist rotates widely like Gundam Gusion, which really helps with posing.

On the plus side, the waist rotates widely like Gundam Gusion, which really helps with posing.

HG Man Rodi - The ankle range of motion is narrower than it looks, making it tricky to hold poses.

The ankle range of motion is narrower than it looks, making it tricky to hold poses.

HG Man Rodi - Action poses (1/2) HG Man Rodi - Action poses (2/2)

Action pose

HG Man Rodi - Aerial firing pose (1/3) HG Man Rodi - Aerial firing pose (2/3) HG Man Rodi - Aerial firing pose (3/3)

Aerial firing pose

HG Man Rodi - Hammer Chopper action (1/2) HG Man Rodi - Hammer Chopper action (2/2)

Hammer Chopper action

HG Man Rodi - Hammer Chopper action 2 (1/2) HG Man Rodi - Hammer Chopper action 2 (2/2)

Hammer Chopper action 2

HG Man Rodi - Together with the HG Gundam Gusion, which shares a similar concept. They've both got chunky toad-like heads.. ( HG Man Rodi - Together with the HG Gundam Gusion, which shares a similar concept. They've both got chunky toad-like heads.. (

Together with the HG Gundam Gusion, which shares a similar concept.
They've both got chunky toad-like heads..

This kit is the HG Man Rodi — that chubby toad-like mobile suit that shows up at the end of episode 10 of Iron-Blooded Orphans. It was released at the same time as the HG Gundam Gusion, probably because they appear together in the show. What's unusual is that four kits dropped on the same day — including the HG Kutan Type-III and the Hyakuren Amida Custom.

As you can see, the Man Rodi has that same chunky build and toad-like head as Gundam Gusion. In the show it's also portrayed as a tough, heavily armored mech like the Gusion. That said, being a mass-production unit, its proportions look a bit slimmer and less imposing than the Gusion — and the legs are designed completely differently, so the two kits actually feel quite distinct from each other.

Since it's smaller in volume than the Gundam Gusion, it has fewer parts and is ¥200 cheaper — but it's also relatively less impressive in design and articulation. On top of that, those unique claw-shaped feet have a very limited range of motion, making ground poses pretty difficult. Since the Man Rodi only ever flew around in space in the show anyway, you'll probably want to pose it on a stand.

On the flip side, being smaller and lighter than the Gundam Gusion means the joints feel a bit more stable overall on the Man Rodi. The action poses aren't quite as dynamic, but the improved stability is the trade-off — nothing's free, I guess. Overall build quality doesn't quite reach the level of the HG Barbatos or Graze; it's just a fairly straightforward, no-frills HG kit.

Honestly, it's not really a kit you'd build just because you love the design — it's more of one to build alongside Barbatos or Gundam Gusion to recreate scenes from the show. The Gundam Gusion's design felt a bit awkward to me at first, but standing it next to the Man Rodi makes it look like a way more premium machine... which is probably exactly the role the Man Rodi is meant to play as the "grunt" unit. :-)

HG Man Rodi | 2015.12 | ¥1,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.