OLD First Gundam 1/550 Braw-Bro

Release 1982.6

Price ¥700

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

Parts diagram

Manual

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Since the Braw-Bro is 60m long in the lore, the box is much bigger than other 1/550 kits.

Main body detail shots

The engine units on both sides are detachable, so you can remove them.

As shown, it can be separated into 3 blocks to match the lore.

Cover parts to plug the mounting holes left after separating the blocks.

The empty holes after separation can be plugged with covers as shown.

The unit name is embossed on the stand.

OLD 1/550 Braw-Bro - Using coated wire, all 4 wire-guided mega particle cannon units can be deployed. (1/3)

Using coated wire, all 4 wire-guided mega particle cannon units can be deployed.

All 4 mega particle cannon units fully deployed. The wire is stiff enough to hold its shape pretty well.

OLD 1/550 Braw-Bro - The mega particle cannons on the top and bottom can also be extended in a fixed position without using t

The mega particle cannons on the top and bottom can also be extended in a fixed position without using the wire, as shown.

This kit also includes an RX-78 in the same scale.

It can be posed in a firing stance as shown.

The confrontation scene from the anime.

It's the same parts as the RX-78 included in the 1/550 Adzam, just in a different molded color.

OLD 1/550 Braw-Bro - A collection of 1/550 Zeon mobile armors. Each one is pretty simple in color on its own, but together th

A collection of 1/550 Zeon mobile armors. Each one is pretty simple in color on its own, but together they're actually quite colorful! ^^;

This is the 1/550 kit of the Braw-Bro, the first Newtype-use mobile armor in the Zeon forces. It's a large spacecraft-type mobile armor capable of an all-range attack, using the pilot's Newtype abilities to control 4 wire-guided mega particle cannons — but it ultimately gets shot down by the Gundam.

As you can see, it has a decent two-tone color separation, and being a large kit, the detail is pretty solid too, so the straight build looks quite nice. On top of that, the shape of the unit doesn't really give off that old-kit vibe in terms of proportions, so once you throw some paint on it, it'd be hard to tell it's a vintage kit from 1982. (Well, the hardcore fans will know, of course ^^;)

Since the Braw-Bro is a massive mobile armor standing 60m tall in the lore, it's quite a sizable kit even at 1/550 scale, and naturally requires a lot of parts — which is why it came out at ¥700, the priciest among same-scale kits. In return, though, you can tell they put effort into recreating its in-universe features. First off, the separation into 3 blocks by detaching the left and right sections is fully reproduced, and cover parts are even included to neatly plug the mounting holes left behind — a nice clean finish. The 4 wire-guided mega particle cannons can be flexibly deployed and posed using sturdy coated wire parts, and a 1/550 RX-78 is also included — though it's the same sculpt as the one in the 1/550 Adzam, just with a different molded color.

Among the old 1/550 First Gundam kits, this is probably the nicest one of the bunch. If you've got a soft spot for the One Year War anime, this seems like a genuinely enjoyable kit worth building. :-)
[ Updated at 2016.6.26 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.