OLD G-Saviour 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode -

Release 2000.12

Price ¥1,500

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Runners (1/4)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Runners (2/4)

Runners

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Parts layout (1/3)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Parts layout (2/3)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Parts layout (3/3)

Parts diagram

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Manual (1/8)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Manual (2/8)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Manual (3/8)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Manual (4/8)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Manual (5/8)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - - Manual (6/8)

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - (1/2)

OLD 1/144 G-Saviour - Space Mode - (2/2)

Interestingly, the forearms and thighs are exposed frame only, with no armor.

Nicely detailed thruster units

Beam saber and beam shield

A total of 3 hands are included.

Limb articulation

The proportions aren't bad.

Beam rifle action

Beam saber action

With the 1/100 Gundam F91.

This kit is the HG G-Saviour - Space Mode -, released in 2000. It features the mobile suit from a live-action film (!) produced to commemorate Gundam's 20th anniversary. The film is widely regarded as one of the most notorious black marks in Gundam history — it aired on TV in North America and had a theatrical release in Japan.

Setting aside all the controversy surrounding the source material, let's just look at this from a kit review perspective. The design has a strong F91 vibe, but with the unique twist of exposed frame sections on the forearms and thighs. That's because in the lore, this unit can swap its armor on and off as needed — the ground-use variant, for instance, is fully armored all over.

Overall build quality is on par with a standard HG, and joint strength is decent enough. That said, the front skirts don't move very freely, so hip articulation is pretty limited. Weapons-wise, you get a rifle, a beam shield, and a beam saber. The articulation isn't great, but the proportions are solid enough that the poses still look pretty good.

So while the source material has a rough reputation, the kit itself isn't actually that bad in terms of quality — though it doesn't really have any standout features either. It's basically just "hey, the Gundam from that movie got an HG kit," and that's about it.

If the source material had been even moderately popular, we probably would've seen a ground-use variant and other variations down the line — but unfortunately it bombed hard, so this ended up being a lone release with no series to speak of. It's a tough kit to either recommend or dismiss outright, but it's worth a look just for the "oh, so this thing existed" factor. :-)
[ Updated at 2018.7.31 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.