OLD Char's Counter Attack 1/144 Re-GZ

Release 1987.12

Price ¥800

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Box side view

Runners

System injection runners are used here.

Bolts and stickers

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Looking up from below, the color separation on the vernier section really stands out.

The torso and legs are secured with bolts.

Articulated fingers are included.

Standard weapons.

The rifle can be stored inside the shield.

OLD 1/144 Re-GZ - The shield is held by gripping the handle, so you might worry about how secure it is — but thankfully the f

The shield is held by gripping the handle, so you might worry about how secure it is — but thankfully the forearm joint fits snugly enough to hold it nice and firm.

Limb articulation is a bit better than the Nu Gundam.

Pose 1

OLD 1/144 Re-GZ - Rifle shooting pose (2/2)

Rifle firing pose

Beam saber pose

Alongside the HGUC Re-GZ released in 2008. The old kit is noticeably bigger.

Together with the predecessor, the 1/144 Nu Gundam.

The second kit in the old Char's Counterattack 1/144 lineup is the Re-GZ. In the original setting, it's designed to combine with the BWS (Back Weapon System), but the BWS is not included in this kit, and accordingly the transformation gimmick for combining with the BWS has been omitted as well.

Being part of a lineup where system injection was introduced in earnest, the straight build alone already looks pretty solid. The verniers on the back are all color-separated in yellow, which gives it a noticeably more striking look compared to earlier old kits.

The bolt assembly unique to the Char's Counterattack lineup is applied to the torso and legs here as well, though it's used in fewer places than on the 1/144 Nu Gundam. The bolt-connected parts hold together extremely firmly, and the rest of the snap-fit parts feel reasonably solid too.

Limb articulation feels a step up from the predecessor, the 1/144 Nu Gundam, but the poor foot contact with the ground makes posing a bit of a hassle. The polycap-based joint strength is decent enough, though the front skirt tends to pop off during posing, which is a minor annoyance.

The articulated fingers, a common feature across the Char's Counterattack series, don't have great grip or holding strength. Fortunately, the rifle is very light so it manages to stay in hand well enough. More of a concern is the shield, which can only be held by the handle — but luckily the handle is short and the arm is thick, so it ends up wedged against the forearm and stays put reasonably well.

Thanks to the full-on system injection and bold vernier color separation, the coloring is surprisingly vibrant for an '80s old kit. Look closely though, and the mold detail is noticeably soft and chunky compared to HGUC standards. The joint design and overall part security also can't quite escape the limitations of an old kit.

Above all, the HGUC Re-GZ — which even includes the BWS — is a really solid kit, so there's not much reason to actively recommend the old version. That said, as you can see in the comparison photos, the old kit does have a much chunkier, beefier build. Either way, it's a fun little kit worth picking up if you're after that sturdy old-kit proportions at a low price :-)
[ Updated at 2017.8.8 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.