OLD Char's Counter Attack 1/550 Alpha-Azieru

Release 1988.8

Price ¥1,000

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/550 Alpha-Azieru - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

Runners

Unlike previous kits, these seals are made of a premium matte material.

OLD 1/550 Alpha-Azieru - Parts diagram (1/3)

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Dedicated stand

Articulation of the arms and tank section

The psycommu mega arm pods mounted under the shoulders have 3 barrels that move individually.

OLD 1/550 Alpha-Azieru - Some action poses (1/3)

Some action poses

A 1/550 Nu Gundam is also included.

Only the shoulders have any articulation.

To transform into landing mode, first fold the arms into the empty space inside the shoulders.

Next, lower the structure on the back to cover the head.

Position the lower body tank toward the rear and extend the front/rear legs.

The legs stored inside the rear skirt are pulled out like this.

The legs inside the front skirt can be pulled outward.

OLD 1/550 Alpha-Azieru - Transformed into landing mode (1/3)

Transformed into landing mode

Underside

Together with the Gundam Collection 1/400 Alpha-Azieru released in 2006

Together with the 1/144 Nu Gundam.

Group shot with the 1/144 Char's Counterattack model kits

The 9th kit in the old Char's Counterattack lineup is the 1/550 Alpha-Azieru. While all the previous kits were 1/144, the Alpha-Azieru is a large mobile armor so it came out in 1/550 scale. Even so, its in-universe size is so massive that it's still considerably taller than the other 1/144 kits.

First off, the 1/400 Gundam Collection Alpha-Azieru released in 2006 is widely regarded as a masterpiece — but this 1/550 Alpha-Azieru from 18 years ago also delivers surprisingly impressive quality. The overall proportions and sculpting are great, and the combination of molded colors and seals is excellent. In particular, unlike previous kits, it comes with premium matte seals that look almost like actual painted finishes.

The biggest highlight of this kit is how faithfully it recreates the Alpha-Azieru's signature gimmicks. The sub-arms inside the skirts, the landing gear gimmick, and the full transformation into landing mode are all perfectly reproduced. The small psycommu mega arm pods at the shoulder tips have individually articulated barrels, and a dedicated stand is included for stable display and posing. Polycaps aren't used, but the joints are well-engineered so there's no real issue with joint strength.

As a bonus, a 1/550 Nu Gundam is also included — it's tiny, but it's got a certain sharpness to its details that gives it a cute charm. ^^

All in all, the quality here is so good it's hard to believe this is an '80s kit. The 1/400 Gundam Collection Alpha-Azieru is such a stellar release that this one looks a bit modest by comparison, but if you've ever had any interest in the Alpha-Azieru, this is a classic old-school kit I'd wholeheartedly recommend tracking down. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.8.25 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.