OLD Z Gundam 1/144 Char's Rick-Dias

Release 1985.5

Price ¥700

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/144 Char's Rick-Dias - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

Runners

Unlike the Mk-II and Hi-Zack, this one uses polycaps.

OLD 1/144 Char's Rick-Dias - Parts (1/2)

OLD 1/144 Char's Rick-Dias - Parts (2/2)

Parts diagram

OLD 1/144 Char's Rick-Dias - Manual (1/4)

OLD 1/144 Char's Rick-Dias - Manual (2/4)

Manual

Straight build + waterslide decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

OLD 1/144 Char's Rick-Dias - You can open the head cover to expose the vulcan guns, but since everything has to be glued

You can open the head cover to expose the vulcan guns, but since everything has to be glued down, you'll need to decide whether to display it open or closed before assembly. Also, the mono-eye is a separate ball-shaped part, so it can be rotated.

Standard weapons

The legs actually have an inner frame of sorts.

You can mount the bazooka on the backpack, but the fit is loose so it wobbles around.

Limb articulation isn't great, just like the Hi-Zack.

Backpack articulation

Beam pistol action

Bazooka action

Beam saber action

Together with the previous releases, the 1/144 Mk-II and Hi-Zack.

With the 1/144 Char's Zaku and Gelgoog

The bruiser of the One Year War era — with the 1/144 Dom.

With the HGUC Char's Rick-Dias released in 2002.

The Rick-Dias was released as the 3rd kit in the old 1/144 Zeta Gundam series. It comes in Quattro's (that guy!!) signature red colorway, molded in two colors — a vivid red and a dark reddish-brown.

First off, the red molded color has that very candy-toy feel typical of old kits... Some folks might say that's exactly what gives old kits their charm, but objectively speaking, the molded color is pretty rough. T_T On top of that, while the dark reddish-brown sections do have some color separation, the overall color combination and feel make this one of those old kits where painting is basically mandatory.

Articulation is a step down from the Mk-II, much like the Hi-Zack, though the polycaps do give it decent joint strength. That said, the chunky body proportions make it tough to pull off dynamic poses in general.

As an optional feature, you can open the head cover to expose the vulcan guns — though it's not a movable mechanism; both the cover and the vulcans are glued in place. The mono-eye is also built as a ball shape, so you can rotate it even after assembly, but in practice it doesn't turn easily and the difference is barely noticeable either way. Still, it's fun to see these kinds of creative little touches in an old 1/144 kit. There's also a bazooka storage feature on the backpack, but the mounting point is so flimsy that it just ends up dangling loosely.

That said, one thing worth noting — as you can see in the comparison shots with the HGUC — is that the overall proportions and silhouette are actually pretty solid for an old kit. The sense of weight in the bulky design and the limb proportions in particular came out quite well.

Anyway, from today's perspective where most people enjoy Gunpla as straight builds, this is a hard kit to recommend. Unless you're into customizing and painting, you're probably better off just enjoying it through photos. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.