OLD Z Gundam 1/144 Palace Athene

Release 1986.1

Price ¥700

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/144 Palace Athene - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

Runners

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + waterslide decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

OLD 1/144 Palace Athene - The pipes on the front of the neck are nicely detailed, but those very pipes make it impossible to

The pipes on the front of the neck are nicely detailed, but those very pipes make it impossible to turn the head...

Articulation is just so-so.

Action pose

Action pose 2

Alongside the 1/144 Zeta Gundam. True to its specs, Palace Athene is noticeably bigger.

Alongside the HGUC Palace Athene released in 2006.

This is the old-release 1/144 Palace Athene from the Zeta Gundam series — a mobile suit that boasts a noticeably larger frame compared to other units. No matter which same-scale kit you stand it next to, it's clearly the bigger one, with a solid, imposing volume to it. Personally, it's one of my favorites from the Zeta Gundam lineup.

The overall sense of depth and volume came out really well, but as you can see, that flat monochrome grasshopper-green molded color is pretty rough T_T. This kit really needs a paint job no matter how you look at it — in snap-fit form, it's a tough visual to get used to. Sure, you could say the proportions have that old-kit charm, but it's hard to shake the feeling that you're looking at a giant candy toy grasshopper (...)

There's no backpack large missile included, and not a single separate weapon to speak of, so it does feel a bit bare compared to the HGUC. Articulation is pretty stiff too, and the head is fixed in place, so there aren't many poses you can pull off — but at least the polycaps do their job well, keeping the joints solid despite the kit's large size, which is a relief.

The straight-build look isn't much to write home about, but this kit has such a well-built frame that a good paint job will make it really stand out. It's an old-release kit I'd only recommend to those who are planning to paint it. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.4.3 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.