-- Series-wide Notes ---------------------------------
The Gundam SEED 1/144 No Grade series ran from 2002 to 2004, with a total of 22 kits released, priced between 300 and 600 yen — these are entry-level Gunpla. They use system injection to achieve up to 5-color color separation, and due to simplified parts construction, the elbows and knees are fixed in place. Six ball-type polycaps handle the remaining joints, though there aren't really that many poses you can pull off. On the plus side, with fewer moving parts, joint strength is rarely an issue.
Given when these came out, the detail is a bit soft as you'd expect from a No Grade kit, but the proportions are on par with HG. The simple parts count means you can usually put one together in about 10 minutes, and considering the price, the build experience and overall look are pretty decent. These are great entry-level Gunpla for anyone who just wants a quick, affordable build or needs something to practice painting on — just don't go in with sky-high expectations.
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<Kit-Specific Notes>
This is kit No. 2 in the series, the 1/144 Duel Gundam. The color breakdown is kept simple with just 3 colors and no seals, but since the original design isn't particularly flashy to begin with, the difference from the HG version looks relatively small. One neat thing about this kit is that since the design has no skirt, the legs can actually do a full split. Like the Strike Gundam released alongside it, the soft detail is a bit of an eyesore, but it's hard to complain too much given that this was one of the earliest kits in the series. :-)
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
