-- Series Common Notes ---------------------------------
The Gundam SEED 1/144 No Grade series ran from 2002 to 2004, with a total of 22 kits released, all entry-level Gunpla priced between 300 and 600 yen. They use system injection to achieve up to 5-color color separation, but due to simplified parts, 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 issues are pretty much a non-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 parts count is low, so you can usually snap 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 without any high expectations.
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<Individual Kit Notes>
This is kit No. 3 in the series, the 1/144 Aegis Gundam. Unlike the previous kits, this one is molded entirely in pink with stickers to add detail — and since most of the black areas are simply left out, the straight build ends up looking pretty plain. The higher parts count bumps the price up slightly to 400 yen, and the sink holes on the back of the torso are pretty rough. On top of that, the detail is soft as you'd expect from an early kit, so overall quality takes a hit in several ways — this one's probably sitting near the bottom of the series. :-)
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
