-- Series Common 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 — entry-level Gunpla all around. They use system injection to achieve up to 5-color color separation, but the parts are simplified, so 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 No Grade kits, 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 for the price, the build experience and overall look are pretty decent. These are great entry-level Gunpla if you just want a quick, cheap build without high expectations, or if you're looking for something to practice painting on.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
<Kit-Specific Notes>
This kit is No. 5 in the series — the 1/144 Gundam Astray Blue Frame. Compared to the previously released 1/144 Gundam Astray Red Frame, the only difference is the molded color of the frame; everything else is 100% identical. Unlike the HG versions, there's no bonus here like different weapons or anything like that — so really, just take note of the color change and that's about it. :-)
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
