-- Series Overview ---------------------------------
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 — making them entry-level Gunpla. 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 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 parts count is low, so assembly usually takes about 10 minutes, and considering the price, the build experience and overall look are pretty decent. These are great entry-level Gunpla for beginners who just want a quick, affordable build or are looking for something to practice painting on.
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<Individual Kit Notes>
This is kit No. 14 in the series — the 1/144 Calamity Gundam. It comes with 4 molded colors plus seals, but the yellow and light gray areas are left out, so the color combo looks quite lacking compared to the HG. The proportions and detail edges do hold up to HG standards, though. Other than the shoulder beam cannons being poseable, there's nothing that really stands out compared to earlier kits in the series — but the molding is solid enough that it'd make a great painting practice kit. :-)
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
