-- 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 — 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, so there is some movement, but 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 were released, 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 simple enough that you can usually put one together in about 10 minutes, and looking at the build feel and overall appearance, the quality seems pretty reasonable for the price. You could call these ideal beginner Gunpla — great for a quick, casual build on the cheap, or as painting practice without any high expectations.
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<Individual Kit Notes>
This is kit No. 15 in the series, the 1/144 Forbidden Gundam. It comes with 4 molded colors plus stickers, so the color coverage holds up pretty well compared to the HG. The Geschmeidig Panzer on the back is also detachable, and the feature of placing it over the head is reproduced. Beyond that, the articulation is pretty much in line with the other kits in the series — but compared to the previous Calamity Gundam, this one looks relatively solid for a No Grade kit. :-)
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
