Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

The front skirt articulation is awkward, so the hip joint range of motion is way too limited..;;

HG Buster Gundam - The shoulder missile pod can be opened, but rather than a proper hinged mechanism, you have to leave the c

The shoulder missile pod can be opened,
but rather than a proper hinged mechanism, you have to leave the cover open and just lightly clip it in place.

The weapon-combining gimmick on the sides is reproduced just as well as on the 1/100 — nicely done.

HG Buster Gundam - Double Shot pose~ You really have to get the angle just right to get the weapons into the hands.. (1/3)

Double Shot pose~
You really have to get the angle just right to get the weapons into the hands..

HG Buster Gundam - Gun Launcher + Flame Rifle combine action (1/3)

Gun Launcher + Flame Rifle combine action

HG Buster Gundam - This time the other way around — Flame Rifle + Gun Launcher combine action (1/3)

This time the other way around — Flame Rifle + Gun Launcher combine action

Together with the 1/100 Buster Gundam.

Together with the HG Aile Strike, Duel, and Aegis.

The Buster Gundam is one of the standout kits in the 1/100 SEED lineup, and now we've got the HG Buster Gundam.

First off, the Buster Gundam's signature Flame Rifle / Gun Launcher combining gimmick is reproduced on par with the 1/100, with multiple joints allowing for all kinds of repositioning and pose variations. The Double Shot with both weapons held in each hand is of course doable, and the poses where the two weapons are combined front-to-back or back-to-front alternately also come out looking pretty convincing ^^

The thing is.. while positioning the weapons themselves is easy enough, actually getting both hands to grip the weapon handles is a real pain to pull off.. You can manage it by twisting and fiddling around every which way, but it's definitely not a simple task.. To be fair, this was already somewhat of an issue with the 1/100 Buster too, but being a smaller, shorter HG kit makes it feel even more frustrating.

Looking at articulation alone, the hip joint mobility is surprisingly poor, but since the whole appeal of the Buster is firing those massive backpack weapons while standing upright anyway, the limited articulation doesn't really end up being a big deal — so that's a relief.

Anyway, just like the 1/100, the HG Buster is a pretty compelling kit. The process can be a bit of a struggle, but the fact that you can pull off all three of the Buster's signature poses convincingly makes it well worth the score :-)

HG Buster Gundam | 2003. 1 | ¥1,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.