Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) (1/2)

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) (2/2)

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) - Detail shots (1/4)

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Articulation.
Thanks to the transformation gimmick, the legs can fold completely.

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) - Wings spread aerial firing pose (1/3)

Wings spread aerial firing pose

Beam saber action pose

Transformation

First, separate the body sections

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) - Lift the upper body up to align it flat with the back, then rotate the wings horizontally along the bac

Lift the upper body up to align it flat with the back,
then rotate the wings horizontally along the back.

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) - Spread the wings out fully, then plug the separate transformation parts that connect the legs into the

Spread the wings out fully, then plug the separate transformation parts that connect the legs into the lower body.

Attach the shield to the underside.
The gimmick clicks together nicely and holds well.

Slide the front shin section down...

Then fold the legs this way and that as shown above.

Connect the legs and attach the rifle to the right side — transformation complete.

Bottom view after transformation.

Remove the shield and the small red cover on the knee,
then you can attach the separate landing gear.

Landing gear attached

Transformed into mobile armor mode

Can be placed on the included 1/144 scale stand.

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) - Mobile armor mode from various angles (1/4)

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) - Mobile armor mode from various angles (2/4)

Mobile armor mode from various angles

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) - HG Gaia Gundam: Together with the Andrew Waltfeld Custom. Andrew sure seems to have a thing for flash

HG Gaia Gundam: Together with the Andrew Waltfeld Custom.
Andrew sure seems to have a thing for flashy colors..

Following the Gaia Gundam, the Murasame has been released in HG as the Andrew Waltfeld Custom. It's clearly a design built for transformation into a flight mode, and there's something about the leg and wing design that gives off a vague Macross Valkyrie vibe.

The yellow and red color combo gives it a bright, flashy look, but the primary colors feel a bit toy-like compared to the mechanical design. And while the transformation gimmick does allow the knee joints to fold 180 degrees, it doesn't really give off a dynamic feel — posing it in action stances can come across as a bit stiff.

The real highlight of the Murasame is of course the transformation into mobile armor mode, which works similarly to the Zeta's Waverider. Being an HG, it's not a full transformation — you have to detach the head and arms, and you'll also need to use separate parts for the hip joint area. That said, the locking gimmicks on the shield and hips fit together nice and tight, so the stability in transformed mode is actually quite good. ^^

One thing I personally appreciate about the Murasame is that, for a transforming kit, it pulls off solid proportions in both MS mode and mobile armor mode. The stability in both forms is decent too. In that sense, as a kit centered around a transformation gimmick, I'd say it's a pretty well-executed one.

Aside from the slightly toy-ish color combo, this is a kit that earns good marks for its fresh design and solid proportions in both modes. If you're a fan of Andrew Waltfeld or just love transforming kits, this one's worth picking up. :-)

HG Murasame (Andrew Waltfeld Custom) | 2005. 12 | ¥1,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.