HG

Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L

Kit Review

Straight build

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L (1/3) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L (2/3) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L (3/3)

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Detail shots (1/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Detail shots (2/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Detail shots (3/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Detail shots (4/4)

Detail shots

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Seals on the head, chest, and shoulders

Seals on the head, chest, and shoulders

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Rear view with the Tactical Arms removed

Rear view with the Tactical Arms removed

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Since the backpack is quite heavy, a separate support stand is included in the box.

Since the backpack is quite heavy, a separate support stand is included in the box.

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - The Tactical Arms moves faithfully to its design specs. (1/3) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - The Tactical Arms moves faithfully to its design specs. (2/3) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - The Tactical Arms moves faithfully to its design specs. (3/3)

The Tactical Arms moves faithfully to its design specs.

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - The Armor Schneider at the tip of the foot is removable and can be pulled out.

The Armor Schneider at the tip of the foot is removable and can be pulled out.

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Articulation is great as expected~

Articulation is great as expected~

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Ankle articulation is great too.

Ankle articulation is great too.

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Aerial flight poses using Action Base 2 (1/3) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Aerial flight poses using Action Base 2 (2/3) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Aerial flight poses using Action Base 2 (3/3)

Aerial flight poses using Action Base 2

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Armor Schneider + kick pose (1/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Armor Schneider + kick pose (2/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Armor Schneider + kick pose (3/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Armor Schneider + kick pose (4/4)

Armor Schneider + kick pose

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Tactical Arms - Gatling form action (1/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Tactical Arms - Gatling form action (2/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Tactical Arms - Gatling form action (3/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Tactical Arms - Gatling form action (4/4)

Tactical Arms - Gatling form action

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Poses come out pretty nicely.

Poses come out pretty nicely.

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Tactical Arms - Sword form action (1/2) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Tactical Arms - Sword form action (2/2)

Tactical Arms - Sword form action

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Sword form action 2 (1/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Sword form action 2 (2/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Sword form action 2 (3/4) HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Sword form action 2 (4/4)

Sword form action 2

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Together with the HG Astray Red Frame. Similar base, but the kit itself is an entirely

Together with the HG Astray Red Frame.
Similar base, but the kit itself is an entirely new mold.

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L - Together with the 1/100 Blue Frame Second L.

Together with the 1/100 Blue Frame Second L.

The SEED HG lineup, which everyone thought had wrapped up back in 2008, just got a brand new kit a whopping five years later. This 57th SEED HG kit is the Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L — a kit that was pretty popular back in 1/100 scale.

At first glance you might think it's just a variation of the existing HG Astray, but once you open the box, it turns out to be a kit made up of 100% new parts. Since the original HG Astray is a kit from 10 years ago, they probably figured it wasn't worth reusing those molds — and either way, thanks to that decision, it came out feeling like a proper modern HG kit from head to toe. ^^

First off, I really like that it uses the new HG polycaps, which give the joints a really solid, sturdy feel. The articulation is also top-tier among HG kits, living up to the Astray's reputation. The color separation and detail are also a step up from the 10-year-old Astray in a number of ways, and the small stickers included for color matching mean that even a straight straight build can achieve a level of color accuracy that rivals the 1/100.

The Tactical Arms — the highlight of the Second L — has its various gimmicks faithfully reproduced to the same standard as the 1/100, with both the Gatling form and Sword form coming out cleanly. A rear support stand is also included to address the issue of the back getting top-heavy when the Tactical Arms is mounted, so the standing pose proportions look great. The one downside is that the connection for the stand that supports the Gatling barrels feels a bit flimsy — it's more like the barrels are just resting on it rather than being firmly locked in, so it doesn't feel all that secure.

So even as a straight straight build the Second L looks fantastic, and the joints, articulation, and functionality are all pretty much spot-on. That means you can recreate just about any pose from the source material, which makes it a real joy to play around with. If you were a fan of the original HG Astray, this is an absolute must-build — and even if you're not that familiar with the Astray, this is a really great~ HG kit that any Gunpla fan will have a blast putting together. :-)

HG Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L | 2013. 5 | ¥1,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.