The latest entry in the Universal Century saga, "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash," finally hit theaters this year after several delays, simultaneously launching on Netflix for a global audience. Naturally, Bandai has been gearing up with a steady stream of model kits and figures, and among them are the NXEDGE STYLE "Xi Gundam" and "Penelope." But one look at these and you'll realize they're on a whole different level from what we expect from the NXEDGE line. Let's dive in and unbox these beasts today!
【About the Film】
The animated feature film "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash" is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by director Yoshiyuki Tomino. Set in U.C. 0105, twelve years after "Char's Counterattack," the story depicts a world where the Earth Federation government is rife with corruption and high-ranking officials treat the planet as their private property. Having witnessed the loss of countless lives during the Second Neo Zeon War, Bright Noa's son, "Hathaway Noa," is haunted by a single question: "Was the sacrifice of Amuro, Char, Quess... and so many others meaningless?" Armed with the knowledge of these sins, Hathaway resolves to carry on Char's will to protect the Earth. He becomes the leader of the anti-government organization "Mafty Navue Erin" and pilots the RX-105 Xi Gundam, launching a campaign of terror against corrupt Federation officials in an attempt to liberate the Earth from their bureaucratic tyranny and allow humanity to live equally in space.
While the novel is over 30 years old, the movie adaptation boasts incredibly high-quality animation and fluid cinematography reminiscent of a live-action film. The two main mobile suits, the Xi Gundam and the Penelope, have been redesigned by the legendary mecha designer Hajime Katoki, packing the film with modern elements that make it a must-see!
▼ In the movie, both mobile suits are massive machines, standing around 30 meters tall. The Penelope, in particular, is equipped with its bulky "Fixed Flight Unit," making the packaging for these figures ridiculously large compared to past releases. You can feel the sheer volume!
▼ The full-color box art recreates the composition of the movie poster, with the Xi Gundam descending from the night sky and the Penelope appearing on an urban battlefield. The back features the line's standard window-box design.
▼ Let's start by opening up the "NXEDGE STYLE Xi Gundam"! The contents include the main figure, a beam rifle, a shield, two beam saber effect parts, a set of alternate large hands to replicate its look from the movie, and an instruction manual.
The RX-105 Xi Gundam is a mobile suit secretly commissioned by the anti-government organization Mafty from Anaheim Electronics, and is the brother unit to the RX-104FF Penelope. Its name carries on the legacy of Amuro Ray's RX-93 ν Gundam, and its overall specifications are tailored for a Newtype pilot. It's equipped with a "Psycommu Block" in its head to amplify the pilot's brainwaves, a Minovsky Flight System that enables high-speed atmospheric flight, and the new Beam Barrier technology, which not only defends against attacks but also reduces air resistance to break the sound barrier. Its armaments are also designed for atmospheric combat, featuring standard portable weapons like a beam rifle and shield, as well as powerful built-in weaponry like Funnel Missiles, a Mega Particle Cannon, and micro-missiles.
▼ Taking a look at the main figure, the first thing that grabs your attention is the sheer amount of gleaming plated parts. Past NXEDGE STYLE releases were mostly molded plastic with some metallic paint applications, but this release goes all out with extensive plating! Of course, the price tag is quite a bit higher to match...
▼ The official description states that the design is based on its movie appearance with added original details unique to the NXEDGE STYLE aesthetic, and it also features newly designed joint parts. Even at a height of just 10cm, you can see an incredible amount of detail, from the rich panel lining to the deliberately exposed inner frame sections that show off the plated parts. Thrusters, vents, and the inner structure of the shoulder armor are all plated, giving it a truly luxurious feel!
▼ In terms of articulation, the head's design hinders its side-to-side rotation, but it has a better range of motion looking up and down.
▼ The shoulders use a pull-out joint mechanism, allowing them to swing forward and backward despite the bulky shoulder armor.
▼ The arm joints feel pretty good, but their range of motion is ultimately limited by the shape of the shoulder armor.
▼ The waist is the highlight of the new joint system, offering a significant forward and backward crunch. This is a major evolution for the line.
▼ The legs are a bit underwhelming. While the front skirt armor is movable, it barely rotates, which means the thighs have almost no upward lift. The knee bend is also limited.
▼ The base of the back stabilizers can also pivot up and down. However, the armor pieces are fixed, so it cannot replicate the "Flight Form" seen in the movie.
▼ The weapons are mostly molded in their base plastic colors, with the beam saber blades painted in a metallic green.
▼ You can swap in the oversized "expressive hands" designed specifically for dramatic flair in the movie!
▼ By removing the beam saber hilts from the shoulders and attaching the blades, you can equip the Xi Gundam for dual-wielding action.
▼ The shield mounts directly onto the left forearm armor, just like in the film. Paired with the beam rifle, you can recreate some awesome shooting poses!
▼ Unfortunately, the Xi Gundam's most iconic weapon, the atmospheric Funnel Missiles, are not included with this release. Collectors wanting to replicate those scenes might have to borrow the effect parts from the HG version!
▼ Next up is its impressively sized brother unit, the "NXEDGE STYLE Penelope"!
The RX-104 Odysseus Gundam is a new prototype MS developed by Anaheim Electronics for the Earth Federation Forces. It also serves as a commemorative unit for AE's 20th anniversary of Gundam development and is the brother unit to the RX-105 Xi Gundam. The Odysseus Gundam was designed with the premise of using additional equipment; when outfitted with the "FIXED FLIGHT UNIT," it becomes the RX-104FF Penelope. The massive Fixed Flight Unit houses a high-output Minovsky Flight System and a Beam Barrier to reduce drag, allowing it to fly at supersonic speeds. It's also armed with Funnel Missiles for atmospheric use, a high-output beam rifle, and composite arm units that integrate a Mega Particle Cannon, missiles, and a beam saber. Its size, mobility, and firepower are all monstrously powerful.
▼ With the flight unit attached, its total height reaches 12cm, making it a full head taller than the Xi Gundam! It's also incredibly wide from front to back, which explains why it needed such a massive box.
▼ The overall design philosophy is the same as the Xi Gundam's, based on the movie version with original NXEDGE STYLE details and new joint parts. In addition to the rich panel lining, the use of plated parts is even more extensive than on the Xi, especially the massive gold sections inside the flight unit, which make it look even more spectacular.
▼ For armaments, it includes the Penelope's uniquely shaped beam rifle and its composite shield unit. The beam saber blades are molded in the Earth Federation's traditional metallic pink.
▼ Even with the flight unit equipped, the Penelope has decent articulation, sharing the same joint design as the Xi Gundam. Posing it for battle with its beam rifle, shield, and beam sabers is a blast—the massive frame combined with the plated parts gives it an incredible presence!
▼ While it also can't transform into its "Flight Form," the "NXEDGE STYLE Penelope" has another cool feature.
▼ You can remove the flight unit to reveal the core mobile suit, the "Odysseus Gundam"!
▼ Even for the armor hidden underneath, the paint application and sculpted details are not overlooked. Aside from a few obtrusive connection points, the design is incredibly cool!
▼ With the armor purged, the articulation improves. The head has less obstruction, allowing for very flexible movement up, down, and side-to-side.
▼ The shoulders again use a pull-out joint, enabling a wide forward and backward swing.
▼ The elbow can bend to a maximum of 90 degrees and can be raised high in conjunction with the shoulder joint.
▼ The waist, perhaps to maintain structural integrity, doesn't use the new highly articulated design found on the Xi Gundam. The legs suffer from the same issue: short thighs and interference from the front skirt armor prevent more dynamic poses. However, it can pull off a decent split, and the double ball joints in the ankles allow the feet to remain firmly planted.
▼ For collectors who pick up both, don't forget to stage their fateful duel! A simple melee clash looks a bit plain, though. If only they came with Funnel Missile effect parts like the HG kits, you could truly capture the signature combat style of these two machines!
That wraps up our review of these two new releases from "Hathaway's Flash." The extensive use of plated parts is a refreshing change, giving them a much more luxurious feel compared to the somewhat plasticky look of past releases. The new joint system also improves articulation. Most importantly, even in a super-deformed style, the monstrously-sized Xi Gundam and Penelope look absolutely awesome! If you're okay with the 6,000-7,000 yen price point, these are definitely worth considering for your collection!