The 1/144 scale Gunpla『HG (High Grade)』series, launched by the HOBBY Division of Japan's BANDAI SPIRITS Company, is set to release its latest product from《Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch from Mercury》, the「HG 1/144 Gundam Aerial (Rebuild)」, on March 18, 2023. Bandai officials have also released unboxing photos and a detailed explanation of the product in advance of its release!
The XVX-016RN Gundam Aerial (Rebuild) is the mobile suit piloted by protagonist Suletta Mercury. After a fierce duel with the Grassley House, the heavily damaged Gundam Aerial was recovered by Shin Sei Development Corporation, operated by her mother, and underwent significant modifications and enhancements to its exterior armor and weaponry. It features a more robust and refined armor design, a new beam rifle with greatly enhanced performance, and its signature 11「GUND-Bits」which can still form a shield, be used as funnels, or be mounted on various parts of the mobile suit to enhance mobility. They can even combine with the beam rifle to form a powerful beam cannon, boasting astonishing power and caliber.
The「HG 1/144 Gundam Aerial (Rebuild)」kit features entirely new molded parts for the entire mobile suit, with the exception of the clear parts for the beam saber blades. It includes multiple molded colors such as red, green, blue, yellow, white, dark gray, clear black, and clear blue, and does not use PC soft plastic parts. Similar to the original Gundam Aerial, IMD (In-Mold Decoration) molded parts are used to reproduce the red lines that appear on the chest when the Permet Score activates.
The armor lines of the entire mobile suit largely reproduce the anime's design. The head, including the red on the forehead and chin, and the green of the twin-eye cameras, are separately colored and segmented. The red lines that appear on the top of the head and thighs when the Permet Score activates are also represented using clear black parts with internal reflective stickers. The green glowing areas on the shoulders, abdomen, wrists, and thighs are also represented using green reflective stickers.
The IMD (In-Mold Decoration) molded part used for the chest is only for the upper half; the lower half also requires reflective stickers for reproduction. Alternatively, clear black parts with internal reflective stickers can be used, with slight differences in color and reflectivity between the two methods.
The overall design of the movable joints largely inherits from the previous Gundam Aerial. The shoulder joints, hip joints, and limbs all feature a flexible range of motion. The backpack's rotating deployable wings and thrusters also have movable and deployable mechanisms. Furthermore, the connection parts for the head and limbs are common across the『HG The Witch from Mercury』Gunpla series, allowing for free interchangeability with other mobile suits in the series.
Regarding weaponry, the two beam sabers with blue beams remain largely unchanged. The new large beam rifle is made with a new design and can be fixed into the center of the backpack when not in use. Although the shield's appearance seems to have changed significantly, when separated into 11 GUND-Bits, their shapes are still quite similar. By replacing parts, it's possible to reproduce the beam cannon form, where the rifle body expands and combines with the GUND-Bits, or to mount them on various parts of the mobile suit. With a separately sold display stand, you can recreate scenes of all GUND-Bits firing simultaneously.
HG 1/144 Gundam Aerial (Rebuild)
Reference Price: 1,870 JPY (Tax Included)
Scheduled Release Date: 2023/03/18
Product Specifications: 1/144 Scale Assembly Model
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via： BANDAI HOBBY