The 1/144 scale Gunpla 'HG (High Grade)' series, launched by Japan's BANDAI SPIRITS HOBBY Division, is set to release its latest product from 'Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury,' the 'HG 1/144 New Item B (Provisional),' in July 2023. However, even with just one month until its release and the anime plot nearing its conclusion, product information has yet to be revealed.
While Bandai has kept it tightly under wraps, clues gradually released in the latest 'The Witch from Mercury' storyline allow us to deduce the true identity of this product. In Episode 21, the long-anticipated GUND-Format mobile suit drone for the Aerial Gundam, the 'XGF-E3 Gundnode,' finally appeared, deploying an overwhelming number to create a massive Data Storm space, directly paralyzing the Permet Systems of the Space Assembly League fleet and their main mass-produced mobile suits, the 'Karagol,' leading to the complete annihilation of the fleet.
▼ Gundnode
▼ Karagol
However, considering previous GUND-Format drones like the 'HG 1/144 Gundvolva' (priced at 1,540 JPY) and mass-produced mobile suits developed by various companies (priced at 1,760 JPY), this New Item B, with its high price of 2,200 JPY, is unlikely to be the Gundnode or Karagol. Furthermore, both machines have already made their official appearance in the series, so there's no reason to keep them hidden. Therefore, the most probable answer is the Gundam mobile suit that only appeared as a fleeting silhouette for a few seconds: the 'Gundam Calibarn.'
This 'Gundam Calibarn,' which Guston requested Suletta to pilot, is a mobile suit that was seized and sealed by the Space Assembly League during the Vanadis Incident 21 years ago. If the plot progression remains unchanged, the Gundam Calibarn will be the final mobile suit piloted by protagonist Suletta. However, this machine, dubbed a monster, is not equipped with a Data Storm filter. This implies that if Suletta pilots it, she might suffer the same fate as her father, Nadim, whose body was consumed by the Data Storm, raising concerns that Ōkouchi might be planning another 'Zero Requiem' scenario where the protagonist, Lelouch, meets his end.
HG 1/144 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury New Item B (Provisional)
Reference Price: 2,200 JPY (Tax Included)
Estimated Release Date: 2023/07
Product Specifications: 1/144 Scale Assembly Model
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via： BANDAI HOBBY SITE