A couple of days ago, Bandai Spirits Hobby Division revealed their upcoming releases for the first quarter of 2025. Compared to their most recent showcase, this one didn’t excite me as much though I know many were really pumped with the announcement of the MG Gundam Vidar, bringing new life to the Master Grade line which wasn’t as prevalent in regular retail as before. But since I don’t cover 1/100 scale kits here, let me focus on those that interest me.
HGUC Psycho Gundam Mk-II
Something we already knew from a previous new kit showcase, and as teased with the HG Gundam Typhoeus Chimera, is the HGUC Psycho Gundam Mk-II. Set for a March 2025 release, one year right after the HGCE Destroy Gundam was released this year.
HGUC Psycho Gundam stands at a head height of 270mm, shorter than the advertised 390mm of the HGCE Destroy Gundam. But considering the latter is measured to the top of its long cannons in mobile suit mode, don’t be quick to discount this guy.
Psycho Gundam Mk-II features red and yellow pinstripes and highlights and they won’t come as color-correcting seals. As seen in more recent kits like their Entry Grade line, parts will be cleverly layered to produce accurate colors straight out of the box.
Of course, it’s able to transform into mobile fortress mode and they do highlight a couple of gimmicks to achieve this. One being able to retract the head unit into the torso and fold the blade antenna downwards. This should allow more clearance for the top piece to cover the head and complete the transformation. As for the rest of the body, I’m not sure how similar will the transformation be to the original. The HGUC Psycho Gundam did look accurate in mobile fortress mode, though the transformation isn’t as elegant. We’ll see how this kit will do it.
Of course, this kit won’t be complete without all the accessories seen in the anime. It comes with 10 deployed and 10 stored Reflector Bits (along with beam effects for each), wire connectors for the forearm units, an Action Base 4 along with smaller display bases for the Reflector Bits, and a broken head unit.
I won’t hold by breath on it, but I hope this would pave the way for a 2.0 of the original HGUC Psycho Gundam.
HGUC 1/144 Psycho Gundam Mk-II
March 2025 / ¥10,000
Order from HobbyLink Japan
Option Parts Set Gunpla 14 (Gunbarrel Striker)
Gundam Breaker 4 was just released this week, and the Collector’s Edition of the game included a special colored version of the Entry Grade Gunbarrel Strike Gundam. When that bundle was announced, everyone already knew that we’ll get the regular Gunbarrel Striker in one form or another. And on the same day as the game’s release, we get that announcement as the Option Parts Set Gunpla 14 (Gunbarrel Striker) set.
Having recently built the Aile, Launcher, and Sword Striker sets, I am expecting the Gunbarrel Striker to be as good. Like with great parts separation albeit a more practical construction, making it perfect for Entry Grade kits. That said, I will likely use mine with the HGCE version of the Strike Gundam, following some feedback of loose connections to the back of the Entry Grade Strike Gundam.
To those unfamiliar, the Gunbarrel Strike Gundam is a unit from the Gundam SEED MSV design variation series, and was initially intended to be used by Mu La Flaga to take advantage of his high spatial awareness, in the same way he controls his Moebius Zero.
Option Parts Set Gunpla 14 (Gunbarrel Striker)
January 2025 / ¥1,200
Order from HobbyLink Japan
Ryujinmaru (Mashin Souzouden Wataru)
The last item in my list is not even an upcoming Gunpla, this is Ryujinmaru from the upcoming anime Mashin Souzouden Wataru. It’s a modern interpretation of the classic Wataru storyline viewed from the lens of modern audiences. This ultimately means the internet, smart gadgets, and Minecraft-inspired aesthetics. You can check the latest trailer released below to confirm the last point I mentioned.
The last entry in the franchise was Mashin Hero Wataru: The Sevel Souls of Ryuujinmaru, released in 2020.
This version of Ryujinmaru contains all the nuances of a typical Ryujinmaru design, though the most notable is the asymmetrical dragon head on its right shoulder. The other thing I noticed, especially when compared to the recent Wataru kits released, is that this one isn’t tagged as a High Grade. And I believe the following explains this.
Compared to the previous High Grades, this kit, and the rest from the series, would share a common internal frame that allows modular construction, and possible interchangeability with other kits from the series. It will also utilize touch gates for tool-less assembly, just like Entry Grade kits.
The common internal frame doesn’t look to be the most articulated at first, but it seems to be able to articulate as much as these images show. And for a melee Mashin like Ryujinmaru, being able to replicate these sword-wielding poses is the most important.
Ryujinmaru (Mashin Souzouden Wataru, First Edition Limited)
December 2024 / ¥1,500
Order from HobbyLink Japan
Ryujinmaru (Mashin Souzouden Wataru)
January 2025 / ¥1,500
Order from HobbyLink Japan
And those are the kits that caught my interest, two of which might translate into actual purchases. I know there were a lot more revealed, like the HGCE Z’Gok from Gundam SEED FREEDOM and the HG Choryujin from GaoGaiGar. But for some reason, none of those got me curious, which is ultimately a good thing since I already know that my February 2025 is already full with non-Gunpla pre-orders.
