It’s been a while since I made a haul post, but that’s totally far from saying I’ve not made any additions to the backlog since the last one. I do want to highlight a couple of things for this batch of new kits, so let’s get into it.
In case you’re not aware, the mid-season upgrades of the Gundams from Gundam Wing are being sold as regular retail kits in English-speaking territories, in contrast to being Premium Bandai exclusives in Japan and Asia. And it’s not as simple as seeing the Premium Bandai exclusives on shelves, they are released in full color and properly localized packaging. I really wanted these versions, though I already got the HGAC Altron Gundam when it was initially released. So, I hopped to BBTS (not sponsored), not the usual store where I purchase Gunpla, and pre-ordered the HGAC Deathscythe Hell, Heavyarms Custom, and Sandrock Custom. I’m aware some retail stores already have these in stock for a while, but I guess the BBTS stock has just arrived.
The packaging is essentially the monochromatic Premium Bandai version, but in color. That said there are also other subtle differences not many would notice. For starters, the Japanese series logo is replaced with the shorter Mobile Suit Gundam Wing used for English marketing. All other bulleted text and legalities are also in English. As you can see directly above, they’ve also implemented the vertical design for one of the shorter sides. This was something I was also expecting for regular HGUC releases, but when I got the HGCE Legend Gundam, everything was still horizontal.
I’ve yet to open the box to check if the instruction manual will also be in color, in contrast to the usual black and white sheet seen on other Premium Bandai HG releases. On that note, I’ll probably hold off on opening the box until the Deathscythe Hell and Heavyarms Custom have arrived. I also plan to repaint Heavyarms/Custom in colors closer to the Endless Waltz version.
The other kits I wanted to share are these Evangelion kits from Blokees. I got really excited when Blokees announced they’re doing the Neon Genesis Evangelion version of EVA-01 since we rarely see representation of that design nowadays. That said, I’ve yet to see any stores outside China sell the TV version. In contrast, I got the Rebuild of Evangelion version late last year (or earlier this year) on a random trip to a toy store.
That meant the Rebuild of Evangelion version got the international packaging while the Neon Genesis Evangelion version is all localized to the Chinese market. Outside of the boxes, and the instructions, I don’t think there would be any differences to the actual contents. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to build these two, but I do want to complete them while the franchise is still celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026.
