I’m not totally caught up with the latest on spin-off manga Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury: Vanadis Heart, except for new Gunpla releases. I did build the HG Gundam Naion earlier this year and it was an excellent kit in my opinion. I’ve yet to build the HG Gundam Lfrith Jiu, and it looks like it’s getting an upgrade.
I will provide a comparison photo between this guy and the original version in a bit. But the most notable difference from this upgrade appears to be the new backpack unit.
As mentioned, the main body design is mostly unchanged with some color swaps and additional armor panels here and there. There are less exposed shell units and the head gains a new pair of blade antennas, but the overall visual changes are fairly minor.
Its signature weapon, the Tiger Hand, also gets a slight redesign. The rear thruster can be adjusted when displayed in its deployed state. I do appreciate the removal of the hot pink areas on the digits and the “bicep” area on the previous version. It’s also compatible with The Witch From Mercury Weapon Display Base. Speaking of compatibility, the kit also comes with adapter parts for using the Tiger Hand with other kits using the High Grade-standard double peg connectors.
For a unit whose not really meant for hard combat, the direction this upgrade takes makes sense, at least from the visuals. Adding the flight pack provides more mobility while the weapons load out remains mainly the same. It still looks great though, as with most Witch from Mercury designs so I’ll likely get a copy, despite having no idea what’s happening in the actual manga.
HG 1/144 Gundam Lfrith Jiu
January 2027 / ¥2,600
Premium Bandai Exclusive
