Product Line / High Grade THE WITCH FROM MERCURY
Scale & Class / 1/144 Scale Plastic Model Kit
Manufacturer / Bandai Spirits
Release Date / 2022
Appearances / Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury
Following a couple of kits from the PROLOGUE special, we finally get into the main series with HG Gundam Aerial, the main protagonist machine for this season. And while its in-universe connection with Gundam Lfrith has yet to be explained (at the time of writing), the model kits are definitely connected with the same technology and engineering being used. While their designs are not entirely the same, there are definite similarities that also carry to the engineering and technology used in the model kit. I’ve explained these with my look at HG Gundam Lfrith, but the use of in-molded parts from the shell units, the absence of polycap parts, and use of C-clips for joints are definitely present in HG Gundam Aerial.
With those out of the way, it bascially boils down to how much the model kit captures the original design, and this kit does that pretty well. The use of smart parts separation and layering them to get the most color accuracy out of the box is definitely appreciated. This is particularly important, especially in the head unit, where newer Gundams tend to have more complicated designs to differentiate their aesthetic from the other mobile suits inside and outside their own series. You still need to paint several details, like those vent-like parts on the feet, but at least they’re not as distracting if you keep them unpainted as older kits. Like Gundam Lfrith, Gundam Aerial uses the same GUND-BIT weapon system where several Bit Staves become the shield. Unlike Gundam Lfrith though, Gundam Aerial’s shield requires a separate part to keep the bits together. The Receiver Gun of Gundam Lfrith gets an upgrade with a good classic Beam Rifle, which also gets its own beam effect part, along with those for the Beam Sabers.
