HGUC 1/144 Hi-Nu Gundam [Review]

This is the High Grade Universal Century 1/144 scale Hi-nu Gundam. I was actually expecting something quite tall for some reason, but its considerably smaller than the HGUC 1/144 Nu Gundam, which is supposed to be its predecessor.

I've compared it in height with a HG 1/144 Force Impulse, and HGUC 1/144 Sazabi. It is slightly taller than the Impulse, but still not big like the Sazabi is.

It comes molded in white, blue, gray, and a darker gray. There are stickers for the eyes, camera lenses, two little lines on the fronts of the feet, and very small insignificant stickers for tiny parts like the V on its crotch area. It also comes with some decals in the form of clear stickers. The majority of this model is white and blue so there isn't much painting required for the body, but the beam rifle and bazooka come molded completely dark gray. The majority of these weapons are actually white, so you'll need to paint a lot of it white if you want accuracy. Panel lining is minimal but they are there so I recommend you go through them with a Gundam marker if you want the model to stand out.

An interesting thing to note about the helmet is that is one whole piece, not two halves like most models. That's a good move on their part. Unfortunately, the head can't really turn very far to the side because the helmet and the torso get in the way of each other. Construction of the rest of the body is pretty standard, and I was slightly disappointed because I was expecting a bit more. The legs are connected via round polycaps, and they feel loose already. I really hate polycap joints, but I guess it can't be helped with a 1/144 scale model.

Articulation is also quite HG standard. The hands feel very stiff, so the wrists don't allow much movement. The torso can bend forward slightly, but it has an odd habit of sliding off its peg, as it is rather loose. Arms and legs have standard articulation, nothing special to report. On a side note, it comes with two closed fists and a hand with the trigger finger out for holding the beam rifle. Theres a peg that connects very firmly with the beam rifle handle so no need to worry about holding the weapon firmly.

Its arsenal consists of the beam rifle, bazooka, beam saber, and shield. The guns are simply two halves snapped together and need painting like I mentioned before. The beam saber is a clear blue blade, which is quite nice to look at. There is another beam saber included, but no blade. Not sure what the point of that was...

Finally, the focal point: the fin funnels. The funnels were the biggest complaint with other reviewers because out of the six of them, only two actually open up for the attack mode. The other four are simply two solid pieces that don't open or fold at all. I really don't see why they couldn't have just made all six of them separate, functioning funnels. The older HGUC Nu Gundam had all of its fin funnels separate and functioning, its inexcusable that they couldn't do the same with the Hi-nu. Also, the two working fin funnels connect separately via very small pegs and polycaps, and are very loose so they are prone to slipping out very easily.

Most of my disappointments were mainly due to my unjustified high hopes for this kit, but clearly I was expecting too much. The HGUC 1/144 Sazabi and Nu Gundam are impressive models and quite big for their scale, so I thought the Hi-nu would follow suit. But putting all that aside, it is quite a good looking model, with plenty of details, good proportioning, and an eye-catching color scheme. It doesn't replace the master grade version, which is one of the best models to come out, and the Hi-nu is a great design, which is why I might even pick up the master grade if I get the money. If you want a good small scale addition to your collection, there's no harm in getting this model, but if you really like the Hi-nu, I suggest saving up for the master grade.