HG XVX-016 Gundam Aerial (2022 Edition) – Arrival of the Witch
Introduction
Welcome to another review, where we take a look at the XVX-016 Gundam Aerial. This High Grade kit was released in 2022 and is the main Gundam of the Witch from Mercury series. Let’s take a closer look at the experience we had building this wonderful mobile suit and what the end result is like.
Articulation
The articulation of the Gundam Aerial is as good as you may expect from a truly modern model kit. I did not run into any limitations while posing the model kit in several poses true to the first season of the anime series. (Reminder to self: I still need to watch the second season!)
Detailing and Sculpting
In my opinion, the details are really good for a High Grade kit. I dig the somewhat feminine look of the mobile suit. Also I think that the shield is really well done. The gun, however, is a bit bland unfortunately (although this is the same in the anime series it is based one).
Construction and Assembly
The kit I built before building this kit was the HG 00 Gundam from the second season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00, which is a kit that is about 10 years older. Building this kit after that one made me really appreciate the building process of modern kits. Parts fit without issue, and assembly is both fun and easy.
Color Separation
Though not my favorite design in terms of color, once again the kit is really spot on as far as I can tell. I also liked the colors on the transparent parts showing the red lines of the Permet system, although you can also swap these out for other colors. Speaking of which…
Decals and Stickers
The kit contained surprisingly many stickers. And this is not because the model kit has a lot of color correction stickers. The main reason for the relatively large amount of stickers is the ability to customize the kit however you like. For example, you can opt for different eye colors. You can also use the prebuilt Permet system parts or use stickers to apply to transparent part, in which you are free to choose between activated Permet stickers with red lines or simply gray stickers.
Accessories and Weapons
This High Grade Aerial kit comes with the standard protagonist loadout: a beam saber, a rifle, and the shield. The beam saber comes in a nice looking blue. The rifle does its thing, but as mentioned before it looks kind of boring. What truly stands out about this kit is the shield. The GUND-BITs can also be detached from the shield and applied to different parts of its armor, or placed on a special stand (which is sold separately, unfortunately).
Durability
I have only recently built the kit, so determining the durability of the High Grade Aerial is a bit of a stretch. From what I can tell so far, however, is that the durability will not be that big of a risk for this kit. I think if any issues arise, they will likely arise from the Permet system parts. They are really thin and fit really tight. During the building process, as well posing the kit afterwards, I had the shoulder Permet part fly out a couple of times.
Overall Aesthetics
Honestly, I must say that I think that this model kit looks better than the Gundam Aerial does in its respective anime series. Whereas especially the head feels a bit cartoony in the series, the model kit looks more mature. I also like the balance the design has struck between looking too simple and too complicated. Additionally, I think it’s interesting that they went for a more feminine look due to its thicker hips and legs in combination with its relatively small waist.
Value for Money
This model kit is truly a great High Grade. I bought it for €17.99, which isn’t really that high for the level of quality. In other words, this kit of the Gundam Aerial offers plenty of value for the money that it costs.
Conclusion
The High Grade kit of the Gundam Aerial is just what you may expect from a modern protagonist model kit. It looks like a proper Gundam, and does what it must do for a High Grade. Now of course, the Full Mechanics version offers more detail and better articulation, but this kit offers a lot of value for money. The same cannot be said for all High Grade kits, but you won’t regret buying this one.
Get the 2022 HG Gundam Aerial model kit here: https://gunplaprices.com/product/gundam-aerial/