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HG Astray Blue Frame
The Astrays in SEED don’t appear in the main show but rather mostly in the Mangas and some short animations. Thus my main exposure to this mobile suit came from the game SEED Never Ending Tomorrow. This is one of 3 Gundam types that were recovered from Heliopolis. I don’t exactly love SEED or its mecha but they made this one in my favorite color.
Assembly:
One thing I noticed with this SEED kit as opposed to the UC ones I’m used to is there are a lot more detail parts. Now the torso is the most complicated part of the model and if you can figure out the backpack the first try, you’ll take a good 10 minutes off the building time. Since it’s a 1/144, nothing too major here. Total assembly time 30 to 50 minutes.
Head:
The head starts as the standard human type head. You have one piece holding the eye decals that fits into the face piece. A red chin part that snaps onto the inside of the face then a back piece to hold it all together. The molded detail on the head is exemplary and with some black pen, you can bring the head to life. You have 2 decals to liven up the forehead and back of the head. Last, a blue V Fin to make it a true Gundam. The V Fin fits on well enough, you should have no problems here.
Torso:
If you can paint, that will benefit your torso greatly. The backpack on this model is a little odd as you have a piece that folds down to accommodate it. You have one decal near the stomach which is no trouble. On the back is 2 holsters for the beam saber handles which can be removed.
Arms:
The arms have a unique moving system that basically allows you to point your hands in any direction you can dream of. The torso has a joint which can roll the shoulders forward or backward and allow a little up and down movement. Then you can rotate the entire arm on its joint. Halfway up the triceps, you can rotate the rest of the arm fully. Last, the elbow bends normally. The arm detail is nice; again, black pen can make it look really nice. You have white armor pieces on the shoulders and forearms. For hands you’re given normal fists and then a trigger finger for the right hand.
Legs:
The legs are another pleasant part of the model. Your hips would be standard but there is no annoying skirt armor. Again, the leg pieces have incredible detail and fit very tightly. The knees bend close to 90 degrees and cannot bend forward at all because of an armor flap. The setup for the feet allows you to bend the feet forward while it rotates on a socket joint. There are detail pieces for the shins and armor slabs for the thighs too.
Accessories:
The Astray Blue Frame hits the basics for a Gundam type model. You have a beam rifle, bazooka, shield and 2 beam sabers. The shield can fit in the forearm at 2 angles and matches the Striker pack shield in everything but color. The beam sabers are clear pink pieces and can be removed from the handles. They also have great detail, giving a bursting look to the base of the blade. The Bazooka is 4 pieces, with a scope included; if you want to paint the magazine a gray color, it would look nice. Beam rifle is nice but the barrel is fragile. If you’re the kind of person who likes posing a lot, bring some glue.
Final Thoughts:
This kit is pretty high quality. SEED fans can’t go wrong here and you get enough extras to keep other models well equipped too. I really don’t have any complaints about it.
