RG Unicorn Gundam 2 Banshee Norn Review

This time, we will be introducing a review of the RG 1/144 Unicorn Gundam 2nd Banshee Norn !

RG 1/144 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn is a 1/144 scale model kit of the MS “Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn” that appears in “Mobile Suit Gundam UC”. In addition to the transformation gimmick with the Advanced MS Framework, it comes with Armed Armor, Armed Armor DE, and a revolving launcher that can be attached to the Beam Magnum. The unique armaments allow you to realistically recreate scenes from the show. The price is 4,320 yen (tax included). (This is a review of the RG 1/144 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn [Premium “Unicorn Mode” Box].)

The Unicorn Gundam 2nd Unit Banshee Norn is made up of a dark blue exterior and a clear orange Psycoframe. The dark blue is divided into two colors, even though they are subtle, allowing you to enjoy the realistic style unique to RG, which is different from HG and MG.

The frame uses the same Advanced MS Joints as the RG Unicorn Gundam, with link and lock mechanisms in each part, allowing you to enjoy a firm shape that will not fall apart in either Unicorn Mode or Destroy Mode.

It stands on its own fairly well. Because it’s RG, each part is delicate, but the strength of the joints is quite high, and the contact surface of the soles of the feet is stable, so it stands on its own quite well.

Realistic decals are included. They include gold markings and silver stickers to make the clear orange Psycho Frame shine. This time, only some of the silver stickers were used.

Head. It has a blade antenna like a cockscomb. The head shape has a different impact from the Unicorn Gundam. It has fine lines and is made realistically. The mask also has fang-like molds unique to the Banshee.

The sensor on the back of the head is recreated with a clear red part. The instructions say to stick a sticker on the surface, but it looks beautiful as is so I didn’t put any stickers on it this time.

Chest. Because it is in Unicorn mode, the shape is simple, but there are many molds, giving it a mechanical feel. The gold parts, including the collar, are not plated, but are molded in gold.

Abdomen and waist. This is also simple, but the ducts on the side armor and rear armor are color-coded with gold parts. In the close-up image, there is a slight difference between the two dark blue colors, but the difference is not noticeable to the naked eye.

The cockpit hatch opens.

Inside, the seats are nicely sculpted.

Arms. The shape is the same as the RG Unicorn Gundam. There are no visible seams, and I think it’s well made. The Advanced MS Joint is a bit stiff at first, so you need to bend it slowly to avoid damaging it.

Shoulder armor. It is a type that fits over the Advanced MS Joint, but it is stable and will not come off even when the arm is moved.

The legs. I think they are a well-balanced length, not too long like the MG version. The ducts are color-coded with gold parts.

 

The part below the ankles. The soles of the RG Unicorn Gundam’s feet were blue, but this one is closer to black in color.

The backside of the waist armor is finely sculpted due to the transformation mechanism. The ball joint at the base of the armor is initially quite stiff, and it may break if you twist the armor too much, so it may be best to handle it gently. (There may be individual differences.)

The Armed Armor XC, a feature of the Banshee Norn, is an elaborate design that is different from the HG version.

The Armed Armor XC is connected to the Beam Saber mount on the backpack by an arm, allowing it to move flexibly and recreate the transformation scenes from the series.

The thruster has a slit inside, with a clear ball joint exposed in the center.

Armed Armor XC can be deployed widely.

I compared it with the HG Ground Type GM and the HG Lupus Rex. It’s a little larger than the Lupus Rex, which is quite large for an HG.

I compared it with the RG Unicorn Gundam in Unicorn Mode. The white and dark blue, as well as the gold of the various parts, give it a very different impression. The shape is almost the same, but it has a unique, intimidating feel to it.

Let’s look at the range of motion in Unicorn mode. You can pull the chin in quite well, but it doesn’t look up very far. If you lift it up too much, the ball jointed head will come off easily.

 

The collar is quite prominent and interferes with turning the neck. You can turn it further, but it interferes and the head will float. It does a good job of keeping the head in place, but it comes off easily.

The shoulders can move horizontally. The shoulder articulation of the Advanced MS Joint is slightly outward and a little stiff, so be careful not to bend it too much and damage it.

The internal parts of the shoulders can be removed, allowing them to swing forward firmly.

The elbow can be bent quite a bit. The rotation of the upper arm is also a little stiff, so you need to rotate it slowly.

The movements are so subtle that they are almost imperceptible when bending forward or sticking out your chest. The waist can rotate 360 ​​degrees. There are no obstacles in the way, so it rotates smoothly.

It is fixed to the action base using the mounting parts. The mounting parts slide in from the back. The hip joints have a movable gimmick, which allows the legs to move in a wider range.

The display on the action base is stable. The 1/144 size and lightweight design make it easy to pose during flight.

Both the front and rear armor have a wide range of movement, so there is no interference with the legs and it can move back and forth quite freely.

The knees can be bent widely. Each part has a wide range of motion, allowing for flexible posing.

The ankles are also fairly mobile.

The legs can also be moved left and right to a horizontal position.

The ankles can be bent quite a bit. The overall range of motion is quite wide.

The legs can move in a bow-legged or bow-legged position beyond the horizontal line. This is all thanks to the Advanced MS Joint.

Kneeling is also okay. If you raise your thighs any higher, the front armor may come off due to interference.

The Armed Armor XC is color-coded with gold parts on the inside and dark blue armor parts on the outside. The backpack is a dark gray that is almost black. The inside has a clear orange psychoframe line, and a silver sticker on the inside makes it shine even more.

 

When it is expanded even further, it takes on the shape of Destroy Mode.

The Armed Armor XC is equipped with a Beam Saber hilt on the inside, and the hilt mount can swing slightly.

The armour is flexible in movement.

Includes Armed Armor DE, Beam Magnum with revolving launcher, 2 beam saber blades, Beam Jutte grip, Beam Jutte blade, Unicorn mode fixing antenna, Destroy mode fixing antenna, flat hand parts (left and right), weapon hand parts (left and right), Armed Armor DE mount parts, and a Riddhe Marcenas figure.

In addition, parts for the RG Unicorn Gundam are included as extra parts. Since a certain amount of parts are available, if you prepare an antenna, it looks like you can recreate a black (dark blue) Unicorn Gundam.

Riddhe Marcenas figure. It may be hard to tell because it’s molded in dark blue, but it shows Lieutenant Riddhe in his pilot suit.

Beam Magnum with revolving launcher. A weapon unique to the Banshee Norn. It is divided into fine parts and has a solid shape. The joints are step-down molded, so just by assembling it as is, it is already highly finished.

The revolving launcher and magazine are detachable. The mount parts for the revolving launcher are also detachable, so it can also be used as a normal Beam Magnum.

The revolving launcher magazine can be mounted on the rear armor by changing the angle of the mounting parts. The Beam Magnum magazine can also be mounted.

Only one of the holes for the four revolving launchers is a separate part, and can be pulled out by removing the surface part.

By rearranging the internal parts in the opposite direction, it is possible to recreate the state where one hole is left empty.

The Beam Jutte can be attached to this hole. The Beam Magnum is held securely in place by mounting it to the dowel in the palm and the clip hole.

Armed Armor DE. It was also available as an HG model, but this one has a high degree of color separation and a larger number of parts, making it a structure unique to RG.

 

It is a type that is mounted on a shield. It is firmly fixed, so you need to be careful not to damage it when disassembling it.

Armed Armor DE deployed. It doesn’t wobble even when deployed, and is assembled in a solid state. There are many parts that deploy, so it can easily close if your hand touches it, which is a bit of a flaw. However, I think it is detailed and well made.

The hatch on the top opens, but I couldn’t grab it with the weapon hand parts. The emotion manipulator isn’t included, so it seems you can’t hold the Armed Armor DE with bare hands. It’s a shame that you can’t recreate the scene from the movie; the mega cannon’s launch port is sculpted on the outside of the top.

The Armed Armor DE is mounted on the forearm, just like the shield. It fits in place quite well, so it doesn’t seem to affect posing that much. It might fall off if you hit it with your hand. Because it’s a large piece of equipment, it might interfere with the Armed Armor XC on the back.

The Armed Armor DE is attached to the backpack using mounting parts.

By mounting the Armed Armor DE on the backpack, it is possible to recreate its acceleration booster state.

The Beam Magnum can be mounted on the forearm. The Beam Jutte can be held by the weapon hand parts. It can be held firmly by the dowels.

Each part of the armor can be deployed to expose the Psycoframe and enter Destroy Mode. By deploying the Armed Armor XC, it transforms into a shape resembling a lion’s mane.

Even after transformation, it stands stably on its own. Even when the psychoframe is deployed, the design is well-balanced and stylish.

Comparison with the RG Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode). Its clear orange Psycoframe and gold Armed Armor XC are distinctive features. Although it has a transformation mechanism, it does not have long legs like the MG model, and has a well-balanced overall finish. It’s nice that both the Unicorn Mode and Destroy Mode have a natural style.

Let’s take a quick look at each part of the Destroy Mode. First, the head. By deploying the blade antenna, it takes on a shape resembling a lion’s mane. The face also transforms into a handsome man befitting a Gundam. Overall, it has a sharper design that is different from the Unicorn Gundam.

The face can be changed between Unicorn mode and Destroy mode by rearranging the internal parts and flipping it over.

Chest. By deploying the air intakes and chest and raising the shoulder sensors, it changes into Destroy Mode. The clear orange Psycho Frame parts have fine molding, giving it a mechanical feel.

Abdomen, waist. The abdomen is extended by unlocking the rear stopper. The waist deploys the armor of each part. The Psycoframe is exposed.

Arms. The outer armor equipped with the beam tonfer and the wrists can be stretched to expose the Psycoframe. The shoulder armor can also be rotated with fine movement, exposing the Psycoframe.

Legs. The knees are expanded and the thighs and shins are stretched to expose the Psychoframe. The part below the ankles can also be transformed into a heel shape.

The Armed Armor XC deploys the armor on the top and the armor on the sides of the backpack. It exposes the thrusters. (The Psycoframe at the top center of the backpack is not exposed m(_ _)m)

So, here are a few of them.

Following the RG Unicorn Gundam, the style balance is as good as ever, and the modeling is solid and well done.

As for the armaments, we can enjoy the revolving launcher, Armed Armor XC and Armed Armor DE, which are unique to the Banshee Norn, and they give the impression that the Banshee is even stronger than the RG Unicorn Gundam. The gimmicks are also abundant, and it is nice to know that the Banshee is not just a color variation of the Unicorn Gundam, but has many unique pleasures of its own.

It is not so much a matter of the size of the Banshee as it is a 1/144 size, so it takes up a lot of space.

The 1/144 size takes up very little space, and the posing is stable, so you can enjoy dynamic posing even in a small space.