HG 1/144 CEK-040 Begilbeu Review: Features & Highlights

This time, we will be introducing a review of 

the HG 1/144 CEK-040 Begirbeu !

The HG Begilbeu is a 1/144 scale model kit of the MS “Begilbeu” that appears in “PROLOGUE”, the prequel to “Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch of Mercury”. The distinctive aircraft shape with a flight unit on the back is reproduced with new molding. In addition to the portable weapons “bayonet” equipped on both arms, this kit has distinctive weapons such as a non-kinetic pod equipped on the flight unit and foldable leg claws. Lead wires and a stand for deploying the non-kinetic pod are also included. The price is 1,760 yen (tax included).

The “Begilbeu”, the machine piloted by Kenanji Avery, who attacked the Vanadis Organization as part of the special forces “Dominicos Squad”, has been made into an HG kit. The unique shape of the machine developed by Grasley Defense Systems has been reproduced with new molding.

The molding color is white with purple accents on the limbs, back, etc. The oval molds on the head and other parts are clear purple, and the blade of the bayonet is light green.

Stickers are used to cover the oval molds on the head and various parts, as well as parts of the flight unit on the back, but there aren’t many. The molds on various parts of the body, such as the ducts on the flight unit on the back, need to be painted black, but even with the bare assemble the model has a fairly good color scheme.

No polycaps are used. The torso, limb joints, internal frame, etc. are made of dark purple molded KPS.

The joints are fairly strong. Because it has a large backpack on its back, it puts a little pressure on the rear, but it can stand on its own without any problems.

Includes 2 bayonets, 2 wired parts for non-kinetic pods, and a clear support for the non-kinetic pod display. The wired parts are designed to be used by cutting a single lead wire to your desired length.

Some extra clear parts are included.

The head has an impressive triangular silhouette and a cross on the forehead. It is reproduced with a simple structure of three overlapping parts. The exterior is a combination of the top and bottom, but the seams on the sides are color-coded and molded in a stepped pattern.

The cross on the forehead and the armor on the left and right sides are reproduced using clear parts, and stickers are applied on top to add different colors.

Chest and abdomen. Although it is slender and not flashy, the white armor is mechanically sculpted. The dome-shaped clear part in the center of the chest is impressive. The white exterior parts and abdomen are combined front and back, but the seams on the sides are molded in a stepped pattern.

The waist is lightly armored. It is equipped with simple white front and rear armor. The oval mold at the base of the legs is recreated by attaching a ring-shaped sticker and then covering it with clear parts.

Fuselage internal frame

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The front armor can move up and down.

The back of the rear armor has a simple mold. The crotch area is connected with a thick single-axis dowel and has no movable gimmicks.

Arms. The shoulder armor is quite prominent, but the arms below are slim and lightly armored. The white armor on the wrists is color-coded into inner and outer parts.

The upper arms are a left and right combination, but the seam is at the edge. If you want to remove it, you will need to insert it from the back. The forearms are a front and back combination, but the seam on the side is molded in a stepped pattern.

The elbow joint is connected with a hinge. It is clamped by the forearm parts, so it doesn’t seem like it will wear down too much.

The shoulder armor is made by combining parts so that there are no seams. The outer white armor also has a stepped molded seam at the top. The color coding is also reproduced in detail.

The oval mold on the front, like the base of the legs, is recreated by attaching a ring-shaped sticker and then covering it with clear parts.

The shoulder armor can move up and down. The shoulders are also movable and can be pulled out.

The legs are not particularly flashy, but they are covered with an undulating exterior and have a unique design.

The legs are molded with a simple internal frame. They are molded in a nearly straight line. The shape is symmetrical, so be careful not to mix up the front and back.

The thighs are a front and back combination, and the seams are where the parts are color-coded. The lower legs are a front and back combination, but the seams on the sides are molded with a step-down design.

The sole has a three-pronged, animal-like design, and is a foot unit used as a fighting weapon.

The heel is hinged and connected by KPS, which is not very strong, so if you try to force it open, it will turn white and lose its strength, so be careful. (It actually turned white;) There are holes on the inside of the heel and toe. The toe and heel can be folded. They can be used as weapons like claws.

It is equipped with a large backpack with flight units on both sides. It is also equipped with a spherical non-kinetic pod in the center. The molds on the surface need to be painted gray.

It is connected to the backpack via two dowels.

It can also be equipped with HGUC backpacks and Gundam Lubris backpacks.

Gundam Rubris is equipped with a Begilbeu backpack. It looks good on it and doesn’t look out of place.

The oval mold on the top of the backpack is recreated by covering a purple sticker with clear parts.

The backpack base is made up of two pieces, front and back, but the seams are molded in with step-downs, etc. The seams on the top are also at the corners, so they are not noticeable.

The central armor is a simple one-piece construction. The lower thruster part is colored with a dark blue sticker.

The back of the armor appears to be hollowed out.

The surface of the flight unit features a non-kinetic pod and holder. The non-kinetic pod can be detached from the holder. The holder can rotate.

The left and right flight units are made of thick armor. The surface molding and the lower ducts need to be painted gray.

It is made of two parts, but the outer seam is molded in with a step-down, etc. The inner seam is at the edge.

The flight unit can be deployed between the two wings. The small wings can also be deployed. The dark purple between the two wings is colored with a sticker, and the small wings are colored with parts.

The flight unit can swing up and down moderately.

Non-kinetic pod. It is a wired remote control terminal. It is said to be an evolution of the Permet electronic countermeasure equipment that put an end to the drone war by unmanned drones. It is a simple construction of two parts, and the joint in the center is a stepped mold. The circular molds on each side and the stepped molds on the sides need to be painted gray.

By using the included wired parts, you can recreate the ejection state of the Non-Kinetic Pod. The wired parts consist of lead wires and joint parts. Be careful not to pull out the joint parts inserted into the Non-Kinetic Pod, as the lead wires will come out. Grab the parts and pull them out.

Comparing the size with the HG Ground Type GM and HG Lupus Rex. The Begilbeu itself is not much different from the Land GM, only slightly larger. The backpack on its back makes it look a little larger. The Begilbeu is 18.3m tall.

It’s lined up with the HG Gundam Rubris, which was released on the same day . Both are new series of machines, futuristic and mechanical. The battle scenes in the movie were impressive, but it’s a shame that the prequel “PROLOGE” is only available for a limited time and can’t be viewed multiple times. I hope it will be distributed at a later date.

 

The head can move up and down over a wide range, and can also move left and right smoothly without any interference.

The arms can also be raised quite high. The elbows are single jointed and can move up to a V shape.

The shoulders can swing widely both forward and backward. The shoulders can be pulled forward, allowing for an even wider swing.

The base of the chest is movable, so the upper body can be moved slightly forward and backward. It can also swing left and right to the same extent.

The waist does not rotate, but the base of the chest rotates. It can rotate 360 ​​degrees without interference. The range of motion is the same even if the backpack is equipped on the back. When displaying on an action base or stand, insert the 3.0mm axis into the crotch area as usual.

Since the front armor is light, you can spread your legs forward widely. The rear armor interferes with the back, but if you deploy it in a way that avoids it, you can spread your legs out widely.

The knees are single jointed, but can be bent into a V shape. The knee armor can swing up and down.

The ankles are decent both front to back and side to side, and can be moved widely to the left and right with two movable parts.

There is no interference when spreading the legs to the left and right, so they can be extended beyond horizontal.

It is also possible to completely rotate the legs in a knock-knee or wide-legged position.

We were also able to recreate the kneeling pose with a beautiful posture.

In terms of the range of motion, each part moves with a satisfying amount of movement. There is almost no interference, so it’s fun to play with. The joints are reasonably strong, so it’s easy to move around. There is also a high degree of freedom in posing, so it seems like it can handle any pose.

Bayonet. A portable weapon for use against mobile suits, it is armed with a twin beam gun unit and a sword unit with a real sword blade. The real sword blade is reproduced in a light green molding color.

There is a grip on the inside for holding it with the hand parts. The connection part of the actual sword blade is simply made.

The beam gun unit has two gun muzzles at the tip. The main body is made up of two parts, one in front and one in back, but the center seam is molded with a step-down .

The bayonet is first disassembled, the grip is held, and the disassembled beam gun unit is then assembled.

The beam gun unit fits into the white wrist part on the forearm, allowing the bayonet to be firmly fixed in place.

Equipped with bayonets on both arms.

The bayonet can be firmly attached to the hand parts and forearms, making it easy to recreate poses such as firing the beam gun or slicing with the physical sword.

Although it is an atypical shape, the design is well balanced and the flight unit on the back is wide, making it easy to pose.

When landing, fold your toes.

The toes and heels of the foot unit can be moved, so you can create the effect of grabbing something with your legs. The waist and crotch areas are lightly armored but strong, so it’s great that the legs can move freely.

The non-kinetic pod is combined with wired parts and attached to the included clear support to recreate the ejection state.

The Non-Kinetic Pod is displayed by inserting the axis of the clear support into the 3.0mm holes in each part. It can also be inserted into the 3.0mm hole in the central step mold, but it is loose and easy to fall out. Therefore, it is safer to insert it in the position shown in the image. The support is thin and easy to fall over, so it needs to be placed in a balanced manner.

The lead wires are long, so you can recreate the ejection state from a certain distance. Without a support, the Non-Kinetic Pod is heavy, so the lead wires alone cannot support it and it will sag.

Only one clear support is included, so if you want to deploy two, you will need to use an action base or a handheld stand.

Please feel free to take a few.

Although atypical, it has a strong presence, giving it a unique and impactful alien-like appearance. The arms, such as the bayonet, non-kinetic pod on the back, and flight unit, are also unique and can be used in a wide range of poses. The high strength of the joints makes it easy to handle and enjoy without stress.

There is almost nothing to be concerned about, but the hinge strength of the heel is a little weak, so be careful not to move it too much or the parts will whiten and become loose. Also, it is a minor thing, but some of the holes in the non-kinetic pods are scuffed even when the posts are inserted, so it would have been nice if each part could be firmly fixed in place.

The flexibility and good mobility make posing fun, and the solid strength of the figure makes it easy to pose. Gimmicks such as the deployment of the flight unit and the foot unit’s claws are also abundant. Like the Gundam Lubris released on the same day, this kit has a high level of completion and a wide range of playability that is typical of the latest kits.