HGUniversal Century

AGX-04 Kirara's Gerbera Tetra

A Zeon remnant assault suit reborn in idol pink, and it builds just as easily as it looks fun.

MechaGrade Score

3.6/5

Kirara's Gerbera Tetra · 1/144 · 2016

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2016

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the plain, honest HGUC Gerbera Tetra frame with a pink and white repaint that gives it a whole new personality, and I think that repaint earns its keep.

The molded plastic does almost all the color separation work for you, the gate placement is sensible enough that most builders can skip cleanup entirely, and it stands up on a shelf with real presence for a mid-2010s HG. It is not an articulation showcase and it never pretends to be, but as a fast, satisfying, character-driven build it delivers exactly what it promises.

Best for: Gundam Build Fighters fans and HG builders who want a quick, low-stress kit with real shelf character

The full review

What it is

This kit takes the AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra, the half-finished Anaheim Electronics assault frame that became one of the signature suits of Mobile Suit Gundam 0083, and reissues it in the pink and white color scheme Kirara wears in Gundam Build Fighters. I like that Bandai did not cut corners on the retool. You still get the choice between the standard backpack and the oversized Sturm Booster, the forearm-mounted machine cannons, and a pair of beam sabers tucked into the thigh armor. The molded color split between the pink shell and white undersuit does most of the work before you even touch a panel liner, and that alone makes it feel more finished straight off the runners than most kits in its price range.

The catch

The elbow and shoulder cannons look great but they come at a cost, since the bulky shoulder thrusters genuinely restrict how far the arms can swing forward and across the body. This is not a kit that poses like a Real Grade or a modern MG, and if wide dynamic arm poses matter to you, you will feel that ceiling fast. A handful of parts still lean on stickers rather than molded color, and being a Premium Bandai exclusive tied to the Kirara character, it comes and goes in availability and sometimes carries a markup over a standard HGUC release when it is not in stock direct.

Who it's for

I would point this at builders who want a fast, forgiving weekend build with a strong finished look, and especially at anyone who followed Gundam Build Fighters and wants Kirara's machine on the shelf rather than the stock gray and blue Gerbera Tetra. It also works well as a low-pressure kit for someone building their first HG, since the nub placement and part fit are genuinely beginner friendly. If your priority is maximum articulation or you specifically want the original Anaheim colorway tied to the 0083 storyline, grab the standard HGUC release instead and save this one for when the character angle matters to you.

The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

The build itself moves quickly and rarely fights you. Most of the seam lines fall along natural panel breaks by design, so there is almost no need to sand or fill anything unless you are chasing a completely clean build. The nubs that do need clipping sit in forgiving spots, and even a rough cut is easy to touch up with a dab of paint rather than a full repair. Stickers apply cleanly and hold their edges, which matters on a kit that leans on them for a few of the finer color details.

Where this kit earns its keep is the accessory loadout and the color split. Getting a choice between the compact backpack and the oversized Sturm Booster changes the whole silhouette, and the forearm-mounted machine cannons plus the thigh-stored beam sabers give you real posing variety for a kit at this price point. Articulation covers the basics well, hips and knees move enough to get a stable stance, but the shoulder cannon housings are the tradeoff for that great forearm detail, and they cap how aggressive your arm poses can get.

Lore & trivia

01The AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra originated as a half-finished Anaheim Electronics prototype that Zeon remnant loyalists inside the company quietly redesigned to hide its origins during Operation Stardust, as depicted in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.
02The suit's signature weapons are its forearm-mounted 110mm machine cannons, which are notably stronger than the standard 60mm vulcan guns found on Gundam and GM-type mobile suits, plus a pair of beam sabers stored in the thigh armor.
03Kirara is the pink-haired Gunpla Idol introduced in Gundam Build Fighters episode 4, where she pilots a fan-gifted, custom-painted Gerbera Tetra as a mid-range combatant built around its machine cannons rather than close combat.
04This kit was issued through Premium Bandai as a dedicated release of Kirara's personal color scheme, built on the same frame and runners as the standard HGUC AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra kit.