HGAnno Domini

CBNGN-003 Union Flag Celestial Being Version

Setsuna's borrowed Flag proves you do not need a Gundam name to earn a place on the shelf.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Union Flag Celestial Being Version · 1/144 · 2021

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2021

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a fun, cheap way to own a piece of A Wakening of the Trailblazer that most builders skip past.

The transformation gimmick is the whole reason to buy it, and it works, but the frame underneath is a 2007-era HG00 mold wearing new stickers, so do not expect modern joint engineering. I like it for what it is: a quick, characterful build, not a showpiece.

Best for: Gundam 00 movie fans and transformation-gimmick collectors who want Setsuna's Flag on a budget, not builders chasing MG-level poseability

The full review

What it is

This kit puts Setsuna F. Seiei's stopgap ride from A Wakening of the Trailblazer on your shelf, the Union Flag he borrowed and rigged with a GN Drive after losing the second-gen 00 Raiser. It shares its bones with the original 2007 HG00 Union Flag line, so the transformation from MS mode into the Cruise and Raptor mobile armor positions is the headline feature, and it is genuinely satisfying to click through once you learn the sequence. I like that it gives an overlooked movie unit real shelf presence instead of leaving it as a background cameo, and the black and white Celestial Being color scheme reads clean straight off the runners.

The catch

The frame is old. This is fundamentally the same engineering as the 2007 Union Flag kits, so joints are simple polycap connections rather than a proper inner frame, the waist barely rotates, and knees stop around 80 degrees, nowhere near what a modern HG gives you. Builders who buy Union Flag kits consistently say skip the foil stickers and paint instead, because the stock stickers look flat and start lifting at the edges within weeks. The transformation is fun but limits how far you can push a pose in MS mode, since the frame has to compromise for both configurations.

Who it's for

Grab this if you are building a Gundam 00 movie lineup, want a cheap gimmick kit that actually transforms, or just like the idea of the guy without a Gundam getting his own display piece. Skip it if you want a kit that holds dynamic poses or want your first HG to show off modern Bandai engineering, since kits like the current HG Exia or Gundam Astray lines will spoil you fast if you build this one second. As a first kit or a nostalgic pickup for 00 fans, it earns its spot. As a poseability showcase, it does not compete.

The build story

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

Gate placement on the older Union Flag mold is not bad, but nub marks land on visible surfaces more often than newer kits, so plan on a hobby knife and some sanding if you care about a clean look. Assembly is straightforward snap-fit with no serious fit issues reported, and the transformation sequence between MS mode and the two flight positions is intuitive once you have done it a couple times, mostly folding the legs back and rotating the torso.

The set includes a trial-type linear rifle, sonic blade, and defense rod, a reasonable loadout for the price point. Articulation runs on ball-jointed shoulders, elbows that bend to about 120 degrees, and swivel ankles, which is fine for standing poses but shows its age against any modern HG. The real value here is the transformation gimmick and the accurate Celestial Being color scheme, not the frame underneath it.

Lore & trivia

01Setsuna F. Seiei piloted this Union Flag after his GN-0000 00 Gundam and 00 Raiser were destroyed, modifying a captured Union Flag with a GN Drive salvaged from the battle.
02The suit carries a sub-cockpit in its waist so it can recover a second Gundam Meister mid-mission, a detail from its role in A Wakening of the Trailblazer.
03Despite being outclassed on paper by GN Drive Tau-equipped GNX-series suits, Setsuna's evolved Innovator abilities let this Flag hold its own against a trio of GNX-609T GN-XIIIs in the film.
04The kit reuses the transformation and general frame of the original 2007 HG00 SVMS-01 Union Flag line rather than being an all-new engineering pass.