HGFuture Century

GF13-009NF Gundam Rose

A fencer's Gundam that actually poses like one, cape and all.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

Gundam Rose · 1/144 · 2023

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2023

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I came away from this one genuinely charmed.

Bandai's 2023 HGFC re-tool of George de Sand's Gundam Rose is the rare HG that nails its character's whole gimmick, the cape-shield, the Rose Bits, the fencing silhouette, without asking you to paint your way out of trouble. It is not a flawless kit, but it is a thoughtful one, and it looks like Gundam Rose rather than a generic HG wearing a rose costume.

Best for: G Gundam fans and HG collectors who want George de Sand's whole fencing gimmick built in, not painted on

The full review

What it is

This is the modern HGFC (High Grade Future Century) remake of Gundam Rose, the elegant, cape-wearing fencer suit George de Sand pilots for Neo France in G Gundam. What struck me first is how much of the character survived the move to plastic. The cloak-shaped shield actually unfolds, the core fighter separates and combines the way it should, and the individual Rose Bits clip onto the cape via their own effect parts so the signature Rose Screamer attack is something you can physically pose rather than imagine. Molded color separation is genuinely fine work here, the ivory, gold, and rose tones read as the character straight out of the box.

The catch

The detailing is dense enough that Bandai itself recommends hitting panel lines and small accents with Gundam markers or paint to get the full effect, this is not a kit that looks finished if you leave every seam untouched. It was also a Bandai Hobby Online Shop / Premium exclusive, so pricing and availability run higher than a standard rack HG, and secondhand or import prices can spike. The cape and Rose Bit assemblies add a few extra steps and a bit more part fragility than a plain HG frame, so I'd be careful handling the shield sections during and after the build.

Who it's for

If you love George de Sand or just want a fencing-themed Gundam that looks the part on a shelf, this is worth tracking down and worth the extra care in building it. It rewards people willing to do a little marker panel-lining, the difference between an out-of-box build and a lightly detailed one is bigger here than on most HGs. If you want a cheap, fast, no-fuss weeknight build, or you are put off by exclusive-release pricing, this is not the kit to start with, look at a mainline retail HG instead.

The build story

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

The frame itself builds like a modern HG, clean gate placement, straightforward runners, nothing that will frustrate someone who has done a handful of kits before. Where the build gets interesting is the cape and shield assembly, which is a small multi-part sub-build in its own right since it has to unfold, mount the Rose Bit effect parts, and still fold flat against the back when not in use. Take it slow there and test-fit before you commit to final assembly.

Articulation is the real surprise for an HG built around a giant back-mounted cape. The head and waist get front-back movement gimmicks, and both arms and thighs get roll axes, so the fencing poses this suit is famous for actually land. The left cape panel rotates out of the way to free up arm movement and expose the Rose Bit rack, a small detail that shows real thought went into balancing the costume against the pose range.

Lore & trivia

01Gundam Rose is piloted by George de Sand, the Neo France representative in Mobile Fighter G Gundam, whose fighting style is built around fencing with the Chevalier Saber.
02The Rose Bits housed in the cape-shield can either fire beam guns or ram and detonate against an opponent's armor, and can coordinate into the Rose Screamer attack that surrounds a target from every side.
03George de Sand's name is a nod to the French author George Sand, matching the suit's Neo France identity.
04This HGFC release was part of Bandai's 2023 wave of Premium/online-exclusive reissues bringing older G Gundam suits back into the modern HG lineup with all-new molds.