HGAnno Domini

GN-0000 DVR/S Gundam 00 Sky (Higher Than Sky Phase)

A GM-cheap price tag hiding a genuinely clever effects-and-articulation kit.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

DVR/S Gundam 00 Sky (Higher Than Sky Phase) · 1/144 · 2018

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I came into this one expecting a quick reskin of the base Gundam 00 Diver Ace and came out impressed.

This is a full rework, not a repaint job, and it shows in how the frame is engineered around the Trans-Am Infinity gimmick. The clear effect parts are the star of the show, and the articulation holds up even with all the extra armor bulk stacked on. It is not a perfect kit, the hands are a known weak point, but for an HG in this price range it punches well above its grade.

Best for: Gundam Build Divers fans and HG collectors who want a dynamic light-up-Trans-Am pose without stepping up to MG money

The full review

What it is

This is the upgraded form of Riku Mikami's 00 Diver Ace, built around a full-on Trans-Am Infinity gimmick that mixes the original 00 Gundam's Trans-Am with Destiny's Wings of Light. Bandai did not just slap new armor on the old frame, this is treated as close to a full retool, and I felt that the moment I started clipping runners. The backpack lowers and the Sky Leg Guards slide down to recreate the signature lash pose from the show, and once you get the clear blue effect parts locked onto the Sky Bracers, Drive Unit, and leg guards, the whole thing genuinely looks like it is mid Trans-Am. For an HG built around a transformation gimmick, that is exactly what I want it to deliver, and it does.

The catch

The hands are the one part of this kit builders keep flagging, and I ran into it too, the grips feel a step behind the rest of the engineering and can loosen up faster than you would like once you start swapping the Buster Sword and Long Rifle in and out. This is also a gimmick-heavy HG, so a decent chunk of the runners go toward clear effect parts and connector joints rather than raw frame detail, which means the sculpt reads best mid-pose with the wings attached and a little plainer standing at rest without them. Color separation leans on some panel accents rather than pure molded plastic in a few spots, so expect a little bit of the usual HG-level simplification if you are coming from MG kits.

Who it's for

If you are a Build Divers fan who wants Riku's signature moment on your shelf, or you like HG kits that reward you with a real posing gimmick instead of just parts-swapping, this is worth the pickup. The price sits at the normal HG band and it delivers a lot of accessory value for it, the Buster Sword, Buster Rifle, Beam Rifle, twin Beam Sabers, interchangeable hand, and a full stand all come in the box. Skip it if you want a static display piece with tight, MG-level hand engineering, or if you have zero attachment to the Build Divers side story and just want a generic 00 Gundam, in which case the original 00 Diver Ace or a mainline 00 kit will serve you better.

The build story

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

This build feels like a real retool rather than a recolor, and that is obvious from the runner layout alone, a good chunk of plastic goes to the clear effect pieces and the sliding leg guard mechanism rather than just armor shells. Gate placement is typical HG, nothing that fights you, and the sliding backpack/leg gimmick clicks into place cleanly once you have it oriented correctly.

The articulation is the pleasant surprise here, the extra Sky armor does not choke the range of motion the way bulkier add-on kits sometimes do, so you can actually hit the lash pose from the show without fighting the hips or shoulders. The interchangeable hand and full weapons loadout (Buster Sword, Buster Rifle, Beam Rifle, two Beam Sabers) push the value well past what you would expect at this price band, even with the hand-grip compromise.

Lore & trivia

01The GN-0000DVR/S Gundam 00 Sky is Riku Mikami's upgraded evolution of the Gundam 00 Diver Ace in Gundam Build Divers.
02Trans-Am Infinity is a unique system that combines the original 00 Gundam's Trans-Am mode with Destiny Gundam's Wings of Light, with the wing units on the Sky Drive Unit accelerating the release of highly concentrated GN particles.
03In the Higher Than Sky Phase, the usual reddish Trans-Am Infinity glow shifts to a light blue coloration across the suit's dark blue parts.
04The kit was released in August 2018 as part of the HGBD (High Grade Build Divers) line.