HGAnno Domini

GN-0000DVR Gundam 00 Diver

An old mold in a new coat, and honestly, it still moves like a dream.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Gundam 00 Diver · 1/144 · 2018

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This kit takes the ten year old HG 00 Gundam frame and dresses it up so well you would not guess the bones underneath are that old.

I built this expecting a reskin and came away impressed with how much of the original kit's articulation survived the redesign intact. It is not the most original engineering in the line, but it is one of the most fun HG builds I have put together in a while. If you want a Gundam that can actually hold a two handed sword pose without drooping, this delivers.

Best for: builders who want big, dynamic sword poses out of a budget HG kit without fighting the joints for it

The full review

What it is

The 00 Diver is Riku Mikami's version of the classic GN-0000 00 Gundam, rebuilt in-universe with parts scavenged from other kits, and Bandai leaned into that story by giving this kit an all new head, chest, backpack, shoulders, wrists, hip skirts, and lower legs over the original 00 Gundam frame. What struck me building it was how much personality the new sculpt adds without losing the underlying kit's best trait, which is a genuinely wide range of motion. The GN Drives on the shoulders and hip flare out with real presence, and the double GN Sword IIs (sword, rifle, and beam saber all in one weapon) give you a lot to pose with right out of the runners.

The catch

This is a reused frame, so if you already own an HG 00 Gundam some of the engineering underneath will feel familiar rather than new. The included hand selection is generous, but several builders note the fingers do not grip the swords as tightly as you would like, and you end up nudging the hilt into place more than once during a photo session. It is also a sticker-reliant kit in a few spots for the GN Drive accents, so colour separation on molded plastic is good but not total. At the HG price point none of this is a dealbreaker, it just means you should not expect MG-level fit and finish.

Who it's for

This is a strong pick for anyone who wants a dynamic, sword-swinging Gundam without spending MG money, and it works well as a second or third build once you already know basic gate cleanup since the part count and complexity sit right in normal HG territory. Fans of Gundam Build Divers or anyone who likes the 00 Gundam silhouette but wants something visually distinct from the original will get the most out of it. Skip it if you are chasing screen-accurate Anno Domini 00 Gundam parts or if loose sword grip is a dealbreaker for how you like to display finished kits.

The build story

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

The build itself is straightforward and beginner friendly, which tracks with this being a Build Divers-line HG aimed at newer builders as well as longtime fans. Gate placement is standard HG fare, nothing awkward to clip or clean, and the new chest, head, and lower leg parts snap on over the familiar 00 Gundam skeleton without any fit fighting. It moves fast off the runners into a finished kit, which is exactly what you want from a kit in this price band.

Where it earns its keep is articulation: a double ball jointed neck, shoulders that swing forward before the ball joint takes over, elbows that bend past 90 degrees, a waist that spins the full 360, and ankles that tilt and swivel on their own ball joint. That combination lets you get the sword-wielding, GN Drive-flaring poses this suit is known for without the frame fighting you. The weapon loadout of two GN Sword IIs plus the varied hand set gives real value for an HG price point, even with the sticker use factored in.

Lore & trivia

01The Gundam 00 Diver belongs to Riku Mikami, the teenage protagonist of Gundam Build Divers, who builds and pilots it inside the virtual Gunpla Battle Nexus (GBN) world.
02In the show's own fiction, Riku originally bought a stock GN-0000 00 Gundam kit and modified it himself using parts scavenged from other Gunpla, which is the in-universe explanation for this kit's mixed-and-matched new parts over the old 00 Gundam frame.
03The suit can activate Trans-Am, and in one of the series' more memorable beats Riku initially refuses to use the system at all because he wants to win fights on his own strength rather than lean on it.
04Riku later upgraded this suit into the GN-0000DVR/A Gundam 00 Diver Ace ahead of Build Divers' first Force Battle, adding a Diver Ace mobility unit and new GN Diver Swords with built-in GN Condenser functions.