HGAnno Domini

GNT-0000SHIA Gundam 00 Shia Qan［T］

The GN Qan[T] frame in a slinkier, sword happy, cat eared package.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Gundam 00 Shia Qan［T］ · 1/144 · 2016

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2016

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the standard Qan[T] articulation and engineering wearing a sleeker shell, and that combination works.

I built this one expecting a reskin and came away liking Shia's version more than I expected to, mostly because the GN Binder does double duty as shield and weapon and actually looks purposeful in hand. The cat ear head is a genuine personality swap rather than a gimmick sticker. It is not a deep kit, but what is here is confidently put together.

Best for: HGBF collectors and Build Fighters Try fans who want an all attack take on the Qan[T] frame without buying two separate kits

The full review

What it is

The Shia Qan[T] is Bandai reusing the excellent 00 Qan[T] HG frame and reskinning it into an antagonist's custom rig from the Island Wars OVA. The waist and skirt armor stay very flexible, so most dynamic sword poses come easily and without the hip binding that plagues cheaper HG frames. The GN Sword is the main held weapon, and the GN Binder mounted on the left shoulder works as an oversized shield when you need one and reads as a weapon silhouette when you do not. The nekomimi head is the headline feature, a proper alternate design rather than a paint change, and it gives the kit real shelf identity next to the base Qan[T].

The catch

The gates on some of the green runner parts are oversized, which means more cleanup risk on visible surfaces if you rush the nippers. Bandai leans on a sheet of foil stickers here, including small stickers on the feet, and builders who skip them lose some of the intended color detail. Weapon loadout is thin: you get the sword and the binder and not much else, so if you want the sword bits and extra armaments from the original Qan[T] you will be looking at a second kit. Head movement in flight mode is limited and the wrists do not add much extra range over the base frame.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already like the Qan[T] silhouette and want a version with more attitude and a distinct head sculpt, or if you are chasing the Build Fighters Try roster and Shia Kijima's rig specifically. It is also a fine pickup for anyone who wants a feminine coded HG with real articulation rather than a static display piece. Skip it if you already own the standard 00 Qan[T] and are only after more accessories, since the core frame and pose range will feel familiar rather than new. Newer builders should be fine here, just budget extra time for the sticker sheet and careful nub trimming on the green parts.

The build story

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

Runner spread is typical HGBF: a light green main runner, a smaller light green runner, grey, white, yellow, a multicolor runner, and a pair of transparent blue runners for the GN condenser and V-fin. Molded color separation does most of the work, so most of the panel color reads correctly straight off the runner. The exception is the oversized gates on some of the green parts, which builders flag as the one spot worth slowing down on with a sharp side cutter rather than twisting parts free.

Articulation inherits directly from the well regarded 00 Qan[T] HG, meaning a flexible hip skirt, decent shoulder and elbow range, and poses that hold without much fighting the frame. The GN Sword and GN Binder are the whole held arsenal, but the binder's shield or weapon dual function gives it more presence than a typical single use accessory. Part count sits in normal HG territory for the price band, and the swap from the standard head to the nekomimi head is a clean two piece exchange rather than a surgery job.

Lore & trivia

01The Shia Qan[T] first appeared in Gundam Build Fighters Try: Island Wars, the OVA continuation of the Try series, piloted by returning rival character Shia Kijima.
02It is built on the frame of the GNT-0000 00 Qan[T] and is the successor to Shia's earlier support oriented GNW-100P Gundam Portent, this time designed as an all out single combatant attacker.
03Armament in the show includes the GN Sword, a pair of GN Sword Bits, and a GN Binder, with access to a defensive GN Field and a Quantum Burst attack.
04The kit ships with two interchangeable rear head pieces, letting builders choose the signature cat ear (nekomimi) look or the original Qan[T] style head.