HGBuild Divers

HER-SELF Mobile Doll May

An HG that moves like a figure, not a mobile suit, and that's exactly the point.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

HER-SELF Mobile Doll May · 1/144 · 2020

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the more interesting HG builds I've put together simply because it doesn't behave like a normal Gunpla kit.

May reads more like a posable action figure with Gunpla-grade panel lines than a stubby little mobile suit, and that shift in engineering makes the whole build feel fresh. The double-jointed neck, ball-jointed torso and tilting ankles give her a natural stance most HGs can only fake. She's not perfect, the shoulder rig fights you during the mode swap, but I came away liking her more than I expected to.

Best for: builders who want a humanoid, figure-like HG with real pose range and don't mind babying a fiddly shoulder assembly

The full review

What it is

May is the Mobile Doll form of an EL-Diver from Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, and Bandai leaned into that by engineering her like a slim, human-proportioned figure rather than a typical armored HG. The kit gives you two looks in one box: her real Mobile Doll appearance and her in-game GBN look, swapped by changing the head and shoulder inserts. I liked handling this one specifically because the neck is double-jointed, the shoulders are ball-jointed, and the upper torso rotates on its own ball joint, so she holds dynamic, almost dancer-like poses that most 1/144 kits just can't approach without an armature.

The catch

The mode-swap gimmick is the sticking point. To go from Mobile Doll to GBN mode you have to fully open the chest and swap the inner shoulder pieces, and that disassembly step leaves the upper arms feeling loose afterward, with a real tendency to pop out of socket during posing. The limbs themselves are thin, and a few joints run tight out of the box before they loosen up with handling. Elbows and knees cap out around 100 degrees of bend, so she reads as more flexible than a standard HG but still short of what MG or RG engineering would give the same character.

Who it's for

I'd point this at builders who already like HG Build Divers kits for their variety and want something that breaks from the usual mobile-suit silhouette, plus anyone who collects the Re:RISE cast and wants May built accurately rather than just displayed as box art. If your priority is rock-solid joints that never loosen or a straightforward one-sitting build, this isn't it, the shoulder rebuild demands patience and a light touch. But if you enjoy a kit that rewards careful assembly with genuinely expressive posing, she's worth the extra care.

The build story

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

The build feels different from the start because you're assembling something closer to an action figure armature than a mobile suit torso. Gate placement is typical HG Build Divers fare, mostly on flat or hidden surfaces, and the thin limb parts mean a careful hand with the nippers matters more here than on a bulkier kit. The chest and shoulder assembly is the one section that demands real attention, since it has to come apart again if you want to switch her between Mobile Doll and GBN appearances.

Where this kit earns its keep is articulation and character accuracy. The double-jointed neck and ball-jointed upper torso let her twist and lean in ways flat-hinged HGs can't match, and the tilting ankles help her hold ground poses without a stand. Molded color separation is solid for the price band, with hair parts included in both color options so you can commit to either look permanently if you want. The beam saber and shield being solid-molded rather than soft rubber is a small detail that pays off every time you pose her in combat.

Lore & trivia

01May is the Mobile Doll form of an EL-Diver, one of 87 EL-Divers discovered after the second Coalition of Volunteers battle in Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE.
02In the show's final episode, May is revealed to carry remnant data originating from Eve, the first EL-Diver, and wears Eve's earring on her armband as a link between the two characters.
03The kit includes three separate facial expression plates alongside the dedicated Mobile Doll and May head parts, letting builders display her personality shifts straight from the box.