HGUniversal Century

MS-14B Johnny Ridden's Gelgoog

The Crimson Lightning strikes in molded red, and it holds a pose like a proper HGUC should.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Johnny Ridden's Gelgoog · 1/144 · 2018

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the 2014-era HGUC Gelgoog engineering wearing Johnny Ridden's colors, and that combination works.

It is not a new sculpt, it is a well-regarded mold given a P-Bandai repaint job, and the underlying kit was already one of the better mid-2010s HGUCs for pose range and part fit. Getting hold of one is the real obstacle here, not the build.

Best for: MSV and One Year War fans who want a specific ace-pilot Gelgoog on the shelf and don't mind hunting a P-Bandai exclusive

The full review

What it is

I went in expecting a re-decoed afterthought and came out impressed by how much this kit still has going for it. The body is molded in the actual red plastic Ridden's Gelgoog is famous for, so the Crimson Lightning look survives contact with a sprue cutter without any painting. The type B backpack is new tooling with the boosters split so red and black separate cleanly at the part line instead of relying on a sticker to fake it, and the main thruster block on the back actually swivels. Assembly is straightforward HGUC snap-fit, nothing fussy, and the shoulders, torso and legs give you a genuinely posable mobile suit once it's together.

The catch

The elephant in the room is availability. This was a Premium Bandai exclusive, so it never sat on general retail shelves and now mostly turns up through resellers or the aftermarket at a real markup over what a standard HGUC costs. It's also an older mold at heart, so fine surface detail and the knee/ankle range don't quite match Bandai's newer HG engineering, and you're still applying a sheet of Zeon and Ridden personal-mark stickers for the markings rather than getting them molded in. A few builders also note the mono-eye and neck joint feel a touch loose over time compared to current-gen kits.

Who it's for

If you care about Johnny Ridden, Chimera Corps, or MSV side stories and you're willing to pay P-Bandai prices to get his personal machine on the shelf, this delivers exactly what you want in scale and color without a repaint. If you just want a good-looking red mobile suit and don't care whose name is on it, a standard HGUC Gelgoog or Gelgoog Cannon will get you 90% of the experience for a fraction of the cost and zero hunting. Skip this one if hunting down secondary-market P-Bandai kits isn't something you enjoy doing.

The build story

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

The build itself is uneventful in the best way. It's standard HGUC snap-fit with sensible nub placement, so cleanup is quick and nothing fights you going together. The red plastic takes gate marks a little more visibly than gray or white runners do, so I'd slow down and use a sharp side cutter plus a bit of sanding on the most visible arm and leg seams if you want it shelf-clean rather than just built.

Where it earns its keep is articulation and loadout. The shoulders swing forward and lift, the torso twists, and the legs hold a wide stance without the joints sagging, which is more than a lot of same-era HGUCs managed. The backpack's new tooling is the standout: proper color separation on the boosters and a thruster block that actually moves instead of being a static red lump. Add the beam rifle, beam naginata, shield, and rocket launcher, and for an HG you're getting a genuinely well-armed, well-posed display piece, provided you're fine committing to the marking stickers rather than painted decals.

Lore & trivia

01Johnny Ridden, nicknamed the Crimson Lightning, was a Principality of Zeon ace who led the Chimera Corps' 1st Squadron and flew both this MS-14B Gelgoog High Mobility Type and the MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon.
02His nickname was originally read as 'Red Blitz' from the RB marking Bandai printed on his customized Gelgoog kit before later material settled on Crimson Lightning.
03Ridden was declared missing in action at the Battle of A Baoa Qu and was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, with his final combat record credited at 185 kills across the war.
04This HGUC release was a Premium Bandai exclusive built on the existing 2014-era HGUC Gelgoog High Mobility Type tooling, with a newly molded type B backpack specific to this variant.