HGUniversal Century

MSN-001G Gilla-Shiki

A gold-plated workaround that turned into one of the better-looking P-Bandai HGs of its year.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Gilla-Shiki · 1/144 · 2016

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2016

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit more than its backstory has any right to let me.

The Gilla-Shiki exists because a character in Build Fighters Try tried to repaint his Mega-Shiki like the classic Hyaku Shiki, couldn't replicate that anti-beam purple coating, and went gold instead, and Bandai turned that in-universe compromise into a genuinely handsome retail kit. It is not a complicated build, but the molded gold plastic does more heavy lifting than I expected out of an HG price point.

Best for: Hyaku Shiki fans who want that gold silhouette in a smaller, cheaper, faster HG build

The full review

What it is

This is the HGBF version of a suit that was itself a fan tribute inside its own show, a builder's attempt to turn his purple Mega-Shiki into something closer to Char's gold Hyaku Shiki. The kit keeps the Mega-Shiki's beam swords, vulcans, and wing binders, swaps in a new beam rifle, and reshapes the backpack to echo the Hyaku Shiki silhouette. Straight out of the bags, the gold plastic reads correctly on the shelf without paint, which is the whole appeal for me. It is a simple, satisfying snap together in an evening, not a project.

The catch

This was a P-Bandai exclusive, so it never sat on regular store shelves and secondary market prices run well above a standard HG. The wing binders show the most visible seam lines on the kit and are the one spot I'd actually consider filling if I wanted a contest-clean build. As an HG from the Build Fighters line, part count and frame complexity sit below what MG builders are used to, so if you are coming from bigger kits this will feel quick, maybe too quick.

Who it's for

I would point this at Hyaku Shiki fans who want that gold look without committing to the MG or PG version, and at Build Fighters Try fans who want the actual on-screen suit rather than a proxy. Skip it if you only buy kits that are easy to find at retail, since P-Bandai pricing and scalper markup make this one of the pricier HGs to track down. If you can find it near original P-Bandai pricing, it is an easy recommend for the shelf presence alone.

The build story

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

The gate placement is standard modern HGBF fare, mostly on flat or hidden surfaces, so a quick nub trim gets you most of the way to display ready. The wing binders are the exception, their seam runs across a visible curved surface, and it is the one area where I reached for a sanding stick. Everything else clips together with the snug, confident fit Bandai's Build Fighters line is known for.

The backpack conversion is the clever part of the engineering, since it reuses the Mega-Shiki's wing binders (which double as beam sword mounts) while echoing the Hyaku Shiki's silhouette instead of the original Mega Ride Launcher form. Articulation is typical strong HG, hips and shoulders move enough for a proper beam sword stance, and the accessory set (vulcans, beam rifle, twin beam swords) gives you more posing options than the price point implies.

Lore & trivia

01In Gundam Build Fighters Try, the Gilla-Shiki began as an in-story modification: builder Shunsuke Sudou tried to repaint his Mega-Shiki purple like the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki but could not replicate its special anti-beam coating, so he went with gold instead.
02The Mega-Shiki it's based on was built by Minato Sakai and piloted by Shunsuke Sudou, and is itself styled after the MSN-001 Delta Gundam lineage leading to the Hyaku Shiki.
03The Gilla-Shiki's backpack borrows the Hyaku Shiki's general shape but keeps the Mega-Shiki's wing binders, which store its twin beam swords.
04This HGBF release was a P-Bandai web exclusive that shipped in February 2016.