HGBuild Divers

PFF-X7R/ANIMA Gundam Anima[Rize]

A smoky, clear-plastic armor set that dresses up an old friend rather than building a new one.

MechaGrade Score

3.3/5

Gundam Anima[Rize] · 1/144 · 2020

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like what this kit is trying to do more than what it actually gives me to build.

It is an armor add-on for the Core Gundam Rize, using the same core-change gimmick as the PLANETS system, and when it clicks onto a Core Rize the tinted clear arms and legs genuinely change the character of the model. But the box only contains a handful of new parts on top of that shared core, so if you already own a Core Gundam Rize this feels closer to a nice accessory than a full new kit.

Best for: Core Gundam Rize owners who want a moody clear-armor palette swap, not first-time builders looking for a standalone project

The full review

What it is

This is the Anima armor for the Core Gundam Rize, snapped together with no glue and molded in color so paint is optional. The armor pieces slot over Core Rize's frame the same way the PLANETS system works, and the animal-head joint covers on the shoulders and legs are a fun design touch, each stamped with a Roman numeral. The tinted smoke-clear plastic on the arms and legs is the best part of the whole kit, it catches light differently than a flat color ever could and gives the finished figure a slightly eerie, otherworldly look that fits the character's role late in Build Divers Re:RISE. At about 5 inches it is compact and easy to shelve.

The catch

The honest problem is part count. Reviewers building this straight out of the box counted only four parts that are genuinely new versus the base Core Gundam Rize kit you need underneath it, everything else is armor shells over a frame you likely already built. The animal-insignia details are foil stickers, and because they sit behind the dark tinted clear plastic they are hard to actually see once assembled, so a design element the kit clearly wants you to notice gets muted by its own material choice. At 2,200 yen this is priced like an accessory, but it only makes sense as a purchase if you already have or plan to buy the Core Rize it clips onto.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already have a Core Gundam Rize on your shelf and want a second, moodier look for it, or if you are chasing the full Build Divers Re:RISE Rize lineup and want the Anima variant specifically. Skip it if you were hoping for a standalone mobile suit kit with its own frame and full accessory loadout, because you are really buying armor for a kit sold separately. For a first HGBD purchase, the base Core Gundam Rize on its own is the better starting point.

The build story

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

Assembly is quick and low-stress since you are mostly clipping armor shells onto an existing Core Rize frame rather than building a mobile suit from scratch. Gate placement on the small armor pieces is typical HG-era Bandai, nothing that fights you, and nothing here needs glue. The one fiddly moment is getting the foil insignia stickers seated cleanly before the tinted clear armor closes over them, since there is no fixing a crooked application afterward.

The core-change gimmick is the clever part of the whole design, the Anima armor clips onto Core Rize the same way the PLANETS armor sets do, so if you own multiple Core Rize armor variants you can swap looks without rebuilding anything. Articulation inherits whatever range the Core Rize frame underneath already has, and reviewers note it holds poses well once fully armored. Accessories are light for the price, a beam saber, a rifle, and a shield, which is fair for an add-on set but thin if you were expecting a standalone kit's loadout.

Lore & trivia

01Anima[Rize] is the true form Rize uses to inhabit the real world, appearing as the final-episode reveal in Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE.
02The armor uses the same core-change docking system as the PLANETS armor sets, letting it snap onto the Core Gundam Rize frame without any tool modification.
03The kit released in August 2020 as part of the HGBD:R line at 2,200 yen, alongside the Aun[Rize] Armor set in the same wave.