HGUniversal Century

RX-0 Unicorn Gundam (D-Mode) ANA Airline Ver.

The same great Destroy Mode Unicorn, dressed in ANA's blue and white for a flight you probably never took.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Unicorn Gundam · 1/144 · 2011

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2011

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the standard 2010 HGUC Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode) wearing a limited ANA Airlines color scheme, and the underlying kit is what carries it.

I built it expecting a novelty and came away liking it for the same reasons people liked the original release, the psycho-frame parts and the horns-up Destroy Mode silhouette do a lot of work. The ANA livery on top is a curiosity more than an upgrade, but it does not get in the way of a genuinely solid kit.

Best for: Unicorn completionists and ANA Sky Project collectors chasing the specific colorway, not first-time buyers who just want the best version of this mold

The full review

What it is

Underneath the paint job this is the same HGUC Unicorn Gundam Destroy Mode that Bandai released in 2010, just retooled into All Nippon Airways blue and white instead of the familiar white and blue Unicorn Mode palette flipped into red-accented Destroy Mode. It was handed out on ANA domestic flights during the 2011 Gundam Sky Project, one kit per passenger, which is exactly why it shows up used and pricey today. Building it, the horned head, the V-fin, and the translucent red psycho-frame parts in the chest and joints still give this suit real presence. Snap the head sensor down and it stays in Destroy Mode, no clicking transformation gimmick to fuss with, which keeps assembly straightforward.

The catch

The articulation is decent but not exceptional for the mold's age. Knees and elbows land around 90 degrees rather than a full deep bend, and the elbow joint is two plastic halves sandwiching a polycap, which can work loose or split if you pose it aggressively. There is sticker reliance for some of the smaller color callouts since this is a 2010-era HG, not a modern one with full color separation. And because this is a promotional exclusive rather than a retail kit, you are paying collector prices for ANA branding on a mold you could otherwise get in standard colors for far less.

Who it's for

If you specifically want the ANA livery for a collection or you are chasing every Unicorn variant Bandai has put out, this delivers, and the core kit underneath is genuinely good enough to justify owning a second Destroy Mode Unicorn even after you have the standard release. If you just want one great Unicorn Gundam on your shelf, buy the standard HGUC Destroy Mode or Unicorn Mode kit first, it is cheaper, easier to find, and gives you the same build experience without hunting down a 2011 airline promo piece.

The build story

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

This is a straightforward HG-era build, snap-fit assembly with a manageable part count and no complicated transformation sequence since it ships fixed in Destroy Mode. Gate placement is typical early-2010s HGUC, a bit more visible nub cleanup needed on white and light blue parts than modern kits, and there is some sticker work for smaller panel colors rather than full molded separation.

The standout feature is the psycho-frame, molded in translucent red plastic that runs through the chest and joint sections and catches light convincingly even without adding LEDs. Comes with a deployed beam magnum, a spare magazine, and a shield, so the accessory loadout is reasonable for an HG. The 90-degree limited knee and elbow bends hold basic action poses fine but will not give you the deep lunges bigger, more articulated Unicorn releases manage.

Lore & trivia

01This colorway was distributed exclusively on All Nippon Airways domestic flights during the ANA x Gundam Sky Project between March 1 and April 30, 2011, limited to one kit per passenger.
02It reuses the same 2010 HGUC Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode) tooling, just molded in ANA's blue and white livery instead of the standard release colors.
03The RX-0 Unicorn's psycho-frame is a Universal Century plot device, an unstable Newtype-interface material meant to visually glow when the pilot draws on its power, which is why Bandai molds those frame parts in translucent red across nearly every Unicorn kit release.