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XGF-02 Gundam Lfrith

A quiet, easy build that hides one genuinely gorgeous piece of engineering in its chest.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

Gundam Lfrith · 1/144 · 2022

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2022

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the friendliest HG kits I have put together in a while, and the chest piece alone makes it worth the shelf space.

The build asks almost nothing of you (barely any stickers, clean part fit, maybe two hours start to finish) and rewards you with a shimmering, in-mold decorated core that actually looks lit from within. It will not blow anyone away with part count or gimmicks, but as an early GUND-Format suit it nails the one thing it set out to do.

Best for: newer builders and Witch from Mercury fans who want a relaxed weekend build with one real wow moment

The full review

What it is

The Lfrith is the prototype GUND-Format suit from Witch from Mercury, and Bandai clearly wanted a kit that gets you to a finished model fast. The slim pink-and-white color scheme comes almost entirely molded in, the head uses a green core part instead of a decal for the eyes and sensor, and the whole thing goes together without a single fiddly step. What sold me was the chest. Instead of a sticker over clear plastic, Bandai gave the Lfrith a custom in-mold decorated plate with a shimmering black-and-red board pattern underneath the canopy, and it genuinely reads like a lit-up circuit board on the shelf. For a suit with this little screen time, that is a lot of care in one small part.

The catch

Because this is a base-level HGTWFM release, do not expect an MG-style inner frame or a huge weapons loadout. The bit staves and gatling gun are the main play pattern, and once you have posed with them a few times there is not a lot of variety left. The slim proportions mean some of the joints, particularly at the ankle and waist, feel a touch delicate under bigger poses, and a few builders have noted the shoulder thrusters can feel loose if you handle the kit a lot. It is also a small, simple kit for the price point compared to bulkier HGs, so value here comes from the chest piece and build quality rather than raw plastic.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you are new to Gunpla, want a low-stress build after a frustrating kit, or just love Witch from Mercury and want the Lfrith on the shelf next to Aerial. The two-hour build time and near-zero sticker work make it a genuinely relaxing evening project. Skip it if you want heavy articulation for dynamic action poses, a big accessory loadout, or the kind of part count that makes an HG feel substantial in the hand. This is a suit you build for the story and the chest piece, not for a marathon posing session.

The build story

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

Runners are simple and gates are placed in low-visibility spots, so cleanup is quick even for a first-time builder. Nothing here fights you: parts click home cleanly, the few stickers that exist go on flat surfaces, and there is no point in the build where you need extra patience or a hobby knife touch-up.

The standout engineering is the chest canopy, a dedicated shimmering plate under clear plastic rather than a sticker, paired with the molded-color head core so the face needs zero decals. Articulation covers double-jointed knees, a ball-jointed neck, 360-degree waist rotation and pivoting ankles, plenty for the kit's slim, thruster-heavy frame, and the bit staves store neatly on the back or slot into the gatling gun for a couple of different loadout looks.

Lore & trivia

01The Lfrith is the original GUND-Format suit built by Prospera and Ericht Samaya's mother before the Vanadis Incident that opens Witch from Mercury.
02Ericht Samaya's registered vital data on the Lfrith is what let her and her mother escape during the Vanadis Incident, tying this specific suit directly into the show's central mystery.
03The suit's Phased Array Cannon backpack has an opening hatch that reveals internal red detail once its Permet Score rises, a gimmick carried over across several later Lfrith variants like Lfrith Ur and Lfrith Jiu.