Code Geass Guren Type-02 Review

Usually I have some form of knowledge on the things I buy, but this is an exception. I have not seen Code Geass nor do I have any knowledge about it besides the overall plot and how popular it is as a mecha show, which is extremely respectable, and had some cool mechs of it's own. However, that alone is not the reason I bought this kit, instead it is because a good friend of mine was curious about these Code Geass kits, and there don't seem to be an enormous amount of information on them on the internet. With that in mind, I ran into this kit while hunting for Gunpla, and soon decided to buy it to help my friend learn more about this line, as well as learn how these kits are myself. So this review is dedicated to my friend Spencer, hope you find this useful!

Now on the actual KF itself, the Guren Type-02 (or Mk II), is one of the few KF from this show that I was aware of before I starting digging deeper into it's mechs. It always stood out with it's asymmetrical build, which is something I always enjoyed, and it's red colorscheme. It was an intimidating machine, and I can respect that. I've got no proper knowledge on the mech's feats and it's pilot, but I can say right away that it does leave an impression.

Box:

The box is your typical Code Geass kit box. You have the Guren-Type 02 on the box doing a Shining Finger to you, and the pilot Kallen on the bottom right corner.

Parts:

I'll use this part to mention that this kit actually has a gloss injection, just like some Gunpla like modern Qubeleys and the RG Sinanju. This means that the plastics look shiny and reflective, but are also harder to cut and scuff way easier, expect nubs and don't sand this kit.

As for the parts, you get two of the same maroon runner, a dark pale red...

...a multi colore dunner including orange, more maroon, normal injection white, and normal injection grey...

...a silver runner, another normally injected grey runner, a generic stand runner that you get with a lot of HGSEED Gunpla, and a black runner made of super floppy rubber instead of hard plasty.

You also get a set of red polycaps, a wire...

...and a beautifully small sticker sheet with a single sticker on it.

Manual:

The manual is what one would expect, it contains instructions to build the kit, info on the pilot, some specs of the KF...

...it's development, and the godlike color guide that most of us can't read.

Completed Product:

The completed kit looks absolutely fantastic, with one exception, but first the positives. The kit itself is a perfectly accurate representation of the Guren Type-02, with basically perfect color separation in all areas on the main machine. The parts separation is insane here, there is one single sticker, and it's only used for the eyes on the head, everything else is a part and the resemblance is fantastic. The gloss injection plastic just elevates that look a ton, to make a really nice looking kit even with it's relatively simple engineering, age, and price. As I've said before in he parts section, this kit has bits that are made out of rubber, those are the belt straps in the waist and the wheels. They both look fantastic and work well, giving the kit a more genuine feel due to the areas used, and the former allows for a bit more movement, however, these parts do tend to collect dust easier, so keep that in mind.

However, as I've alluded to, there is one problem with the looks, and those are the nubs. They are the price you pay for the gloss injection, and the silver plastic in the arm, they are not friendly and will nub. This is especially apparent on the silver, as the way the plastic is injected, it leaves black marks where you cut, so no matter how good your cleanup may be, the nub will be there unless you use paint to get rid of it. As for the gloss injection, just do your best with your knife, don't sand, and hope for the best. Regardless of the nubs though, this kit looks fantastic regardless.

Articulation:

The head itself is on a ball joint with excellent range, it looks in all directions very well due to the design, and there's no real worry for it's reach. It's also on a neck hinge, which allows for even more movement.

Both arms go up reasonably high, the left one more than the right due to the design.

Forwards reach is on a hinge joint that stretches out, and it's about the same.

For the left arm, there is a swivel at the bicep an a single jointed bend that has a perfect 90˚, while the wrist is on a ball joint.

The right hand though, is a bit more complex than your average arm.

It also has a swivel at the bicep, and due to it's joint system, it can bend a double easily.

However, the real thing about the joint is that it can unfold for reaching out.

It's overall arm stretch is quite insane.

The hand itself is on a peg and a hinge, meaning it can swivel and bob up and down, but can't go side to side.

Each of the individual fingers are on ball joints, and are thus poseable, meaning you can get a lot of grabby poses with this kit's poseability. The great parts separation can also be seen here, as the Radiant Wave Surger is a separate piece instead of a sticker like most HG Gunpla would likely do.

It has a bit of an ab crunch, not an insane amount due to the design, but it's there.

There is also a torso swivel, always an appreciated joint.

The hips are on ball joints so they don't spread out very far due to the design. Overall movement is fine, and the rubber belts allow for a lot of clearance.

The legs reach up a lot and have a nice 90˚ bend.

The toes themselves can reach far, and pivot quite well, although it's only the front part of the feet that have the pivot due to the design.

Accessories:

In terms of accessories, the kit comes with a decent amount, yet only two are actually used with the KF itself.

First you get a 1/35 figure of Kallen, and it's neat, paint it if you want.

Next you have the Guren-Type 02's only handheld weapon, a knife. It's molded in with the hand and paint is required, still, I don't think it's that big of a deal since you won't display it out of the hand any time, although it is backhanded, so you have to display it as such. Not sure if she ever holds it non-backhanded, but if so, then this might be a shame to some.

Still, she can pose with it well.

Next you get the Slash Harken activated, and you can probably guess how this works.

First, remove the part on the chest that covers a socket...

...and stick it in.

Usually the wires aren't strong enough to hold the stuff on it up, but due to the Slash Harken's small size and weight, there is no issues posing with this thing whatsoever, go wild. 

Finally you get a stand, which should be familiar to any fan of HGSEED kits. This is generic budget HG stand #1 for Gunpla and is occasionally packed in with HGSEED kits. The Guren Type-02 specifically has an extra part for it that allows it to be used in another angle, but asides from that, it's your standard stuff.

Instead of plugging into the crotch, you actually plug into the cockpit of the kit.

Now it can do aerial poses, wheeee!

Gimmicks:

For gimmicks, first off, the lower wheels on the feet can fold up if you want them to. I also want to mention that despite it's backheavy design, the feet can hold the entire kit up well even with the wheels retracted, so heavy props the the balance. With the wheels in used with the rubber and the overall surface area, this thing can pull almost any pose with insane balance. It's seriously a surprising thing, an having a figure with exemplary balance like this just makes posing so much fun and so easy. 

You can also remove a panel of the cockpit to reveal a figure of Kallen in the cockpit piloting, she has a nice ass.

There is some detail in the cockpit itself as well, a nice inclusion if I say so myself.

Size Comparison:

It's a bit bigger than your standard HG Gunpla, which is to be expected. The kit overall is very similar to a HG Gunpla kit, but also a bit different in some respects.

Verdict:

All in all, I gotta be honest, I gotta say that this kit is fantastic, especially for it's time. Yes, it has severe nub issues, maybe you think it's thigh poseability, elbow poseability, and knee poseability could've been better, but honestly those are the only problems I can think of. With those sacrifices in mind, what do we have? Well, we have a fantastic looking kit with stellar parts separation that gives MG Gunpla a run for their money, with only one single sticker that's barely noticeable and completely understandable. I never mentioned this directly, but the kit is very solid, it feels light, but it doesn't come apart and feels like a good nice kit to handle with fluid joints, amazing balance due to the feet designs, and good poseability, all which make for a very fun and enjoyable posing experience. It has small details like the cockpits and rubber parts, and even has some neat gimmicks to boot. 

If it isn't apparent by now, this kit really surprised me with how great it's engineering was, and compared to Gunpla, this was definitely a step up to your average HG, especially against Gunpla made around it's time period. If you're a fan of building good kits, think about it, if you're a fan of Code Geass, definitely consider it, and if you're a fan of the Guren Type-02, go out and buy one right now (but don't overpay too much), because this is one kit you definitely won't regret having on your shelf.

Pros:

- Part separation is absolutely amazing, even small details like the cockpit and Wave Surger are parts. (!)

- Gloss injection for armor parts, looks really nice and shiny. (!)

- Feet design and rubber wheels allow for fantastic stability and balance making holding poses super easy. (!)

- Sturdy build, it won't break easily and the parts fit well together for the most part. 

- Only one sticker used for the whole build: eyes. 

- Articulation is pretty good, not perfect, but definitely more than serviceable.

- Rubber waist straps allow for a lot of clearance despite being in a pivotal joint area. 

- Comes with a basic stand.

Cons:

- Gloss plastic and injection silver mean the nubs are extremely bad, and scuff marks are very apparent. (!)