Series: High Grade Universal Century (HGUC) 1/144
Title: RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom]
Release Date: 09/2005
Suggested Price: ¥ 1300
No. of Parts: 108 plastic + 34 ABS + 1 translucent red + 23 polycaps
Plastic colors: light gray, black, yellow, red
Gimmicks: parts can be swapped with other Advance of Zeta kits to create a wide assortment of Titan Research Mobile Suit model kits, movable booster pod, optional shields

Introduction

Contributor: Clem-Master-Janitor
Date: September 25, 2009

Time for another part of the Advance of Zeta family, the Hazel Custom.  I’ve discussed how the Advanced Hazel stacked up. Now it’s time for the simpler version of this Hazel to face the music. Good, bad, or somewhere in between? Let’s find out.

Head

It’s the standard Gundam-esque head with a great range of motion thanks to the way the ball joint polycap sits in the head. It’s mohawk sensor lights make it stand out with the v-fin antennae. This design works very nice when you paint as the sensor bit can be pulled and worked on separate from the rest of the head until you need to put it all together for final assembly. The v-fin can be easily removed, allowing for a person to take parts from the Advanced Hazel and install them, if you really like that sensor package.

Torso

The torso is rather nice with the white and black scheme versus the blue and black. More details appear that really add to the kit. The high mobility handle bars are present on this kit, but the option of equipping the grenade launcher bits are a nice addition. You’ll have a bit of painting to get  the small details to look correct (if you’re painting to make the kit look like the instructions direct)  but are much easier to do thanks to the light base color scheme.  

The booster pod is similar in function to the Advanced Hazels (a single slide allows the support arm to raise and lower the pod according to where you want it to sit) with the difference being the pod is larger and actually equipped with boosters (versus being a point to attach the shield boosters). Only one shield booster is capable of being attached at a time versus the two for the Advanced Hazel. Again, painting is required for the booster pod to look its best.  

Arms

Good movement in the joints. The recurring flaw rears its ugly head in the hands’ ABS plastic failing to hold at all. The beam rifle often pops the pegs, sending the tiny thumb flying off. You’ll end up gluing it or buying the aftermarket Manipulator Upgrade from B-Club, which you also have to glue. Painting of the nails is necessary to give that proper Titan Test Team look.

Legs

The skirt armor holds spare ammo clips for the beam rifle and a rear skirt armor reminiscent of the Gundam NT-1 with all the tiny little thrusters. The pelvic area has a detachable plate allowing for some one to take the manipulators from the Advanced Hazel and transport them to this kit. Why, I don’t know, but you can do it. There may be other future add-ons available to equip to the skirt area but not at this moment.  

Lower legs are huge but very stable due to the heavy weight of the leg thruster parts. No need to worry about dumping this kit off its display area. A lot of flex allows great poses and no manipulator arms for the skirt armor increases the amount of poses you can  attempt. Great details are visible here that were lost in the blue and black Advanced Hazel. And, as always, you need to do some fine tuning painting to really make the kit’s hidden details pop.

Weapons and Accessories

You get the standard fare for a Hazel Gundam: beam rifle, beam saber with translucent red beam insert, spare grenade launchers to swap out the shoulder bars, a GM shield, a booster shield (shallow panel lines make detailing a pain in the ass), and two ammo clips.  

Conclusion

All in all, this is a great kit, especially if you put together the Advanced Hazel beforehand. Not as bulky or cumbersome, all the details are well defined and visible (mostly) with a little extra paint work. I’ve had many comments and read many more that this kit is very detailed compared to the standard HGUC kit, almost on par with a MG.  

Almost.  

Something else that is great about this kit is the ability to swap parts with the other kits in the Advance of Zeta line (Hazel II, Advanced Hazel, Quel, Hrairoo, Hazel Custom) plus combined with parts from the Titan’s Gundam Mk. II to create various designs that don’t have model kits. Of course this can be a very expensive venture for some of the kits, but how can you not love the idea of having your own, unique, Hazel unit?  

But, back on the topic, this is a superior kit to the Advanced Hazel. It looks good, poses great, and only has a few flaws common to HGUC kits at the moment. Go pick one up and you’ll see what I mean.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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