Okay, I have a confession. When I saw the box of HG YF-19 from Macross Plus sitting on the shelf, I didn’t just admire it. I bought it.
This isn’t just another model kit. This is a piece of anime history, engineered by Bandai with a magic trick called “Shortcut Change.” Consider this your personal build log from a fellow fan who’s just as excited and nervous as you might be. Let’s dive into this first look at the HG YF-19 Macross Plus kit.
Unboxing a Legend: What’s in the Box?
The first thing you notice is the gorgeous box art. It’s dynamic, showing the YF-19 in all its glory. Inside, you’re greeted by a lot of plastic runners. I mean, a lot. It’s immediately clear this is a more complex build than a standard High Grade Gundam.
The plastic colors are vibrant and pre-colored, which is a blessing. The iconic dark blue, red, and white are all there, so you can build a show-accurate model right out of the box. The manual is a visual feast, filled with clear diagrams and, thankfully, minimal text, it’s the universal language of model building. Just holding the runners, you can feel the quality; this is premium Bandai Spirits engineering.
The “Shortcut Change” Revolution: No Parts-Swapping Needed
Here’s the star of the show. Traditionally, transformable mecha model kits are a nightmare. You build the robot, then you have to disassemble half of it to turn it into a jet, often relying on a heap of extra parts.
Not this one.
The HG YF-19 is designed from the ground up to transform seamlessly between its Fighter (jet), Gerwalk (hybrid), and Battroid (robot) modes. The engineering is built into the joints and parts themselves. It feels less like building a static model and more like assembling a sophisticated, poseable action figure designed by a genius. This feature alone sets it miles apart from most kits in its class.
Build Log Part 1: The Head – A Glimpse into the Engineering
I started, as one does, with the head. And let me tell you, if this small section is any indication, this entire build is going to be a thrilling puzzle.
The head unit is made of several tiny, intricate parts. The mono-eye sensor is a separate clear green piece that sits behind a beautifully detailed faceplate. Snapping it together was incredibly satisfying. It’s not just a blocky shape; it has angles, vents, and a real sense of mechanical density. Once completed, it already has so much personality, it looks determined, sleek, and intelligent, just like Isamu Dyson’s custom unit from the OVA.
Building this first section taught me two things:
- Patience is key. The parts are small and require careful nub removal.
- The engineering is brilliant. The way the head crest attaches and the way the neck polycap is set up hints at the complex transformation to come. It’s like the game tutorial that teaches you mechanics you’ll need for the final boss.
Bandai HG YF-19 vs. Gunpla: A Beginner’s Perspective on the Difference
Having just come from a simple High Grade Gundam, the differences are striking.
- Complexity: A HG Gundam is like building a straightforward RPG hero. The HG YF-19 is like building a character with a complex job-change system. There are more parts, more moving layers, and the instruction manual has you rotating and flipping sub-assemblies in ways a Gundam kit never does.
- Goal: With a Gundam, the goal is a poseable robot. With the YF-19, the goal is a transformable robot. This adds a whole new layer of purpose to the build process. You’re not just snapping parts together; you’re building a functional piece of mechanical art.
- Satisfaction: The satisfaction from completing the head of the YF-19 felt different. It was the satisfaction of understanding a small part of a much larger, ingenious system. It’s a more intellectual challenge, and I’m here for it.
Preliminary Verdict: Is the HG YF-19 Your Next Build?
Based on my experience so far? This is not a kit for an absolute beginner. If you’ve never built a model kit before, start with a High Grade Gundam like we talked about last time.
However, if you have built one or two Gunpla kits and are looking for a captivating challenge, this is an absolute must-buy.
The promise of that seamless transformation is real, and the build quality is exceptional. It’s a love letter to Macross Plus fans and mecha enthusiasts who appreciate complex engineering. I can’t wait to continue this build and see this legend take full form on my shelf.
Stay tuned for the full completion update! This is just the beginning of the sortie.
