The main difference between the kits is that the regular regular release has the interchangeable arms and hands which include the beam whip, machine gun hand, and regular hand.
P-Bandai’s kit has regular arms and hands (2 fists, 1 open left hand, 1 trigger right hand), and includes a machine gun, a shield and two beam axes (a deactivated axe and an activated one). The design of the kit also has some notable difference in the inclusion of white parts in the arms and legs, as well as some nice white decals that line various areas of the body. Among the other stickers included is those denoting the number two which are displayed on the feet, lower chest and shield.
This is my first Gouf kit and I was overall pleased with the design of the kit especially the big bulky shoulder armor and the head. The big cables throughout the body give the mobile suit a bulkier aesthetic, although the cable in the torso does limit significantly the movement of the area; the kit can slightly turn right and left.Other than that issue, I found the poseablity to be pretty standard for a High Grade kit. There weren’t any real problems that I encountered. Even the shoulder armor has a mechanism that allows you to move it to allow greater movement of the arms. The head can be turned but not quite all the way around due to the large nose and cables.
Speaking about the head, one thing that I found a bit frustrating was there was no outline on the kit itself to place the eye decal. I think it would have been nice to include on not just the eye but for the outlying stickers found on the bottom and sides of the feet, at the base of the horns and around the skirt armor. The eye decal wasn’t much of a problem once I got it centered, but the outlying stickers proved to be a problem. I’m clearly biased since I recently purchased the HG Zaku I Thunderbolt kit which does include outlines on the kit for a good portion of the stickers including the eye.
However, once you get all the stickers on the kit it adds more depth and a better contrast to the regular release which I’m still planning to purchase in the future.
Overall I really like the design of the this kit and has me itching to purchase more variations of the Gouf.If you’ve been a fan all along of the Gouf, I would probably recommend getting the regular Origin HG release due to it having a bit more interesting and varied accessories, this kit’s accessories were adequate and a given (the axes).
The kit itself though has a fantastic design and has made me a fan of the Gouf.
HG PROTOTYPE GOUF [MOBILITY DEMONSTRATOR BLUE COLOR Ver.]
+ Interesting and varied design of the Gouf
+ A nice contrast compared to the regular release with stickers and some color variations helping to note difference
– Adequate accessories, but feels less interesting compared to regular release
– Cables significantly limit torso from moving side to side.
– No sticker outlines for eye and line decals