HG 1/144 Aerial Rebuild — The Witch from Mercury Season 2 Kit Review

The Aerial Rebuild represents a pivotal moment in The Witch from Mercury's story, and Bandai's HG kit honors the design with exceptional care. The elongated proportions, translucent GUND-bit effects, and updated color scheme all make this one of the standout HG releases of 2025.

GUND-Bit Effects

The kit includes translucent green effect parts for the GUND-bits in both launched and docked configurations. The translucent quality is excellent — when backlit, they glow beautifully even without any modification.

The Aerial Rebuild Story

In Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, the Aerial Rebuild is Suletta's mobile suit after she fully bonds with Eri/the Aerial's GUND format. Visually, it's the original Aerial with extra GUND-bits on the legs, refined armor proportions, and a brighter blue-and-red palette.

For collectors of the WFM line, the Rebuild is essential — it's the form Suletta pilots in the show's climax. Without it, your Aerial collection is missing the resolution.

What Changed from the Original Aerial

The original HG Aerial released in 2022 was already a strong kit. The Rebuild upgrades:

The GUND-bit shield gains four additional rear-mounted bits, all individually deployable. The leg armor adds the four leg-mounted bits that detach for deployment poses. The chest plate is reshaped slightly for a more aggressive forward profile. The face plate is re-tooled with a sharper-cut visor.

Color-wise, the Rebuild's red is a deeper crimson rather than the standard Aerial's pinkish red. The blue is also slightly darker. Subtle but noticeable side-by-side.

The Bit Display Setup

This kit shines when you commit to the bit-deployment display. The shield bits, leg bits, and back bits combine for ten total deployable bits. Bandai includes effect parts and a clear stand system to display them in flight around the main figure.

Setting up the full deployment display takes about 15 minutes and consumes considerable shelf space (roughly 30cm x 30cm). For static shelf display you can keep them mounted; for the photo or display centerpiece moment, deploy everything.

Build Quality at HG Price Point

This is one of the best-built HGs in the WFM line. Solid joints, good color separation, no over-reliance on stickers. The build is straightforward — about 3-4 hours for a careful first build, faster on subsequent rebuilds.

The hip joint is the only minor weakness — it can loosen with extensive posing. A tiny dab of clear nail polish or thread locker on the joint shaft solves it permanently.

Should You Buy It If You Have the Standard Aerial?

Yes, with one caveat: if your goal is 'one Aerial on display,' the Rebuild is the better choice — it has the deployment gimmick and slightly nicer aesthetics. If your goal is 'the Aerial as it appeared in the early show,' the original is correct.

Most fans buy both. They display nicely as a 'progression' on the same shelf — original Aerial → Aerial Rebuild — telling Suletta's character arc through plastic.

WFM Collection Path

If you're new to WFM kits, this is a fine entry point alongside the standard Aerial. The line continues into Calibarn, Lfrith, and the various Pharact / Schwarzette antagonist kits. A complete WFM main-cast HG shelf is achievable for under ¥30,000 total.