Gundam Converge #28

Converge #Sharp 28 is an extended 7-figure volume that was released on November 3, 2025 although technically I guess you could say it is five different figures or even four mobile suits and an extension if you are particularly picky. Whatever the case I love sinking my teeth into these larger Converge retail sets although I am curious exactly how these figures are distributed in a 10-box, must be a bit of a headache from a logistics perspective.


While the box sizes may have shifted over time the Converge packaging has stayed true to its original design form since 2011 which is something I really appreciated. The ugly QR-codes that appear on some of the boxes are still a bit of an eyesore and I wish they could hide them away somewhere else on the side or even inside the lid.


Everything is as it should be also inside the boxes. We have the same old multi-compartment plastic bags, the same old cardboard padding that rarely manages to protect the component it is assigned to and the same old chewing gum. Good stuff!


As I was preparing the figures for review I realized that the GQ Zakus were actually coming with different accessories and so I ended up delaying the work to order a couple more. This is the total amount of figures used to display the various suit types you will see in this review.



309 : GN-0000 00 Gundam


The 00 Gundam is one of the older Converge figures and it is finally being revisited for a makeover. There is nothing particularly exciting about the new #sharp version, it is a bit larger and the front camera is now molded in clear red plastic. The biggest difference is that the pegged foot is replaced by one of those clear plastic supports that clip around the left ankle. As you can see in the photos this can cause the figure to lean into it in an unfortunate fashion but you can easily opt to display the figure without it and let the weapon act as a support if needed.


There are no optional weapons or accessories included with the 00 Gundam. personally I would have liked to see a second GN Sword II as well as optional holding hands, perhaps there will be an expensive CORE-variant with optional equipment further down the line.


The original 00 Gundam figure was released as part of volume 9 in December 2012 and is typically selling for 1500-2000 yen on the secondary market right now. The new figure is a good opportunity to pick up a cheaper version but you can't go wrong with either in my opinion. The older figure still looks just as good, has the same equipment and features and looks a bit meaner and leaner I think.






310 : GNR-010 0 Raiser


You can't facelift the 00 Gundam without an accompanying 0 Raiser and so here it follows. While the sculpt is all new it really doesn't differ much from the original version, the main difference is again in the basing. The new figure sits on a smaller clear rectangular base. While this looks really good in isolation it is a bit jarring to have a figure stand out from the others with a different base colour. Bandai have always been a bit schizophrenic about the Converge bases and I think they should just commit to one style and stick to it in general.


While not obvious at first glance both the 00 Gundam and the 0 Raiser figures feature some light parts transformation which we will examine closer below.


Side-by-side with the original 0 Raiser which is also from the original volume nine. As you can see the two are very similar, the older figure is slightly larger, more elongated and has a lighter shade of blue (the original figure actually has more paint applications to it). The colours of the GN Sword III have been changed and stand out more but overall I feel the new figure is a bit of a downgrade.






309+310 : GN-0000+GNR-010 00 Raiser


The main gimmick of #Sharp 28 is the conversion of the 00 and the 0 into the 00 Raiser. Parts-swapping involves flipping the back-end of the Raiser and reattach it to simulate it literally bending over backwards and remove its wing-like binders before affixing them to the shoulders of the 00 Gundam. While these should ordinarily cover up the two white GN Drives these are instead removed from the Converge figure. Lastly you replace the GN Sword II with the III-version carried by the 0 Raiser and attach what remains of the fighter to the mobile suit's back.


I purchased two of each figure to be able to pose both variants side by side without having to switch components back and forth all the time, an alternative if you already have the first generation figures could be to simply keep one set combined and the other as individual figures.






311 : RX-78-02 White Gundam


After this brief stint into Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Hey Bandai, I wouldn't mind staying longer and seeing some Flags, Aheads or GNXes you know...) focus shifts back to last year's darling GQuuuuuuX. The White Gundam may share its designation with the classic RX-78 from The Origin (you know, the one with the shoulder cannon and the upside down shield) but all likeness pretty much ends there. This hockey mask Gundam looks like it accidentally stepped in from the Neon Genesis Evangelion studio next door and was simply given a classic RX-78 paint for the hell of it. While I am not too impressed by the repurposing of mobile suits into different eras I think we can give Whitey hear a pass and the figure looks much better in this compact Converge form than its usual overall lanky appearance.


While the figure comes with the archetypical weapons combo of a rifle and a shield we also find a pair of small sprues tossed into the box. The white sprue contains the beam saber hilts to be stored on the black backpack - I always appreciated this gesture but it would have been even better to actually get a proper beam saber as well. The black sprue contains six small pegs that you plug into holes spread across the figure's arms and legs. These are extension points kind of like pylons on a fighter jet. Ironically you have to remove them to actually attach accessories such as the shield but hey, it looks cool.


Here is a lean view of the White Gundam sans external equipment. The shield would normally occupy the left elbow slot and so replace that component. I wouldn't have minded an optional closed right hand, it would have looked even better when standing in a neutral pose like this. Maybe we get some extra gear in the premium Red Bandai package that could be reused here? (still waiting for mine to arrive)






312 : MS-06 Char's Zaku [GQ]


The next unit to get a GQ-makeover is the Zaku II and I don't really know what to say about it. The new Zaku is for all intents and purposes still the same thing as in the Universal Century but with as many bodily mutations as possible without upsetting the original concept. Yes, it still has the same spiked left shoulder and right shoulder shield, the same old wires running from back to front and even the same old commander antenna but the overall appearance has been altered as much as possible. It now has underarm armour plating (you'd think it would be more useful in front) and strange bulbous outcroppings on its thighs that look like fuel tanks. The suit no longer has any skirt armour and so the thrusters are fully exposed. A lot of the black coloured regions are instead painted dark red on the Converge figure for some reason.


The figure comes with two armament options; the GQ-equivalents of the Zaku Machine Gun and the Zaku Bazooka (the latter is for some reasons not described on the Gundam Wiki, has it not appeared in the animation perhaps?). While the hands are molded directly onto the weapons they are the same colour as on the mass-production type Zaku [GQ] so they are freely interchangeable.


Optional weapons on display, the Heat Hawk comes from the mass-production type figure in the same set. I'm thinking about painting up the blade in yellow, just need to confirm that is the colour they light up in also in the GQ-era...






313 : MS-06 Zaku [GQ]


The mass-production version of the GQ Zaku looks very much like the previous figure save for the altered head sculpt sans the antenna. Here we see more of the black colour applications where a dark red was used on the Char-variant also for areas that are supposed to be a dark green. I'll have to assume that the toy designers tested many options to figure out what would look the best with only one additional colour applied. Interestingly the top of the head has a different colour than the front, it looks a bit odd and was not used on the Char figure. I didn't mention it earlier but the look of that crotch thruster is really unfortunate centred between those two round hip joints, what the hell was the designer smoking? An easy way around it would have been to alter the shape of the thruster or maybe install a pair, once you notice this it becomes very hard to unsee.


I am happy that the two Zaku figures come with different accessories as this opens up for even more variants to display. One of the more interesting designs to come out of GQ is the MS-06-SSP Police Zaku and I really hope it will also come to Converge (yeah, right...).


All three weapon options currently available for the GQ Zaku next to each other. Bandai, take note - This is how you trick customers into buying multiple collectible figures.


Allt the GQ figures released in Converge so far. The Red Gundam should be coming up on here soon and after that we have the gFReD to look forward to in May. There is also yet another colour variant of the White Base from Converge SB arriving around that time, but I guess that might be it.






314 : RGM-79N GM Custom


The final two slots are dedicated to Universal Century proper, and what a way to finish off the set with a pair of grunt suits! First up is the toothpaste-coloured GM Custom from Stardust Memory. I think the designers decided to cut costs here because it is a bit lacking in the colour-department. I can forgive the missing reds on the shoulders or the downward facing leg thrusters but I wish the knee joints would have been painted up the same way as the ankle joints. Overall though, the figure is looking pretty sharp.


The figure is armed with the 90mm HFW-GR*MR82 rifle which is an interesting weapon as well as its signature shield. The head antenna has a large triangular peg that you will have to push in really hard to fit properly, take care not to damage it.


Several mobile suits from Stardust Memory are still waiting and hoping for inclusion in the Converge line-up but the GM Custom has actually been seen before, a long time ago in Converge volume 8, released in October of 2012. While I really like the original figure the #Sharp revision is an upgrade in almost every aspect.






315 : RGM-79Q GM Quel


I was surprised to see Bandai choosing to release a second variant of the GM Custom figure and here is the GM Quel; a further development of the GM Custom destined for Titans elite force use. The two figures are very similar but the Quel has redesigned shoulders and notable sculpt changes at the forehead and lower arms.


The Quel comes with the same accessories as the GM Custom which I think is a lost opportunity. There are many interesting weapon options for the GM family - several different rifle types, bazookas and beam sabers. Imagine if this figure had come with a bazooka for example, then I would have been happy to pick up multiples and kit them out accordingly. Bandai really hit that sweet spot when they designed the Dingo Squad and Matsunaga sets that are brimming with weaponry.


While I am always missing this or that particular GM variant I have to say that the Converge line-up is pretty good right now. There is still plenty of work left to do though so I hope that Bandai will continue to stick with Converge for many years to come. :)






Conclusion

Wrapping things up, Converge #28 is another lovely set of highly detailed figures that continue to push the line forward. If you are a strict Universal Century aficionado the contents are a bit limited and the set does contain a couple of resculpts as well but on the other hand, if you are into GQ this is the go to-set.