#second gunpla I’ve built

[cyber-neptune]

Finished building 00, here he is next to Ilfrith (dont mind the mess in the background).

Building him was a lot similar and different from Ilfrith, obviously due to the fact he’s and MG and she’s HG-

I only lost a small piece on the arm and one or two green caps. It it was a pain in the ass to build some parts, almost broke the hands and decided to remove a small piece so it could fit better, broke a part of the sheild due to not having a part separator (I should buy one tbh-) and had to fix some od the chest pieces with clear tape because for some reason there’s no glue in my house.

A problem I encounter with my copy is that the upper body isn’t standing correctly. It’s probably just a defect but you can see he’s kinda sideways. Also some parts keep popping off (arms and V crest) which was pretty annoying.

Overall even tho somethings went “wrong” it was a fun experience, I’ll definitely need a part separator and glue in the future.

Now enjoy some pics I took of them

[emcandon]

Eyyyy I got asked to write an essay about big robots and digressed into mulling over monstrous metaphors

There’s Bones in that Bot By Emma Mieko Candon When people met me at 25, the wrongness of my body was immediately apparent. It was the thinness, the frailty, the new scars and fragile veins. Another clue: the walker and its cat-mauled tennis balls. So too the oxygen tank—the fancy kind you keep in a bag that spurts air up the tube into your nose only when you inhale. Tst-tst-tst. Even when I graduated to a cane and a steady gait, I made no effort to hide the red tangle of knotty scars at my throat, though I did my best to contain the chronic cough. (A mistake, BTW. Cover your mouth, but don’t hold it in. Great way to put even more stress on the flesh apparatus.) I had by then long since been convinced by Donna Haraway’s thesis of cyborg humanity—that we as entities exceeded our flesh the second we developed tool use, and that it got even worse when we introduced the context of gifts and possessions. But as the years go on, the extended thing-ness of my body only grows more apparent. I am artificial and constructed; I am alive because I have been built.  I thought this was what brought me to a fascination with robots and AI—the extension of humanity through embodied machines! But no, my friends said. We remember the whole Gundam thing. The Machine is a Monster Right, the whole Gundam thing. About that.

This might sound weird coming from someone who’s just put out a book about beautiful giant robots, but I’ve never really been interested in robots—at least when they aren’t moving. When a giant robot is just standing there/floating in space/being a Gunpla model, a monument to itself, my eyes pass over its silhouette as they would any other large structure. Perhaps I’m impressed by its artistry, or intrigued by the underlying design, but it isn’t really an object of curiosity.

But when that titan lifts its hand? When its leg rises and its foot crashes down—when it turns its arm to reveal the medium of great violence? 

Then I am afraid. Then I am fascinated.

I am drawn to large machinery in the way I am to monsters. When I describe something on the magnitude of a spaceship, I know it can be warmth and a home, but it is also, to me, an existential threat of size and speed and impact. My body is all too familiar with its own fragility. I cannot perceive this immensity without thinking of my fundamental physical relationship to it.

I don’t know that I was thinking any of this, even on an intuitive level, when Gundam Wing first stomped into my life—when it was Toonami’s heady alternative to Dragon Ball Z that I was instantly in love with for the pretty boys and twisty political intrigue. Now, though, I am well versed in the brittle nature of my body, and I have been taking new hikes through Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, then more recently (it just finished! go watch it!) Gundam: the Witch from Mercury. Both series are immediately and intimately Gundam at its best: 

1. an interrogation of exploited bodies in the context of vast systems and machines

2. the absurd and precious possibility of human connection.

Ah, right, and 3., the eternal backbone of Gundam as a narrative: War…bad???

The Monster is People

War bad. Seems silly. Pithy. Of course war bad. No one right with their mind, body, or soul wants war. 

Do they? Enh. Reality seems to beg to differ. War is happening, right now, all over, in all its ugliness and horror. The great machines of nation, capital, hunger, and hatred grind our smallness through cruelty after cruelty. And for all these great things are the dire mechanisms, it is small human hands that pull the triggers and incise flesh. It is a devouring cycle, it is corrosively sick, we are so pitifully trapped.

I struggle to write this with any kind of resonance or meaning. War bad. Simple, two words, three letters each, and yet abysmally less than the entirety they gesture toward. How many more words would I need? How many more letters and syllables and theories and treatises and grotesqueries must I lay down to properly express war?

Because you have to say something. The nothing is worse. Deadly. 

But how? How do you encapsulate the monstrous enormity? How do you even begin?

I don’t know, I don’t know. But I see how some have tried.

The People is the Machine

Giant robots are shockingly silly. They’re physically impossible. They’re often being painted bright LEGO colours or being constructed out of mechanized lions. As often as they’re the centre of gritty stories of human suffering (with a touch of transcendent human connection), they’re goofy warriors for goodness, light, and the power of friendship, taking part in schlocky melodrama. When asked by a stranger what I write about, I say “Oh, giant robots” in the most self-effacing tone. SILLY!

Here’s the thing: this genre has a legacy, at least in Japan. There, mecha stories arrive in the aftermath of World War II, during which Japan both suffered and was the perpetrator of unconscionable violence. And in that aftermath, the Japanese government was (and still is) often eager to honour only its own dead—and to sweep under the rug all the horrors it committed. 

How do you live with that? How do you breathe? What do you say?

I don’t think it’s always—or even usually—conscious. Maybe you just find yourself drawn to the idea of samurai and ronin, men of violence bound by rigid hierarchies and honour codes. And maybe you particularly like to write stories where their moral centres are flayed open by the commands of their superiors. “Kill that man,” says the lord. “This doesn’t seem right,” says the samurai—as he kills the man, and then has to somehow goddamn live with it.

Maybe this is what you need to express the overwhelming pressure of complicity and silence.

Or maybe you find yourself thinking in terms of the sheerly absurd. Monsters of incredible magnitude. Robots of like immensity. Maybe you use them to evoke atrocities lived and visited upon your world and body. Maybe it seems only right that they should also dance, that they should be cartoonish caricatures of human experience. Because maybe this metaphor of ludicrous size and self is just the best way to articulate a raw immensity that you cannot otherwise grasp. 

Maybe that’s why the robot needs to be larger than the world should ever let it be.

They’re Metaphors, Harold

Small wonder that, when I started writing a book driven by the dissolution of my body, I reached for the magnitude of mechs. It wasn’t intentional. It just happened. Here was an idea perfectly fashioned for a story of total self-destruction and survival. I wasn’t looking to express how I had been let to live because of my artificial hips, or because of the machines that pumped air and blood out of and back into my body. I was trying to capture a giant. 

No. That’s not right. I was trying to say that I had been captured by that giant.

No. That’s not right either. I was trying to say that the giant had pulverized me, and that in so doing, it had made me part of it, and that now I live with the tremors of its weight in my every step.

I got so fucking big.

[renegaderoxy]

Recently got into Gunpla! This is the second kit I’ve ever built: the MS-06F Zaku II RG. It was an absolute bastard and I attempted it earlier in my model building journey than I should have, but it came out pretty nicely!

Build time: 16 hours

[haropla]

Out of curiosity!!! What gunplas do you have? (If theres too much for a single ask it’s ok im just really curious hehehe)

I’m a bit lazy atm to relocate some other gunpla that are elsewhere in the house, but here’s what I’ve built so far!!

that top shelf has my Favorite favorite mobile suits, like guncannon and hygogg and woundwort (I have the Actual kits instead of just the small converge line woundworts, but I’ve been so nervous about starting them because they’re limited, so I haven’t ;w;)

second shelf is meant for amuro and char mobile suits (amuro on the left, char on the right), so what’s there is grandpa gundam + zaku II from the one year war, and then there’s dijeh, hyaku-shiki, and rick dias from the titans/gryps conflict(, and eventually I’ll add the nu and sazabi there). also the luckiest blind box grab I’ll ever make, a lunar new year rabbit-themed grandpa sd. I only bought the one and it was all I needed…!?

third is meant for various UC suits that arent included in the last two so ground gundam, gouf custom, zeta, and guntank, with bottom shelf being for other suits that aren’t UC. there’s god gundam but also a red beret grimoire that fell and broke apart due to an earthquake that I’m too lazy to put back together afdjdgdj

[prettyflyshyguy]

Been slowly getting into gunpla as a side hobby and this is the second kit I've built so far, but the first I've done a custom paint job on c: I proudly present; the Egg-Gogg!

[polysquids]

Built my first and second Gunplas! I was a bit daunted by how many pieces there were, but I’ve always wanted to start building them and I’m super happy with the results!

[g-29astarothtrinity]

ASW-G-XXV Gundam Kimaris Venandi

Custom Retrofitted Gundam Frame - High Mobility Type General Purpose Mobile Suit

Pilot: Spike Spiegel

Affiliation(s): Guild of Bounty Hunters (GBH), United Federation (former), Red Dragon Syndicate (former).

Powerplant: Ahab Reactor x2

Armaments: 

Experimental 140mm Dual-Stage Linear Rifle: A high caliber semi-automatic rifle for mobile suits that utilizes a chemical propellant as the first stage and an integrated electromagnetic rail system as the second stage of acceleration. Rounds have enough kinetic yield to rip through most mobile suits in a few shots. Intended as a mass produced battle rifle, it was deemed too expensive by the United Federation Armed Forces and funding was cut. The few that were produced would end up on the black market, and with one lucky owner being a certain space cowboy who uses it as a last resort.

75mm Pistols (x2): Intended for close range combat and can double as point defense against missiles and rockets when loaded with flak rounds. Spike’s go to weapons when attempting to capture targets preferably alive.

 Mobile Suit Vibro Knives (x2): Vibrate at high frequency to assist in cutting through armor. 

 Feet-Mounted Blades: a pair of blades are integrated into each feet, and deploy by folding out. 

Special Equipment/Systems:

Alayna Vijnana - Assist Type “Julia”: a pseudo variation of the Alayna Vijnana man-machine interface system that allows the user to tap into nearly the full potential of the interface without putting severe and crippling strain on brain and body nervous system. User maintains full control, with the system acting as an assist by providing the necessary additional “computing” power necessary to offset any neurological strain from the interface. Assist Type Alayna Vijnana of this kind are rare. Inspired by the Alayna Vijnana Type Eins.

Multi-Purpose Launchers: A pair are mounted in the side skirt binders, these multi-purpose launchers are primarily used to fire homing harpoons to latch into targets, especially when they attempt to flee. A voltage can be channeled through the wire into the harpoon. The homing harpoons can be switched out for explosive sabot rods which are fired to best effect at close to medium ranges.

Hyper Jammer + Cloak: A powerful military grade jammer and cloaking device. This helps the Venandi stay mostly undetected from most radar and scanners while scrambling enemy communications when active.

Supplemental Ahab Reactor: A third Ahab reactor is mounted in the backpack to provide additional supplemental power to systems such as the hyper jammer and cloaking device. It’s true purpose, however, is to conceal the signature frequency given off by the Gundam’s two Ahab reactors which is unique to each Gundam frame. 

Operational History Overview

Spike’s personal mobile suit in his bounty hunting endeavors and mishaps across the known Mily Way, Gundam Kimaris Venandi is a custom retrofit of a legend from the Calamity War. One of the Gundam frames thought to have been completely destroyed, it was supposedly found among war wreckage with its frame still in optimal condition. Initially, the mobile suit was repaired and retrofitted for Mobile Suit Racing by engineer and old friend of Spike, Doohan. However, it was instead gifted to Spike sometime after he had left the Red Dragon Syndicate, and was modified for high mobility combat with an emphasis on pursuit and capture. It was at this time that the Gundam’s Alayna Vijnana system was also modified and converted into an assist type. Spike often refers to the Assist Type Alayna Vijnana as “Julia”, after a past love interest of his.

Post-Build Notes:

I’m really happy with how my first custom gunpla build came out, despite all the setbacks. I used the HGIBO Gundam Vidar as the base, and customized it with parts from Gundam Kimaris Vidar and Gundam Bael, along with additional vernier thrusters on the side skirt binders and back skirt. Also modified the back skirt for installation of a weapons storage rack for either a sword or two knives.

As per usual with High Grade Iron-Blooded Orphans Gundam kits, the articulation of the inner frame is very good. However, there are some areas that could be much better. First, I’ve heard about how the back binders from the HG Vidar are loose, but my issue is that they are too close to the shoulders thus restricting backwards movement of the arms. The front skirts have a similar issue, but not as severe of course. It’d be better if the pelvis section of these kits was just pushed out a little further to give just a little more leeway between the front skirts and the legs. I’ve already accidentally scratched some paint off one of the upper leg parts, but at least those red painted parts have no decals so reapplying paint will not be much of a hassle.

I’ve built the Venandi with upgrades in mind already, so this is just Phase 1. Goes along with its backstory I’m creating as part of a larger crossover Gundam universe. The Phase 2 upgrade package will fix the backpack issue for sure, in addition to other changes.

[reversemoon255]

So Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise has been going on for a month now, and I’ve been quite enjoying it, and I’ve got to do a Fifth Review for this month, so I thought I’d talk a bit about the Gundam Build series. I feel like I’ve always been more into the Build stuff than a lot of other fans I’ve talked to, which I attribute to me being more into the technological aspects of the meta-series as a whole. So, as Gunpla’s kinda my thing, I thought we’d talk about Gunpla. I’ve been interested in doing some Top 10 stuff, and thought it might be fun to go over some of my favorites from the series. I won’t be including Re:Rise since it’s not complete, but I will be looking at all the custom Gunpla from GBF, GBFT, GBD, and their associated manga and choosing the ten that fit my fancy:

Number 10: GF13-17NJ/B Gundam Shining Break

This is probably lower on this list because I haven’t been able to find Gundam Build Divers Break, but I still love the idea behind this unit. I went over it when I reviewed the kit, but the reason the Builder chose the Shining Gundam as a base was because of its wide range of articulation as a martial arts inspired Gundam, but then removed all the things that let it do martial arts techniques and slapped a big ol’ gun and shield on it and gave it an MA conversion. He basically turned it into the WIng Gundam.

And I think that’s really cool. Taking a unit that you like for one reason and completely changing its fighting style and gimmicks to better match that of a unit you mesh with from a control perspective. I feel like most people would just take a unit that was their favorite or already had a fighting style they liked and would just choose that as a starting point, so it’s cool to not see a unit give into that compromise.

Number 9: NYA+MBKF-P02 Nyaia Astray

The Nyaia Gundam is probably the first MS in the GBF canon that we see get a total overhaul, transforming a Gundam with a quadrupedal MA mode into a cuddly cat. And like the Bearguy III, it spawned several copycats that all have cutesy MA transformation... It’s just none of them got actual kits.

Of that particular cast of characters, the Nyaia Astray is my favorite. The successor to the Nyaia and Nyaia Leone, the Nyaia Astray is one of the few cute MA to not have an MA Mode to start with, similar to our previous entry. It’s just another cool bit of inspiration, giving a unit an alternate mode when it originally didn’t have one, and also building outside the preconceived notion of sticking with in-universe canons.

Number 8: 最強機動 Gundam Tryon 3

I love Super Robots. I have not been shy about telling people that. And here we have a Gunpla inspired by Super Robots. Enough said.

Number 7: GN-1001N Seravee Gundam Scheherazade

Y’know, I just now noticed that it’s call sign is 1001N, as in 1001 Nights. Clever.

The Scheherazade is an excellent example of adding an original gimmick to a Gunpla. Its Booster is capable of transforming into a weapons pack similar to the original Seravee’s typical loadout, but also has a secondary mode built for close combat. Plus it can itself be used as a weapon. That’s four different ways a single Booster can be used, leaving the base unit free to worry about its own articulation, weapons, and performance without having to integrate any abnormal parts that might get in the way.

Number 6: RMS-117G11 Galbaldy Rebake

While it was mostly an excuse to slip some Iron-Blooded Orphans in due to licensing issues with other TV stations (the same reason 00 didn’t appear in GBF until the second season), the Galbaldy Rebake is still an excellent Gunpla. While it doesn’t do anything particularly interesting like the last few entries on this list, it still packs an amazing amount of imagination. It takes the Galbaldy, a Universal Century unit, and changes its style into that of a Calamity War unit, giving it equipment to match. The idea in and of itself is amazing, it’s one of only a few units to it, and it arguably does it the best.

Number 5: XXXG-01S2龍虎狼 Gundam Jiyan Altron

The Jiyan Altron combines several aspects we’ve seen in previous entries on this list. It takes an After Colony timeline unit, not to mention one built for midrange combat, and changes it into a close combat unit with aesthetic and combat elements taken from Gundam Fighters. It utilizes its existing parts in interesting ways, has unique new ones, and even incorporates unseen ones like the golden Hyper Mode.

Also gets a lot of credit for going with the series Altron rather than the EW version. Though, now that I think about it, most of the units based on Gundam Wing seem to utilize the show versions, which is odd considering how popular the Endless Waltz versions appear to be. I wonder if there’s a reason for that?

Number 4: MBF-PNN Gundam Astray No-Name

I’m honestly surprised that the No-Name ended up so high on this list. I know I like the Astray, but not that much. I think that’s just a testament to how interesting the design is. Despite being from GBD, the Astray No-Name feels like the ultimate culmination of the philosophies of GBF and GBFT. As the unit was more and more damaged through actual battle, the Builder continually built upon and reinforced it until it became what it is now. It’s construction out of necessity, rather than how Gunpla are typically built in GBN where it’s based on pilot experience and data. It’s cool that there was at least one Gunpla in the series that hearkened back to it.

Number 3: PEN-01M Momokapool

Gunpla is Freedom! The fact that this is even higher on the list than the No-Name is even more surprising. But the Momokapool is just, like, one of the most unique units in the series, partly because it’s built weaker than its base unit. What really sold me on this was the instruction manual of all things. It gives so much extra detail about the construction of this unit that you miss during its debut episode (though it is a decent episode). Momoka even wanted to remove the finger guns, but only kept them because Koichi was helping her build it and insisted she have some kind of weapon. The Petitkapool is also another great example of an original gimmick, though in this case even though it takes up a lot of space it’s still seamlessly integrated into the design.

I also like the name. It’s Momoka’s Kapool so it’s the Momokapool. Cute.

Number 2: SD-237 Winning Gundam

You may have noticed that most of the units on this list are from GBD. As the series’ have progressed the designers on the series have gotten better and more imaginative, so it’s not surprising that the newer units would incorporate more of the technical stuff I like in comparison to older units that were mostly recolors with new heads.

However, the Winning Gundam, despite its age even within its own season (eventually being replaced by the Star Winning Gundam), stands out as one of the most imaginative units the series has ever produced. Most SD Gundams are themed, normally around Romance of the Three Kingdoms due to most SD Gundam shows being based on it, but the Winning follows the typical schemes of most MS. Not only that, but it has a Booster Mode, it’s head can separate from that to form a smaller Booster, and it has multiple weapons and parts that can combine together for different situations.

But the best thing it does? It’s able to integrate with Real Type MS. The first to do so. It even inspired an entire, though to my knowledge brief, line of SD Gundams capable of doing the same. It’s thinking outside the box at its finest.

Number 1: XXXG-01Wf Wing Gundam Fenice

And the only Gunpla from GBF ends up being number 1 on the list, but not for the same reasons as everything else. It has a few new gimmicks, but nothing amazing. It has a few additional weapons, but nothing as intense as other MS in the series. It has some unique design elements, but doesn’t utilize any spectacular ideas in its build. And it’s green.

But what it does do is tell a story. Like the No-Name, it’s been bashed and beaten through years of Gunpla Battles, and has been repaired and upgraded each time. Unlike the No-Name, however, you can actually tell by looking at it, with its asymmetrical design, broken head components, and heterochromia.

And its upgrades are great, too. It has a personal vehicle that utilizes some of the missing components from the Wing Gundam base, the Meteor Hopper. When it’s eventually destroyed in its battle against the Qubeley Papillon, its successor, the Gundam Fenice Rinascita, takes many cues from this unit while reincorporating the MA Mode from the Wing Gundam and has new combinable weaponry likely inspired by the Wing Gundam Zero. And on top of that, its final incarnation, the Gundam Fenice Liberta, removes the previous MA Flight Mode in favor of a ground-based one reminiscent of the Meteor Hopper the first Fenice utilized.

All in all, the Fenice may not be as bold and flashy as some of the other Gunpla it fought or those from future series, but it makes up for it with sheer charm and design quality.

And that’s my favorite Gunpla to have come out of the Build Series. I’m pretty sure most people won’t agree with a lot of my choices, but I know what I like. I’m not trying to be objective; I’m just running on gut feelings here. And to bring things back around to Re:Rise, I’m excited to see what new Gunpla we’ll be getting in the future, and am happy with the ones we’ve gotten so far. And I’ll talk more about that tomorrow...

[des-shinta]

So As I’ve been in a state of burnout for a significant sect of the year, I’ve been picking up number of Bandai models to relieve my stress, since building things I find a relaxing endeavor, and they’ve been making me feel better.

(no, most of these were not built this year.  Only 7 of them in the first picture were ‘new’.  The rest are bits and pieces of my older collection I’ve happily been able to unbox and display for the first time in years.  Also: Hi Zoids models that didn’t get enough love during their release tenure!) I’ve actually been building models and Figures for years and years--I started out Heavily as A Lego kid--and since Gundam Wing Aired on Toonami in the late 90′s I’ve infrequently bought bandai’s various models as well, but most of the ones I built back then were...well, demolished by my younger step-brother.   My first ones were low-grade 1/144′s ToysRUs’ Got back in that boom, and they weren’t sturdy at all, thus had no chance to survive.

They’ve since been replaced with all MG’s from that series. Well, except for that 1/100 scale HG Altron that was first released in 1996.  that P-Bandai one is stupid expensive, and Altron’s Endless waltz Redesign is the only one of them I OUTRIGHT hate. It was around 2005-ish when I got into it again, when my parents got me for Christmas the 1/60 perfect Grade RX-78-2.  It took me about Eight hours to build and I did it all in one sitting...but it wasn’t sturdy at all.  It couldn’t even lift its arm if the rifle was in it, it wouldn’t stay up.   All I had it do was just stand there...Menacingly.

So from there on out--with the rare exception--I started to intermittently find and get as Gifts ones from the 1/100 Master Grade line.  THOSE--for the most part depending on what types of hands the figure uses and how well they even hold weapons--have been more my jam despite their 50~ish dollar price point.  Large enough they’re not easily smashed, small enough that they’re pose-able and easy to display, and with enough Complexity in their construction with the various implemented gimmicks to give me an immense feeling of satisfaction to see them done and on Display.  Yeah, there’s a LOT more variety and accessories to be found in the 1/144′s these days--in part thanks to the Gundam Build Fighters series making customization even easier than ever between that scale’s market--but I just don’t get the same thing out of them, despite only about 6 or less MG kits being made a year, with some of them being Shunted off now to Premium Bandai’s services to become stupidly overpriced for what they are and what’s supplied...even though I DO have a few P-bandai ones as well.  Stupid obsession with the Astrays, Tallgeese III, and Form/Equipment change gimmicks...

Hell, I’ve even experimented from time to time with custom Color palletes, with one of the first to get that treatment being the sword Impulse that desperately needed more contrasting colors (also thank aura that bandai’s finally releasing the Blast Impulse MG...even if it IS P-bandai so the display isn’t oddly missing a mech).  I’ve got the MG of the Sengoku Astray still in its box (with a bunch of other Gundam seed Mechs I haven’t build yet ‘cause I adore Gundam Seed’s mecha design and will be using those to unwind between overtime shifts this December)  and when I build it, I’m going to repaint all its red parts yellow to Give the Gundam that kind of resembles Kamen Rider Gaim’s Kachidoki arms the full Kachidoki color treatment.  Think I have Enough spare pieces from wrecked stuff to try building it a Custom Tanigashima “DJ Gun” Rifle to go with it as well.

Also the Gunpla hobby led me to doing the papercrafting thing for cheap-to-make Figurines or accessories or even scale props like the scaled-to-figure Gurren Lagann Giga drill pictured above, which I’ve moved onto doing custom templates for on occasion--

--case in point, the 1:1 scale pepakura Pandora Box--

--And my Gate of Ouroboros Broadsword which was a papercraft template I mapped onto Foam to get it near-damn-perfect...after I made a MK 2 of the original ‘cause the original ended up way too heavy.  I can basically trace a lot of my fun crafting stuff to being inspired by the creativity that goes into this kind of thing, and the work of other crafters and cosplayers, and then seeking to try applying that myself from all my learned habits.

But outside of the expected Gunpla you can find in Hobby stores and...for some reason Barnes and Nobles, which has retained a market throughout that time despite Bandai of America’s Idiocy thanks to bluefin Distributions, I’ve started tracking down some of bandai’s other model offerings.  Specifically, the Figurise standard and Minipla lines.

For those not in the know, Super Minipla’s are basically model kit versions of previously released mecha toys, only with a far smaller scaling from their DX Counterparts which you then build yourself.  They seek to retain all of the originals play gimmicks where possible, but come off a LOT more pose-able by their end than the DX toy bricks. Featured above is the Minipla of the Super Galaxy Mega (Astro Delta Megazord) From Denji Sentai Megaranger/Power Rangers in Space.  and this thing is *PERFECT*.  Despite it being half the size of the DX toy, it retains *EVERY* single play feature the original had (transformation, combination, weapon accessories, the works), but has fully pose-able limbs in every single part of it.  The freaking thing cost me $80 when back in 1998 the DX toy versions cost a total of $60, and yet factor for inflation and the impossibility of re-aquiring the 20-year-old vintage toys and this thing was *SO* worth it to get back my second-favorite sentai/PR Mech.

Hell, it’s not just the DX toys they compete against.  On the Right is the Super Robot Chogokin Gaogaigar with Goldion Hammer, and on the left is the Minipla figure of the same mech and weapon.  Both actually retailed for around the same price points on release, but there’s a more distinct compare and contrast between them. The SRC one has better paint apps, is constructed on a metal frame and has metal parts all over it, has distinct limb joints and proper articulation with a screen-accurate scale structure to it and has some weight to it so isn’t likely to topple over easily.  Frankly of the two...it just looks better in person.  Whereas the super minipla, while not perfectly in scale and doesn’t have the brilliance of the colorization to help it, Retains the transformation and combination gimmicks of the original toys which give it a lot more value to collectors that can’t afford the Full DX figures which bear the same.  Its Joints are also a LOT Tighter so the feet and arms aren’t likely to slip, and while not as good as the SRC, the screen-accuracy is far better than the original Takara-based DX toys or even the later Bandai remakes of them after Bandai bought the rights from Takara.  And with the right hand and hammer being a hell of a lot lighter, when I get this thing on a display stand it’ll be able to do more than just stand with the hammer planted on the ground.

The Figurise standard line instead is a model kit version of an anime/live series action Figure--Mostly limited to Dragonball and Kamen Rider figures right now But Digimon ones for the line are coming soon-- with them ending up in competition with Bandai’s SH Figuarts High-quality-Figure line, albeit with a lower Pricepoint than the SHF since you make it yourself and some of the paint apps are replaced with stickers, and their ease of mass production makes them more available than the SHF’s by comparison. Sorry I don’t have the best picture of the figure on hand, but for those not familiar with the character, it’s the Pink/Neon green/black-colored character that’s surrounded by Gundams (the pic was taken in the midst of a bedbug crisis where we were packing everything up in our apartment so it wouldn’t end up damaged)  The Character is Kamen Rider Ex-aid action gamer Level 2, and up close it’s near indistinguishable from the SHF for the character. And yet...I kind of felt like I got more out of the FRS figure than the sole SHF I have, simply because I put my time into putting it all together.  Yeah, the markings are stickers instead of painted on, but if those fade or start peeling?  I can paint-app it myself.  It has all the details I want, it moves how I want it to, and it came with a great stand for it to be placed in a fantastic jumping pose.    I actually want to find more of those for Kamen Rider Figures from the series I like, as I think it’d be better than dealing with the SHF’s which...well, depending on the figure?  Are notorious for production line issues.  while some models can have loose joints or frail pieces (which can be fixed with an easy application of super glue.  And any other scratches, chips and imperfections?  Yeah, those will be my fault, and won’t result in me feeling as if I got gyped in the purchase.

Sadly though, these figures aren’t exactly created equal.  On a limb I picked up the super minipla Shin getter robo set After My Roommate showed by GR Armageddon and we loved it; and...Eeeehh.  They’re not terrible, but they’re lacking for the expectation I had with the Minipla’s.  I think Kaiyodo’s Revoltech Figure line did better with these guys--out of print as may of those figures are now.  Black Getter 1 (Left) actually does look great with the Ragged cape and gun and razor arm...but the ball joints It, Getter Dragon (center) and Shin getter 1 (right) are constructed with do NOT like to stay together.  I can’t pose them at all without risking them toppling over or falling apart.  I think the Revoltech ones are bigger as well, making for better display pieces than these guys who’d be beaten out by 1/144′s.

hell, this mazinger Z Model was a 1/144, and it’s in scale with the Master grades. ...Mazinger mechs be big. But that brings us to a more recent addition via Tsuburaya and Studio Trigger.

One of the newer Additions to the minipla Line has been the Gridman figures, thanks to the anime series SSSS Gridman putting that franchise back on people’s Radar.  I had Gridman’s toys (when the series was imported and adapted into the series Superhuman samurai Syber Squad) when I was a kid and adored them...

..and sure enough, when I built the Thunder Gridman one, it was like popping back to a little piece of my childhood.  Same play gimmicks to them, and while the scaling is not the same, the engineering is all there to invoke the proper good pieces of nostalgia. To the point it resulted in the best thing about these guys, and It almost didn’t happen. When SSSS Gridman was airing, I ended up enjoying myself so much by its end I jumped at the chance to preorder the DX mecha figures that Good Smile company was releasing.  Unfortunately, the seller turned out to be a con-artist, and never shipped me the figure...though i did get my money back thanks to buyer protection.  I saw vid’s on it, and it looked pretty good...but it was completely out of scale and reasonable relation with the old Gridman Toys.  So when I heard about the Minipla’s going out for a lot less than the DX’s original and jacked-up price points?  I put in an order with someone I knew who was reliable for these...and really, I should’ve done so from the start.

The super Minipla Gridman Figures...are all perfectly in scale with each-other, and share all the same connection ports. I can put the SSSS Gridman Figures into the older Gridman armors.  That’s Primal Fighter Gridman wearing the Thunder Gridman armor (right).  Hell, I can swap the arms of the Gridman figures so the effect components can be put in the older ones as well as they use common components across the board in their construction.  I think in the future I’m going to put PFGridman in the king armor (left) as well, as the SSSS-Gridman figure has slightly Longer legs which would make the King Gridman armor scale better.  Because of this, I ended up a lot happier with these guys that I would likely have been trying in vain to get another decently-priced DX one, or even the Actbuilder release of the SSSSG Stuff that did scale with the minipla’s. So Bottom line?  I really like models, they help me relax, and I’ve been discovering some cool stuff this year that Bandai’s done which I wouldn’t have if I weren’t trying to find a way to vent stress.  Thank you disposable $16+ an hour Income for making such possible.

[ehdubyah]

I’ve been playing the new Gundam Battle: Gunpla Warfare game lately, and it’s pretty fun so far. Here’s the main suit I’m using right now (haven’t really decided on a name for it).

Also got some support suits. First one is built for close combat, the second is for long range support.

Here’s my code if any of y’all want to add me: ECMN6UPMD

[darthveda]

JESSE'S GUNPLA SHOWCASE: SPECIAL EDITION (1-Year Anniversary Post)

Today is a Special Day....

One year ago, I had an idea to create a brand new, Gundam-based sideblog here on Tumblr to show my love and appreciation for everything that is not only Gundam, but also Gunpla as well. There is nothing that I love more than Gundam and my need to show my appreciation for it, which as as result began to congest up my main blog, @jw-northstar. So the Gunpla-Meister Tumblr blog was born. When I created this blog, I expected 50 to maybe 60 followers at max if I was lucky.  What a difference a year makes.

Earlier this week, Gunpla-Meister hit the 300 Follower mark.....

..Wow. I am absolutely floored by this. Thank you guys so much for tuning in to my blog daily and checking out what I post. Perhaps it's the gorgeous art I reblog from fellow artists here, the incredibly detailed gunpla kits built by some of the finest builders around the globe, or maybe you just like the silly and ludicrous shitposts that me and my mutuals create from time to time. Whatever it is that you like, I'm grateful to present it to you here on @gunpla-meister. 

And Always Remember: Gunpla is Freedom, but Gundam is Forever!

Now, one of the things that I wanted to make a Main Attraction here was my attempt to show off all the Gunpla Kits that i've built since my entry into the Gunpla world, aka The Gunpla Showcase. I won't lie, it's a bit disorganized, with some of my gunpla posts being posted on my main blog prior to this blog's creation. But i've tried my best to go in order from earliest to most recently assembled. There have been 26 Gunpla Showcases since I started the series, but this one is without a doubt a milestone for me.

For today, I will be showcasing my first ever custom build. 

For 8 years, I have been a straight-builder. I open the box, unpackage the runners, read the manual, and build away. It's fun every time, but inspiration began to grow. Inspiration that brewed from some of the greatest builders all over the world. You see their builds all the time on Twitter, Instagram, and here on Tumblr.  Some even came up with an actual online board game on roll20 that simulates the iconic Gunpla Battle System from Gundam: Build Fighters, and you can use custom builds as pieces with the ability to gain stat boosts based on how well it's made. I wanted to partake in all of that, but my lack of experience in the custom department made me feel purely intimidated, and i wanted to change that.

This February during my visit to Anime Milwaukee, I picked up a Gunpla Grab Bag which included: a HG Star Burning Gundam, a G-Self Space Backpack, a 1/100 Graze, and a Winning Petit Guy. I didn't think much of it when I bought it, and I actually kinda regretted buying it at first. But then I made a return trip to the Lost World of Wonders. That place sounds familiar, right? I picked up a PG Exia (you should've taken my credit card from me when you had the chance), but a HG Lightning Black Warrior also caught my eye there, and then the creative motors began to turn in my head. The plan for a custom had been set in stone in that first week of March.

Mixing and matching parts was the first step, and several combinations were attempted but only one was finalized. The head, arms, and shield of the Star Burning Gundam would be combined with the torso, legs, and several weapons from the Lighting Black Warrior to create a build that's solid and basic in shape and design. It was there when I also needed to get a set of alligator clips, another first for me.

The next step was the priming process. Good Lord. If there was any step that required the most patience and time, it was this one. Being a builder in Wisconsin is a lovely challenge. Days were lost waiting for either the weather to warm up to 50, or for the always consistent wind gusts to die down to avoid wasting very valuable primer (I was using Tamiya Gray btw). The frustration began to mount for me, but eventually the process was finally finished and I couldn't have felt any better.

The third step was the painting. I had 4 cans of spray paint ready to go; Silver and White Krylon Short Cuts, and two cans of Testors Model Masters Bright Light Blue. Again, the wind became an obstacle, and to an extent ruined the paint jobs on some of the blue parts. But after changing my spray methods and finishing up in the basement, I was able to get smoother coats on the rest of my parts. Some parts also got second coats as well. I began to prime the weapons as soon after I got done painting the main body. The weapons (The Gun Blade and the Hyper Bazooka from the Lightning Black Warrior, and the rifle from the G-Self Space Backpack) would be hand painted with two coats of an dark metallic grey acrylic called zinc. The perfect color for the weapons. It was finally set for completion.

The final step was the re-assembly, and this is the final result.

It's not a masterpiece by any means, but I absolutely love how it turned out. Frustrating in the beginning it was, but relieving and rewarding the final result is. I would definitely love to do something like this again in the future.

GUNDAM LIGHTNING STAR WARRIOR [CUSTOM BUILD]

BUILT USING:

HG STAR BURNING GUNDAM (HEAD, ARMS, SHIELD)

HG GUNDAM LIGHTNING BLACK WARRIOR (UPPER BODY, LEGS, EXTRA WEAPONS)

G-SELF SPACE BACKPACK SET (RIFLE)

ACQUIRED FROM: ANIME MILWAUKEE 2018 / LOST WORLD OF WONDERS DATE PARTS WERE ACQUIRED: FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 DATE BUILD FINISHED FINAL ASSEMBLY: MARCH 9TH, 2018

--THIS POST HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE GUNPLA MEISTER--

[inthewired]

A good friend of mine has shown me the way of Gunpla, and I am converted. Of course, the first one I built myself would be the Petit’gguy Chara’gguy Momo from episode 8 of Gundam Build Divers. I also included a picture from the box with the best part... “Cute things are justice!” Yes they are, Momoka. Yes they are. (One of the other key features shown on the same panel of the box is “Ponytail!”, which is both amusing and awesome. And the ponytail is a point of articulation, so it’s a valid claim.)

I’ve also discovered that putting a figure on the shelf which you have assembled with your very own hands is a rewarding feeling.

And naturally the second Gunpla I’m going to build will be Momoka’s Momokapool. I’m pretty sure Momoka is my spirit Gundam character...

[felisminisms]

Since I'm now almost out of cotton swabs, paper towels, and thinners, I've decided to start working on a different project. The MG 1/100 Justice Gundam by Bandai. I has this washed and prepared for building last week, during the onset of the lockdown. I was actually trying to save this and build my MG Strike Rouge Ootori but I was getting sick of the Seed X-100 frame that I needed something else to build, thus pushing me to actually start on the Liger Zero and the bootleg HGs I got few weeks ago. Still, I'm exited to finally get this built and all. It's been sitting on my shelf for months now and I figured I have to do something in order to kill time. How's your second week of quarantine so far? . . . WIP: MG 1/100 Justice Gundam. . . . #abuilderslife #plamobuilder #plasticmodels #gunpla #gunplabuilder #gunplaislyf #bandai #MasterGradekit #MGZGMFX09AJusticeGundam #happykid #justicegundam #covid_19 #lockdown #lockdowndiaries #stayhome #stayhealthy (at Marikina City) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-E65LBFi2p/?igshid=4y0r9xx7wem6

[spooksuprex]

1-65!!

swi1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you? No.

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you? 3 in a familiar location, 5 in an unfamiliar location

3. The person you would never want to meet? Stalin.

4. What is your favorite word? FUCK

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be? Cherry Blossom, cause they pretty.

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought? I need more sleep.

7. What shirt are you wearing? A grey tank-top.

8. What do you label yourself as? A guy.

9. Bright room or dark room? Bright Room.

10. What were you doing at midnight last night? Playing TF2 for the first time in a year.

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far? 21.

12. Who told you they loved you last? My mom.

13. Your worst enemy? My hunger.

14. What is your current desktop picture? Hex Maniac with a gengar.

15. Do you like someone? Yes. My friend from Arizona. I would like to be in a long-distance relationship with her, if at least that.

16. The last song you listened to? Hell Yeah - Rev Theory

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Does it have to be a living person? Cause I’d love to say I blew up Hitler’s corpse.

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? Yes ST, who would I looooove to punch in the face? Care to guess?

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? You, and you’d have to.... wash my car.

20. What is your best physical attribute? Mah beard.

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do? ... I guess me with tits and no beard? As for what I’d do... I guess see if I could get laid? Be interesting to see it from both sides.

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it? Uhhhh... I don’t think I have one.

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of? ... I guess I get scared of losing one of my senses. To no longer be able to see the world... or possibly be unable to hear anything but silence... or to be unable to feel others and their touch... to be unable to taste anything or unable to small anything new.

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal. Turkey, lettuce, light mayo, swiss cheese. Either that or a Monte Cristo.

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? Gunpla Models... or saving up for a PS4

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go? I’d love to visit Italy.

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? Macallan 55 Year old Lalique Crystal Decanter. I don’t drink, but I can sell that shit for so much money. Or give it away so people who do drink can enjoy fancy whiskey.

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? Thursday is pants-free day.

29. What is your favorite expletive? FUCK

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno? Small laptop. It has all my writing on it. Everything else, while pricey, can be easily replaced.

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? .. I don’t want to erase any experience I’ve had. Everything I’ve had happen... they’ve made me grow even in small ways. I choose to let my past be, so I can be better for it.

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! ... First, I had to take a second to comprehend this question. Secondly... I guess Hong Kong? It seems wildly different, so it could be an interesting experience.

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? .... My adoptive dad if only to show him that... despite how sick he was and the bad choices he made... me and my sisters turned out alright. We’re happy.

34. What was your last dream about? I think it was just me getting distracted and being late to work. I have that dream a lot.

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]? Yes, I am a good [insert anything you’d like here].

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? Yes, once for a cracked ankle.

37. Have you ever built a snowman? Often, when I was young.

38. What is the color of your socks? White. I should buy some novelty socks.

39. What type of music do you like? Varies, often I like more up-beat songs or epic orchestras.

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Sunrises.

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? Double Chocolate. Yum.

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer) Indianapolis Colts, solely cause my dad is a Bears fan and he hates the Colts.

43. Do you have any scars? At the moment no, but I often get small ones on my hands.

44. What do you want to be when you graduate? Well Ideally I’d love to be an architect or at least in something in the field.

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? ... I’d give myself more of a drive to do things.

46. Are you reliable? At work? Mostly. At home? Depends a lot.

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be? Are you happy?

48. Do you hold grudges? I do, but I try to avoid it. I know how petty and self-destructive they can be.

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? BEAR BUNNY!

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had? Really any conversation between me and my work friend Ose.

51. Are you a good liar? No.

52. How long could you go without talking? Whole day probably.

53. What has been you worst haircut/style? The time I cut it myself for my college graduation.

54. Have you ever baked your own cake? I’ve made Flan, does that count?

55. Can you do any accents other than your own? Uh... Not really, but that’s cause I have a weird accent.

56. What do you like on your toast? Butter.

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? A rather poor attempt to emulate an artist I like.

58. What would be you dream car? Hmm.. I’m not really a car guy... I guess one of those Type B RVs? Would that count as a car? If not, then a Pick-Up.

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain. I do daydream in the shower, though really I just do my stuff and get out. Showers tend to make me paranoid.

60. Do you believe in aliens? Yes though I’m unsure if they’ve ever visited us. The idea that we’re the only life out there is stupid as hell.

61. Do you often read your horoscope? When I come across it, but I don’t go out of my way for it.

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? F. AS IN FUCK.

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? Dragons, they breathe fire.

64. What do you think about babies? Cute, but loud and awkward to hold.

[swtorprotocoldroid]

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray

Building my first #Gunpla

I’ve been watching a lot of video tutorial in Youtube about Gunpla, learning everything I need to know before I invest in this new hobby.

Until recently during the Lazada 6.6 Bounce Back sale I took a chance and purchased my first #Gunpla.

Not to overwhelm my self in terms of building it, I decided that my first #Gunpla will be the 30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray. There are other varieties of the Alto, but for now I’ve chosen the Alto Dark Gray as my first #Gunpla.

Alright, I haven’t finish reading EL James 50 Shades of Gray and the quarantine just gave me a good chance to catch up with my reading. That’s probably one of the reason.

Gundam Modeler Kit

Since its a new hobby and building a #Gunpla is not something to be taken lightly specially if you want to build it right, so the right tools are needed. I’ve got myself a modeler kit as well to help me remove the parts from the runners easily w/o damaging it.

Unboxing 30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray 

I just cant explain my feelings when I was doing the unboxing of my first #Gunpla, After seeing the parts attached from the runners, I’ve asked my self if I’ll be able to do it, had a second thoughts for a moment back then, but I really want to build one and accomplish something about it so I went on and started reading the instructions included in the box.

I’ve check each runners, ok, I have 3 runners in total. A, B, C now time to build each part. based from the videos that I’ve seen its best to do it part by part. After all each runners contain a number corresponding to the parts that you have to build.

I feel like I was a kid all over again, while I was following the instructions per part I was already thinking of an idea for the photo-shoot later.

Left Arm Unit 

I started with building the Left Arm Unit, as you can see I even line them up just like in the instructions, I’m making sure I do not miss any small part.

After completing both the Left & Right Arm Unit, I felt a rush, my first #Gunpla is finally taking a form. I felt a porting of accomplishment as I was able to put the pieces together and built its Left & Right Arm Unit.  I was talking to my self and told my self, this is easy.

Waist, Left & Right Leg Unit.

Head and Body Unit.

Then I started putting the pieces together, I can already visualize what it would look like, I mean I keep on checking the box making sure it looks exactly the same.

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray with Weapons and Royroy

Putting the part units together was exciting, now I understand the feeling of those #Gunpla builders.

Time for some photo-shoot,

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray [image 01]

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray [image 02]

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray [image 03]

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray [image 04]

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray [image 05]

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray [image 06]

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray [image 07]

30MM 1/144 09 Alto Dark Gray [image 08]

Site Maintenance

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$1.00

              Toy Photography: 30MM 09 Alto Dark Gray Building my first #Gunpla

[reversemoon255]

I don’t have anything to review this week. I had plans to do a few BeastBoxes, and held out until the end for them to get here, but Customs has been a right pain with slower shipping over the past few months. Instead, I thought it might be fun to go over the past years worth of builds I did and see which ones I enjoyed the most, whether it be because the build itself was fun, I put a lot of work into it, or the end result was just neat.

RX-零/覚醒 RX-Zeromaru Shinki Kessho 

These aren’t in any particular order, but we’ll start with the updated Zeromaru. While this wasn’t a particularly interesting kit from a build perspective, it did have a fun gimmick. It’s mostly on here because this was the first time I recolored every part in order to color match. I’ve done it a few times since then (mostly with gold pieces), but this one was particularly interesting since I’d done the kit before without doing so, so seeing the two of them next to each other was really cool and felt like I was really stepping up as a builder.

GN-0000DVR/S/HWS Gundam 00 Sky HWS

While this build had a couple issues, I had a lot of fun with the 00 Sky; I tried some different panel lining techniques, experimented with paint to emphasize details, and the HWS was the last kit I added to my first series display. While the overall plot may not be the best, I stand by that Build Divers is a very good series if you’re looking to find some Gunpla Builder inspiration.

OZ-08MS-SP-K Leo Kanabo 

This was the last custom Leo I built, and ended up being one of the ones I’m most happy with. It doesn’t deviate very far from the original Leo’s design, but the ways that it does are very simple and effectively get the design intent across. Still wish I could have gotten that hip skirt to look a little better, though.

XM-X1 Crossbone Gundam X-1

RGs aren’t very fun to build. They look great on a shelf, and can be fun at times to pose (if you’re not building a rickety one), but are typically something you build for the end result. While the Crossbone is no exception, it gets some bonus points for effectively using its parts and being one of the cheapest RGs to date. It also has a ton of accessories, gimmicks, and effect parts for its price, and is probably my favorite RG I’ve built.

Matchless Raijin-Oh 

Now we start getting into some non-Gundam stuff, with the only kit that’s not made by Bandai. Coming from Good Smile’s Moderoid line, Raijin-Oh feels like toy art. While not necessarily the most interesting build, the end result is fantastic, finding interesting ways to cheat anime proportions into both the combined form as well as the three separate mecha that make it up. Also, behind the scenes, totally forgot to attach Hou-Oh’s tail in every picture. Oops.

eEXM-17SOS Alto Sub-Orbital Sniper Kai III 

The only other custom on this list is, again, not from Gundam. The 30MM line is made for making custom units, and this was my first attempt with an idea I’d had in the back of my head for a long time: a sniper that attacks earth-bound enemies from orbit. I used four different upgrade kits to pull off the transformation from basic Alto to its third iteration, and it turned out great other than the very thick white paint. (I am my own biggest critic.) I know I say this every time, but you should totally look into 30MM if you haven’t; it’s a great way to create custom units with almost no barrier to entry.

PFF-X7 Core Gundam + PFF-X7/V2 Veetwo Gundam + PFF-X7/E3 Earthree Gundam + PFF-X7/M4 Marsfour Gundam

This is the coolest gimmick I think I’ve ever seen on a Gundam. While building Core Gundams has gotten a bit monotonous (and I may have to build a ton more of its new upgrade, at least one Core Gundam Rise, and maybe more than one Enemy Gundam Core), the end result is always fantastic from a meta perspective. While a lot of their parts are shared, the minor variations you can do to not only modify a Gunpla’s performance, but also its appearance is really cool. I’ll give extra praise to the Marsfour since it also inspired me to try doing some dry brushing techniques for the first time in a while.

ZGMF-X19AK Gundam Justice Knight

Now this was a fun build. All kinds of added joints, special gimmicks, and good use of parts. This was also another time I did gold color matching if only because I painted the chest vulcans and wanted everything to match. But to be fair, I probably wouldn’t be as fond of it if I didn’t. It’s a poser’s Gunpla built to pose, and it can outlandishly do so. They did also announce a standard Infinite Justice release, if that’s more your thing.

WarGreymon (Amplified) 

I’m a big Digimon fan, and I’ve talked before how I was disappointed that the Digimon Reboot model kit line went under after only one kit. WarGreymon was a Grey(t) reinvigoration of that old idea. He has amazing use of plastic at bizarre angles to create a very involved and interesting sculpt while still maintaining all of his recognizable elements. His main issue is he’s a brick, having joints but not the strength or sometimes clearance to move them. Still looks great, and is cheaper than most of your other options.

神竜合士 Valkylander

I’ve been giving a lot of love to Re:Rise, but they just keep producing solid kits (of their hero characters). The Valkylander is an SD Gundam with two separate combined modes, one of which is a dragon. This was also another case where I went ham on the paint to great effect. I believe the Avalanche Rex Buster parts release next month, and I’ll be excited to put those together. Y’know, before Par builds something else in season two that replaces them...

Overall, I built 27 model kits over the course of 2019, and I can’t help but feel I’ll end up building even more throughout 2020. I’ve got a few P-Bandai kits on the way, a massive 30MM custom project I’ve been collecting kits for, I’m going to be starting work on a Build Divers Sidestory Display, and the second season of Re:Rise is releasing in April. I’ve already got 16 model kits on the way or on preorder, and that’s just through April. If all goes well, hopefully this will be the last week I don’t have anything to review for a while.