cmwolfe.net

2021

Gunpla Build - Real Grade Wing Gundam 2021-08-10

Dear God WHAT HAVE I DONE!!?!?!?

Not too long ago, I was a person who loathed the mobile suit designs in Gundam Wing, and I especially had it out for the design of the Wing Gundam.

Fast forward to the present, where I have all these MF’ers on my shelf:

And now I have this …. this THING in my backlog:

My teenage self would be very cross right now.

Gunpla Build - SDW Heroes Sergeant Verde Buster Gundam (Part 2) 2021-08-04

Sgt Verde Buster Gundam has a pretty standard amount of parts for an SD kit:

However, when you realize just how much each of these parts need to be painted up, the build actually starts to feel a bit daunting!

A quick note on the decals - as you can see, it does have a bunch of them, and from what I can tell, they’re mainly concentrated to a few specific parts of the body, namely the chest and front skirt armor. That means that the legs, arms, and its entire backside use little to no decals.

Gunpla Build - SDW Heroes Sergeant Verde Buster Gundam (Part 1) 2021-07-31

I already explained what the deal is with these SD Gundam World Heroes model kits, but in case you need the TL:DR, they require an absurd amount of painting and detailing in order to make them look as they do on the box.

Nevertheless, I have two of them, and I ought to at least give it a go and see if I can bring them to life. First up is the Sergeant Verde Buster Gundam, AKA the one that kind of looks like Robocop:

If It's Too Good To Be True (AKA SD Gundam World Heroes Ain't Sh*t) 2021-07-31

SD Gundam World Heroes is an extremely recent (as in still airing) TV series featuring - you guessed it - SD Gundams. I doubt I’d even know of its existence if not for the fact that it’s airing on the official Gundam Youtube channel, where they’ve also been advertising the SD model kits they’ve made for the characters.

Speaking of which - holy smokes, they look amazing! Check out this Benjamin Gundam (AKA ‘The Pirate Gundam’):

And this here is Sgt Verde Buster Gundam (AKA ‘The One that looks like Robocop’):

The colors, the detailing - I’ve never seen anything like this on a model kit. They look more like highly detailed action figures than actual models. If knew that if I ever found them in stock at any of my favorite shops, I’d end up getting a few.

And lo, earlier today I discovered they were being sold at my local hobby store, and for only $11!

I found both Benjamin and Sarge!

Now comes the part where I reveal the twist - I regret my decision.

Gundam Gframe - RX78-1 2021-07-19

I got some new Gundam merch from Target. Today I present to you a Gundam Gframe action figure.

As you can probably tell from the box, the Gframe is a figure that comes with a fully built, articulated inner frame, alongside armor pieces that snap right on. I guess it isn’t quite a Gunpla, (since you aren’t building it from scratch), but it looks a lot more like one than a standard action figure.

I’ve seen these figures before, at both Target, and for many years prior at Barnes & Noble, but this is the first time I ever wanted to get one. All the ones I saw previously were of common mobile that were easy to buy in model kit form. This one, however, is the RX78-1, which is a somewhat obscure variant that ’ve never seen sold in any form. I figured this might be my only shot at having one, Gunpla or otherwise, and it would be an opportunity to put one of these Gframe figures through its paces. Is it a win-win? Let’s find out. But first, a bit if history.

Hello Kitty Haropla 2021-07-05

Earlier this year I discovered that there is a locally owned hobby shop in a nearby town, and this month I finally had the time to make a trip and check it out.

The verdict? It’s a pretty great place! I actually met other Gunpla fans and chatted with them for a good thirty minutes. The store also had a ton of supplies and tools, though their actual selection of models was a bit thin. I’m 99.9% certain that this is due to COVID-related changes to supply and demand. Once things settle down again, and inventory goes back to normal, I can see them having a nice variety of stuff.

In any case, I left with just one small kit, though it’s a pretty nifty one:

Gunpla Build - High Grade Gundam Deathscythe (part 3) 2021-06-14

Followup on super special leg articulation

Well that didn’t take too long. Yesterday I couldn’t figure out how to make use of the Deathscythe’s special leg articulation, but after a stroke of pure luck I have the answer.

It turns out that I was using the wrong poses to test the feature:

For example, this bend involves the hip, knee, and ankle, so it isn’t really a test of what the knee, on its own, can do. Instead, we need a way to test the knee in isolation.

Gunpla Build - High Grade Gundam Deathscythe (part 2) 2021-06-13

Deathscythe’s weapons came together with a bit of strife, but maybe now I have “The Messies” out of my system. Let’s move on start putting together the body.

Feet and Legs

This is by far the most complicated section of the body. Just look at this pile of pieces!

And that’s not even all of them! (I forgot to add two to the pile when I took this photo)