A few years ago, my brothers went on vacation to Japan. I remember giving them a list of exactly two Japan-exclusive goodies I wanted them to try and find for me1.
One was a copy of the 3DS version of Dragon Quest XI, so that I could play the game in its old school, 2D style.
The other was the 7-Eleven Gundam.
I don’t remember where I first saw the 7-Eleven Gundam, but I’ve wanted one ever since. Unfortunately, it was not only a Japan exclusive, but also a limited time, limited quantity release. Still, I figured that my brothers would be going to the kinds of places that specialized in geeky merch and collectibles. Surely they would find it somewhere.
Instead, they came home with neither the Gundam or the game2, and I largely forgot about the until recently, when something - probably a trip to 7-Eleven - reminded me of the model again.
On a whim, I went online to see if anyone was still selling it. Sure enough, it was available at a number of stores, from a number of different resellers, all of which were selling it for around $60. In years past, I would have scoffed at that price, but after recently learning of just how high prices can get on recent-but-nevertheless-out-of-print kits, suddenly $60 didn’t seem so bad3. So I said “screw it”. The world is in such a scary, messed up state right now, and I figured this a small price to pay for a ray of genuine happiness.
Here it is folks. The one, the only, the 7-Eleven Gundam:
Why I Love It
Why is it that I’m gaga over a model kit themed on a convenience store? I know it sounds silly, but I have childhood nostalgia for 7-Eleven. I grew up within (sort-of) walking distance from one back in New York. I have a lot of fond memories of walking there with my grandfather whenever he came to visit. We’d talk about all sorts of things, and when we got there I could get the candy bar of my choosing. We’d also go there to get snacks before seeing a movie at the theatre next store. I remember getting my first Slurpee there, and accidentally taking candy home without paying for it. It was the place where I first made change for a dollar (I’m not sure why I remember that, but I do).
I also remember 7-Eleven having a strong presence on TV. They used to air a lot of advertisements back in the day, about how Slurpees were refreshing on a hot summer day, and about how you could fill yourself up with a Big Gulp drink, a Big Bite hot dog, and a Big Grab of chips.
Whether I was walking, driving, or watching TV, 7-Eleven was there. It was my ever present snack food kingdom.
Even today, I have a certain sense of loyalty to the chain. I’ve been to a lot of 7-Elevens, and the overwhelming majority of them are clean, well stocked, and contain a variety of weird stuff you can’t find at other convenience stores (and, of course, it is still the only place to get a Slurpee).
With all that in mind, the 7-Eleven Gundam evokes memories of Slurpees, snacks, and walks with Grandpa. It is a nostalgia machine in model kit form. Call it a cynical marketing promotion, but for me it stands for something a little bit more.
About 7-11 kits
This Gundam is not the only 7-Eleven themed model kit. There have been several created over the years, including the Zaku II:
The Unicorn Gundam:
This thing from Gundam Seed:
And even the Bearguy:
But none of them quite look as good as the Grandaddy Gundam. It has the most 7-Eleveny color scheme of the bunch by far.
About the model
This kit was originally released in 2011, and is a recolor of the High Grade G30 Gundam (which itself was originally released in 2009, to celebrate Gundam’s 30th anniversary).
The important thing to know about the HG G30 Gundam is that its appearance is based on the giant Gundam statue that was erected 2009 (also) as part of the 30th anniversary celebration.
Do you know what other kit was based on the statue?
That’s right - 2010’s Real Grade RX78-2, the very first Real Grade ever made, and the second kit I ever built.
This design is quite possibly my favorite interpretation of Grandaddy Gundam, so I am extremely pleased to know that it is the basis of this 7-Eleven variant. It means the proportions will be good, and that there will be plenty of opportunities to panel line.
Extra goodies
The kit comes with some awesome goodies. For instance, in addition to featuring all the Gundam’s usual accessories, this kit has a weapon that we don’t typically see, but everybody wants.
If you’re a fan of the original show, then you know what I’m talking about ….
… yeah, that’s right …
… wait for it …
… KEEP WAITING FOR IT!! …
IT’S THE GUNDAM HAMMER!!
That’s right, the weapon that only showed up in a single episode, before being removed for being too Super Robot-y. Every Gundam fan not-so-secretly loves the Gundam Hammer, but for whatever reason Bandai very rarely includes it in any kit. As it turns out, the HG G30 Gundam is one such kit that does have it, and by extension, so does the 7-11 Gundam. I am absolutely thrilled to have my very first Gundam Hammer. I can’t wait to use it with all of my 1⁄144 scale Gundams to create ridiculous, Hammer-baesd poses.
But wait, there’s more! The kit comes with a few bonus goodies that aren’t present in the standard HG G30. For instance, it comes with a 7-Eleven sign on a pole:
I think this is brilliant. The 7-Eleven Gundam is too silly to be holding actual weapons. But an advertisement on a pole? That’s too perfect.
It also comes with some extra pieces (and extra decals) that allow you to change the appearance of the shield (we’ll get to that later).
Other Thoughts
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I'm not sure how much work I want to put into this one beyond basic panel lining. I'm not even sure if I want to top coat it. It doesn't seem as if a model like this would really benefit from having matte finish. It's a marketing gimmick - It can look like a toy! Also, I am afraid of ruining it with [frosty top coat](https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunpla/comments/5vwa2a/how_to_fix_matte_top_coat_frosting/).
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This isn't even the only 7-Eleven-themed Grandaddy Gundam. Bandai made two alternates versions, including this _extremely_ red one:
As well as a gold one:
Personally, I like mine the best, though I kind of dig the red one too. Something about it feels very old school (probably all the diagonally placed logos).
- I also remember being miffed that they didn’t even have the courtesy to invite me on their trip, but I’m not bitter. Nope. Not at all. [return]
- In retrospect, I shouldn’t been surprised. Something tells me they didn’t even try. But I’m not bitter, I swear! [return]
- Especially considering most of the resellers offer “free” shipping. If you assume that some of the $60 actually goes toward paying DHL to ship the thing from Japan, the cost is probably closer to $40-$45. [return]