Dumb Kits and Fashion Robots

Some time ago I wrote a post in which I observed just how much Gunpla - a hobby typically marketed (and patronized) by males - has in common with many activities typically coded as female, such as fashion and makeup.

I tossed it in the trash, but it’s become relevant again for this post (which, to give you fair warning, is going to be a bit messy and meandering). Consider the first bit of this to be an abridged version of the original.

Fashion Robots

Firstly, consider how similar the vocabularies are between model kits and fashion. For example, mobile suits wear literal skirts, and often have high heeled feet. Consider how we tend to talk about a suit’s “proportions” and “lines” and “curves”. We talk about how color palettes or color placement can make or break the look. Same regarding the finish of the “material” (aka the plastic).

Gunpla builders are also fond of taking photos of their models in poses. A given post can change the mood or the emotion that a model gives off. Same with lighting, backdrops, etc.

And of course, there is the obvious and shared connection of the word “model”.

In short, stripped of context, a conversation about Gunpla sounds an awful lot like a conversation from an episode of Project Runway.

Then there is the similarities with makeup (which has its own obvious overlap with fashion). Many of the tools we use to detail models are the same (or at least extremely similar) to those used for beauty purposes. For instance, here are some of my paint brushes:

And here are some brushes that came up when I searched online for “manicure nail art brush”:

Here is some makeup:

And here is weathering compound:

Here are two of my most heavily used tools, a Q-tip and a cuticle stick:

Lastly, here is my personal favorite tool for applying weathering compound, a literal makeup brush:

My wife gave this to me, and she tells me it’s a high quality brush that’s great for creating a “smoky eye” look, which probably explains why it excels at shading.

In fact, I like it so much that she gave me a whole bunch of additional brushes, in different shapes and sizes, as a gift:

Whether you’re shading, weathering, painting in details, or applying clear coat, you’re essentially applying makeup to your model. Even if you don’t use literal makeup brushes to do so, the point still stands.

So What?

If I had to make a point with these observations, I’d say that it is proof that activities that have been traditionally gender segregated sometimes have quite a lot in common, thus proving their gender-based coding and segregation is entirely artificial and arbitrary. Building models isn’t inherently masculine, nor is its similarity to fashion and makeup mean that it is inherently girly. All of these activities can (or at least should) be enjoyable by anyone.

Other Goodies

I got something else as a gift: A God Hand brand brush:

God Hand is typically known for their very popular (and very expensive) nippers, but they also make brushes, including the one here. It’s super tiny and thin, and allegedly extremely good at keeping its shape. I already used it a tiny bit on the Guntank, but I can’t wait to put it to some real use.

A Practice Model

All these new tools gave Mrs. Wolfe an idea: why not buy a cheap model - something I don’t care much about - to use for painting and weathering practice? I thought it was a worth a shot, so I went to the hobby store and bought the second cheapest kit I could find¹, something I would have no qualms absolutely destroying with layer upon uncoordinated layer of every color of weathering compound I own:

About this Stupid Kit

This here is the 00 Gundam, from Season 2 of the Gundam 00 TV show (yes, the name of the mobile suit is the name of the show in reverse). It’s a Hot Mess of a suit, and the reasons why are morbidly interesting.

Gundam 00 Season 2 (and why it’s mecha designs are trash)

(disclaimer: I’ve not actually watched Season 2, and I have no interest in doing so. But I’ve seen its mecha designs, and I’ve read a lot of fan discussion about it, including some unsubstantiated claims about some behind the scenes controversies. I have no evidence for any of the “facts” here, but none of it seems entirely unreasonable)

In my opinion, Season 1 of Gundam 00 was pretty darn good, in part due to its mecha designs. They’re extremely unique, even compared to other Gundam shows. The four Gundams in particular are made out of lots of simple, geometric shapes, which create lots of hard lines and edges. This gives them an appearance that feels serious and practical.

But there are two design decisions that really make these MS work:

• The circular GN drives in the chest. These add some much needed roundedness (for lack of a better word) to the otherwise angular designs.
• They all have a lot of surface detail. There’s vents and panel lines and GN Condensers and energy transfer cables running all up and down their bodies. This is what makes them feel mechanical and relatively “real”.

But these designs ended up being victims of their own success. Legend has it that animators eventually complained that the designs were too detailed, which in turn made them difficult to animate. On top of that, at some point someone decided that Season 2 needed to have a lot more battle scenes. Something had to give.

While it was basically guaranteed that Season 2 would feature brand new mobile suits (how else are you going to sell models?), these particular circumstances ensured that the designs wouldn’t simply be new, but would also be significantly simplified:

By and large, the new Gundams aren’t that different in design. But the lack of GN drives in the chest, coupled with the lack of surface detail, makes them all look like a bunch of shapes piled on top of each other. I think they’re ugly as sin, and while they’re not the main reason I refuse to watch Season 2, they certainly don’t help. What’s the point of watching lots more action scenes if these are what I have to watch going into battle?

About the 00 Gundam specifically

The Exia is a tough act to follow up, but it feels like the 00 Gundam doesn’t even try. Everything is the same, only simpler, and it turns out that a simpler Exia looks like a formless piece of trash.

Look at those GN drives on its shoulders. That just looks stupid!

And why the heck did it replace the Exia’s one cool looking swordgun with two generic looking ones?

The whole getup looks less powerful and less well armed. It’s just a mess.

About the High Grade 00 Line (and is it as bad as it seems?)

While High Grade is itself a product line within Gunpla, it’s also technically true that there are multiple _sub_lines within it.

You’ve got the biggest/main line, which is HGUC. This is the one that most people think of when they think of High Grades:

But since the turn the turn of the century (which, coincidentally, is when the modern HGUC line began), every non-UC Gundam show has had its own separate High Grade line. This includes (in no particular order) Gundam SEED:

SEED Destiny:

Gundam 00:

Build Fighters/ Build Fighters Try(which I keep forgetting is its own separate line, since the box art is deliberately made to resemble HGUC art):

AGE:

Reconguista in G:

Iron Blooded Orphans:

Build Divers/Build Divers Re:Rise:

Battlelogue:

And most recently, Witch from Mercury:

And to make things even more confusing, the HGUC line features lots kits that are not from the Universal Century, including mobile suits from G Gundam:

Gundam Wing:

And in recent years, they’ve begun folding Gundam SEED into the line, with new/revive models:

I’ve never thought much about this until now, but it is not necessarily true that High Grades are all the same quality. There can be - and I think there is - some variance in quality among the different sublines. The most obvious example is Iron Blooded Orphans kits, which feature full inner frames (something you normally never see in an HG). But I’m also starting to think that some of older, non HGUC lines are different in the sense that they’re simply bad.

I say that because this High Grade 00 kit is a garbage fire.

First, it comes on just three tiny runners (four if you count the polycaps):

But if you think that’s lame, you haven’t seen it assembled yet. Here comes the pain:

Look at this MF’er. Look at the gaps between the GN Drives and the shoulders. Or look at the general lack of surface detail. Notice how plain the chest is without the GN Drive, or how it has nothing going on in the back.

Look at how it uses a big, ugly, wrapping decal to create color separation in the V-Fin:

For the sake of comparison, contrast this with the HGUC version of the Strike Freedom Gundam. It also has a two-toned V-Fin, but it goes to the trouble of including two separate pieces:

But back to the 00 Gundam. I’d like to give it props for actually having clear lenses (aka GN Condensers) on its limbs. It’s the only real attempt this model makes at including a high quality detail. But it loses points by featuring plain black stickers underneath:

Compare this to the Real Grade Exia, which features cool metallic green decals instead:

Not only does that look infinitely cooler, but the color makes the lenses stand out. Whereas on the 00 Gundam, the black decals make them hard to see.

And that’s not all. Some of the lenses don’t even fasten to the body. The one on the elbow is kept in place by being sandwiched between two other parts:

If, say, you take apart the arm, the lens will simply fall out (I know this from experience).

Here’s a better look at the weapons:

Credit where it’s due - they’re more color separated and more complex than most High Grade weapons. But that only goes so far. They still look incredibly plain, and their gimmick is silly. They also feel a bit loose and flimsy; I didn’t even realize it until after the fact, but the sword handle in this pose is bent upward:

So the weapons aren’t good, but what makes this even worse is the lack of other accessories. The 00 Gundam gets other gear throughout the show, including a different sword, and a shield. But those are sold separately, as is custom with Gunpla. So what we’re left with is a kit that feels very underbaked and underarmed.

Why is it so bad? (hint: It’s not the price)

Everything about this model looks and feels cheap. It lacks interesting gimmicks. All in all, it’s a trash fire.

“But wait”, you might be thinking. “It’s a cheap kit. One of the cheapest you could find. You can only expect so much from a cheap kit”

Normally I would agree, but here is a list of other cheap High Grades. Most of these cost the same or less, and a few might cost at most $1 or $2 more:

First up is the Revive Gundam. It’s the exact same price, but it has all of its main accessories, and at the time of its release it had class leading articulation for a High Grade.

Or how about the GM Cold Districts?

Granted, I touched mine up a lot, but even without the TLC, the model has different kinds of accessories, which gives it greater posing potential. And while it may not have lots of surface detail, it’s a clean, simple look that feels visually coherent.

Or what of the Zaku I I just built?

This one may be slightly more expensive, but it feels worlds apart when it comes to quality (and sheer quantity of accessories).

I could go on, but you get the point. Other kits at this price range are simply better. Either they look better, or have more stuff, or have more interesting gimmicks. There’s just no excuse for how bad the 00 Gundam is.

Is the HG 00 Line Really that Bad?

So here’s the big question - are the High Grade Gundam 00 line worse than other High Grades?

I can’t say definitively, but I’m not the only one with some unkind words towards them. In fact, in the second link, you’ll find someone who (like me) believes that the HGUC is generally the best among the bunch, regardless of age.

I guess the lesson here is to simply be careful², and remember that for better or worse, High Grades aren’t of a consistent level of quality. That, and this will in fact be the perfect model to practice techniques on, because I don’t give any F’s about it.

Other Thoughts

• Again, apologies for this post. It’s a bit incoherent, and there isn’t much of a point, but I feel good getting these thoughts out of my head.
• This is neither here nor there, but aside from any quality differences (perceived or otherwise), I’ve always thought that HGUC boxart has the best looking visual aesthetic. It’s simple and classy, even if the mobile suit artwork itself is highly variable in quality. Meanwhile, the High Grade 00 box aesthetic may be the ugliest of all.
• It makes sense that older properties like Gundam Wing, G Gundam, Gundam X, etc were folded into the HGUC line, since those shows are all older than the line itself. Does it make sense to create modern kits based on them? Yes! Does it make sense to create a separate product line years after the shows ended? Absolutely not
• It’s also interesting to see that they’ve now folded Gundam SEED into the HGUC line, but that they haven’t yet done the same for Gundam 00. I have a feeling that that says something about the enduring popularity of each show, namely that while SEED has remained in the hearts of a generation of fans, 00 has seemingly fallen off a cliff.
  • Maybe that’s not fair. While 00 hasn’t seen much love in the realm of High Grade, it does seem to be well represented among Master Grades.
• I’ve so wanted to go online and refer to Gunpla as “Fashion robots for boys”, but I think I’d earn the ire of a whole lot of angry, sensitive fans who would bristle at such a notion (even if it’s true).
• Seriously though - I was at Ulta the other day with Mrs. Wolfe, and she asked if I wanted to look for more brushes. While I didn’t find any, I did give it a serious look!
• No matter how good I may get applying makeup to model kits, I don’t think it would translate to people. The human face is way different (and softer) than a hunk of plastic. Don’t expect to see me moonlight as a beautician any time soon.
• I have, in the past, spent a good deal of time watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race and Project Runway with Mrs. Wolfe. I couldn’t quite explain what it is I found fascinating about them, but now it makes perfect sense.