We interrupt our streak of old builds in order to do a fresh, new, just-arrived-in-the-mail one. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this kit for months, and now it’s finally here:
That’s right, it’s the High Grade Gundam Maxter from Mobile Fighter G Gundam, by far the most American mobile suit ever created (yes, even more American than the one dressed like the American flag).
About the Mobile Suit
Here is what the Gundam Wiki has to say:
The GF13-006NA Gundam Maxter is a Mobile Fighter for the nation of Neo America built for the 13th Gundam Fight. It was featured in the anime Mobile Fighter G Gundam. It is piloted by boxer Chibodee Crocket.By using the Mobile Trace System, the Maxter Gundam is capable of fully performing Chibodee's boxing fighting style to attack. When the Maxter Gundam is equipped with its fighting knuckles its ultimate attack is its Cyclone Punch, a punching attack that unleashes a swirling vortex of wind. Against more powerful opponents Chibodee has his Gundam enter Boxing mode, purging the front chest armor (revealing a muscular-like inner armor) and using the Gundam's shoulder armor as punching gloves. With the gloves equipped, Gundam Maxter can unleash its ultimate attack: Burning Punch, a punching technique that launches a powerful stream of fire. Later Chibodee will develop a new ultimate attack, the Gounetsu Machine Gun Punch, a rapid punching attack that overwhelms his opponents.
In the event that Chibodee fights an opponent that he can't get close to or that he simply doesn't want to fight in close range the Maxter Gundam is equipped with two gigantic magnum pistols that are stored on its hips.
It’s also a surfer, as it uses its shield primarily as a hover/surfboard:
A boxer/football player/surfer/cowboy Gundam … what could be more American than that?
Appearances in the Show
As one of the members of the Shuffle Alliance, Chibodee and his Gundam are full on supporting characters who appear throughout the entire run of the show. I’d drive myself crazy highlighting every time it appears, so I’ll stick to the highlights.
We first encounter the Maxter in episode 2, where we immediately learn that it defeated Neo Iraq’s SCUD Gundam with a single punch:
Later in the episode, Chibodee and Domon agree to a Gundam Fight, but Chibodee’s evil handlers from the Neo American government try to take out Domon ahead of time so that Chibodee can win by default. Ever the honorable man, Chibodee takes out his countrymen so he can have a fair fight:
It doesn’t end well though, as Domon takes him out immediately with the Shining Finger, breaking through Gundam Maxter’s arm (and breaking Chibodee’s arm in the process):
However, because Chibodee’s an honorable man, with an American Dream to chase, Domon spares him. While Chibodee lost the match, the rules of the Gundam Fight state that a combatant can continue in the tournament so long as the head of their Mobile Fighter is intact:
Fast forward a bit, and we’ll see them again during Domon’s adventures in Shinjuku, as well as his training sabbatical in the Guyana Highlands. The key takeaway from these episodes is that, like the rest of the Shuffle Alliance, Chibodee’s bond with Domon grows stronger, as does his fighting technique.
Fast forward even more, and we get to the Gundam Fight Finals, where Chibodee squares off against a … clown Gundam (and it’s clown pilot):
This proves to be a bit of a problem. The Jester Gundam is surprisingly strong - strong enough, in fact, to defeat Gundam Rose in a prior battle. But the problem is further exacerbated by the fact that Chibodee lost his mother in a massacre caused by clown-costumed terrorists (I’ll remind you again - it’s G Gundam folks …)
So he’s deathly afraid of them! And at first he struggles, even when he tries to cap an ass:
Just when it looks like he’s down and out, Chibodee gets up - and powers up - after hearing the Chibodee Gals sing him a song of encouragement. If you’re watching the subtitled version of the show, this will be a lullaby his mother sang him, but if you’re watching the dub, they sing America the Beautiful. Personally, I prefer the original language track for G Gundam, but having Chibodee win after being filled with patriotism is a much better choice.
With the red, white, and blue running through his veins, he’s able to deliver the knockout punch:
And claim victory with his girls:
Then we get to the the big one - the rematch between Chibodee and Domon. This is one of the most controversial episodes in the entire show. Chibodee starts off dominating the fight:
But ultimately he loses for two reasons. One, he reveals his new Ultimate Attack - the Bursting Machine Gun Punch - ahead of the fight, thus giving Domon time to prepare a counter. Second, Domon’s counter is a technique in which he creates multiple copies of himself to catch all the punches, which is implausible even by G Gundam standards.
Anyway, the fight’s not quite over yet. After countering the Bursting Machine Gun Punch, Domon gives a fiery speech. In the dub, he calls Chibodee “a great rival”, but in the subtitles he says “you are my rival”.
Personally, I prefer the latter, as it has a much greater impact. Having Chibodee go from the guy who lost in one blow, to the only one Domon calls a rival, is a powerful bit of character development.
After the speech, Domon tries his hand at his own special move, the God Finger. Whereas the Shining Finger previously smashed right through Gundam Maxter’s fist, this time is different. Their fists clash, and their energy is so strong that they create an explosion in the arena:
When the dust settles, the two are now punching each other in the face:
This is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show, at least in the original language track. The two rivals both sound like they’re about to fall over and collapse as they croak out each other’s names:
But ultimately it’s Chibodee who cannot stand any longer, losing the match by countout:
Even if it’s a cheap way of making sure the protagonist wins, it’s still one of my favorite fights in the entire show.
Everyone Loves Gundam Maxter
Maybe that’s not entirely true, but generally speaking, American fans tend to not just tolerate, but fully embrace Chibodee, the Gundam Maxter, and all of the stereotypes they embody. I mean, it’s kind of hard not to.
About the Model Kit
It seems that Bandai is following a pattern with these new G Gundam High Grades. Just like the Gundam Rose before it, the HG Maxter comes with a colored Action Base 5 and some special effect parts for recreating some attack poses:
I’m really looking forward to building this one. See you soon for the build.