My Gundam Models and Anime

2009-01-18T08:15:00.003-05:00

MG MSN-06S Sinanju Ver Ka. Color Chart

This is the color chart for the MG MSN-06S Sinanju Ver Ka.. Notice the mixture they have provided for the gold, I have yet to try to see what it looks like. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any color chart request please e-mail me.

2009-01-15T18:02:00.004-05:00

In Progress - MG MSN-06 Sinanju

I just finished snap fitting the MG Sinanju and it is now ready for paint. The kit is pretty simple and easy to build, The mechanism for the thrusters in the back is quite simple and that is actually a good thing . We will not end up with broken wings like the strike freedom.

Building the Sinanju has made me want to build the MG Unicorn, for the unicorn since its all white i will not airbrush it, I will only airbrush what is not white, the rest I will just matt coat. More in progress pics coming soon.

2008-12-29T20:17:00.004-05:00

MG MSN-06 Sinanju GET!!!

Look at what arrived just in time for new years break. The MG Sinanju is my most anticipated kit of 2008, i was really digging the design of the Sinanju ever since seeing the design from the novel (come on it looks like a mobile suit for Char). This kit has a ton of parts, plenty of runners to keep you busy, and it comes with a ton of decals to apply just like any other ver KA release.

Many were disappointed with the fact that the gold trim either uses stickers or decals (water slides). I'm debating on what to do with mine wether use the decals or tackle he trim with paint which would be alittle bit challenging. I'm going to airbrush the kit like my other models so painting the gold trim might not be out of the question. Whatever it is im excited about this kit, ill post in progress pics soon.

2008-11-17T20:03:00.003-05:00

MG Destiny Gundam Extreme Blast Mode

Well I finally update the blog in a couple of months and I finally finished another model. I have been working on the MG Destiny for quite some time now. Work, school, and other personal issues have kept the progress to a crawl but every little chance I had free, I spent it working on the Destiny.

The MG Destiny was a very cool kit to build, there were very few seams to remove. The seams on the head, wings, sword, and rail cannon were the only ones that I really had to take care of. The only thing that was a pain to put together were the trademark wings of light that were included in the "Extreme Blast Mode" (EBM).

Speaking of EBM, one gimmick I didn't buy into were the silver plated joints of the EBM, so I got rid of those and painted them the same color as the standard version of the MG Destiny. I also used water slide decals instead of the decals that came with the kit. I used a mix of the gold colored decals of the EBM version and the gray ones from the standard version. My only gripe about this kit is the pelvis joint, that mechanism of spreading the legs a little bit further is useless and it only makes it harder when trying to pose the Destiny.

Overall, I'm quite happy with how the MG Destiny Gundam turned out and I am now setting up for my next build which will be a true test of my skills. I will venturing into the realm of resin conversion kits, the one that I chose uses the MG Freedom frame and Im excited to get started on that one, I'll post pics of the in-progess soon.

2008-09-05T14:15:00.001-04:00

Reader Request - MG RX-178 Gundam Mk II Titans

This is a color chart request from Patrick. This is the color chart for the MG RX-178 Gundam Mk II Titans. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2008-08-19T14:02:00.002-04:00

Reader Request - MG GAT-X105E+AQM/E-M1 Strike E + I.W.S.P. Lucas O'Donnel Custom

This is also a request from Dennis. This is the color chart for the MG GAT-X105E+AQM/E-M1 Strike E + I.W.S.P. Lucas O'Donnel Custom. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2008-08-19T13:42:00.002-04:00

Reader Request - MG MBF-02 Strike Rouge

This is a request from Dennis. This is the color chart for the MG MBF-02 Strike Rouge. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2008-08-15T16:39:00.001-04:00

Reader Request - MG RX-0 Gundam Unicorn Ver KA

This is a request from Forb. This is the color chart for the MG RX-0 Gundam Unicorn Ver KA. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile

2008-08-15T15:06:00.001-04:00

Reader Request - MG RX-178 Gundam Mk II A.E.U.G.

This is a request from Romney. This is the color chart for the MG RX-178 Gundam Mk II A.E.U.G.. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile

2008-07-08T13:44:00.003-04:00

In-Progress MG Destiny

It has been almost a month since I finished work on my 1/100 Exia. Next I moved on to the MG Destiny, I was really wanting to build the MG Hi-Nu or the Unicorn but the Destiny is one of the designs that I like the most from the SEED universe. The MG Destiny has been a really fun kit to build, it doesn't have stressful parts like the MG Strike Freedom backpack which many of us know as a really fragile piece. There are very little seams to take care of, mainly in the wings and the weapons.

Pretty much the majority of the seams are in the backpack actually, the only other ones were in the head and beam rifle. What you see here is the product pre-built and ready for paint. The face is off because it will go in until after is has been painted. I cut off the tiny vulcan cannons on the head and will be reattaching them after paint. I usually do not prime my kits but this time I am experimenting to see if the paint will hold up better, before I have only washed the pieces before painting. I will keep updating with more in progress pics at a later time.

2008-07-07T18:41:00.002-04:00

Got Unicorn Gatling Gun??

I have to say these were by far the hardest acquisition that I have had in regards to Gunpla custom parts. I can easily come by the Sword Calamity kits but it was a pain in the rear to get these because they were only bundled with the Volume 4 of the Unicorn novel.

I got 4 of them because I plan on having my MG Unicorn dual wield the beam gatling guns. Right now I am working on my MG which I will post pics of the in-progress later. It's ready to go to paint.

2008-06-07T19:36:00.002-04:00

Gunpla Purchases

We are now through the middle of 2008. It is now the summer season all kind of blockbuster movies are out and Bandai is unleashing its summer action with the release of the RX-78-2 Ver 2.0 coming this july.

I personally am not buying the RX-78 but I have been busy spending for the first half of 2008. So far these are my Gunpla purchases for the 1st half of 08:

2 MG Gundam Unicorn
2 MG Sword / Launcher Strike
2 1/100 Gundam Astrea
1 1/100 Gundam Virtue
1 1/100 Gundam Kyrios
1 1/100 Gundam Dynames
1 1/100 Force Impulse Extra Finish Version (GOT this for $32.00!!)
2 HG Gundam Exia
1 HG Gundam Throne Zwei
1 HG Calamity Gundam

2008-05-24T09:24:00.002-04:00

Phase impulse MG Edition

Here is the video that came with the MG Force Impulse, if only the SEED movie were to look like this. The video looks amazing and it features alittle of the fight between the Impulse and the Freedom.

The biggest thing about this video is the announcement at the end. It says a new SEED MG is coming this fall. The color of the background suggests the it might be one of Athurun's MS. Finally, Athurun gets a MG, although there is a 95% chance that it will be the Infinite Justice, I would prefer the Saviour. Here is the clip coming from Ngee Khiong.

2008-05-20T10:15:00.002-04:00

MG Guntank

I have never been a fan of the Guntank. It never attracted me and to me it is in the same league as the Zakrello. But the MG model of the Guntank is actually amazing. It is actually a remote control model!!

You can move the entire model including the arms with the control. This is actually a cool gimmick that Bandai has come up with and they are pulling out all the stops on these Universal Century kits. Check out the video below taken from Ngee Khiong's site.

2008-05-19T22:06:00.003-04:00

Hobby Shop Clearance 08

I don't know if many of you remember last year the killing I made at my annual hobby shop clearance. There was one location were they apparently only had one Gunpla builder and it was me. I came out with a few models at a very discounted price. This year, luck was not on my side, my secret was found and the store that has no Gunpla builders transfered all heir kits to a store almost always sells out of their Gundam kits.

They had a PG Strike Rouge on clearance which is what I really wanted. 3 weeks into the sale it was gone so i was disappointed. They also had the HCM-PRO Destroy but I passed on it. The only thing that I found was a HY2M Limited Edition Extra Finish Version Char's Rick Dom. This is my first 1/60 kit ever as I don't own any Perfect Grade kits. I paid $150 which I don't think is that bad since it sells everywhere for $250 plus. HLJ has it on clearance for about $210 but shipping is $80. I love the lighting on the kit, Dalong has the review of the regular version which is exactly the same as this one.

2008-05-12T21:55:00.003-04:00

1/100 Gundam Exia

After a four month hiatus, I'm back.... Many things have happened in my life since the beginning of 2008. Things that have changed me as a person completely but I am back now. The Gunpla purchases have continued and the building has never ceased. I just have not had any time to take pics.

All this time I ave been working on my Exia, every single part of this kit has been painted and I did not use any stickers that came with the kit. I did use some of the stickers and dry transfers that came with my MG Wing Ver. Ka. The Exia looked a little plain so I decided to add some markings. The Celestial Being logo on the shield came from the March issue of Dengeki Hobby. I am quite happy with the way the kit turned out.

I am torn between what model I'm going to build next, I am deciding to with either the MG Destiny, MG Unicorn, MG F91, 1/144 Sword Calamity or just wait for the MG Impulse. For now enjoy the pics and give me some feedback. Also I apologize for the time stamps on some of the pics but I am using my father's camera and I realized it a bit late. Kinda lazy to take a whole new shoot ^_^.

2008-01-14T16:48:00.000-05:00

HG 1/144 GN-001 Gundam Exia

Hot on the heels of the Astrea Custom parts, I get my HG 1/144 Exia which is the one I will be using to make my Astrea F. I was surprised by how tiny the box was, again its a 1/144, so it's a tiny model.

2008-01-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

HG 1/144 GNY-001 Gundam Astrea Custom Parts

This was my first Gunpla purchase of 2008. I got 4 sets of Gundam Astrea 1/144 parts, since they will only be available with this months issue of Dengeki Hobby magazine they will more than likely disappear. It actually comes with the face part to create the GNY-001F Gundam Astrea Type F. Thats the one that I think I will build, it's got that "the red comet would pilot that" look to it. It kinda reminds me of Nephtis from ZOE: The 2nd Runner also.

This was also the first time ever that I have owned a Japanese hobby mag. I had no idea they were that thick, they are like freaking books. I think until the next set of custom parts come around I won't be buying any.

2007-12-31T19:07:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

Just want to wish everyone a happy new year. Sorry about the lack of updates but I have extremely busy moving to a new residence, but I have alot of things to post up. If you have requested a color chart, do not worry, I am working on those and have not forgotten about you. So to all... Have a happy and prosperous 2008!!!

2007-12-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

1/100 Exia - New Project

Because of the recent weather conditions I am out of work, so I get bored at home and decided to start a new kit. Like I stated before, I am tired of Seed Destiny kits so I went with something more recent, the 1/100 Exia. I finished the straight build in like 3 hours, now I have to prep for paint.

A couple of things that I noticed about this kit are the leg joints are not sturdy enough to support the legs so I have to figure something out to make the joints stronger. Also Bandai did a great job of hiding seams with this one so there are not that many seams to take care of. The kit looks good and im excited to see the final product.

2007-12-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

New Arrival - MG GM Quel and MG RX-121 Head Parts for GM Quel

Got today a MG GM Quel and custon head parts from Dengeki Hobby magzine to turn it into an RX-121TR-1 Hazel. I love these custom parts from Japanese Magazines so I think I will be building this kit as a TR-1 Hazel. I'm not really into the look of GM's, this was the same as the Sword Calamity kits, they are hard to find in the US but they are readily available in Japan.

2007-12-04T22:07:00.001-05:00

MG ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom

Well here it is, my recently completed MG Strike Freedom. It took 3 months but have you have to understand I don't work on my kits every day. Sometimes I go a couple of weeks without messing with my kits. but I always come back to them and I did a little bit of work on this puppy.

First, I didn't want any seams on the rail cannons, hip mounts, and specially the wings. I think the backpack was the hardest part on this kit, plus you have to be extra careful to not break the wing mechanisms which from what I hear is very fragile. The kit is completely airbrushed and the decals that came with the kit have been applied. For those wondering what I used for the gold, it was Tamiya X-12 Gold Leaf. Funny thing about the Tamiya X-12 Gold Leaf was that when I first airbrushed it, it looked really pale, but as it dried up, it darkened up a little and it ended up looking ok. I also changed the color of the beam rifle since it was molded in dark blue plastic.

Overall I am quite happy with the way my MG Strike Freedom turned out and this will be my last Cosmic Era kit. I have built nothing but SEED Destiny kits lately, in order, 1/100 Force Impulse, 1/100 Sword Impulse, 1/100 Strike Freedom, 1/100 Akatsuki, and finally the MG Strike Freedom. The last non CE kit that I built was the MG GP-03S, I think i am going with something more recent now like the 1/100 Exia. Hope you all like....

2007-12-03T20:53:00.000-05:00

Freedom Complete

The MG Strike Freedom is finally complete after like 3 months. I will post picks hopefully by tommorrow, I am helping my parents move to a new house so my time is tight right now. I'll get them up ASAP.

Detail Preview: Look at the light reflecting from the wings on the right. The seams are completely gone =-)

2007-11-29T21:22:00.000-05:00

Sad, sad day here....

Im still surprised that things like this are still happening. I wake up this morning and head to work and this is the scene that I encounter when I get to the my car....

Some good for nothing morons scouted my car and decided that it was a good idea to steal my DVD player. The idiots did not have a clue on how to steal a stereo that they ended up stealing NOTHING. There was an IPOD in the freaking glove compartment and they diddn't notice that!! They broke my window and then broke the screen of the DVD player and left it there. You can see the bottom part of the DVD player sitting there and funny enough it still powers up and connects to the IPOD. That big rock was used to break my window and they apparently missed and they ended up hitting the door and the roof.

This kind of vandalism just makes me sick to my stomach. People work hard for their things and for some good for nothing people have to come around and destroy other people's property. I wish I could find these people, I would use that same damn rock and bash it in their heads. Now I am without a vehicle because I have to wait for the tedious insurance claim and they might fix everything but my DVD player since I allegedly have to get insurance for these kind of "Accessories". Oh well, I guess this is life, just the real life of a Gundam builder LOL, let's just say that karma will come back and bite them in the ass.

2007-11-28T09:44:00.000-05:00

Building Tips - Removing Seams

The Strike Freedom rail cannons and wings are very tricky to paint if you want to remove seams. I try to remove as many seams as possible because I think it detracts from the model and makes it look.... well.... unfinished. Here I'll depict how I went through the preocess of removing the seams on the rail cannons.

First we start with the unpainted piece. The gold part in the middle has already been painted and panel lined. So the goal here is to get everything done without damaging the paint job on the gold part. Notice the ugly sheen on the blue plastic...

I separate the part a little bit and apply Tamiya Extra Thin Cement into the groove between the parts. Let it sit for a couple of seconds and squeeze. You should see the cement squeezing out from in between the parts. Let it dry for at least 15 minutes, I usually let it sit overnight to make sure it is competely dry.

Sand the glue away, usually people end up with no seam at all after this but for some reason I always end up with a little part that is not completely filled. You can use primer to see where the seam has not been completely filled.

I use Tamiya basic putty to make sure that the seam is completely filled. I try to apply a thin layer of this stuff running along the seam. You have to be carefull not get any putty on the gold part and also this stuff dries quickly so move fast. Again with the putty I let it sit overnight.

Sand away the putty and this should be your end result, notice the silver line next to the gold. That was a seam that had not been completely filled with the plastic cement. After this just mask the gold part and paint.

2007-11-27T19:25:00.001-05:00

MG Strike Freedom

Although I am a month behind when I wanted to finish this kit I am however getting somewhere. I finished the right wing and now I am working on the left. All the pieces that you see here are now awaiting their gloss clear coat. Hopefully it will be done by tommorow if not friday. I have left the guns for last because I don't know if I will be removing the seams on them since they are not that noticeable. I'll post completed pics when I'm done.

2007-11-26T19:11:00.000-05:00

Reader Request - 1/100 Legend Color Chart

This is a request from, Subaruhess, a fellow Figure.fm comrade. This is the color chart for the 1/100 ZGMF-X666S Legend. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile

2007-11-26T15:53:00.000-05:00

1/100 Gundam Exia

My first Gundam 00 gunpla is finally here. I got the 1/100 Gundam Exia, I am quite surprised by the details that were incorporated into this kit. The articulation for one is MG-ish and it has lots of panel lines. The head is the only part that I noticed that is going to require a little bit of detailing since its entirely molded in white.

I'm still debating wether to build this one or the MG Destiny after I am done with my MG Strike Freedom which should be done in the next couple of days. I also got another Sword Calamity conversion kit included with the 2 Exias that I bought. Brings the count now to 4 Sword Calamity conversion kits.

People who have made color chart requests please hold on a little bit longer as I am still working on those.

2007-10-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

MG Destiny (Regular) Color Chart

This is the color chart for the MG ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam Regular version. I figured alot of people will be getting rid of the chrome finish and painting the parts their proper color. I will update the chart later with the colors to paint the small Shinn and Stellar figures.Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any color chart request please e-mail me.

2007-10-27T18:56:00.000-04:00

MG Destiny Quick Update

The MG Destiny arrived today, you gotta give props to EMS shipping. I got three kits and 1 of the boxes was kinda beat up. Here are some pics for today. I'll post better pics tomorrow with a detailed description of the kit. I kinda ran out of daylight today.

2007-10-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

MG Destiny Out Now

The MG Destiny has been officially released and mine are on their way, and as a matter of fact they should arrive later on today. I got 3 (don't ask me why) of the special edition version with the wings of light. I thought that the regular version was pretty much useless so I decided to pass on it. MG Destiny was probably the biggest Gunpla release this year, the last big Gunpla release that I remember was the release of the MG Strike Freedom last December. This will be my next kit and then i'll take a break from the Cosmic Era line of Gunpla. Im thinking of building the 1/100 Exia after the Destiny. I'll post pics of my kits when I receive them.

2007-10-26T20:34:00.000-04:00

Halo 3 Legendary Edition

Exactly a month and a day ago the biggest game ever was released. Halo 3 was finally delivered to us and it does not disappoint at all. The single player campaign is great with challenging levels and designs that remind you of Halo 1. BTW I thought Halo 2 was crap, i don't know exactly what it was about it that I didn't like but I just hated it. Halo 3 on the other hand was a game that I just couldn't put down. After playing both Halo 1 and a little bit of Halo 2 on normal difficulty, I decided to tackle Halo 3 on HEROIC difficulty. Let me tell you that Heroic is the way Halo 3 was meant to be played. The game changes so much from normal and you actually have to strategize your moves otherwise you'll end up dead. If you have the skill then try Legendary difficulty, otherwise stay away because Legendary is suicidal.

Halo 3 was released in 3 different versions, Regular $59.99, Limited Edition $69.99, and Legendary Edition for $129.99. I got the Legendary Edition and it was well worth the money, it comes with an extras disc not included in the Limited Edition. The best thing about the Legendary edition is the collectible replica of a Spartan Mjolnir Mark VI helmet with display stand. The display stand holds the discs and is uniquely numbered. I came in at 134,842 which is pretty high up there.

If your a fan of the Halo franchise then get the Legendary edition since it was worth every buck. Oh and beware of the online mode since its highly addictive.

2007-10-10T21:29:00.000-04:00

Prelude to Freedom

IM BACK!! My apologies to everyone but as many of you know Halo 3 was released a couple of weeks back and its definitely a soul sucker. I managed to beat the game and after feeling like the world was over I realized I had a MG Strike Freedom in the works.

I got to work on it and now I am completely done with the body. The body has been painted, panel lined and has the final coat of clear. I paid attention to many of the small details such as the vents on the leg and some gold that had to be painted on the ankle armor. I removed seams from the rail cannons and the head using tamiya basic putty and extra thin cement. Now onto the wings which require a vast amount of putty and glue. More pics soon......

2007-09-22T10:28:00.000-04:00

MG 102 - Unicorn Gundam

Bandai is on a role, with MG 101 Destiny Gundam coming out this October and now announcing MG 102 the Unicorn Gundam. Gundam Unicorn is a novel based on the Univeral Century, and so far I have not read it and the only medium that it is available in is in print. However the mobile suit designs for this series are some of the best. Im excited about this MG, specially since it will convert from regular mode to Destroy mode. It seems that they will incorporate a red inner frame. BTW, which do you prefer? Regular or Destroy Mode? I go with regular mode, the design is completely different and Destroy Mode looks like a regular Gundam but its cool nonetheless. There is a little promo video at the bottom in case you want to see a short clip of the Unicorn Gundam in action. Look out for MG 102 - Unicorn Gundam this December. My next MG wish is MSN-06S Sinanju.

2007-09-15T15:17:00.001-04:00

MG Strike Freedom - In Progress Update

I haven't had that much time to work on the Strike Freedom. This weekend I got around to panel lining and setting decals on what I had painted already and putting the final coat of flat clear. I ended up with the 2 shoulder armors, both beam shields, lower torso and the feet. I also painted and finished the internal gold part or the rail cannons. Now I can put together the rail cannon by removing the seams and painting them.

2007-09-10T22:22:00.000-04:00

Limited Edition Fix Figuration RX-78-3 Metal Composite

Let me start off by saying that I love these big scale Fix Figuration Metal Composites. They are the only Fix Figurations that I am collecting now, and next up is the Psycho Gundam. With that said, if you already own the 1/100 Fix Figuration RX-78-2 then just put some sunglasses on you will own this version. It is an exact copy of the other one minus the color, it even has the same exact manual. From my understanding the RX-78-3 had a little blue in its color scheme. If the RX-78 had been in Gundam SEED, this would be the phase shift off version.

The decals, weapons and everything is the same with the exception of the G-3 decal on the front. If you are collecting Metal Composite Fix Figurations then you might want this since it's a "limited edition" and I use that term losely. I'm not going to bother with a pictorial for this version since it's the same one as before. Check my coverage on the regular FF RX-78-2 Metal Composite here for pics and review.

2007-09-05T10:45:00.000-04:00

New Vehicle Acquisition :-)

I got my first car back when I graduated out of High School. I was about to turn 18 at the time and I was excited. My parents got me a 1992 Nissan Maxima SE with 103,000 miles on it for $2000. It wasn't much but I was just happy to have a car. Fast forward to today and my 1992 is still running but its in pretty bad shape. The engine still runs but I have plenty of mechanical failures specially on the wheels. Wheel bearings go bad and so do the control arms and I was just fed up with putting more money into it.

So the choice was made that I needed a new car, well not a new car, more of like used not to old and in good shape. I don't believe in new cars because they depreciate the minute you drive off the lot. My birthday was last week so I considered this my B-Day present. I ended up going for a 2004 Chevrolet Impala with 72,000 miles. I have always been a fan of Japanese cars, Nissans specifically. So this being a an American car I was kind of doubtful, what is it that drew me into this vehicle?

Well first of all it was the price, I paid $6000 for it. I don't think its that bad considering its an 04 with not that many miles in it. Second the car is big and spacious and thats how I like it. There is nothing more irritating that hearing people right behind you complain because your seat it too far back. And third was the in-dash 7" Touch Screen LCD w/ DVD player. Took me a while to get the DVD portion to work because it comes with a safety feature that does not let you view movies while the vehicle is in motion. Fortunately the previous owner was smart and installed an override switch that lets you watch movies while on the go. So now I can watch my Gundam Seed Destiny DVDs on the go when I am on a trip. It also has iPod hook up so that I can plug an iPod and throw it in the glovebox and control it through the stereo.

The Impala handles great and its a really smooth ride. Plus its not that slow either packing a V6 under the hood (wished I got the V8 version. Overall I am super happy and this couldn't have been a better value. Now I just need to figure out how to hook up a Playstation 2.... Think Rengou vs. ZAFT II on the go.....

Roomy Interior

Center Console

7" Touch Screen LCD cant watch anything while driving....

...unless you flip this little override switch, then you can watch whatever you want on the road ;-)

Voila!!

2007-09-03T20:44:00.000-04:00

1/8 Metamo Haruhi Suzumiya Bunny Ver

I have always wanted a Haruhi Suzumiya Bunny ver but the ones that I like are too expensive. Freeing's Haruhi is amazing but unfortunately this one is completely sold out. At Otakon 2007 I saw this Haruhi which is the Metamo version and as a matter of fact it was the only one I saw at the convention. There is also a Metamo version of Asuka Langley and both Asuka and Haruhi are by Bandai.

For those who don't know what Metamo figures are, they are figures that change color as the temperature in your room changes. Haruhi is all dressed up in her black bunny outfit and black stockings as long as the room temperature is below 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). If the temperature gets lower that that the outfit starts changing to white and the stockings disappear.

Funny enough I know my room is under 30 degrees and she still stays white. The quickest way that I found to get her outfit completely black was to get a bucket full of ice water and dipping her in it. It worked out well and that how I got that leg stocking look. The only thing that disappoints about the 1/8 Haruhi Metamo is that because of the pose it is definitely a leaner. Its so much of a leaner that Bandai knows it and they even included a support bracket that attaches to the base. It looks ugly but it will prevent your Haruhi from kissing the floor.

Great figure overall and if you can find one now I suggest you pick it up, as seeing it change colors and looking like a completely different figure right before your eyes is pretty cool.

2007-08-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

Reader Request - 1/100 Infinite Justice Color Chart

Im back, no I have not abandoned the blog but my net connection has been down for like the last 2 weeks. I have been working on getting it back up and I haven't had a chance to update. BTW, Yesterday was my birthday and I'll update with the nice goodies I got later.

This is a request from, Subaruhess, a fellow Figure.fm comrade. This is the color chart for the 1/100 Infinite Justice. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2007-08-16T11:07:00.000-04:00

MG Strike Freedom Color Chart

I am now getting around to paint my Strike Freedom. This build is going way faster than the Akatsuki and the Akatsuki had less paint. Once I get to the wings though there will be a problem but thats not until later.This is the color chart for the MG ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom. I will update the chart later with the colors to paint the small Kira and Lacus figures.Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2007-08-14T10:24:00.000-04:00

New Project - MG Strike Freedom

So after the Akatsuki now I have decided to work on another Cosmic Era model kit. Since the Destiny is coming out in October I decided to have the MG Strike Freedom ready by that time. I have completed pre-building and now I have to take everything apart and start the paint process.

This is a MG and it should be easier to paint as far as the body goes but the wings are a whole different thing. They need lots of putty work to get rid of the seams and alot of masking to paint the gold. My goal is to have it completed before the Destiny is released so I think that I can meet this goal. The next time you see this Strike Feedom it will be fully complete (unless I post in-progress pics).

2007-08-13T18:12:00.000-04:00

Voice I-Doll Superior - Meer Campbell

When it comes to Gundam Character figures the choices are very limited. We either have Gashapons, Voice I-Dolls, and RAH DX figures. Meer Campbell is one of my favorite Gundam SEED Destiny gals. Meer looks just like Lacus just that better proportioned. The are tons of regular Voice I-Dolls but those are plain with a simple pose and they are kind of small. Voice I-Dolls Superior actually have the figures striking a pose and so far the only other Voice I-Doll Superior that has been released is Lacus.

Voice I-Dolls Superior are pretty much figures that come with a base that speaks 10 phrases. 8 of the phrases are from the show and 2 are completelt new original phrases recorded by the original voice actor which in this case would be Rei Tanaka. The Meer campbell Voice I-Doll came in at about $27 from Hobby Link Japan. The price alone lets you know that it won't be top notch quality. The paint job is ok but the surface of the figure is not smooth and there alot of flaws that are noticeable. But for this price I really can't complain. It would have been nice however if they would have charged $45-$50 and have improved the quality. Click on the images forbigger pictures.

2007-08-11T10:19:00.000-04:00

100th MG - Turn A Gundam

The 100th MG is here and the hype is over. The MG Turn A Gundam has turned out to be a pretty cool model. Yes it doesn't look like a traditional Gundam but it redeemed itself in the show. After you watch the show, the design will actually grow on you. The model is here and for the hype that was built towards its release we pretty much get a standard release.

No DVD's, no special packaging, no limited edition goodies for early adopters, NOTHING. All that comes with the MG Turn A Gundam is the model of course, a Gunpla A magazine, and some flyers. The MG logo on the box is actually stamped onto the box and made with shiny gold foil. The new thing that I did notice is that the letter of the runner holding the parts is now actually carved into the plastic so it makes it easier to see the runner letter. I applaud Bandai for this change since seeing the runner letter was always hard. Here are pics of the box and whats included.

2007-08-10T23:17:00.000-04:00

Gundam Expo 2007 - MG Destiny

This is for all of you Shinn fans!! The MG Destiny hits the streets this October and this month at the Gundam Expo 2007 we finally get to see more or less what the final product will look like. The kit looks outstanding, proportions are not too far off and it blows the 1/100 model out of the water. I can't wait for it and hopefully we will get pics of the wings of light soon. Get ready for this October, and pre-order early as this kit will most likely sell out fast, pics are GA Graphic.

2007-08-06T16:54:00.000-04:00

1/7 Rudy Milestone Limited Edition Color

Many of us have turned into Shunya Yamashita's fans after the release of Mirei-San. Sera-Chan was the first of Yamashita's work released in PVC form and then it was followed by Mirei-San, Shii Arisugawa, and now by Rudy. Rudy differs completely from the previous releases by not being either a school girl or a secretary. She belongs more in the sci-fi realm wearing a barely-there outfit and holding a nice looking sword. She is also the first to feature cast-off parts that reveal some skin ^_^

This version of Rudy is a limited edition variant by Milestone. The regular edition is being released by Aoshima. I prefered this version because the other one was too bright in my opinion. The figure is very well made in terms of seams and colors and the only thing that I can complain about is that the figure could have very well done away without the cast-off. The entire breast part is replaceable leaving a huge seam between the breast and body. Without that seam it would have been perfect. Otherwise Rudy turned out beautiful. Rudy is a must have if you are a Shunya Yamashita fan and she looks really good and sexy. She will look great along Mirei-San, Sera-Chan and Shii. Even if you are not a Shunya fan, Rudy will be a nice addition to your collection.

NSFW

2007-08-02T12:32:00.000-04:00

1/100 ORB-01 Akatsuki Oowashi/Shiranui Complete

I managed to get some time off work, and whatever free time I had, I used it towards completing my 1/100 Akatsuki. I am quite satisfied with the way it turned out and it was an easy and simple build with only a few seams to take care of. I am assuming that this will be the last 1/100 Seed Destiny kit that Bandai will release and they went out with a bang. The kit is beautiful once complete although its a fingerprint magnet, so make sure you tell people to keep their hand off.

I repainted the beam rifle the way it was supposed to be since it was molded in black. Also everything that was not gold was airbrushed. Now that the Akatsuki is done I am contemplating what my next project will be. I was thinking about MG Chars Zaku II or MG Strike Freedom. I haven't built a MG in a while and there are stacks of MGs in my room ^_^

2007-07-24T22:49:00.000-04:00

Fix Figuration - Psycho Gundam Metal Composite

This will take the crown of the biggest Fix Figuration ever made. The Fix Figuration Psycho Gundam Metal Composite will be of 1/144 scale and that equals to about the size of a PG model. I was surprised that the price is not as bad as you would think. Being the size of a PG and already built, it only costs 10,000 JPY or about $84 USD, much less than the 1/100 RX-78 FF Metal Composite. Although you can pretty much build the HGUC version yourself and it will cost about half this will come with all the Fix Figuration detail and decals that we are used to. Look forward to this figure at the end of August.

2007-07-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

Bandai Bleach Characters Volume 4 - Bankai Kurosaki Ichigo (B)

I have never been a big fan of trading figures since I do not actually know anyone that I can trade with. So having duplicates of the same figure is pretty much useless for me. I only buy specific trading fiures, usually from Ebay, such as Kira, Cagalli, and Shinn from Gundam Seed Destiny. On Saturday at Otakon 2007 I found, what I consider, the best Kurosaki Ichigo figure to date. It is not a big figure or anything but a small trading figure that outdoes any other Ichigo figure that I have seen. Its Ichigo from the Bandai Bleach Characters Volume 4 line of trading figures.

This Ichigo figure sports his Bankai form as it was shown towards the end of the Rukia storyline arc. The main thing that attracted me to this figure was mainly his Hollow mask. As you can see from the title this version "B" of this figure. Version "A" is pretty much the same but without the Hollow mask and its hideous. The figure is surprisingly well made and it actually has some wieght to it. The colors are spot on and there no visible paint runs or overspray. Pricewise you can probably get it for $5 if you buy it sealed and have the luck of actually getting it, but I had to pay $15 since the dealer at Otakon wouldn't settle for less. He did try to sell me the version without the mask for $10, but I refused to buy that ugly thing. Other characters in this series of figures include Bankai Hitsugaya, Bankai Ichigo Version A, Kira, and Hisagi.

2007-07-23T23:25:00.000-04:00

MG 101 - Destiny Gundam

I guess that poster that came with the MG Strike Freedom Full Burst Mode was indeed a clue. Bandai has just announced the next MG and its going to be none other than the Destiny. Although I am not a Shinn fan, I am a fan of his mobile suits. The Impulse was great and the Destiny was just badass. The Destiny will be coming this October, meaning the September will see no MG release unless they rehash some other MG and it doesn't count.

The MG Destiny will also be released in two versions just like the MG Strike Freedom. The premium package will include the Wings of Light and who knows what else and it will be priced at 7,350 JPY. The standard packaging will cost 5,040 JPY and it comes with nothing. This will surely be the biggest model kit release of this year probably overshadowing the Turn A. Pre-order yours now, I just did, this is going to be one hot model kit that is sure to sell out.

2007-07-22T17:26:00.001-04:00

Otakon 2007 - Day 3 & Closing Comments

Otakon 2007 has come to an end, after a couple of sleepless days and eating crappy food, I must say that I am completely disappointed. Otakon 2007 was nothing compared to Otakon 2006. Organization and staffing issues completely plagued the convention leaving a bad taste in almost everyones mouth. Today was the last day of the con and we pretty much knew it was going to be pretty slow. With alot of attendees heading home early and the con ending early, we knew that it wasn't going to be that much of an exciting day. To make matters worse the main reason why I was attending on Sunday, the Gundam panel, was cancelled and that is the beginning of the problem.

Sudden changes like panel cancellations and relocations must be posted on the website so that people know ahead of time and plan accordingly. Also panelists were disorganized by not arriving on time and they were cancelling panels left and right. Staff problems included not knowing how to operate video equipment, for example, while in the KARAS showing the guy first played the dub track with the subtitles on, he then turn the Japanese audio on but with the subtitles off. WTF?? The audience had to guide him through the process of setting the DVD correctly. The staff also had absolutely no knowledge of what was going on with the panels. I asked one guy what the substitute for the Gundam panel going to be about and he said, "I have no idea". What kind of help was that?

While the dealer room was a big focus of the con, the was alot of non otaku related dealers present. Gothic dresses, fashion accessories, non-anime related plush shops were taking away space from dealers that could have been filled with anime goodies. It also seemed like 90% of the dealers were supplied by the same distribution company, AAA Anime. That meant that the choices were pretty much the same across the board. Hobby Link Japan and another dealer were the only ones with unique stuff like the HCM-Pro Destroy and the White Action Base 01. Everybody else had exactly the same Evangelion, Fate/Stay Night, and Bome figures. Hopefully nest year bigger dealers come aboard with new assortments of products to buy.

The only thing that I can complement were the industry panels (ADV & Funimation) for making the panels fun and interesting. I mainly want to thank all of the cosplayer who let me take their pictures and disturbing them when they were minding their own business. Also the door staff was friendly and they were not being A-holes thinking they are kings of the world. Hopefully next year will make things better. Let's hope that the Gundam panel makes a return and please get more dealers in. Here are the final pics of OTAKON 2007 here at My Gundam Models and Anime.

No shopping today, only freebies. Thanks to ADV and Manga Ent for the great freebies they provided.

2007-07-21T22:31:00.000-04:00

Otakon 2007 - Day 2

My body is almost drained of all its energy, i'm waking up at 6:00am to head over to the convention to make sure that I get adequate parking. We got there an hour early and pretty much had to wait in line. There was pretty much nothing to in the morning so we headed directly to dealers room, that didn't open until 10:00am so that was another hour of waiting.

We finally get into the dealers room and.... well... you know how the story goes... You'll see a pic later on. The rest of the day we spent it at panels and taking pics of cosplayers whenever I could. I also saw episodes of Witchblade and the premiere of Devil May Cry here in the states. Devil May Cry was pretty cool and I'll start downloading the episodes ASAP, I think they are up to episode 4 or 5 now. Can't wait until tommorrow, the Gundam panel takes place at 11:30am and then is off to more shopping.

This were the goodies that I got today. My wallet is pretty much drained so tommorrow I shouldn't get much or anything at all.

More pics tommorrow

2007-07-20T19:38:00.000-04:00

Otakon 2007 - Officially Begins

Otakon 2007 officially kicked off today, the weather was great and cosplayers were in full effect. For some reason people decided to stand in line to get into the con. I thought it was stupid to stand in line and wait for the con to open at 9:00am. You really didn't have anything to rush to so I don't know what the big deal was.

There were many cosplayers this time around and I tried to take pics whenever I could, but I have 2 more days for the pics. The dealer room was packed with nice goodies for me to blow my cash on but I had to show some restrain otherwise you can easily spend every penny you have on you in that place. I attended some of the US DVD companies panels and overall I wasn't paying much attention. The only thing that I managed to grasp is that Funimation is releasing Witchblade on 9/25. Here are pics from Otakon 2007 Day 2.

Why the lines?? There was nothing really to rush into.

Lines were huge all over again. Last year, I avoided the lines by being late ^_^

...And this is how my cosplay pictorial begins... He actually had the most complete Sailor Moon outfit. What is the name of this Sailor Moon character again??

Kon stopped by to say hello

Later Chad stopped by for a pic with Kon

First thing in the morning they were showing SEED Destiny 1-4. Hey I'm a Gundam fan, I had to sit through those episodes. It reminded me that those first episodes were actually good.

DBZ cosplay

What is he doing here?

Many unknown characters to me with cool costumes were present

Here is another one that I don't recognize

...and another pair of ladies that I do not recognize

The ONLY, and I mean ONLY, mobile suit cosplay was this Deathscythe. It was not that well made...

...but it attracted the ladies...

HLJ was present and they brought this tiny truck to store all their stuff

This was one of the nicest cosplay costumes that I saw

The GREATEST hero of them all!!! Leader of the AEUG... I present you Quattro Vagi... ERRR... Bageena... ahh heck!!! CHAR!!!

This is my haul for today. I could have bought alot more stuff but I really had to control myself otherwise I would have gone crazy spending money.

MORE PICS TOMMORROW

2007-07-19T20:26:00.000-04:00

Otakon 2007 - Day 1

So I just got back right now from my pre-registration pick-up for Otakon 2007. Nothing was going on today as far as the con went, it was just get your stuff and get out. Apparently 17,000 have pre-registered for Otakon 2007, and a large part or them were present today. Trust me the lines went around the building. Cosplayers were not in full effect today unlike last year. Hopefully tommorrow we get to see some cosplay. Here is how the story went.

So this is where it starts, this is the goal. We knew the line would be long the minute we saw this scene.

So the line went around the corner....

...and stretched as far as the eye could see...

...went around the corner AGAIN...

...and again, you can see where the 17,000 people came too...

...FINALLY! My spot! 2 minutes after I stood there about 50 more people lined up after me......once inside more lines, but at least we had air conditioning now......registration booths...You could pick from any of these badges. I went with the Eureka Seven one, I also wanted to get the Witchblade one. Which one would you have picked?Well after an hour and thirty minutes of waiting this is what I got. A magazine, the Otakon 2007 pocket guide and what do you know? The same artwork as the Witchblade badge ^_^Close-up of the Witchblade artwork which I think is pretty nice

So now all I have to do is get up early and head to Otakon tommorrow. I'll post pics of anything thats out of the usual, and that probably alot with all the Otakus there ^_^.

2007-07-19T11:26:00.000-04:00

Reader Request - HGUC ORX-005 Gaplant Tr-5 [Hrairoo] Color Chart

This is also a request from Mario. This is the color chart for the HGUC ORX-005 Gaplant Tr-5 [Hrairoo]. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2007-07-19T11:06:00.000-04:00

Reader Request - HGUC RX-79 (G) Color Chart

This request is from Mario. This is the color chart for the HGUC RX-79 (G). Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Hobby" line of water soluble paints. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2007-07-19T09:31:00.000-04:00

Otakon 2007

Sorry for the lack of posts but work has had me by the ankles, I have also been getting ready for Otakon 2007. Otakon is the biggest Anime convention that is close to me. Its the only one that I have attended too in my area (Baltimore, MD). Its primarily composed of panels discussing anime, movie showings and premieres, and license acquisitions by US publishers. Otakon also has a massive dealer room full of goodies, this is what frightens me..... All my cash will be taken here.

Hobby Link Japan actually attends this con, last yer I got my 1/100 Strike Freedom from them and they gave me a free Gundam marker. Today I have to pick up my registration and the con officially starts tommorrow @ 9:00am sharp. I will post pics of the cosplayers and anything interesting tommorrow. Anyone attending Otakon please e-mail me maybe we can meet up for lunch or something.

2007-07-08T22:38:00.000-04:00

Reader Request - MG Crossbone Gundam Ver Ka Color Chart

This request is from Yin. This is the color chart for the MG Crossbone Gundam Ver Ka. Please note the following colors are from the Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) "Mr. Color" line of oil based paints. The colors are: Character Blue, Gloss Pink , and Super Clear. The rest are from the "Mr Hobby Color" water soluble paint. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2007-07-07T10:09:00.000-04:00

New Arrivals

It's figure fest today!!! In the mail I got Max Factory's Kasumi white and black variants. These are no bootlegs people, they are official re-issues and the $90 pricetag reflects their originality ^_^ Also I got 1/8 Haruhi, I bought a Haruhi a couple of weeks ago and it turned out to be fake so I got my money back and ordered one from HLJ instead. Upcoming photo shoot for these figs will be posted in the upcoming days.

2007-07-06T23:43:00.001-04:00

Akatsuki In Progress

Since this was a holiday week here in the US. I got plenty of time to work on the Akatsuki and managed to complete the entire body. I got rid of the nasty seam running down the middle of the leg. Everything that was not gold was painted and now I only have the Shirunai and Akatsuki packs to complete.

2007-07-04T15:02:00.000-04:00

Reader Request - RX-78 GP02-A Color Chart

I got an e-mail from a reader by the name of Mario. He requested a color chart for the RX-78 GP02-A. I couldn't find the MG version but I found the HGUC manual. The color chart will also be added to the sidebar. Please note that the type of paint that these translations are for are Gunze Sangyo (GSI Creos) Mr Hobby aqueous paint. Please click on the color chart to see a bigger picture.

P.S. Any other color chart request please e-mail me. (e-mail address is available in my profile)

2007-07-03T19:31:00.000-04:00

Transformers The Movie

I must say that I was going into the Transformers movie with pretty much low expectations. I figured that since most of childhood franchises have been crap when turned into movies, I expected the same for Transformers the movie. Boy was I wrong, this is one awesome movie. The new transformer designs might turn some people off but they actually make sense. The blocky designs from the cartoon would not work here.Towards the end of the movie their designs just felt natural and Optimus Prime just looked normal.

The film is packed with action, heck, the first five minutes are packed with action. The final battle is nothing short of amazing with Autobots and Decepticons tarnsforming mid battle and blowing stuff up. The Transformers cast include, on the Decepticon side: Megatron, Starscream, Bonecrusher, Blackout, and Devastator. The Autobots include: Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Ratchet. Please do yourself a favor and get to your theaters to watch this movie.

2007-07-03T00:04:00.000-04:00

RAH.DX Lunamaria Hawke

I have had this figure for about a year now, I got it at last years Otakon. I saw it at the convention and immediately fell in love with it, so I bought it. It has been sitting in my room and its one my favorite figures sitting here in her pretty little window box. The RAH DX Lunamaria Hawke is manufactured by Mega House and I believe is long out of print.

The RAH DX Lunamaria has to be one of the best made figures that I have seen. The details are amazing and crisp and I cannot find any defects on this figure. Unlike my Sera-Chan were seams were visible, there are none to be found here. She comes in her pilot outfit and is slowly zipping it down as if she just got out of her mobile suit. Lunamaria also comes with her helmet which you can actually put on or just put it on her hand so that she can hold it. Im not even going to try to put that helmet on as it looks like it will scratch the paint job. Overall this is a beatiful figure and I love it, if you can find one then I suggest you get it because you will like this one sitting out in your room ^_^.

2007-07-01T20:28:00.000-04:00

Gundam Color Chart - 1/100 Akatsuki

Many of you have seen the color charts on the back of your Gunpla manual. The problem is that many of us can't actually read the name of the colors to mix. I have googled plenty of times for color transalations and have never been successful at finding a site with color translations.

I have decided to start translating color guides for Gunpla builders who want their paint to match exactly to the manual. I will add a section on the right hand column titled Color Translations so that you can look up any translations that you need. I will start first with whatever model I am building but if you need a specific color chart translated then just send me an e-mail (you can find my e-mail in my profile page). First up will be the 1/100 Akatsuki, click on the image to see a bigger version of it.

2007-06-30T09:24:00.000-04:00

Gundam Unicorn Destroy Mode

Just when I thought the Unicorn Gundam couldn't be any cooler, the official website updated with more info about the Unicorn Gundam. It apparently changes form when the "NT-D" system is activated and then it actually looks like our traditional Gundams. Info from Gunota is as follows:

"The Unicorn's appearance when the 'NT-D' system is activated. In this form, the psycoframe infused within the entire body's internal frame reads the pilot's thoughts (psycowaves) and directly influences the unit's movements. In other words, the MS can ultimately be controlled by thought alone.

However, when compared to one's idea of how a human body works, the stress of gravity on an 20 meter MS (more than 10 times the size) is extraordinary. Aided by the psycommu, the pilot's mind can only endure about five minutes of operation, after which a limiter is believed to activate, returning the MS to normal Unicorn form.

Furthermore, the system activates not according to the pilot's discretion, but automatically when certain conditions, as yet unexplained, are met."

All this this talk spells only one thing, BADASS. The Unicorn has such a badass system that it can actually kill the pilot if used for more than 5 minutes, so you can just imagine what happens when the system is activated. I really wish that the Unicorn novel will be turned into an Anime series and best of all a MG model.

2007-06-30T08:37:00.000-04:00

1/7 Sera-Chan

After seeing Mirei-San I became a huge fan of Shunya Yamashita's designs. Mirei-San is by far my favorite figure ever so I decided to collect all of Yamashita's work in the form of PVC. Sera-Chan was the first of Yamashita's work released in PVC form by Kotobuyika. It had been out for a while but It had not caught my attention. I got it a few eeks ago and I though it was time for a photo shoot with her.

The Sera-Chan figure is great and its not that small coming in at 1/7 scale. Although she does look a little pale, some parts of her are almost white. A few seam lines are noticeable here and there but they do not take away from the overall look of Sera-Chan. Sunya Yamashita's design are plain sexy and that's why I have fallen in love with his designs and Sera-Chan is no exception. Her skirt has the ability to "cast off" meaning that it is removable ^_^. She actually looks better without the skirt and its not because i'm a perv, but because Sera-Chan looks bulkier with the skirt. I don't like the look of the skirt from the back since it goes halfway up and its a little unrealistic. Aside from that she looks great and if you have a chance to get her then go for it. Price in the US for Sera-Chan in the US vary from like $35 to $50. The upcoming Shuya Yamashita's figures that I will be purchasing are Non Non, Rudy, and Shoko-San.

2007-06-29T21:36:00.000-04:00

MG Turn A Gundam

I must say that excitement for the MG Turn A Gundam is just increasing more and more. Pics have surfaced of the completed MG Turn A Gundam from the Tokyo Toy Show 2007. Bandai has done an exceptional job of not letting anyone down since this kit looks amazing. The latest pics also confirm one thing, the cow!!! Yes the cow is indeed included ^_^

2007-06-27T21:40:00.000-04:00

Fix Figuration Psycho Gundam Metal Composite

Told you so.... I had said this before, since the Fix Figuration line is set at 1/144, the Psycho Gundam is gonna be huge. Here is a side by side shot next to the upcoming RX-78-3 metal composite. The RX-78-3 is just a re-hash of the RX-78-2 but in a gray color scheme.

This thing is going to be bigger than all of the Gundams that I own since I don't own any Perfect Grades. It might be able to match the Masterpiece Optimus Prime in height. Since the Psycho Gundam doesn't have that many weapons, I don't expect it to come with anything besides a beam rifle and the shield. That probably explains the cheaper price as opposed to the RX-78-2.

2007-06-27T21:28:00.000-04:00

MG Turn A Gundam

It seems that the uproar caused by the mustache being the 100th MG has died down. All that is left is anticipation for the model kit's release. More pics of the prototype have surfaced and it is looking better and better.

I used to think the Turn A was one of the most horrendous mobile suit designs. After watching the series this year, the design grew on me and now I am excited about the release of this kit. The one thing that I have to complain about is the cow.... yes I said cow.... from what I have seen it actually comes with a cow like it was shown in the show.

2007-06-24T10:52:00.000-04:00

Mobile Suit Gundam 00

The beginning of the new Gundam series is getting closer and closer.... I can't wait for this October so that we can finally get some new Gundam anime. The one thing that many people want to see is the mobile suits in action. This series takes a different approach in terms of designs, they don't really look like Gundams at all except for the faces. Gundam Kyrios is the only unit that resembles todays Gundam designs and hopefully they are not over the top invincible pretty machines like in SEED and SEED Destiny.

The Exia looks like the notorious RX-78-2 from Gundam Evolve 15 and the Dynames looks like a carbon copy of the Buster. The Kyrios actually has the skirt armor so it looks more like the Gundams we are used to know. The Virtue is a whole new puppy, it is huge and it looks like a heavy artillery unit and it reminds me of the RX-78 GP-02-A. What I really hope is that they go back to the UC and Wing formula, which was that not everybody had a Gundam and all the soldier grunts actually crapped their pants at the sight of a Gundam. Here is a closer look at the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 units and info on their pilots.

GN-001 Gundam Exia

Head height: 18.3m
Base weight: 57.2 tons
Because of the GN particles eminating from the GN Drive within the unit, it has astounding mobility and near infinite energy. Compared to currently-in-use MS, it introduces a great deal of high technology. A close-combat, high-mobility MS equipped with 7 blades. The GN particles eminated into the air cause radio wave interference and disrupt ordinary radar and communications.

Setsuna F. Seiei
16-years-old
Fated boy soldier born & raised in the war-torn Middle East's Kurdis Republic. A cool kid who hates getting close to others and keeps his feelings inside.

GN-002 Gundam Dynames

Head height: 18.2m
Base weight: 59.1 tons
Same as the other Gundams, equipped with a GN Drive. It's emphasis is gun warfare. Has many guns suitable for missions and a GN Sniper Rifle as standard equipment. When it carries out precision shooting, the head transforms into Sniper Mode with a concealed camera eye appearing. During that time, a rifle-style controller is used.

Lockon Stratos
24-years-old
Decided to join Celestial Being after losing his parents because of terrorism. The eldest pilot and team leader.

GN-003 Gundam Kyrios

Head height: 18.9m
Base weight: 54.8 tons
Variable unit that can transform into a flight form. In its flight form, it has a rear arms container and can deal with every mission with versatility. While it excels at hit-and-run attacks in its flight form, even in its MS form it has offensive capabilities to match other Gundams.

Allelujah Paptism
19-years-old
Spent his childhood as an orphan in the People's Reform League. Usually gentle and quiet.

GN-005 Gundam Virtue

Head height: 18.4m
Base weight: 66.7 tons
Heavily armed type and has powerful weapons such as the GN Bazooka and GN Cannon. It expands the GN Field, covering itself with a barrier and has considerably high defense.

Tieria Erde
?-years-old
A boy with a rare kind of beauty, his history, nationality, and origins all a mystery. Within his gentle tone, he can give a sense of cold intentions.

2007-06-21T22:23:00.000-04:00

Fix Figuration #1001 RX-78-2 Ver. KA W/ G-Fighter Metal Composite

I am not a fan of Gundam figures since they are mass produced and you get better results from modeling. The Fix Figuration line has been usually set at 1/144 but fortunately Bandai has released a 1/100 Fix Figuration, the RX-78-2. I was excited to get this figure since it was my first Fix Figuration. The only thing is that this one clocked in at $125 plus shipping so it was definitely not cheap. It took me a while to decide on it since I also wanted Mp-05 Megatron.In the end I chose the Rx-78-2 and I am quite happy with the purchase.

This version of the RX-78-2 comes in Ver Ka designed by Hajime Katoki. Thats a good thing since this version of the RX-78-2 looks pretty good. The range of weapons that it comes with is amazing, aside from the G-Fighter (best inclusion IMO), it comes with 2 bazookas, beam rifle, beam sabers, 2 shields and it comes with 8 different pairs of hands. As far as contruction its very sturdy and the joints are pretty tight. Panel lines and decals are seen throughout the model and weapons just like in a MG model.

It is also a 1/100 scale Fix Figuration in case I hadn't mentioned that. One thing that I noticed is that parts just tend to fall off, for example the V fin, if you are posing your Gundam there is a 90% chance that it will fall off. The RX-78-2 Fix Figuration is also compatible with the action base 01 although you need to pose it just right since this is pretty heavy and throws the base off balance. It just doesn't feel like a cheap figure and thats a good thing since it wasn't.

Possability wise, the Fix Figuration Rx-78-2 is great, although it might not be as flexible as the MG kit it is still pretty good. You can achieve many poses and like I had mentioned before it is compatible with the action base. Overall the only thing holding the figure back is its hefty price tag. The metal composite Fix Figuration of the Psycho Gundam is due in Aug and its much cheaper so we will see how that one turns out since i'll be getting that one too. If you dont mind the price point then I would say go for it because its a great figure and its very detailed. Not a bad way to start a fix figuration collection eh.... ^_^

2007-06-16T16:28:00.000-04:00

1/100 Akatsuki Pre-build Complete

Luckily I was off work today and I had a chance to finish snap fitting my Akatsuki. The kit looks great and the only thing that bugs me is that leg possability is limited. Oh and it is also a fingerprint magnet, I am going to have to clean up the gold parts once final assembly is complete because there are fingerprints all over it. Now the sad part, taking it all apart.

2007-06-14T22:21:00.000-04:00

100th MG Turn A Gundam Prototype

Pictures are beginning to surface of the MG mustache... errr... MG Turn A Gundam... This pic is of a prototype MG model and from what I can tell it doesn't look that bad. Im not a huge fan of the Turn A, but the design did grow on me after watching the series. Being that the mustache comes out in August which is my birthday month, I will be getting this puppy via EMS right in time for my B-day. Usually I get them via SAL but I dont want to wait for this one, its the friggin' 100th MG after all. Hopefully Bandai will release the Turn X since its design was similar to the Turn A and it actually looked better IMO. Here you go the 100th MG prototype now all Gunpla builders rejoice!!!! ^_^

2007-06-12T17:38:00.000-04:00

1/100 Akatsuki Progress

Got some time today to return to work on my Akatsuki . Completed pre-building all the way to the Shirunai pack. Next time I get a chance I will start the Oowashi pack and start getting ready for paint. This one shouldn't be that bad since there is not that much to paint. Here is the progress so far.

P.S. The pics for the blog should start looking alot better since I just purchased a photo booth to take pics. It should be here by the end of the week and i'll post pics of that when it arrives.

2007-06-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

1/8 Ignis by Alter

Ever since I saw the Max Factory Ignis i became a huge fan of her. Although she is from a hentai game which I will probably never play I still love the way she looks. Got the Max Factory version of Ignis in December and I loved it. I consider it one of the best anime PVC figures the I own. Now I got the 1/8 version of Ignis by Alter and I am planning on getting the Orchid Seed version of Ignis.

Alter's version of Ignis has her striking a pose with sword. The figure is beautiful and made very well, I will not display it out of the box since its like 85+ degrees in my room and my PVCs will probably start bending. Now I own 3 versions of Ignis including the BOME version which is not that pretty after looking at Alter and Max Factory's work. Next up on the list is Ignis the White which features "cast off" parts ^_^.

2007-06-08T22:01:00.000-04:00

MG Wing Zero EW and 1/100 Deathscythe Custom + BONUS

So I was browsing through Ebay the other day when I stumbled upon this auction. I placed my bid and forgot about it, and I won. It wasn't a bad deal at all, shipped I paid $44.03, thats the going rate for a MG Wing Zero alone. I really wanted just the MG Wing Zero but I couldn't complain about the extra model.

I receive the package today and like usual I inspect all the models that I get from Ebay. The 1/100 Deathscythe was complete so no problem there. When I opened my MG Wing Zero box, I immediately notice these parts that were built and loose. I saw that one of the parts was a huge bazooka so I knew that it didn't belong to the Wing Zero. Then I find a huge heat hawk so I immediately thought, "PG ZAKU"!!! After about half an hour of making sure that the Wing Zero was complete, I started putting all of the loose pieces together.

I went to dalong.net and looked through the PG Zaku pages and noticed that none of these weapons were featured on Dalong's review of the PG Zaku. After doing some research it turns that it was a custom set of weapons sold separately for the PG Zaku. There were 2 custom sets made and I got everything except for the clear parts.

The Ebay seller didn't even mention anything about these parts in the auction but if you look closely at the pics in the auction page, you can see them in the Wing Zero pic at the bottom. Too bad I don't own a PG Zaku otherwise these would have been perfect, I have no idea what to do with them ^_^

2007-06-06T20:16:00.000-04:00

Mirei-San

The US release of Mirei-San is here!! Today I got my share of the pie by getting two of these PVC figure. Being that it is the US release and also coming directly from distribution I got these pretty cheap. Ever since it was featured on dannychoo.com back in January I have been dying to get my hands on the Mirei-San figure.

All I can say about Mirei-San is that she is beautiful and sexy. This one puts all the ones that I have to shame. It comes with an extra hairpiece (not head), left arm in a different pose and a pen. Paintwise I didn't see any problems, the only thing that I noticed is that the chair had a paint scratch but its barely noticeable. Thank god it became available in the US because I was having a hard time getting one from Japan. Ill post pics now but they are not that great since its late here. Ill get some better pics later.

2007-06-04T21:30:00.000-04:00

MG Char's Zaku II Ver 2.0

SAL shipping redeemed itself this time by getting here in 8 days instead of 30 the last time around with the white Zeta. This time it was he MG Char's Zaku II Ver 2.0. I was really excited about getting this model since I am a huge Char fan (sorry Amuro fans). Along with the MG model kit I also got 2 Action Bases Char color and i got a free copy of a magazine thats called MG Archive Road to 100. I think this was actually for the Zaku 2.0 release since it features an extensive look into the Zaku 2.0 model and also gives you building tips. Too bad its in Japanese so I can't read the tips at all.

As far as the Char's Zaku 2.0 goes, this can easily become one of my favorite kits. As a matter of fact, I proclaim this my next kit to be built. It just looks great and I bet the finished product looks way better. Posability looks promising and i comes with a variety of weapons, all the cool poses that you saw in MS Igloo are possible with the 2.0 ver of Char's Zaku II. Bandai gets an A++ with this MG, next up for me is the Rx-78-2 Ver OYW TV colors and Gelgoog 2.0.

2007-06-03T10:52:00.000-04:00

Mobile Suit Gundam 00

The new Gundam anime series has been confirmed, and its called Mobile Suit Gundam 00. What does the "00" means is still a mistery, maybe its the name of the main Gundam, imagine, "...Gundam 00 taking off..." What has been confirmed is that the first episode will be airing in October of this year which is a relief since we needed a new series badly. Another thing that has been confirmed is that this series will not be in neither the Universal Century or Cosmic Era (SEED) universes.

The teaser trailer has shown that the animation looks pretty nice and the character designs don't have the look of the SEED characters. Another thing that I noticed is that Gundams that you barely get to see in the trailer don't have any wings, if its set in space who needs any wings. The one thing that excites me the most is that its rumored that its being directed by Seiji Mizushima who was the director of Fullmetal Alchemist. With this director in hand hopefully Gundam 00 can dethrone Mobile Suit Gundam and Zeta Gundam from their positions as the best Gundam series. Check out the teaser trailer below.

2007-05-30T23:01:00.000-04:00

Destiny Vs Series Clear Color Version

Over the this past weekend I celebrated my 4th year anniversary wih my fiancée. 4 wonderful years and hopefully there are more to come... Love you babe.... Anywho back on topic, she got me these nifty kits as my present (gotta love a girl who doesn't mind Gundam kits). They are the Vs. Series of the SEED Destiny 1/100 kits and they come in clear color version.

One pack includes the Strike Freedom vs Legend kits, they are both in clear color. The other kit is the Destiny vs Infinite Justice also in clear color version. Im not really sure what the story is behind these kits wether are limited editions or show exclusives, im not even sure how she got her hands on these.

I must say that the Strike Freedom and Destiny kits are hideous just like their regular 1/100 counterparts. On the other hand the Legend looks the best and the Infinite Justice doesn't look that bad either. Hopefully these are limited editions and that huge typo that you will see on the Destiny vs. Infinite Justice box make them worth even more LOL.

2007-05-28T10:52:00.000-04:00

Gundam Unicorn

The new novel called Gundam UC Unicorn sports interesting mobile suit designs. As far as the story goes I cant tell much since the site is in Japanese. As far as the Gundam goes its a design that I really like. It reminds me of Shiro Amada's EZ-8 which strayed away from the traditional Gundam design.

The Unicorn Gundam boosts a horn on its head as opposed to the V fin of other Gundams. The official site also shows a Neo Zeon unit that looks like a mix between a Zaku and the Sazabi. It looks pretty cool as it looks bulky like the Sazabi. Hopefully this will be the next Gundam anime series since we need something new other than SEED.

2007-05-27T21:21:00.000-04:00

1/100 Akatsuki

Wow!! Long time no post. It has been crazy at work and I feel like I have no soul LOL. Anyway, for all those who don't know yet, the 100th MG will be the Turn A Gundam. This has created an uproar amongst Gundam fans but oh well. I personally didn't want the mustache as a MG since its not popular enough. If that was the case they could have done some Gundam Wing MG's such as the Epyon and Deathcythe.

In other news I have decided to put the Verde Buster build on hold for about a month. I started working on the Akatsuki in the meantime and so far I have completed the upper torso. I will be working on the rest over the memorial day weekend, more updates coming soon.

2007-05-10T12:30:00.000-04:00

Revoltech Megatron

It was no surprise that after the Optimus Prime was released, the revoltech incarnation of Megatron was announced. Ditching the transformation, this figure closely resembles the animation version of Megatron. It is an outstanding figure, I am even capable of making the bold statement that it is way better than the Optimus Prime Revoltech. Its much more posable and the joints are not as loose as Optimus.

It comes with three sets of hands and two heads, one of the heads has Megatron with an evil smile. Overall I am quite satisfied with this revoltech. The only thing that I have noticed with Revoltechs though, is that some of the poses that you are supposed to be able to do are impossible. The Eva series are capable of many poses but when it comes to these robots possability is limited. It is however more posable than Optimus and that my fiends is a plus.

2007-05-06T23:25:00.000-04:00

Early Release - Gundam Seed Destiny Vol 8

As I had stated before, I have not seen Gundam Seed Destiny completely. I am watching it as its being released in the US, the reason, because I saw SEED in English. When I watch an anime series in a certain language, I stick to that language be it Japanese or English.

So we are now at volume 8 of Destiny and the action is finally picking up. This DVD was not to be released until may 15th but I have access to anime distribution so I get an early crack at certain things. This volume covers from episodes 31 through 34, so far I am up to episode 32 when Stella get killed by Kira. Hopefully Bandai's quality assurance team did their job because so far volumes 6 and 7 have been defective and if this one is defective too i'm going off!

2007-05-03T23:07:00.000-04:00

MG Zeta Unit 3

I can at least sleep soundly at night. Afer a record 31 days in the postal services hands, I receive my share of the Limited Edition Zeta Unit 3. As far as the eye can tell, this is a carbon copy of the Zeta 2.0 MG. Im not sure if ill be building these as I am hoping that they go up in value since they are limited. The only thing that is disappointing on the kit is the stickers that make up the purple markings on the body. The problem is that they are stickers instead of decals. I would have preferred waterslides but oh well, I am just glad that they are finally home.

2007-05-02T22:08:00.000-04:00

Camera Upgrade Sony Cybershot 10.1 Megapixel Camera

Before I started this blog, I had my digital camera but I rarely used it. It was a Sony Cybershot 4.1 Megapixel that I got from the pawnshop for about $100. It worked great until I really started using it in this blog. I noticed that the pics were a little blurry so now I thought it was time for an upgrade and I decided to get something good.

I love Sony electronics so it was a no brainer that I was gonna go for another Cybershot. I chose the Sony Cybershot 10.1 Megapixel camera beacuse of the high megapixels and the coolness factor. This camera doesn't sport any buttons, instead it has a huge 3.0" touch screen lcd in the back. Almost the entire back of the camera is pure screen! Its also lightweight and comfortable to hold.

Picture quality is amazing and the difference is noticeable from my old camera. Pictures come out cleaner and you can really zoom in alot. Overall I am very pleased and I look forward to updating my blog with my new camera.

2007-04-30T22:32:00.000-04:00

A Dormant Hobby Reawakens

Although I am a huge Gunpla nut, there is also another hobby that interests me. Its none other than R/C Nitro Cars. What I like from this hobby, aside from being able to modify your car for some serious cash, is that you have to paint your own bodies. The hobby shop sells them but you have to paint them.

I have an HPI RS4 Evo, that my beautiful girlfriend gave me as a birthday gift, that came with a BMW M3 body. That was too generic so I painted my own lexan body, Its a Nissan 350Z. I think it looks prety nice and it was supposed to be my show body but I got tired of looking at it, so i'll be using it this summer. Ill try to take a video of what my little car here can do, but for know here are some pics of the body that I painted.

2007-04-29T23:27:00.000-04:00

Hobby Shop Clearance 07 Part 3

Today was the last day of the yearly hobby shop clearance. One model kit that I would have never bought was the one that came home with me. Honestly, I am not a fan of he MG Gyan but for $22 I couldn't pass it up. Aside from this Gyan there was nothing else worth buying, although they had a HG Evangelion Unit 1 kit but it was way overpriced.

So out out of three different locations that the hobby shop has, only one of them seems to be Otaku deprived. It was confessed to me by an employee that they only get 1 of each gunpla at every store. That means that they all had Extra Finish Freedom, Rick Dias and GM Snipers but had all been sold a long time ago since I frequent these shops on a weekly basis. Hopefully next year the location were I struck gold will have plenty of unsold Gundams that go on clearance.

2007-04-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

1/100 Akatsuki Full Set

It sucks when you pay right away for an item the day its released and not receive until a month later. Oh well, "better late than never" is the popular saying and "you get what you pay for" is also appropiate when it comes to SAL shipping. Anyway, the 1/100 Akatsuki Full Set arrives today and all I can say is WOW. The model is beautiful, i looks like a Master Grade model. There are a ton of parts and this one definitely does not need any paint. I'll still paint all of the parts that are not gold plated.

I have never been a fan of gold model kits or models with those "Extra Finish", since you cant avoid nip marks. The Akatsuki however barely suffers from any noticeable nip marks. It uses the undergate method which means that the part is attached o the tree from underneath, so when you cut the part off, it does not damage the finish.

Why oh why, wasn't the Akatsuki a Master Grade? The only part of the kit that might need some improvement is the leg articulation. Otherrwise the kit is amazing, the gold finish is beautiful and all of the parts are molded in their corresponding colors. I wish the FMB Strike Freedom would have used this kind of gold plating. Also the gold plating on the Akatsuki looks better than the MG Hiaku Shiki. The Hiaku Shiki's is much lighter by comparison and tends to look more silverish than golden. I think the 1/100 Akatsuki will be the next model that I will be building after work is complete on the Verde Buster.

2007-04-23T21:33:00.000-04:00

Hobby Shop Clearance 07 Part 2

So today April 23rd my local hobby shop continues its clearance by increasing their discounts to 50% off plus an additional 10% off for being a club member. I was mainly waiting for today since they had an Extra Finish Version Master Grade Freedom on clearance. I couldn't belive my eyes when I still saw it there on the shelf today. Along with the Freedom, I also got the MG Rick Dias Char's Custom and the Crossbone Full Cloth.

The MG Freedom EFV came out to $45 after discount and the Rick Rias came out to $20 after discount. The Crossbone Gundam was only 10% off since it was not on clearance. They have a MG Gyan that I might go back for next week since it will come out to about $23 after discount. Hopefully more clearance like this will come about so that I save a on on Gunpla.

2007-04-17T21:57:00.000-04:00

MG Strike Noir

The second Strike Noir arrives today and is being added to the backlog of models that I have. I am also kind of worried since my Akatsukis and Zeta Unit 3 have not arrived yet. They have been in the mail for 17 days now but since it was shipped via SAL it should be here any time.

In other news progess on the Verde Buster is coming along just fine and it should be completed by th end of this week or the beginning of next week. Mr Super Booth has helped out alot and it works remarkably well. I will post progress pics as well as completed pics of the Buster hopefully pretty soon.

2007-04-16T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hobby Shop Clearance 07

My local hobby shop is going through their annual clearance and I couldn't be any more excited. They are on their second week of the sale and they started out at 30% discount and every week they are reducing the merchandise an extra 10% up to 50% off. Also if you are a club member they give you an extra 10% off clearance and regular price merchandise.

Being that this is the US, our hobby shops aren't filled top to bottom with Gundam models, but they do have a few. I managed to get the 1/100 Providence Gundam last week for 40% off (30% + 10% club member). Today I went back and I got the MG GM Sniper for 50% off (40% + 10% club member)!! The Providence came out to $21 after discount and the MG GM Sniper came out to $22 after discount. Ill be heading back next week when my total discount will be 60% to pick up the special coating MG Freedom and the MG Rick Dias Char's Custom.

2007-04-10T20:50:00.000-04:00

MG Hi-Nu Gundam

First thing is first, the paint booth arrived and I have been busy with the Verde Buster so thats why posting has been limited. Next, I wasn't thinking about getting the Hi-Nu anytime soon because of the cost and the fact that I had to wait for it to come from Japan. I was strolling by my hobby shop looking for paint supplies when, what do you know, TWO MG Hi-Nu Gundams sitting on the shelf. The price was not bad at all either.

After getting these two babies my fiancee has forced me into an agreement. I must not buy any more Gunplas until Chars Zaku Ver 2.0 coming out in June. If I break this agreement I must give her $50 for every model that I buy. Its not a bad deal, nothing im interested in will come out until June anyway, and it will also help me save money. We will see if I can stick to this agreement....

2007-04-04T19:19:00.000-04:00

Limited Edition MG Zeta Unit 3

Completed pics of Amuro's Zeta Gundam have surfaced. The only novelty about this kit is the custom color scheme and that it's an actual limited edition release. They call this Zeta the White Unicorn and as far as the color scheme goes... well.... it's kind of girly.

The kit is exactly the same as the Zeta Ver 2.0 so you know you can expect a great MG model. The pics that I have seen so far look pretty good. If you managed to order one then congratulations, if you didn't and want one now, then good luck. I ordered one but now I wanted another one and I can't seem to find it anymore. You can find more pics of the Zeta Unit 3 here.

2007-04-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

Mr Super Booth has left the building

Good news for me... My paint booth has shipped from Japan. Im excited and getting paint supplies and tools ready so that when it arrives I can get right to work on my Verde Buster. The paint booth is manufactured by Gunze Sangyo and its called Mr Super Booth. Including shipping by EMS from Japan its final cost was $183.00, which isn't that bad considering the cheapest I could find it in the US was $199.99

I have been wanting this paint booth since I started airbrushing my kits. I would have to go outside to airbrush and I could only paint during the day and it got annoying, so I slowed after the Strike Freedom. I started some other models but never finished them since then the weather got cold. I first saw the paint booth in the "How to Build Sword Calamity" DVD and then I saw it in another Gunpla tutorial video. I have a video at the bottom that showcases the Paint Booth being used by the modeler in the Sword Calamity DVD. Now Mr Super Booth is on its way and I'll post pics and a full review when it arrives later this week.

2007-03-30T22:36:00.000-04:00

MG Strike Noir

Two weeks after its release I finally received my MG Strike Noir. I actually ordered two but only one of them arrived, also this one was a little banged up so hopefully the next one arrives in better shape. I cant wait to start building this ton of models that I have sitting in my room.

I finally took the plunge and have paid for my painting booth, now I can patiently paint indoors and take better care when painting. Plus it will be alot more comfortable to paint indoors. So I will finish that Verde Buster that I started about a month ago. I have 1 more MG Strike Noir on its way, 2 Akatsukis, and 1 White Unicorn MG Zeta. The booth will arrive this week and I'll post pics and impressions when it does.

2007-03-27T22:02:00.000-04:00

Gundam Musou Pre-Order Bonus - Crystal G1 RX-78-2

Better late than never, for some reason in Hong Kong a bonus crystal RX-78-2 was included with every copy of Gundam Musou. I got a Japanese copy that came with no bonus. Luckily for me, I have a friend in Hong Kong who sent me the crystal model separately. This is the only model of this kind that I own, it might not be much but its all clear. Its a generation 1 model after all. Its the same one that was given away with those pocky packs.

2007-03-23T23:03:00.000-04:00

1/100 Akatsuki

A modeleler in Japan has posted pics up of his completed 1/100 Akatsuki Full Set and the only thing that I can say is that this is one pretty model.

Bandai has heard the cries of many modelers who like these mirror finishes but hate the look of it because of the nasty seams (i.e. 1/100 Force Impulse extra finish). With the Akatsuki Bandai has taken care of it and even though this kit is expensive for a 1/100 SEED, its well worth it.

I have two on order and they are on their way from Japan. When the model arrives all I will pretty much need to paint are the non-plated parts. Ahh... if only the Strike Freedom would have had this kind of gold plating. Click this link for more pics of the completed Akatsuki Full Set.

2007-03-23T13:39:00.000-04:00

Master Grade No. 98 & No. 99... Who will take 100th??

So Gunota Headlines has confirmed that the MG Ver 2.0 of Char's Zaku will be the 98th Master Grade released by Bandai and is to be released in May. The 99th Master Grade will also be a Ver 2.0 of Char's Gelgoog which is to be released in July. Notice the trend yet... They are Zeon suits and they are Char's mobile suits.

You know what would make the 100th MG festivities great?? The release of the Hi-Nu's rival suit, the Nightingale. The MSN-04-2 Nightingale, as some of you know, was the suit that Char piloted in the novel Beltorchika's Children. It looks like a Sazabi on steroids but it looks cool. I mean Bandai released the Hi-Nu so it would only be fair that the Nightingale saw the light of day. Here are pics of both the Sazabi and the Nightingale so that you can compare.

2007-03-22T10:53:00.000-04:00

New Release - Gundam Seed Destiny Vol 7 Collector's Edition

Wow... It was about time I got back to my blog. Work has been taking most of my time, I haven't even had time to watch the anime that I have. But now Im back... This week I had to make time for the release of Gundam Seed Destiny vol 7 on DVD.

This release cover from episodes 27 - 30. It was also released it two versions, the regular single edition and the collector's edition. The collector's edition comes with a box to hold the second half of the series. As far as the artwork on the box goes, it leaves much to be desired.

Being that it was the second half of the series, the artwork on the box should relate to the show. Instead it depicts Shinn, Durandal, and Athurun in his Alex Dino outfit. Oh well... someone at Bandai couldn't find any more material to photoshop. I'm just waiting for the next DVD, Vol 8, because it will end on episode 34. And we all know what happens on episode 34....

2007-03-06T23:24:00.000-05:00

Gundam Musou Impressions

Well, the most anticipated PS3 game is here, Gundam Musou has launched and I now have my copy. I got it March 1st but I have been too busy playing it to have time to post. I need to start by saying that Gundam Musou is light years away from Gundam: Crossfire in terms of gameplay, graphics, and how fun it is. Although its not a killer app for the PS3 and its not revolutionary, its still a great game.

Gameplay wise if you have played Dinasty Warriors then you pretty much know what to expect. Koei handled the development of Gundam Musou so expect tons of characters on screen at one time and super long levels, some have taken me 40 minutes to beat. Don't be alarmed.... you can save in the middle of the fight. Graphics are pretty nice too, the Gundams have never looked better.

You start out with Gundam, Zeta Gundam, and ZZ Gundam in official mode which follows their respective storylines. In original mode which some new storyline is made up pits all of the Gundams together. I really dont know whats going on because I dont know Japanese. But for some reason, original mode turns out to be more fun than official mode. Having the God Gundam fight the Zeta Gundam is more fun than the usual Char vs. Amuro which you know how its gonna end up anyway.

So even if you are not an Otaku who follows Gundam, you will find this game fun. Dont expect anything groundbreaking but at least its not a horrible game like Crossfire. For the ones who have it enjoy, for the ones who don't go out and get it.