Plastic Caffeine

A small update (after 7 months). Yea, I know.

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:10:00 +0000

I missed this blog. Things have been very hectic recently. My current project is the HGUC Sinanju. My MG Deathschythe turned out pretty well and I forgot to post photos of it here. But I did show it on MACForums. Here is the LINK.

I'm also trying to paint a couple of Warhammer 40K figures. Man these are really tiny subjects.

One of the units held together by blue tac. Need to spray them with primer first.

My room has also been renovated. I got a new, bigger table for my workspace. I'm really excited to get back to making gunpla.

MG Deathscyte "Wraith Reaper"

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:05:00 +0000

I was having a lot of fun with the inner frame that I decided to do this concept shoot. I was playing with the idea of the grim reaper (skeleton and scythe), and the dark flowing cloaks of the ring wraiths from the Lord of the Rings and the Dementors from Harry Potter. I made the cloak using an old desktop PC's cover.

Quick Update

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:35:00 +0000

Wishing the best for Japan right now. They have faced similar tragedies before and I firmly believe that they can recover from this one.

It has been months since my last update. Project MG Deathscythe is still on-going. I have finished building the kit and I love it. It has been standing on my desk for weeks now and I have just removed the armor parts a while ago. I might be able to start painting the inner frame by tomorrow. Still trying to decide if I should add panel lines or just stick to aiming at getting a good paint job.

MG Deathsycthe Purchase

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:02:00 +0000

Made a quick visit to the hobby store and got myself the MG Deathsycthe.

The instructions look pretty basic. This would probably take a day or two to assemble, provided the nub marks would be easy to clean.

I've also finished assembling the main unit of the MG Destiny. I'd probably assemble the wings and weapons after I have finished the MG Deathscythe.

I guess this means I'm officially on a High Grade hiatus after getting two MG Kits. I was planning on getting the HG QanT, but after the MG announcement I decided I would wait for November to get the bigger guy. My next HG purchase would probably be the HG Sinanju. I've been eyeing the HG Unicorn for quite some time now so I guess I'd buy the rival units when Sinanju comes out.

HG GN-X

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:57:00 +0000

Here it is! My very first airbrush project is finally done. I was actually able to finish painting this kit almost two weeks ago. I got very busy so I wasn't able to finish it right away.

Since this is my very first time to airbrush, there are lots of room for improvement. The inner parts of the kit were painted in gray. It got pretty thick because I actually applied 3 different layers of gray until I was satisfied. Painting on the black parts were delayed too because I ran out of paint. The purple was done by mixing red and blue, and a bit of white to make it lighter.

I'm dealing with a lot of paint scratching with this model. At first I was using the Tamiya thinner for acrylics, then I decided to use 70% Isopropyl Alcohol for the purple. The purple was very flat, so I guess what they say about Isopropyl alcohol giving off a flat finish was true. It dried off pretty quickly too, and it only took a few coats to get the desired effect. The paint with the Tamiya thinner takes a bit of time to dry up, and the coating was thicker compared to the IA. I don't know, maybe the paint to thinner ratio I did was incorrect.

After the paint has dried, I left the parts on my old computer desk and waited for them to totally cure before topcoating. I wasn't able to topcoat right away and the parts were attracting dust/lint. I did the topcoating yesterday, and I was recovering from a mild fever. I bought a Bosny clear acrlic spraycan. I transferred some of it in a tamiya glass jar. I wanted to apply it using my airbrush, and mix it with IA to fight off the glossy effect.

To avoid flooding the page with a single post, I decided to post my albums in Multiply. You can view the rest of the pictures HERE. Please comment here, or in Multiply if you do have an account =)

Quick Udpate 09/12/10

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0000

My cam's memory card is being a pain in the you-know-where again. Many WIP photos for this update was deleted. Anyway, here is a quick update.

I'm currently building MG Destiny, and I'm almost done with the first airbrush project which is the HG GN-X. I forgot to mention before that I already sold my MG Victory. I needed the cash, and I had no time to finish it.

Practicing with the airbrush has been fun. I'm still trying to get used to mixing paint, coating the part, etc. I have also realized that masking is a huge pain in the, again, you-know-where. I also practiced seam removal as you can see below.

Still has room for improvement. I just hope that I can get used to these tricks just in time for the Gunpla World Cup. Still not a hundred percent sure if I will join.

I'd probably be done painting the GN-X by tomorrow. Then hopefully, the review will be out before the week ends.

Bandai Model Kit World Cup 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:45:00 +0000

Got this in my mail today! The info for the Philippine leg of the model kit contest.

BANDAI MODEL KIT WORLD CUP 2010
GUNDAM REGIONAL FINALS
EASTWOOD MALL ATRIUM, LIBIS QUEZON CITY
NOVEMBER 5 TO 7, 2010

I- PRIZES AT STAKE:

PROFESSIONAL:

Open Category:

1ST Place:

· Medal, certificate & Gundam showcase worth P 15,000 inclusive of limited Gundam and will be the official representative of the country in BANDAI MODEL KIT WORLD CUP 2010 Finals on December 2010 in Hong Kong, with free 1 round trip ticket and accommodation.

2ND Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 12,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item, plus medal & certificate

3RD Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 9,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item, plus medal & certificate

Junior Category:

1ST Place:

· Medal, certificate & Gundam showcase worth P 6,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item and will be the official representative of the country in BANDAI MODEL KIT WORLD CUP 2010 Finals on December 2010 in Hong Kong, with free 2 round trip ticket and accommodation.

2ND Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 5,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

3RD Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 3,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

NEW CHALLENGER:

Open Category:

1ST Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 9,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

2ND Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 6,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

3RD Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 3,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

Junior Category:

1ST Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 4,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

2ND Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 3,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

3RD Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 2,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

EXPERT CATEGORY:

1ST Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 10,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

2ND Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 8,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

3RD Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 6,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus medal & certificate

GROUP CATEGORY:

1ST Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 10,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus trophy & certificate

2ND Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 8,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus trophy & certificate

3RD Place:

· Gundam showcase worth P 6,000 inclusive of limited Gundam item plus trophy & certificate

SPECIAL CATEGORY:

Best Sangokuden entry

Consolation prize (4th to 8th place)

PROMO MECHANICS:

II- The contest is open to all Gundam enthusiasts except employees of Bankee Trading Inc. their advertising and PR agencies, including their relatives up to second degree of consanguinity or affinity.

III- The contest has two (2) major categories :

· PROFESSIONAL:

1. Open category - 15 yrs old and above, birth date should fall on or before December 31, 1995. Gundam enthusiasts who are amateur modelers or have already joined the previous Gundam model kit contest, willing to compete with professional Gundam modelers.

2. Junior category - 14 yrs old and below, birth date should fall on or after January 1, 1996. Gundam enthusiasts who are amateur or have already joined the previous Gundam model kit contests, willing to compete with Junior Gundam modelers.

· NEW CHALLENGER:

1. Open category - 15 yrs old and above, birthdate should fall on or before December 31, 1995 Gundam enthusiasts who never joined any of the previous Gundam Model Kit Contests.

2. Junior category - 14 yrs old and below, birth date should fall on or after January 1, 1996. Gundam enthusiasts who never joined any of the previous Gundam Model Kit Contests.

IV- Special Categories:

· EXPERT: - Open to expert modelers, to include previous top 3 winners in the past Gundam contest.

· GROUP: - Open to all, group must have 3 or more members.

V- Interested participants can paint, remodel, modify, or create a diorama using Bandai official Gundam model kits including SD/BB. All participants may pass their entry either in DIORAMA or SOLID MODEL KIT form. Maximum size of entry is L50cm X W50cm X D50cm. MAXIMUM OF THREE ENTRIES PER PARTICIPANT IS ALLOWED.

VI- Entry form(flyer) will be available at the following:

1. Toytown Stores Stores

2. Bankee Trading Inc. website. ( www.bankeepromos.com )

All participants are required to fill up an Entry Form and send us a scan copy at marketing@bankee.com.ph from October 1 to November 3, 2010. Registration number will be provided after the confirmation of entry has made.

VII- Participants should submit their ACTUAL ENTRY for exhibit on November 5 (11am to 8pm) and November 6, 2010 until 5pm at Eastwood, Libis Quezon City. Participants are required to present original Gundam kit boxes for authentication purposes. All entries must not have been used or submitted in any local or international competition. Upon submission of entry, applicants are required to sign a certification form that the entry was made by the applicant himself/herself. Participants shall be provided a copy of entry form to be presented during the judging and claiming of entries.

VIII- Winners will be determined by a panel of judges; judging will start at 2pm on November 7, 2010 at Eastwood Mall Atrium, Libis Quezon City, with a presence of a DTI Representative. Announcement of winners and awarding ceremony will be on the same day after the judging of entries. All participants are encouraged to attend the judging and awarding ceremony, in which all entries can be claimed after the ceremony. In claiming the entries, participants should present a valid ID and a copy of entry form. In a case were the owner/maker of the entry is not available to claim his/her entries and/or prizes, an authorization letter, copy of entry form and a valid ID should be presented before the organizer shall release the entries and/or prizes and being claimed. If entries and/or prizes are not claimed after the announcement of winners, participants will be notified through registered mail. Unclaimed entries and/or prizes can be claimed at the Marketing Department of Bankee Trading Inc. Head Office #6 Rest Haven St. SFDM Quezon City; a valid ID and a copy of the entry form is a must to claim the entries and/ or prizes.

· CRITERIA for JUDGING (BANDAI MODEL KIT WORLD CUP Point System):

Open , Junior, Group & Expert Category:

1. Painting skill 100% Line painting, Body decoration

2. Modification 100% Use of other parts, Remodeling

3. Creativity 100% Originality (Pose, Color & Concept) Total Look of Diorama

TOTAL 300%

- Prizes are transferable but not convertible to cash or in any other form.

- Unclaimed prizes and/or entries within (60) days from notification shall be forfeited in favor of Bankee Trading Inc. with prior approval from DTI. Grand prize winners from Professional category must bring their actual entry and should secure travel documents (one month prior to the actual date of competition in Hong Kong); other related expenses shall be shouldered by the winners. The trip is valid only during the BANDAI MODEL KIT WORLD CUP 2010 FINALS competition in December.

For more info please dial 407-8299 or visit our website www.bankeepromos.com or e-mail us at marketing@bankee.com.ph

Per DTI NCR Permit # 4527 Series of 2010

Wing Love

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 10:34:00 +0000

It appears that Gundam Wing is getting some brand new love and attention.

Gundam Wing was the very first Gundam series that aired in the Philippines. But I was already aware of the anime even before it aired locally because actually saw a few episodes during a visit to Japan when I was a kid. I loved it for the fact that it was about giant robots, and then I also got hooked on the opening song "Just Wild Beat"! I was very happy that a local channel aired the series here, and I believe that is how the rest caught up with the gundam hoopla. My first two kits were the 1/144 Wing and Shen Long. After assembling the kit, I felt like I was ripped off because the toy doesn't look anything like the images shown on the box. But still, I was happy to have the gundams of the two best pilots (in my opinion), Heero and Wufei.

I can still remember spending an awful lot of time staring at gundam boxes in convenience stores and malls during our stay there. I was intimidated by the 1/100 kits and didn't bother asking my mom or sister to buy me one.

I'm glad that Bandai is showering GW with a lot of attention recently. The MG Wing first, then now the Deathscythe. So according to Ngee Khiong, the design of the MG Deathscythe was based from the new Wing manga series "The Glory of the Defeated", and it is possible that the other 3 units will be released based on the new manga design as well. Wing looks like the MG Ver. Ka release so I guess no more future MG release for that. Shen Long looks like the old school design, and Sandrock looks like the one from EW. Heavy Arms appears to be the EW "Kai" version, but is using the old school color scheme. The Heavy Arms is my favorite unit from Wing. I got the 1/100 HG version, and I'm having big plans for that old kit.

I really like the grunt units from GW as well, and I hope Bandai would release MG versions of some of those mechs. My favorites are the Aries and Virgo. Maybe the Aries can be a transformable kit, and the Virgo can have shield effect parts for the shield discs on its shoulder. Or better yet, a Mercurius and Vayeate combo in a single box.

So there, I'm really excited about the future gunpla releases for the Wing series. I'm also excited for my first airbrush project which is the HG GN-X. I shall post updates about that soon.

First Airbrush. Alternative Compressor.

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:26:00 +0000

I've always wanted an airbrush set. I guess everyone who is into gunpla or plastic kit modeling in general would think the same way too. I always thought that it would be easier than using spray cans, more economical in the long run, and of course it can make your project look way cooler. So yesterday, I decided to get myself the Tamiya basic airbrush.

It costs about 42 USD. The package includes the airbrush, the gravity feed cup, small wrench for assembly/disassembly, and the manual. It doesn't include the hose and connector so I bought one too.

I think they gave me the wrong hose, it was too narrow. The black thing that you connect to that round metal can't get inside the hose. The store clerk told me it was the only kind of hose they have. Good thing there was a pet store in the area and I was able to buy an aquarium hose. Inside the car, I tried to insert the black "pin" with the rounded metal into the hose and it fit nicely.

The tough choice to make about getting this airbrush was between getting just the basic airbrush, or the basic airbrush set which has a Tamiya Compressor. I actually checked out the compressor set in the store, to see how everything looks like. I was surprised that the compressor itself was so light. In the end, I decided to just get the airbrush. I was being a cheap bastard so I wasn't really willing to pay extra for the compressor set which costs about 130 USD. I KNOW, and it took me a long time to convince myself, that I already have a compressor at home and it has been with us for years now.

Drum roll. This is the compressor I was talking about. This is actually a medical equipment called a Nebulizer. I have asthma, actually almost everyone in my family, that is why we have this. The nebulizer itself is actually a small cup/container where you put the medicine that has to be vaporized for inhalation. I heard from someone that the machine putting out the air to turn the medicine into vapor is actually called a compressor. From then on, I had the idea that if I could connect this to an airbrush, then I just might have the painting equipment I need to reach gunpla-making heaven.

I googled. I stumbled upon a forum dating back to 2005 about a guy who used his son's nebulizer to replace the broken compressor he had to reach a deadline for a commissioned work (i think). I also tried to look for the specs of my nebulizer, and one site claims that it has a max output of 29 psi. Whatever that means. I just knew that if that info is correct, this little equipment would actually be enough to supply air for an airbrush. So I got home nervous and excited. Assembled the hose and airbrush, took out the compressor, and connected the hose to the equipment. I was relieved and so happy to feel air coming out at the end of the airbrush. I found out online before deciding to buy that this type of AB has continuous airflow. You just pull the trigger to let the ink out. I was totally surprised because the air coming out was a bit too strong. Without a hose connected to the compressor, the air coming out of the machine wasn't really that strong when I put a finger in front of the air outlet. And that actually made me re-think my decision at first to not get the AB with the compressor set.

I had things to do so I didn't try to paint with it right away. This afternoon, I got the chance to test the AB with the C (get it?). At first I didn't get the right mixture of thinner and paint. Too much thinner, too little paint to be exact. The air coming out was a bit too strong and I can actually see some paint being blown off the plastic runner. I decided to add more paint. The flow was actually better, but still a bit too strong. For this, I decided to cut a hole in the hose to let some air escape before reaching the AB.

I have also read about Aquarium Pumps being used as an alternative for air source. This blogger, had four connectors attached to his pump, and he opens two or three of them like a faucet to let some air out and it worked (sorry I didn't save the links of those entries). So I made a small hole, turned on the AB, and it was still working fine. The air coming out was noticeably less forceful than before. When I pulled the trigger to let ink out, it was blowing paint more gently compared to the first attempt. Some people out there may raise an eyebrow at this wacky idea, but hey it worked.

I used an illustration board and SD 0 Gundam's runner to test the AB. First I used white ala primer, then gray to see how the coating would look like.

This is the red portion of the runner.

The blue.

And the yellow.

Here are the trial runs done on the illustration board. You set the trigger sensitivity by moving the red slider on top of the AB. The leftmost line was done with 3 strokes/coatings. After one line I adjust the slider to let more ink out. 2nd and 3rd lines done with 2 strokes. 4th to 6th line done with a single stroke.

I have discovered one issue with this set-up. When the compressor is on and air is rushing out of the AB, small amounts of paint actually come out even if I'm not pulling the trigger. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the compressor's output, or something is loose inside the AB. It's no biggie, but I do think paint gets wasted due to that, and I have to be careful where I point the AB even if I'm not pulling the trigger. On the bright side, I think it'll be nice to do post shading when painting the armors or other stuff due to the very small amount of ink being blown out.

So that was it. I'm pretty happy that so far things worked out for this wacky idea. I know I need a lot of practice, I need to learn more stuff about airbrushing and how to actually apply them to my projects. Sorry for the lengthy post. It has been awhile since I last posted something here. I'd probably practice airbrushing on SD 0 and HG GN-X. I'll post updates whenever I can. If you have questions or tips for me, please leave a comment. I could really use some advice, especially from experienced modelers if they happen to stumble upon this entry.

HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:09:00 +0000

The weather finally became tolerable and I was able to do the shoot for Blue Destiny. Summer here in the Philippines has been like a punishment. Thankfully it's been raining for the past few days. I took advantage of the rainy morning and proceeded with the shoot. So here is BD Unit 1. Photo dump after the jump.

I sliced the green foil stickers to tiny bits and pasted them on the eyes/lenses.

Pardon the blurry pics. Been struggling with my Sony point and shoot due to the vibrating lens, really weird.

This was a really nice kit. I only spray painted the light blue and the grey inner frame-ish parts. Slapped on custom decals to make it look more like a GFF model, then topcoat. Since I'm a fan of these 1/144 kits, I'm really excited about the new 1/144 Real Grade line. The color accurate parts and inner frame attributes of a Master Grade model realized in 1/144 scale. Can't wait!

MG Red Frame Kai

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:14:00 +0000

Today is Feb.23. The release date of the MG Astray Red Frame Kai is on the 25th. Very much surprised to see this bad boy available in my local hobby store today.

Done paiting HGUC Blue Destiny. SD 0 has been primed. Haven't touched MG Victory obviously. I'm seriously lusting over the Red Frame right now.

(Nothing Follows)

Finally. Victory!

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 08:53:00 +0000

And a lotta other stuff too.

So I went to Greenhills yesterday, the place where Otaku and other geek stuff can be found, to get this baby.

I got an email from the owner of a store that the MG Victory was already here. So Friday, while at the office, I called their Makati City branch to ask how much it costs. They say its about 41.50 USD, then less 5% if I pay for it in cash. Great. The next day, I decided to go to Greenhills, San Juan instead so I can also check out the stuff from the other stores. I was surprised to find out that Victory there costs more than 46 USD. I didn't tell them that I called their other branch the day before. So I went out, called the other branch and asked about the price. It was still cheaper than the one in Greenhills, so I asked them to keep it for me and promised to pick it up that afternoon.

Found this cute Banpresto figure of Alphonse. I already saw this in the store's website before and got interested. Looks kinda nendoroid-ish.

Went to the other store and found some K-ON Gashapon set. I think it was called Petit Prop Plus. I think these stores can sell them much faster if they allow customers to purchase one blind box instead of an expensive full set. A single box is lighter for your wallet than buying a sealed box set/case. Bought this set of capsule Kenshin toys, popularly known in the english sub as Samurai X.

Check out Kenshin! The first set they handed to me had Kenshin wearing blue. Good thing I checked the other set. The pink version was better than the blue, which is his battousai color I believe.

The Akatsuki Couple, Pain and Konan. The two I wanted so badly to get from the capsule machines.

I got really lucky because the machines in one store were being refilled, so they were open. I asked if I can choose what I want since the machines are open. So the dude with the magic key and bags of capsules helped me out. Finally, I don't have to spend so much trying and hoping that the machines will spit out either of these two.

I should have asked the guy to tell me the days or schedule when the machines get opened =). Here is the current set-up on top of my PC station.

So after the adventure in Greenhills, I went to Makati to get Victory. I think I have to finish Blue Destiny and SD 0 before I can start with my first Version Katoki kit. It has been really really long since last I built an MG model.

Life is like a Capsule Station

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:36:00 +0000

Ya never whatcha gonna get.

I went out a few days ago to pick up some tiny toys I can display in the office. My workstation still looks boring and I've been working there for more than a year now.

These two are Boooya Ghosts. They are similar to the ones I posted before.

You are lucky if you get the rare ones, or the mystery or "chase" figures.

Was really glad I didn't pull the same figure.

On to the gashapon. I've always noticed the machines in my local otaku store. The Toys R Us branch in a mall near my place has about at least 50 machines lined up before you get to their entrance. So I thought I would pick up two designer vinyl toys, and maybe one gashapon. My first was Naruto.

Leaflet showing the line-up. I really want to get Nagato, aka "Pain". I went back to the store (forgot when), dropped tokens in the same machine, and out came Naruto again. I tried the other Naruto machine and I got this venus fly-trap Akatsuki dude.

A few days later I tried the machines outside Toys R Us. Got really excited because they have a Haruhi machine. Unfortunately, I got two Kyons.

My first Naruto is in the office now, guarding my workstation with Edward Elric, the one I bought with the SD 0 Gundam. My friend agreed to buy the duplicates.

These tiny little buggers are meant to be keychains I think. So I just unscrew the hook from their heads, then stick their feet to blue tac so they can stand properly.

Took the pics above last weekend, just wasn't able to post them right away. Then today I got two more. Yay for Haruhi bunny!

One guy from the vinyl toy store told me before that part of collecting these blind boxed toys is the thrill of hunting, the part of not knowing what you're about to get when you pick up a box. With capsule toys, you don't know which toy will come out from the machine. I think it kinda feels like gambling. It's really fun, but it drains your wallet too. It really was surprising when I saw some of the Otaku rooms posted in Danny Choo. Some rooms are literally crawling with trading figures from floor to ceiling.

And yea, I'm not yet done with Blue Destiny and SD 0. Can't get some spare time to paint them in the morning. And I'm still waiting for MG Victory to arrive here. I also found out that GSC will release a new Nendoroid Petite set of Death Note. Now that is something I would like to get my hands on =)

WIP: 0 Gundam and Blue Destiny

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:32:00 +0000

I've finished these two last week. Planning to do the painting before the year ends.

I had fun building the SD kit. Finished it before completing the HGUC. I sort of needed a break I guess even though the HG kit was not that difficult to finish.

And here's the little guy.

The Blue Destiny has nice proportions, and the parts are almost completely color accurate.

My camera (Sony T20)hasn't been cooperative lately. It has been having a lot of corrupted images recently. In one instance, all the images were completely deleted. I guess I need a new memory card. Would like to have a new camera but I don't have the budget.

Decent articulation on the shoulders/arms. Not so much on the legs though.

Really looking forward to finishing these two before the New Year.

Latest supplies.

Next project on my want-list is the MG Victory. Just waiting for the hobby stores to have it here. I need to get my hands on an MG kit!

First SD Gundam

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:58:00 +0000

I've been wanting to display a gundam on my office desk. I figured a cute Super Deformed would be a nice choice.

I received some Gift Certificates recently, and one of the accredited merchants is Toy Kingdom. I was choosing netween MG Wing ver. Ka and the regular MG Exia. But I used some of the GCs buying other stuff so I settled for an SD kit.

The manual has a lot of interesting pictures.

Kit has a total of three runners. I was surprised at the selection of Gundam kits at Toy Kingdom (I was at the Mall of Asia). They have a lot of MGs, the latest HGUCs and BB Senshi, and tons of Gundam Decals available too. They also have the 30th Anniversary Version of SD RX 78-2, and it was a bit pricey for an SD kit.

They don't give change when you use a GC so I had to get this (expensive) Gashapon keychain of FMA Brotherhood. The SD kit costs 399.75 pesos and the GC is worth 500 pesos (about 10 to 11 USD), so I picked up Edward which costs 150. I bet this tiny keychain costs less at Otaku stores in Greenhills. I have to finish my Blue Destiny then i'll work on this SD kit. This would probably take about less than 2 hours to build.

I Ordered Myself to Blog Today

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:31:00 +0000

Boy did I miss blogging!

4 months went by without touching this blog. I still haven't finished my HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1. So here's what I got so far.

Head, torso, shield, rifle, and one arm. Then I worked on it again tonight.

Got the feet done. Plus the right arm.

And the left leg.

I'm loving the small details of the leg.

I'm really taking my time with this kit. I work on it whenever I have the spare time and if I'm in the right mood. The time-consuming part has been cleaning the nub marks. I've been trying my best to get rid of those unsightly marks from my models. I've been working on 1/144 scale models for so long and I'm not even sure if I can still handle an MG kit! I really want to get me an MG Exia, but I think the coming Blue Astray is calling my name too. I'm just hoping that I get to finish Blue Destiny before the year ends =)

Transformers

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:12:00 +0000

Still no progress with HGUC Blue Destiny. My attention has shifted to these babies recently.

Not really sure why I didn't get hooked on purchasing some toys when the first movie came out. Whenever I visit the hobby store back then, I would hear the store clerks on the phone entertaining queries and reservations for Transformers merchandise.

The first one I bought was Sideswipe. After seeing the movie, I decided that I'm gonna get myself that Autobot. I searched toystores in many malls here but they all ran out. All the other Transformers were still there except him! I got him from a seller on eBay. I was able to contact one seller who was offering the lowest price compared to the other sellers. But this one is overpriced by 6 US dollars compared to the mall price.

Next one I got was Barricade; the Premium version from the first movie. I didn't like the Interrogator version from the ROTF line. I've always thought that this toy was nice during the first movie, can't remember why I didn't buy one before.

I've already opened Barricade. And I think he needs minor repaints to improve the appearance. I've been visiting a lot of TF fan sites lately and found some pretty good customizing tutorials. So watch out for my future Transformers review.

Bouncy

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:56:00 +0000

I've started building HGUC Blue Destiny last week. I'm finished with the head and body. I'm just too lazy to take and upload pics and I haven't continued building it yet.

I have something else to show. I'm not sure if this has been passed around but I got the link from a friend. Click HERE. Page takes a while to download so just be patient.

Is this the new trend with 2D (or 3D) girls, singing with a leek?

I'm Saving My Dough For...

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:14:00 +0000

To be honest, this post was first intended to talk about the MG Exia and the K-ON Nendoroids.

I only started with Tekken when Tekken 5 came out. I can handle myself pretty well when playing on my PS2. But recently, I developed the interest to play the Tekken 6 Bloodline Rebellion in the arcades. There are so many good players here in the Philippines. And I'm getting my ass kicked. Seriously.

So now, I'm saving my money to buy myself a PS3, an arcade stick, and a decent HD TV. The console version of Tekken 6 is scheduled to come by the end of October, so I still have plenty of time to save some of my fresh-grad income. I've been wanting to get myslef a PS3 console, and now with tekken 6 coming out, I have decided to finally get me one by September. I can finally get my hands on the games I'm missing.

This means I can't buy any gunpla for now. I still have two pending projects; one is my 1/100 Red Astray which I got years ago, and an HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1. So I guess those two will have to do for now. Maybe I can get the MG Exia by November. Did they announce the release date of the K-ON Nendoroids? I want Mio! I hope they include a Bump-on-the-head accessory for Ritsu since she gets at least one per episode whenever Mio whacks her.

HG Cherudim Gundam

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 03 May 2009 10:48:00 +0000

Finally got my lazy self to take pics of Cherudim gundam. See more after the jump.

I think the Racing Green Tamiya Spray Can I used worked well. I almost got the British Green which is a lot darker and closer to the original color of the plastic, but decided to buy the Racing Green.

Same green highlighter trick as Gundam 00 for the clear orbs.

I didn't add detail to the GN Beam Pistols anymore. I kinda regret it coz it looks plain on the pics.

I like this pic =)

And GN-X makes another cameo.

I still have two kits on my to-do list, and they're not the two remaining mechas from Celestial Being. Arios and Seravee are still on the to-buy list.

WIP: HG Cherudim

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:56:00 +0000

I'm almost done with this one.

Fresh built Cherudim soaking up some sun.

I decided to get up early on a saturday morning (the 10th) to paint this kit so I can avoid the extremely hot temperature in the afternoon. I sorted the parts a few days before painting. I used Blu Tack on some parts and masking tape on the others to stick them to the skewers. I used Tamiya Racing Green and German Gray for the arm and leg frames and also the backpack. I didn't paint the white parts anymore because the nub marks disappeared after sanding them.

Sorting the parts before painting.

I used the green highlighter again for the clear parts. The clear pieces lie on top of the sticky surface of the masking tape to hold them in place while I paint them.

The result after applying the first few coats. I left it to dry on my table then I would occasionally paint it to let the color settle well on the surface. By the way, I applied the green paint on the surface inside the clear part, not the outer part where you can touch it when attached to the gunpla.

Above are the Shield Bits after painting. I applied a thin coat of Primer Gray before painting it green because white nub marks were visible even after I sanded it. The part felt smooth when you touch it but the white, raw plastic was very visible.

Most of the parts are now assembled. I'm still in the process of decal application.

Pilot drawing pens are very similar to Black Gundam markers. The best one to use for panel lining is tip size .01. I also used 0.2 and 0.3 to paint/fill in black parts on Cherudim's rifle.

Then I used a Staedler 5B drawing pencil to darken the slits on the Shield Bits. If you took drafting classes in high school, then you know the different pencil grades used for drawing. B pencils are dark, while H pencils are very light. I think you can use them for panel lining if you don't want to use ink because the lines could look too dark on the model.

Photoshoot will be done after decal application and top coating.

HG Gundam 00

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:42:00 +0000

I haven't done a photoshoot for quite some time so forgive me if some images look a bit dark. I'll try to adjust my lighting when I take pics of Cherudim.

I could have finished this kit earlier but I ran out of blue spray paint. 00's backpack also got ruined when bubbles appeared after I left it to dry so I had to apply another coat of paint to cover it.

You can see here the plastic I inserted into the GN Drives.

The Figma stand was quite effective for a 1/144 scale model like this one.

I forgot to take off the red part on his antenna before I sprayed it with top coat so now it doesn't look clear anymore.

GN-X makes a cameo. Completed this kit after Exia but I'm still not sure if I would paint this one too.

The green highlighing pen I used on the clear parts gave a satisfactory result.

Setsuna's love interests.

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:18:00 +0000

I know I'm supposed to post Gundam 00's pics but let me blog about the first episode of Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood before I do that.

I thought this season of FMA would be on a different setting. Turns out, this time the anime will be loyal to the story line of the manga unlike the fist series. I'm a huge fan of FMA. It aired on Animax before at the same time Cartoon Network was airing Gundam Seed Destiny so I was really in anime heaven back then.

Edward still not keen on discussing his height issue =)

It was really nice to see the characters on TV again. Animax did an amazing job of being able to air the episode within the same week as Japan, with English subtitles.

The Flame Alchemist getting a facial to cool him off.

Armstrong, the exhibitionist, still has a spark/star floating next to his face.

I'm really excited for the next episode. The preview showed the time when they were still kids, so I guess this would be some sort of flashback on how everything started. This is a very promising show, the animation looks superb and the characters are kick-ass but funny at the same time.

I got the pics from Random Curiosity, a blog full of amazing screenshots and reviews of the latest anime.

WIP: HG 00

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:19:00 +0000

I will probably post the pics of the completed Gundam 00 tomorrow. First, I want to highlight some of the steps I took in making this Gunpla.

The articulation for the High Grade line keeps on getting better. Gundam 00 is not expensive at all and you still get a good gunpla. The model is very flexible; there are many points of articulation on the arms and legs.

I decided to cut off some plastic from the runner of the part connectors (PC?) and put it inside the holes of the two GN Drives. I was watching the 2nd season when I noticed that one of the holes connects with the 0 Raiser in docking mode. I went to Dalong's site to check his scans of the 0 Raiser's manual, and I saw there that the hole on the bottom is necessary to connect it to 0 Raiser. I removed the plastic I inserted inside the GN Drives but stil left the other two. I dont have 0 Raiser yet but of I want to buy one after I get the other two Celestial Being mechas. I sliced a thin strip of the silver foil sticker to accesorize the GN Drives, then colored it with Green Highlighting pen. The ink doesn't settle well on the foil sticker but it still gives off a hint of green when light hits it.

As expected from HG kits, the antenna is not sharp coz it might be dangerous to younger modelers I guess. I used my hobby knife to cut off the extra bits then sanded it. I spray painted it white to serve as the primer because I was gonna hand paint it yellow.

I think I should get me some Gundam Markers so I dont have to hand paint small parts like the antenna.

For the clear parts, I didn't use the Sponge trick anymore (HG Exia). I used a green highlighter pen. It took several coatings to get the clear plastic look green. I left it on my desk to dry then applied more coats from time to time. After Decal application, I snapped all the parts together for Top Coating, but left off the clear parts and the GN Drives coz I dont want them to look flat.

Kinda sucks coz I didn't take enough work-in-progress pics. I will try to get more pictures for HG Cherudim. Next post will be Gundam 00's photoshoot.

Conclusion of Gundam 00 Season 2

noreply@blogger.com (Gi) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Just finished the final episode of Gundam 00. I'm not gonna do an episode summary because I believe every fan already saw this episode. I just want to share my thoughts about this Gundam series.

Pic from Random Curiosity

I think season 2 was better than season 1. I liked how the camaraderie developed between the meisters and the entire crew of Ptolemaios/Ptolemy. During the 1st season, the meisters reminded me of how the pilots in Gundam Wing treated each other. They didn't act like they belong to the same organization. I guess it was Neil/Lockon who made the crew gel together.

Season 2 has many interesting twists. Events happened fast it almost felt like the episode was longer than 24 minutes (21 less the op and end songs). Based on other people's opinions which I read from the blogs, this series didn't borrow too many elements/copied scenarios from the other classic Gundam series. Except maybe the likeness of 0 Gundam to RX-78 =)

I like the characters, including the antagonists coz they were effective. Many didnt like Marina because they thought she was useless. For me, she was a symbol for those who can't fight in a war but desires so much to be able to contribute something. She's also essential because she and Setsuna had a connection even though they barely knew each other.

The innovators dress funny and have weird names but they did a good job in pulling the strings behind the events which happened in the series. I pitied Healing (cutie next to Anew) when she got beaten by Hallelujah, but I guess she deserves it coz she was a bee-yotch.

Tieria grew on me. At first I cant accept that he's a he, not a she. Hallelujah is a better fighter than Allelujah. I guess Allelujah was the weakest among the meisters. Whenever I think about an episode of 00 season 2 I just watched, Allelujah crosses my mind and interrupts me while shouting "Marie! Mariiiieeee!" During season 1, it was Haro (Lockon! Lockon!)

I liked how they made Setsuna and Saji appear older, you can really tell that some time lapsed between season 1 and 2. Heero from Wing and Saji are almost the same, but I liked Setsuna better coz of the way his character developed towards the end.

Neil was the good guy, Lyle was the bad dude, but Lyle was way cooler for me. Sad that Anew had to die, but why did someone who looks like her but with glasses appear behind the female president during the speech? Maybe Tieria created a new Anew (sounds funny, I know) as a parting gift to Lockon, coz Anew was the only sane Innovade.

I LOVE the two ending songs; Friends by Stephanie and Trust You by Yuna Ito. The songs were used in perfect timing during the dramatic endings of several episodes in season 1 and 2.

So now we'll have to wait until 2010 to see the movie and the new gundams (and plamo of course). Maybe the "Dialogue" will happen between the people from Earth and Jupiter. That is why Jupiter was on the background at the ending. Just a guess.

I really enjoyed the episodes of Gundam 00 and tried my best to skip episode reviews from the bloggers I follow to avoid spoilers. But after watching an episode, I'll go to Gordonator and Gundamaniac to read their funny captions. I also love to admire the sharp animation of Gundam 00. Each episode, especially the fight scenes, looked awesome.

Now I need a new anime to watch. I belive FMA season 2 will be shown on Animax. First time to simultaneously air an anime at the same time with Japan. Now that is something to look forward to =)