Gundam No Ou

Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 02:02:00 +0000

Photo from GUNPLAKITSkun Facebook account. Thank you for this awesome news! (。⌒∇⌒)。

Hello All! ~ヾ(＾∇＾)

It's been a while since I last posted here, but hey I'm back! So I just want to ask, who's up for some Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS tournament? ψ(｀∇´)ψ

I was checking some Facebook pages for Gundam fanatics and found this awesome announcement from GUNPLAKITSkun page. It seems a teaser announcement though, but boy I'm so excited for this! (✖╭╮✖)

According to their announcement, the tournament for Mobile Suite Gundam Extreme VS will be held on Sept. 14-15 at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia for the event "The Best of Anime 2013. Full details will be announced soon so I'll watch out for it so that I can share it here to you all. ＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／

Since my friends and I are playing this game for quite some time now, we're planning to go and participate with this tournament! ヾ（*⌒ヮ⌒*）ゞ We'd better be practicing for this event!

Hope to see you all on Sept. 14-15!~ヾ(＾∇＾)

SD BB Senshi Sazabi

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 10:56:00 +0000

Hi All ╭(๑¯д¯๑)╮. Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been extremely busy with work lately so I can't find time to post stuff. I haven't even started my GBWC entry due to work ლ(ಠ益ಠლ. I can't sacrifice my work for my hobby because no work means no financial support for my hobby ಠ▃ಠ.

Anyway, my cousin's birthday is coming up this Tuesdat and I thought that I would give him a painted Gundam as a gift (´･_･`)... and so I labored squeezed making this gundam in my busy schedule (probably took 4 - 5 hours of my time) in 2 days and now here it is! I'm quite satisfied with the result given how rushed this is (・_・ヾ... Although I hate how some of the paint got scratched because the paint is not yet fully cured but I had to attach the parts together already ｍ（＿　＿；；ｍ... Anyway I hope he becomes happy with this gift (⊙_◎)...

So about this kit, this GUNPLA is actually quite new.. it was released only this May so this is actually one of the best SD Gundams around in terms of articulation (in what limited articulation it has anyway (^～^;)ゞ ) and design.

About the design, this redesign of the SD Sazabi is very good. It actually looks better than any Sazabi BANDAI has released ever. The head is too big it actually covers up two of the funnels ヽ(´ー`)ﾉ The only thing I did not like about this kit is that they only decided to include three opened funnels and one effect part (一。一;;） I wonder why BANDAI likes doing this to us, giving us incomplete effect parts when they could easily give us a complete set without even creating a new mold ＼(-___________-;)／ Anyway that's my only gripe about this kit. Other than that it looks, and is, awesome (ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ

About the paint I used, I used Bosny spray cans a lot because I was rushing

(｀・ω・´)”. I hand painted the gold. And I sprayed the Gun Metal using Airbrush
(´∇ﾉ｀*)ノ

The colors were achieved by doing the following

Blue

Spray painted in the following order: Bosny Primer Gray -> Bosny Black -> Bosny Metallic Silver -> Bosny Honda Clear Blue C3 -> Bosny Honda Clear Blue C3 -> Bosny Clear

Gun Metal Black

Airbrushed using a mixture of 3/5 Gun Metal + 1/5 Black + 1/5 Thinner

Gold

Handpainted using Tamiya Leaf Green Gold

Green

Used stickers because I had no green paint in stock and I always go home so late from work that there are no more stores open that can sell them to me (;´・`)>

So anyway here are some random pics I took.. The pictures actually don't do the kit justice because it looks a lot more awesome in the flesh （⌒▽⌒）. Gloss is so hard to take pictures of ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌.

So till next time guys (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞ Hope you enjoyed this post!

Reaction Corner: Gundam Build Fighters, HG All Gundam Project and Gundam 35th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 14:18:00 +0000

Hello all!! I'm back and I come with some great news Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

Today there are.. not one... not two... but three very important announcements released about Gundam! (ノ￣ω￣)ノ

This post will mainly center around my own reaction to these news. ＼(*T▽T*)／ However, I know that it is possible that this may be the first place you will read about these news so I will include some summary of the announcements (゜▼゜＊） Here we go! （-＾〇＾-）

Gundam Build Fighters
(http://gundam-bf.net/)

A new Gundam Series!＼（Ｔ∇Ｔ）／ If you have watched Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G then let me tell you that this anime will be for all intents and purposes similar to that one. Basically, the story will center around a gunpla battle where kids make their gunpla and make them fight one another in a diorama kind of stage. The twist here is that apparently it is possible for the builder and the pilot to be different (∩_∩). This looks to be a good yet a bit childish anime but still I am looking forward to it o(≧∇≦o)

So here are some pictures from the site and my reaction to them.

The main suit. It's called Build Strike Gundam Full Package, what a weird name right?ヽ（・＿・；)ノ Anyway, from what I can see it's a modified Strike. If I have to guess I'd say it's skirt, body, and foot are from Strike. The hands are from Duel Assault shroud re-painted and modified. Its shoulder looks to be from Strike and Strike Freedom then the connecting part was covered with a red (honestly unsightly) plastic. The head looks like a cross between Infinite Justice and Strike Freedom. v(｡-_-｡)v

Well first off, I must say that the characters here looks pleasant to the eye because the drawing doesn't look to childish (unlike AGE where characters could definitely blend with crush gear characters ). So anyway, the main protagonist.

Sei Iori - Probably the first main character with blue hair, unless I missed something.（ｏ。ｏ；） The design really makes him to look like he is very kind.

Reiji - Seems to be the partner of the main protagonist. He looks cool but I don't really like the shape of the pants and shoulders but that's just me haha.
（＞д＜）

China Kousaka - This character looks very pretty and smart. Based on the drawing, she is the prettiest female character I've seen in any Gundam Series ｡◕‿◕｡ I really like the design.

Tatsuya Yuki - Well how do I say this.. he looks like a stereotypical succesful, smart, good at everything and popular guy. And guess what! He is!
╮(─▽─)╭ Stereo type character is stereotype. (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞

Build Strike Gundam Full Package - I already tackled this Gundam above so I will remark on the Build Booster (the one attached on it's back). First off, I would like to thank God that they didn't name it Full Package Pack because that name would really suck ヽ(ー_ー )ノ. Well I guess it looks great up front but from the rear it looks pretty ugly for me. The gun included seems similar to Akatsuki (actually the build booster looks so much like the Shiranui pack of Akatsuki just modified). I must reiterate that I find the large chunk of red in the shoulders to be completely ugly. It has got to be the worst part of the design. p(´⌒｀｡q) The blue in the knees also looks ugly. Overall however, I would say that the Gundam looks above average.. It's just the choice of colors aren't exactly the best.
o(╥﹏╥)o

Amazing Zaku - No, I'm not saying that this zaku is amazing... this Zaku really is named Amazing Zaku. Ugh the names they chose really sounds bad (　ﾟдﾟ). Anyway, I don't find anything special here but I wonder what those things at it's foot are. Other than that it looks like any Zaku but equipped with new add-ons.

Gundam X Maoh - This one looks great. I am fond of the design of Gundam X and think that this version of Gundam X looks even better except for the V-Fin. So far this is the design I like most. (☆^ー^☆)

Wing Gundam Fenice - This one can be bought from 7 - eleven. Nah just kidding but it really is colored like 7 eleven, right?⊙ω⊙ This Gundam was made assymetrical but somehow it looks really amazing. It would look even better though if the left side is same with the right because I think the left side looks really amazing.

Some of the kits that will be released for this Gundam series.It is noteworthy that they are essentially remaking the strike and zaku parts with this release. I hope they also re-release strike and zaku with these improvements. ＼(☆o◎)／

HG ALL GUNDAM PROJECT

In a nutshell, they will make HG models of all Protagonist Gundams ＼（＠；◇；＠）／ this news is enough to really make me happy because I am primarily a 1/144 collector after all. Based on what I saw on the internet they plan to really release ALL protagonist models spanning from Gundam to Gundam Seed Stargazer. Now I really need money ლ(́◉◞౪◟◉‵ლ)

Gundam 35th Anniversary

Well what was announced here was pretty much that they will be doing the above announcements plus the 7th episode of Gundam UC and Gundam Origins will be released next year. I'm so excited for the 7th Episode of Gundam UC because IMHO it's the most epic Gundam Series ever made: the fight scenes, the story depth, the design of the models, everything is top notch! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) I'm so giddy with excitement right now ＼(＠O＠)／

So anyway, that's all for this post (*´・ｖ・) How about you guys? what are your reactions with these 3 news? Are you as excited as me about these? (´∇ﾉ｀*)ノ.

Oh yeah I would also like to end this post by saying sorry for the lack of updates. It's just that I'm very busy with work lately. So sorry ｍ（．＿．）ｍ

Anyway, do look forward for my next posts because I plan to post reviews for RG Freedom, RG Strike, RG Mk-II, RG Gundam, RG Zaku and most importantly WISP for my GBWC 2013 entry so stay tuned! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

2013 GUNPLA Builders World Cup Philippines (GBWC) Mechanics

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:48:00 +0000

Thanks to Gundam Philippines Facebook account for this image :) visit their Facebook account here!

Hello All! ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ

This post is for all GUNPLA enthusiasts who are planning to create their own masterpiece for GBWC Philippines! At last, the mechanics are now up! Thanks for the post in Gundam Philippines Facebook account!

Anyway, please read on and enjoy!(☆^O^☆)

2013 GUNPLA BUILDERS WORLD CUP
GUNDAM REGIONAL FINALS PHILIPPINES

PRIZES AT STAKE:
Open Category:
1ST Place: Trophy, Gundam showcase worth P 20,000 and will be the official representative of the country in 2013 GUNPLA BUILDERS WORLD CUP Finals on December 2013 in Japan, with free 1 round trip ticket and 3 days and 2 nights accommodation.

2ND Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 15,000

3RD Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 12,000

Junior Category:
1ST Place: Trophy, Gundam showcase worth P 10,000 and will be the official representative of the country in 2013 GUNPLA BUILDERS WORLD CUP Finals on December 2013 in Japan, with free 2 round trip ticket and 3 days and 2 nights accommodation.

2ND Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 8,000

3RD Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 5,000

New Challenger Open Category:
1ST Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 12,000

2ND Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 8,000

3RD Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 5,000

New Challenger Junior Category:
1ST Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 6,000

2ND Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 4,000

3RD Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 3,000

Special Category
1ST Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 15,000

2ND Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 10,000

3RD Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 8,000

1/100 Scale Category
1ST Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 12,000

2ND Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 9,000

3RD Place: Trophy and Gundam showcase worth P 6,000

Additional Prizes
Consolation Prizes for 4th to 8th place
All participants will receive a certificate for joining this contest

PROMO MECHANICS:
The contest is open to all Gundam enthusiasts except employees and immediate family members of Bankee Trading Inc., Toys “R” Us and its advertising agency up to the second degree of affinity or consanguinity.

All participants may submit their entry either in DIORAMA or SOLID MODEL KIT form. Maximum size of entry is L50cm X W50cm X D50cm.

Open Category – 15 yrs old and above, born on or before December 31, 1998. Participants may paint, remodel, modify, or create a diorama using official Bandai Gundam Model Kits (MEGASIZE, PG, 1/60, MG, 1/100, RG, HG, FG, AG, EG and SD/BB) in any Gundam Series.

Junior Category – 14 yrs old and below, born on or after January 1, 1999. Participants may paint, remodel, modify, or create a diorama using official Bandai Gundam Model Kits (MEGASIZE, PG, 1/60, MG, 1/100, RG, HG, FG, AG, EG and SD/BB) in any Gundam Series.

New Challenger Open Category – 15 yrs old and above, born on or before December 31, 1998. Gundam enthusiasts who never joined any of the previous Gundam Model Kit Contests. Participants may paint, remodel, modify, or create a diorama using official Bandai Gundam Model Kits (MEGASIZE, PG, 1/60, MG, 1/100, RG, HG, FG, AG, EG and SD/BB) in any Gundam Series.

New Challenger Junior Category – 14 yrs old and below, born on or after January 1, 1999. Gundam enthusiasts who never joined any of the previous Gundam Model Kit Contests. Participants may paint, remodel, modify, or create a diorama using official Bandai Gundam Model Kits (MEGASIZE, PG, 1/60, MG, 1/100, RG, HG, FG, AG, EG and SD/BB) in any Gundam Series.

Special Category - 15 yrs old and above, born on or before December 31, 1998. Open to all modelers, including previous winners (3x or more) of the top prizes in the past Gundam Model Contests (GMKC, BAKAC, BAKUC, GBWC) and to all who wish to challenge them. Participants may paint, remodel, modify, or create a diorama using official Bandai Gundam Model Kits (MEGASIZE, PG, 1/60, MG, 1/100, RG, HG, FG, AG, EG and SD/BB) in any Gundam Series.

1/100 Scale Category (Out Of The Box) - 15 yrs old and above, born on or before December 31, 1998. Open to all modelers, including previous winners (3x or more) of the top prizes in the past Gundam Model Contests (GMKC, BAKAC, BAKUC, GBWC) and to all who wish to challenge them. Interested participants may assemble and paint any 1/100 scale model kit from any Gundam Series.

Note: OUT OF THE BOX BUILD (applying modeling basics)
All entries must be assembled according to the manual. If the manual shows variant versions using parts from the box set, then only those specific variants are allowed.
Using of stand is not allowed but if the Stand is included in the box set it can be used, but will not be part of the scoring.
Puttying, sanding and the use of paint are allowed. Model part detail lines erased by puttying and sanding can be re-lined, but extra lines not in the original part cannot be added.
Use of any Decals & any color schemes and patterns are allowed.

Participants must be Filipino citizens residing in the Philippines and should be available during the GBWC Finals in Japan.

Participant is only allowed to join in one (1) category. Open and Junior category is only allowed to submit one (1) entry.

New Challenger Open & Junior, Special and 1/100 scale category are allowed to submit maximum of three (3) entries.

Participants should submit their ACTUAL ENTRY for exhibit on October 11 (11am to 8pm) and October 12, 2013 until 3pm at the Mall Main Atrium of Robinsons Magnolia Aurora Blvd. Quezon City. Participants are required to present original Gundam kit boxes and receipt of Gundam model kit from Toys “R” Us and/or Toybox stores nationwide for authentication purposes. 1/100 scale category participants must bring also the original instruction manual.

We prohibit the entry of a works which encroach or may encroach upon any third party's portrait rights, intellectual property rights such as copyright and any other rights. The participant will be fully responsible for its settlement as well as any cost which may occur in case of any disputes resulting from the submitted models. The participant is also responsible for compensations for any damages for BANDAI and or the third parties

All entries must not have been used or submitted in any local or international competition. Upon submission of entry, applicants are required to fill up an entry form and 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.

Entry form(flyer) will be available at the following:
Toys “R” Us Stores
Bankee Trading Inc. website. ( www.bankee.com.ph )
Facebook.com/Gundam Philippines (Games/Toys)

Winners will be determined by a panel of judges; judging will start at 4pm on October 12, 2013 at the Mall Main Atrium of Robinsons Magnolia, in the presence of a DTI Representative. Announcement of winners and awarding ceremony will be held on Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 4:30PM. All participants are encouraged to attend the judging and awarding ceremony, in which all entries can be claimed after the ceremony.

CRITERIA for JUDGING (GUNPLA BUILDERS WORLD CUP Point System):
Open, Junior, NC Open, NC Junior and Special Category
Painting skill 100 Line paint and body decoration
Modification 100 Usage of other parts and remodeling
Creativity 100 Originality (Pose, Color & Concept) Total Look of Diorama
TOTAL 300

1/100 Scale Category
Assembly skills 120
Painting 120
Presentation 60
TOTAL 300

In claiming the winning or non-winning entries and/or prizes, participants should present a valid ID and a copy of entry form. In case where 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 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.

Prizes are transferable but not convertible to cash or in any other form.
Unclaimed prizes and/or winning or non-winning entries within (60) days from notification shall be forfeited in favor of Bankee Trading Inc. with prior approval from DTI.

Grand prize winners from Open and Junior category must bring their actual entry and should secure travel documents. Terminal fee and other related expenses shall be shouldered by the winners. The trip is valid only during the 2013 GUNPLA BUILDERS WORLD CUP FINALS competition in December. Organizer will shoulder 1 round trip ticket and 3 days and 2 nights accommodation for Open Category winner and 2 round trip ticket and 3 days and 2 nights accommodation for Junior category winner.

For more info please dial 407-8299 or visit Facebook.com/GundamPhilippines(Games/Toys)

Promo Period from October 7 to October 13, 2013 Per DTI NCR Permit # 3789 Series of 2013

And, by the way, the event will again be held at Robinsons Magnolia, same as last year's venue. I was hoping that the event will be held at a bigger venue, but anyway, I'll still be joining the contest!＼(*T▽T*)／

So, for all those who are planning to join, good luck to us all!! (｡’▽’｡)♡

GUNPLA REVIEW: RG 1/144 ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 14:23:00 +0000

Hello All!(゜▽゜;)

This is my review for RG Destiny Gundam that I bought last Philippine TOYCON 2013 (thanks for the cheap prices of the stores that I mentioned on my recent post about TOYCON 2013- GUNPLA Stores that I got to buy one RG model) (★^O^★). Anyway, hope you'd enjoy the post!d=(´▽｀)=b

ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam is the final Gundam of the main antagonist/protagonist (Depending on your view I guess?) of the Gundam Seed Destiny series. b(=^‥^=)o The Destiny is the most balanced Gundam in the series as it is a Jack-of-All-Trades Gundam, and is equipped with great short range, long range and mid range weapons as opposed to other specialist Gundams in the same series (If you watched the Gundam Seed Destiny series, you know that other Gundams have their own specialties: Strike Freedom excels in long range, Infinite Justice excels in Short Range, Akatsuki excels in defending, and Legend excels in long range <(*ΦωΦ*)>).

So what made the Destiny distinct among the others? It's its Hikari no Tsubasa (literally Wings of Light).ー( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ When activated, it creates after images of destiny making it supposedly difficult to follow destiny's movement.

Anyway this is one of the best looking Gundam designs I have seen, so let's see if this RG Destiny can give justice (can be a punლ(´ڡ`ლ)) to the Gundam Destiny.

Overall Look [9/10]

The kit looks great as expected from the Destiny Gundam. The usage of off gray is not overkill and its contrast from the white really helps the look of the kit. The added details adds a lot more substance to the kit as expected from the RG line. The color separation of the parts is top notch and really, you don't need to paint this kit as it looks really really great out of the box. (ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ

The wings look amazing especially when opened up. I find it sad that the wings of light effect is not included because this would have looked epic with that ヽ(≧Д≦)ノ

But of course, the design still have some few flaws. I do not like how there are some ball joints which are very exposed in the back of the hands near the elbow and the white space created when you move the hand in other angles where the blue hand armor does not meet the blue forearm armor. (✖╭╮✖)

The head also looks a bit wrong. I think the face somehow looks to long or too sharp. And the space between the head armors is really annoying. Also, there are
some intentional armor-less places put in the design which looks unsightly and impractical to me but all these aren't really a big issue because overall the kit still looks really great! (〜￣▽￣)〜

Articulation [9/10]

As expected, the articulation of this kit is amazing o(≧∇≦o). To me it feels that this kit is better articulated than even the its MG version. へ（>_<へ)

Let's start with the hands. The hands itself have great articulation although like the other RGs, the posability with weapons greatly suffers from it.

The shoulders and arms have great articulation. Being able to move in the full range of motion as expected of a hand so no problems here at all.

The head also is able to move freely and for me at least moves as expected of a head. （＾_＾）

The chest as well is very well articulated. Although, I would have liked it if it could bend a little more forward (´▽｀;)ゝ but really it still moves pretty well.

The legs have a perfect range of movement and surprisingly (⊙▂⊙), it is not hindered at all by the skirt because the skirt itself have great articulation. d=(´▽｀)=b I find that the ankle lacks articulation though which renders the kit a bit unable to stand on wide stances. However, The armor movement for the foot is really great and should be applauded ಥ‿ಥ

I didn't count the articulation of the wings because it can only go up and down.
( ；｀ヘ´) It has virtually no front and back motion because it is hindered by the weapons and the body so I did not bother taking pictures of it (¬▂¬)

Extras and Weaponry [8/10]

Destiny has all it's weapons included so that's really great. All weaponry are well made and I'm surprised they even made an inner frame for the "MMI-714 "Arondight" Anti-Ship Sword" and "M2000GX High-Energy Long-Range Beam Cannon". （゜◇゜）

However, I did not like the included beam effect for the "MMI-714 "Arondight" Anti-Ship Sword", it's too thick for my liking and does not feel like a beam for a sword at all not to mention it really lacks substance compared to the 4 awesome beam effect parts provided for the two "RQM60F "Flash-Edge 2" Beam Boomerang" and the awesomely made Beam Shield effect part. o(´^｀)o Oh, just so you know, Destiny never used its "Anti-Ship Sword" against a "Ship" of any kind if I recall correctly (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞

"MA-BAR73/S high-energy beam rifle" has nothing significant in it, but it still looks really good. щ(゜ロ゜щ)

There are also two included beam sabers effect parts but no beam saber handles (●´∀｀●)such a waste.

The left and right hands for "MMI-X340 "Palma Fiocina" Palm Beam Cannons" are included as well. Actually this model has lots of hands included, however I think it's sad that they did not provide left and right version for all types of hands. All hands can equip the beam shield as well. The beam shield effect part, as mentioned above already, looks really great. (☆^ー^☆)

The biggest negative point for this GUNPLA for me is that the a Wings of Light effect part was not added in the kit just like in its MG model.(ι´Д｀)ﾉ I think that it is a very big sin to not include the Wings of Light because it is one of the effects that defines Destiny Gundam and makes it so unique, just the wings being sold separately at a similar price as the RG Destiny is enough to warrant a 2 point deduction for me (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻.

Posability [8/10]

This kit is very back heavy because of the wings and weapon on its back. Because of that, don't expect it to be able to do decent poses on the ground. （ＴДＴ）I actually gave up on posing this on the ground because it keeps falling down on its own. ヽ(●ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ●)ﾉﾟ

If you have a stand however, you can pose this kit really well because of the incredible articulation it has. 。(⌒∇⌒。) There are probably only three problematic parts in posing this kit: First is that the wings do tend to get in the way; Second is that like any other RG, the articulated hand is very very hard to work with; And last is that the hand cannot carry the weight of the "MMI-714 "Arondight" Anti-Ship Sword" so dont expect natural poses with the sword if it is not supported by anything else other than the right hand.

Other than the two above gripes, this kit is really very posable and almost always looks good in any pose because it looks really mean. (✖╭╮✖) The "MMI-X340 "Palma Fiocina" Palm Beam Cannons" will even allow you to make very good Kame Hame Ha/Hadouken poses and you know... everyone loves Kame Hame Ha/Hadouken pose (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞

It is so hard to pose it like this

And I think the poses available while holding the gun is so low

Better to pose it ala Freedom Rail Guns

Bang! Bang!

DESTINYYYYYYYYYYY

Dashing in!

Here comes....

ARONDIGHT!

SLASH!!!!!!!!

Wild shield appears!

Awesome beam sheild is awesome!

Can't help but feel that the gun and destiny hates each other

Pew! Pew!

Hiya!

Boomerang left!

Effort grab for right boomerang

There we go!

Boomerang dual wield!

Reverse the beam parts and the boomerang changes to swords!

Destiny Finger!!!

Destiny Double Finger!!!

Kame... Hame...

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Build Quality [9/10]

This is probably the third best RG there is in terms of build quality.
＼(-___________-;)／

There are no parts constantly falling which is a really big thing because RG models have a history of having so many parts falling apart from all over the model. (ñ_ñ)

The moving parts, especially the knees, look great and move seamlessly. The wings look to be way better than its MG and HG counterparts.

There are several nubs put in obvious places which is really a pain to remove without leaving a nub mark.

Also, take note that the black parts are made from really soft plastic. Which I think is awesome as it is very flexible. However do it carefully when handling it as you might accidentally bend it if you expect it to be as hard as ABS plastic. ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ

There is a noticeable gap in the head which can't be closed no matter what. p(´⌒｀｡q) I think this is a manufacturing issue because it seems that I am not the only one who has this issue so please take note of this. It will not look very unsightly from afar but if you look at it closely it's really irritating. (×_×;）

I do not like how the "MMI-714 "Arondight" Anti-Ship Sword" and "MA-BAR73/S high-energy beam rifle" only have pegs for the right hand. Although this seems to be the norm on newer RG, I still think that it's a pretty bad practice. It'd be better if they stopped with using pegs on a model as small as this altogether and just provide perfectly sized and positioned hands to hold the weapons perfectly. (o´･_･)っ

Conclusion [8.6/10]

Overall, I think this kit is extremely good. I guess the biggest con in this kit is the little gap on the head. ￢o(￣-￣ﾒ) I can't believe BANDAI missed that... (But then again they also missed the molding error on the faceplate of MG Deathscythe Hell Custom which to me was so obvious so I guess it happens...)

Posing this kit may be a bit hard so if you play with your GUNPLA you can't play with this one for sure because the hands will give you plenty of trouble. If you are ok with those gripes, there is no reason not to get this kit because it is one of the finest 1/144 scale Gundam kit out there (づ￣ ³￣)づ. This kit is very wide so it attracts attention and can make a good centerpiece for any 1/144 collection out there so go grab your destiny... now (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞

That's it for my review for RG Destiny.Hope you find the post informative. p(*＾-＾*)q Also, don't forget to post a comment if you have extra info regarding this model! Bye!! ~ヾ(＾∇＾)

TOYCON 2013 - GUNPLA Stores Coverage

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 13:35:00 +0000

It's Philippine's TOYCON 2013!
Wait! What is TOYCON? s(・｀ヘ´・;)ゞ

Well, TOYCON stands for "Toy Convention". It's an event which highlights toys... specifically "model" kind of toys. There are several toys sold and displayed in TOYCON from many different genres so this event really brings in a lot of different kinds of people. ヾ(☆▽☆)

Most of the exhibits that will be seen there would be the following:
o Models of robots like Gundam, Mazinger Z, Macross, etc.
o Models of characters from equally popular animated shows like Code Geass, Fate Stay Night, Sword Art Online, etc..
o Popular super heroes like Iron Man, Hulk, Superman, etc..
o Other random models like cars, barbies, etc...

Philippine TOYCON 2013 is currently being held in SM Megamall Megatrade Hall 1-3 from 6/14/2013 (Friday) - 6/16/2013 (Sunday).

There were SOOOOOO many people in the event. The place was so jam packed!
(」゜ロ゜)」 If you're planning to go, I recommend that you go there early because the line keeps getting longer and longer as the day drags on, and the place also was getting more packed.(✖╭╮✖) Because of the popularity of this event, I hope they'd hold it in a larger area next year (like MOA SMX for example.щ(ಥДಥщ)). When you go there, make sure to keep your muscles flexed all the time because you are gonna bump to a lot of people. ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ.

As a note for people who love Gundam but only buy their model in malls because they think it's safer (I know some who are like this (¬､¬) .. well technically I am also of them because I mostly buy my GUNPLA from malls especially if I am only going to buy HG （；¬＿¬)), I advise you to go here because the shops where you should really be buying GUNPLA to save money, like GreatToysOnline (http://www.greattoysonline.com/) and ColdFire Gundam(https://www.facebook.com/cfgundam), have a booth in this year's TOYCON. Both of these shops can be found in Greenhills.

Now, on to my post!〜(^∇^〜） Note that I am only going to cover mostly the GUNPLA stores in TOYCON as this is a Gundam Blog after all m(￢0￢)m. Of course there are some random stuff thrown in but most of the content of this post will be about the GUNPLA stores... so moving on...(¬､¬)

Like I said, there were a LOT of people, but if you go early the line isn't that bad.
ヾ(´･･｀｡)ノ” I went there at around 11:30 and the line was only like 30 people strong. Note that after lunch the line was already so long it goes all the way to the parking lot (or so I have read from a lot of people). Take note that a 120-Peso entrance fee is needed to be paid to get in the event. So it would be better if you go in there with a plan to buy something so your 120 pesos doesn't get wasted.(^～^)

Like I said, Entrance Fee

WASABI TOYS (http://www.wasabitoys.com/)

As expected, wasabi toys prices are cheap. This store is one of the best GUNPLA stores around because of the low prices. If you would like to visit their main branch, you can find them in Blue Lane, 3rd Floor Shoppseville, Greenhills.

In TOYCON, they offered the second largest variety of GUNPLA. They had the very rare and very popular HG Kshatriya 〜(￣▽￣〜) on stock so if you want to buy one, you better visit their booth. They also carried a large amount of RG and online exclusives so if that is what you are looking for then I suggest you go visit their booth. d=(´▽｀)=b

HOBIME

This is the first time I saw this shop. The prices of GUNPLA they sell were average, but they carry some stuff that other GUNPLA seller in the TOYCON didn't have.

They had a HG 1/144 AGE-1 Razor for sale for only 850 and I think that was a pretty good deal. (︶ω︶) They also had a HG 1/144 Dark Hound for 975 (If I recalled correctly) which the other stores didn't sell. Speaking of the HG Dark Hound, I think that the Dark Hound is a pretty popular Gundam.. so I don't understand why it is so difficult to find a store that carries stocks of this, and it's not like they went out of stock either.(-_＼) Normally, the stores I go to tell me that they never carried a stock of this GUNPLA even if it has been released a few moths ago.. weird... ｢(ﾟﾍﾟ).

Anyway back to topic. This store also had stocks of extremely old Gundam X GUNPLA so if you want some this is the store for you. p(*＾-＾*)q

GREATTOYSONLINE (http://www.greattoysonline.com/)

This shop has a lot of branches so do visit their website for their normal locations. Anyway, they also had a booth in TOYCON so go there for now (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞. Do note that this shop is the only shop I know that sells Copic Markers which as I said in my previous post about The Tools I Use For Building GUNPLA, is the best detailing pen you can have because of it's very thin point. For that pen alone I recommend you to visit their booth ＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／.

As expected, this store had the largest selection of GUNPLA in TOYCON. This store also had the very rare and very popular Kshatriya on their stock. I haven't asked the price of the Kshatriya here but try to ask first on this booth before going for the one in Wasabitoys because normally, the prices here are cheaper.

There were so many GUNPLAs being sold here. Mostly, they sell MG models so if you are looking for MG models, go here （￣ー￣）. They also have a decent amount of HG from different series. Do drop by this store, this store is heavily recommended
＼（Ｔ∇Ｔ）／.

BEBOP TOYSHOP

This was another store that I only knew about now. They didn't carry a lot of items but what I liked about this store was that the sales guy is willing to sell for lower prices if you haggle with him. So I suggest you do so. (ｏ・_・)ノ”(ノ_＜。)

UNKNOWN BOOTHS ╮(─▽─)╭

I didn't see any banner regarding the store's name.☆⌒(＞。≪) But with their prices, this booth might be compared with Toy Kingdom or Toys R' Us (╯°Д°）╯︵/(.□ . \). Don't buy from this store unless you have no choice left because the price is just too high compared to all other booths. It's too bad their pricing is insanely high because they have a lot of GUNPLA for sale.(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

ColdFire Gundam(https://www.facebook.com/cfgundam)

This store didn't have a banner too but they give you micro mini leaflets that will tell you that this booth is ColdFire Gundam.(－ｏ⌒) They didn't have a lot of GUNPLA in their booth but this was one of the best places to get GUNPLA.

You can practically buy any GUNPLA from ColdFire Gundam if you are willing to pre-order from them. Basically, if the GUNPLA you want is so hard to find, your best bet will be to go here and pre-order from them. They will ask you for a downpayment then they will acquire the GUNPLA you want which you can pick up in their store in U-07 Upper Level Shoppesville Plus, Greenhills Shopping Center later on. These guys can be trusted so don't worry (●ゝω)ノヽ(∀＜●). Also, the prices in ColdFire Gundam is probably the lowest I know of. So if this store got what you want, better buy it from this store.

And now for some random pictures from TOYCON 2013 ヾ（*⌒ヮ⌒*）ゞ

Star Wars Figures

DANBOARD... there are so many of these for sale

Painted MG Strike

Exhibit for the Gundam Caravan booth

These are Cosplayers :)

Meta Build Gundam Models for sale

I LOVE ZOIDS! Why are they so expensive!!!

Some of the mechas found in the exhibit

Avengers + Superman???

So that's it for now. As I said, I recommend you to go visit TOYCON 2013 if it's not yet too late （ｏ。ｏ；）.

Bye for now and I hope to see you guys there ヽ(*´Д｀*)ﾉ

MG 1/100 Sandrock ver. Lacerta

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:40:00 +0000

ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ Hi All! It's been a while since my last post. Sorry for that （；¬＿¬). I have been really busy with work and life in the last few days so I wasn't able to find time to post ｍ（．＿．）ｍ.

Anyway, now that my hellish week is over, I can now post again 〜(￣▽￣〜). This time I present to you my painted MG Sandrock (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ.

So, as usual, a little history on this kit. This is actually the first Gundam that I finished in Gloss. About the colors.. well, my favorite Gundam in Gundam Wing Endless Waltz is this Sandrock.. So I colored it in blue. I know in the series it looks more purple than blue, however, it turns out the color really is more of blue so I went for blue (º_º).

The entire kit is colored in metallic paint. Even the white was made metallic using metalic top coat. Overall, I really like how the suit ended up looking so a job well done for me └（★ｏ★）┐.

Well that's about it (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ. Remember that you can enlarge the picture by clicking on them. Now, I will let the pictures do the talking enjoy!
ヽ(*^ｰ^)人(^ｰ^*)ノ

Well that's all for now (〃⌒▽⌒)八(〃⌒▽⌒〃)八(⌒▽⌒〃). See you all next time! Remember to leave a comment for this post!＼(￣O￣).

Making GUNPLA Tutorial Part 1: How to Assemble GUNPLA, Cutting Parts from Runner and Snapfitting

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 15:17:00 +0000

Hi all! (●￣(ｴ)￣●)

This post is the first post for my Making GUNPLA Tutorial serires.
ヽ(∀゜ )人( ゜∀)ノ

In this series of tutorials, I will be explaining everything from basics to the most advanced things (that I know ヽ(´ー`)ﾉ), and will be updated together with my customization of my PG Strike Gundam, so expect that all parts shown here will be from that certain model ヾ(-_- )ゞ.

I chose the PG Strike Gundam as the material to be used in this series of tutorial because PG models are so complex and includes almost every single gimmick that BANDAI has, thus allowing me to cover almost all knowledge that you must posses to make your very own customized GUNPLA. (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ.

Now, the final goal we have for this PG Strike is to modify it to an extent where the level of details is near RG. Also we will custom paint it into black and gold ｍ（．＿．）ｍ I know its hard but with perseverance and time I know we can do this ヽ(｀⌒´メ)ノ.

I hope that by the end of series, you will be able to make your own customized GUNPLA. (ノ°ο°)ノ
So without further ado, let us start with the first tutorial {{|└(>o< )┘|}}

How to Assemble GUNPLA

Assembling GUNPLA for me is very straight forward. (⌒▽⌒)☆

Every GUNPLA contains an instruction booklet and basically you just follow the instructions. (；￣Д￣）

Here are the important things you need to know when reading the manual. A Legend if you will:
1. Boxed Number in the upper left corner of each panel : Denotes the step number
2. Letter with Encircled Number on the Right : Denotes the letter of the runner where the part can be found as well as the number of the part in that particular runner.

Part A8

Runner A

Part 8

3. Numbers inside Diamonds : Denotes the order you should attach the parts. If there are no numbers in diamonds in a panel, that means you can attach the parts in any order.
4. Arrows : Shows where the part will be attached
5. ヾ (Or something like that ⊂(^(工)^)⊃ ) : Denotes that you should pay attention on how the part needs to be attached. Normally, this mark appears when you can attach a part in more than one way but only one of those ways is correct.

That's basically it. If you know these you should be able to follow the manual no sweat (─‿‿─)

Cutting Parts from Runner

Cutting parts from the runner is a long ardous task to do properly. Perhaps, it's the second most boring part in creating your own GUNPLA only beaten by sanding (◑‿◐).

Why is cutting parts from the runner so hard? It's because if you don't do it properly you leave all kind of marks on the plastic (aka Nub Marks). (✖╭╮✖)

Nub Marks will appear for sure no matter how you cut the parts and cannot be removed completely without sanding. However, we still need to minimize the nub marks before sanding to prevent more work later on. For me, there are 3 kinds of nub marks:

1. Discolored Mark : The parts becomes very discolored (normally in white).
2. Engraved Mark : The part where you cut has been engraved (meaning deeper than the normal mold).
3. Embossed Mark: The part where you cut has been embossed (meaning higher than the normal mold).

So how do we cut these parts to reduce nub marks?
Well that's easy (but ardous (#+_+)). Just follow these steps:

1. Find the Part and cut it on the gate. Basically the gate is the part where the runner suddenly things out to connect to the part.

Found the part! Now cut it on the gates

If you cut it on the gates, the part should now look like this.

2. Get your cutter, if possible, not the precision cutter but the large cutter because it should be sharper and more resilient (For reference on the tools for making GUNPLA, click here!). Also, this kind of cutter eliminates any chance of the blade popping out and hitting you which might cause your death ψ(｀∇´)ψ. Well, not really your death, but if the blade pops out, it might end up cutting you and in bad cases really injuring you (Imagine if the blade hit your eye >_< ). So be safe and use this gigantic cutters.

Now, what you want to do is to cut off the nub slowly. Make sure to cut from the base of the nub going upward, slowly shaving of the nub until you can finally cut in a straight line. Basically cut like this / and slowly decrease the angle until you are cutting like this _. Never ever cut downwards!(*-`ω´- )人 If you do, then you will end up engraving the plastic which will then give you more problems in the end because you will have to putty it up and everything.

Part and Cutter

Cleaned up part ^_^

Snapfitting

Some people call building the GUNPLA OOB as snapfitting but I don't really agree with that because you're not really just fitting out the gundam, you are already building it (｡･｀ω´･｡).

For me, Snapfitting is building the GUNPLA in a way where you can easily disassemble it. This is important especially if you are going to customize or paint your GUNPLA. It is important to do this because seeing the finished model is better than just relying on linearts. It also gives you a better idea on how the GUNPLA will look like in the end than any pictures found on the internet.
Without seeing the model itself, I doubt you can plan on your modifications perfectly, thus, if you don't have a completely similar Gundam lying around, do this! (;´・`)>

To snapfit a gundam, you just need to cut all male pegs (The one that gets inserted to the holes (－ｏ⌒)) diagonally.

As a rule, cut 3/4 of the top of the male peg and leave the base intact. Make sure that the angle you are cutting will allow you to cut all the way to the base (but the base is left intact) since if you just cut halfway through the male peg then there would be no point in doing this.

6 Male Pegs

See the yellow line in one of the pegs? No? Zoom it then :P. Now that is how you should cut it.

6 Male Pegs cut diagonally :)

Now here is a snap fit sample.

Check pegs before cutting them off

No male pegs seen through here


No male pegs can be seen through here either

After cutting of the pegs they will look like this

Assembly

You will know if you did it right if the parts fit together very easily and can be disassembled easily. If disassembly is difficult then you did it wrong so cut the male peg some more ヽ(。_°)ノ.

Make sure to check how a part fits before cutting!ヾ(×× ) ﾂ Do not cut male pegs that will end up showing. Because then, the end result will look unsightly. Don't worry, normally pegs that show up do not have any real grip that will make removing the part difficult. Also you can use those exposed pegs anyway when disassembling parts by pushing on them.

Two parts that will attach to one another

If you place them in top of each other you see two male pegs will end up showing

Cut only the male peg that will not end up showing.

End result

That's all for now! I hope you guys learned some stuff from the Part 1 of my
Making GUNPLA Tutorial. If you have any questions or comments feel free to comment below （・∀・）. I will answer your questions there as soon as I read them |_・)

For now, Goodbye to you all! (,, ･∀･)ﾉ゛

In a Pinch: Gundam Mk-II vs Zaku-II Minelayer

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 05:29:00 +0000

Hi All! 。(⌒∇⌒。)

It's me again. This entry displays my diorama entry for GBWC 2011.
I won a consolation price in the New Challenger Open Category for this entry!
( ^-^)_旦”

These two GUNPLA models were actually my first and second painted MG, as well as my first and second weathered Gundams. The diorama was also the first diorama I ever made. So I am very proud and happy on how the whole thing turned out!!! d=(´▽｀)=b

Hope you'd enjoy this post!＼(ﾟｰﾟ＼)

Pre-Weathered

Post Weathering and Zaku-II Test-Fitting

Finished Diorama

Whew, so there! Hope you enjoyed my gallery! I'm planning to join GBWC this year, hoping to win again this time! “ψ(｀∇´)ψ

Please feel free to leave some comments! ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ

MG 1/100 Gundam Mk-II ver. Lacerta

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 03:43:00 +0000

Hello all! ヾ(＾∇＾) Now I'm going to show you my painted Gundam MK-II.
This entry is about my unweathered Gundam MK-II that I made way back as an entry for GUNPLA Builders World Cup Philippines last (GBWC) 2011. I haven't gotten a chance to post this on time, but hey it's not too late to show you my piece, right? ｍ（．＿．）ｍ

This Gundam MK-II was paired with Zaku II-Minelayer in my diorama and was weathered when I submitted them last GBWC Philippines 2011, and you can see my piece here!. Meanwhile, please do enjoy this gallery of my unweathered Gundam MK-II! Remember to click on the images to enlarge the pictures ヾ（*⌒ヮ⌒*）ゞ

That's all for now! Feel free to leave comments for this post （＾▽＾）／＼（＾▽＾）

SD Wing Gundam Zero Custom ver. Lacerta

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Thu, 30 May 2013 01:26:00 +0000

Hello All!ヾ(*´∇`)ﾉ I'll show you my very first painted SD Gundam. Presenting the SD Wing Gundam Zero Custom!!! I hope you enjoy this post! (●´∀｀●)

I've painted this model using spray paint, so it was not really that flawless. And this was also one of the first GUNPLA models that I painted, so it somewhat served as my practice model (which was so wrong.. This is where I realized that it's much easier to paint MG than smaller models), but I'm glad it turned out well （　´∀｀）.

By the way, the v-fins were painted using Gundam Marker (Gold). （＾ｖ＾）

The detailing for the wings were not that neat and clean (as you can see on the left side). (×_×;）

That's it for this post. I think this will be my first and last SD scale that I'll paint since painting and detailing for smaller scale GUNPLA models is such a hassle and is way harder than those of the bigger scales. (✖╭╮✖)

That's all for now! Bye guys! ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

Please feel free to leave a comment regarding this post. ヾ(＠^∇^＠)ノ

MG 1/100 Duel Gundam ver. Lacerta

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Tue, 28 May 2013 14:55:00 +0000

Hi All! ヾ(＾∇＾) Today I will present to you my GunPla entry last Gundam Model Kit Contest 2013 event!
I hope you enjoy this gallery of mine!

Unfortunately, there are no decals because of the rain (can't paint on a rainy day) and some other stuff which made me unable to finish my entry completely. Also, the planned gold and silver detailing on pipes and stuff wasn't done because of the same reasons.

I was thinking if I should finish this or not.. Anyhow I decided to leave this as is because of it's sentimental value as being my entry to a contest (●´∀｀●)

So enough with the dilly dallying! Onward with the presentation!

You can click the pictures to make them way bigger!

Any comments or constructive criticism are welcome (ﾉ￣д￣)ﾉ

ASSAULT SHROUD MODE

-So hard to pose (o_ _)o

NORMAL MODE

- Feels better to shoot photos in normal mode because it can move easier! ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ﾉ

There you have it (*´・ｖ・)! That's my entry for the Gundam Model Kit Contest 2013! I might have not won a price but I am still very proud of my work ∩( ・ω・)∩. Oh, also this is my first airbrushed kit so I'm really glad that it turned out fine d=(´▽｀)=b

That's all for now! Bye guys! ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
Comments and suggestions are welcome!:)

Gundam Model Kit Contest 2013! Final day Coverage and The Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sun, 26 May 2013 13:38:00 +0000

ヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)ﾉ
I did not win! Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Well, I did not really expect to win anyway because I just rushed the creation of my entry ｍ（．＿．）ｍ... I will just redeem myself in GBWC 2013..
(●｀･(ｴ)･´●)..

Anyway, here is my coverage of the final day of Gundam Model Kit Contest 2013!

First off, I watched the exclusive showing of Gundam UC episode 6. I already watched it before but as expected, watching it in a cinema is really a whole different experience (✖╭╮✖). The large screens really helped show the amount of details put to everything in Gundam UC.

There is no question, Gundam UC is the best Gundam series (graphics wise). Also, the sounds were amazing (but a bit too loud (^～^;)ゞ and I'm sure it was not just a personal issue because I saw a lot of people covering their ears all throughout the movie).

Oh, of course I have no pictures to show you because cameras are not allowed in the cinema 〈(゜。゜).

Unlike the previous days I visited the event booth (I visited the booth daily after work (｡･ω･｡), so the only day I did not get to be there was on saturday), the place was very busy. The place was literally jam packed! Then we saw lots of people carrying large boxes so it was somehow chaotic ・㉨・

This Gundam game was pretty popular to kids. Didn't try it though but as I understand it, you use your AG gundam models and this game scans it so you can use them in game.

These things were on full stock in the picture, but when it was just added to the inventory (since they only added it to their inventory after the movie), you should've seen how these items kept on getting sold! It was like everytime the inventory guy refilled it, it got out of stock in a blink!@.@ Eventually, the demand dried out so I got to take a picture of it in full inventory.

The Gundam Detailing Contest always had this very long line and is always full so I just decided not to join. Honestly, I can't imagine how they judge this. How do you judge a hundred identical entries at the speed that they do without choosing a bit randomly from the best/cleanest looking entries you see
ヽ( °◇°)ノ.

There were lots of GUNPLAs being given away, and they weren't being really cheap with the items they raffle. Some of the notable Gundam models they raffled were MG Nu Gundam, MG Sinanju Stein, MG ReZel Type-C and bluray of the anime... those were not cheap at all! They also raffled some collectibles like HG, Magazines, SD, Posters, FG and some other things which I may have missed or forgotten (◑‿◐)

As usual, there was a demonstration by professionals on how to make GUNPLA. I didn't really watch them but I think they were teaching how to make a diorama base.

Oh, I heard one of those pros is a professional architect ≖‿≖that course really gives you an advantage in this hobby, huh? Sometimes I do think that I should have went for the architect route because of my interest in scale models but I guess my love for computer won out in the end.. But that's enough about me so moving along....
＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／

Trophy to be given to the winners! Well now this is where things get interesting.. the winners!

New challenger Junior Open category. Didn't really see what the winning entries looked so I have no opinion on the results （＾ｖ＾）.

New Challenger Open category. I pretty much agree with the results here although I would have swapped 2 and 3. The guy who took the first place was far had the best work so no contest there in my opinion （　´∀｀）.

Special category. It was not that I expected since I was expecting the Jesta entry to win first place. I did not see the strike winning first place because it was painted in it's original colors and did not look out of the ordinary at all. I could say that it was painted really cleanly that's why it won.. but that is really expected when painting a model in its original color since you don't have to deal with discolorations due to the base color of the part. Also, most of the other entries in special category was really painted cleanly too.. I guess in the end this went to the judges opinion since everyone was so good so...

ヽ(　￣д￣;)ノ

Junior Pro Open Category. I didn't really check out the entries for this category so I have no opinion here.

I did notice though that the HG AGE-FX 1/144 has a high winning rate in the contest (´・ω・`) but yeah I guess the design of that Gundam does attract tons of looks.

Pro Open Category. Now this is where it gets interesting because none of the models that I was routing for won (;´・`)>.

Hmm, well not really, I guess I expected the second placer to win because of all the details put on the suit. Even though I am not fond of his design since I think it was overkill, there was no question that what he did was very difficult to pull off and takes great skills.

As for the third placer I didn't really see his entry well because it was placed in the back so I have no opinion on it. But looking from afar it does look pretty well painted.

I was surprised that the green sinanju won. To me there is no question that the Green Sinanju was the best Sinanju submitted. It was perfectly clean and perfectly glossy.. it looked like the suit was just waxed and cleaned ... it was.. it was... so shiny (゜▼゜＊）. Yet in spite of all this, I didn't think it could win first place, I was expecting it to get a sure price though.

I would like to note that all of the above are just my opinion so please don't think that I am bashing your work ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ. And of course I wouldn't forget to say... congratulations to all the winners!
ヽ(´Д｀)人(´Д｀)人(´Д｀)ノ〜♪

The entry of the first placer. Yes it did catch my eye （◎ー◎；） so shiny and glossy right. Like a brand new car (ﾉ￣д￣)ﾉ.

Now I will end this with some random pics I took from the event but this time I will comment on all the pictures I took so enjoy ＼（＾∀＾）メ（＾∀＾）ノ

The mysteriously priced RG Zeta Gundam. I checked out all the RG Zeta sold there but not even one has a price ╮(─▽─)╭.

I want one! I think it's the best looking Zaku based grunt yet!

I almost filed a complaint to bankee about these two suits because I thought they were modified MG Duel and MG Buster (｡ >艸<). Good thing someone corrected me and told me that these were Regen Duel and Hail Buster.. MSV which I don't know about (TεT).

I thought for sure this was gonna win third (｡♥‿♥｡)

Ah my entry.. why you lose ヽ(ー_ー )ノ... why you no decal ヽ(ー_ー )ノ... why it suddenly rain when I'm working on you ヽ(ー_ー )ノ

These two entries I thought were a lock for the first place (n˘v˘•)¬ guess I was wrong hahaha they didn't even snag second or third place (ﾉ_ _)ﾉ

This Freedom makes me want to buy a freedom (oT-T)尸

I thought this could win third place (;-_-)ノ

I honestly think this would look way better if it were given a matte finish. It does look good as it is. The painting was so well done and all, but to me it lost some of its edginess because the gloss makes the edges around the suit look like rounded edges. But that's just me ＼(-___________-;)／.

My opinion for this destiny is pretty much the same as my comment with the astray.

See that Dark Hound on the left? I thought that would win second or third (/ _ ; ) I'm so bad at guessing the results of this contest lol (●´∀｀●) but still, I think that dark hound was so well made.

The dark hound again d=(´▽｀)=b

They always display this but never fix the left thumb (＾▽＾). Oh but this time they hid it with the shield.. so sneaky |･ω･｀)

Cute Zaku and Acguy strap I got from the Gachapon they provided (ノ＞▽＜。)ノ that zaku is somehow so cute!

So that wraps up this post!
Again, I would like to congratulate all the winners!
Good job to everyone who joined!

I hope to compete against you guys again in GBWC 2013.. however, goodbye for now! Feel free to post your comments! ヾ(@°▽°@)ノ

P.S: You can check my previous post regarding Gundam Model Kit Contest 2013 here!

Tools I Use For Building GUNPLA

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sat, 25 May 2013 13:49:00 +0000

Hello all! ヽ(∀゜ )人( ゜∀)ノ

I'm back! This time I will be talking about the tools I use in building GUNPLA!

You don't really need tools when building GUNPLA. However, I want to share this which I believe will help you to create a better looking GUNPLA out of the box “ψ(｀∇´)ψ.

1. Cutting Mat

Obviously, a cutting mat does not help in adding value in how your GUNPLA will look like. But it helps make the job a lot easier, safer and a lot less messier ಥ‿ಥ.

Well for starters, a cutting mat is a mat used for cutting. Think of it as something like a chopping board. It's greatest advantage (in terms of cutting) is that it gives you a surface where you can exert all your strength in cutting an object without getting damaged.

A cutting mat usually looks like a graphing paper. You can use the lines provided in it as guides for cutting. It also gives you a surface where you won't be afraid to cut with all your effort which helps a lot when cutting thick plastic.

With this, you can now cut stuff on the cutting mat rather than holding the piece of plastic while cutting (coz you know if you don't have a cutting mat you cannot cut on floors and desks unless you don't care if you damage them
╮(─▽─)╭).

And, oh yeah, cutting mats are self healing so don't be afraid of scratching that amazing surface.

2. Cutter

For cutters, I strongly recommend you guys buy a cutter like this.

Don't go buy cutters you use for school work because those are really dangerous for cutting hard items like GUNPLA.

Why are regular cutters dangerous? Because those things are made in a way where you can cut the blades away when it dulls right? That's dangerous when cutting harder substances since those blades can pop off suddenly when cutting hard objects and hit you (-_＼).

A cutter like the one shown above is better because it is safer, sharper and easier to use. As you can see, the body is more ergonomically designed making it way easier to use than your regular cutter. As for it's sharpness, I think it's sharper, I don't know how to verify it but I find that this cuts stuff easier than the normal cutter (;´・`). so the sharpness thing is very opinionated... but I think it's true.

Cutters are important in removing nubs. Most especially if you are too busy and don't have time to sand and stuff. Using a cutter to cut away nubs slowly is the easiest way of removing nubs without leaving gigantic white marks all around your GUNPLA.

3. Hobby Knife / Precision Cutter

Primarily used to cut along grooves and edges. Also pretty useful in making your own panel lines by scratching of the surface of the plastic. Don't use it to cut off chunks of plastic, use it only in scratching the plastic's surface.

4. Nipper / Sprue Cutter

Used to cut off the parts from the sprue. I strongly recommend using this to cut from the gates and not on the plastic attached to the GUNPLA part since doing that will surely give you large nub marks all around your GUNPLA.

5. Dymo Tape

Used to label the Gundam! （⌒▽⌒）

Nah... just kidding ✖‿✖. Used as guide in making your own panel lines. This helps a lot since it's a thick kind of tape so you can easily glide the blade on it's side. Also, I find that this kind of tape does not leave residues unlike scotch tapes.

6. Tweezers

Used to hold stickers so you don't make the sticker lose it's sticking power
(ノﾟДﾟ)八(ﾟДﾟ )ノ.

7. Scribing tool

Used to scribe panel lines. Quite difficult to use but does the job really well (◑‿◐). Not really essential if you got a hobby knife but still really helpful if you have one.

8. Darn Good Quality Scissors

A high quality scissor is very very important for me in building GUNPLA. Using a scissor to cut off nubs near edges will almost certainly cut of the nub without leaving gigantic white marks.

Also, using a scissor's blade to cut of remaining nubs on flat surfaces is MUCH better than using a cutter in my honest opinion. Why? Because a scissor has a flat side. You can easily place the flat side on the flat surface and slide the scissor around, thus making the blade only cut any areas that are bulging from the flat surface. A cutter can't do that because it's edge is designed like this: > unlike a scissors blade which is like this: _\ .

9. Plastic Cement

Used to cement plastic together so they stick.. FOREVER! Note that plastic cement sticks two plastic together by slightly melting the plastic and reforming them together making the plastic, technically, turn into just one piece. This is a very very very simplistic way to describe it but that is pretty much how it works.

Take note that it does not work like mighty bond so it will not work on all substances, it will pretty much only work on plastic and other stuff that shares similarities with plastic.

Also, do take note that it contains some harmful chemicals so make sure to use it in a well ventilated area and always keep the bottle closed when you are not using it. （゜ρ゜)ノ

10. Copic Marker/Panel Line marker

Used to draw details on your GUNPLA
Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ. Drawing details and tracing panel lines with the marker help improve the look of your GUNPLA a lot! Drawing Panel lines on your GUNPLA is the first baby step to becoming a GUNPLA modeler after all ≖‿≖.

Oh yeah, I strongly recommend you use COPIC markers for panel lining because its tip is the finest I ever found (0.03). And also, unlike technical pen (which some use since it has 0.05 tip variety), the ink of COPIC pens draws well on plastic and paint. It is also easily erased if used on a glossy surface.

Take note that it has some drying time so don't paint above it until it dries off a bit.

So there you have it!
These are the top 10 tools I use to build GUNPLA
∩(︶▽︶)∩.
I hope you learned some new stuff and info on some of the tools. (´▽｀;)ゝ
I will also post the tools I use to paint GUNPLA so I hope you look forward to it!

For now, I bid you guys farewell! See you next time ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ

Gundam Model Kit Contest 2013!

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:55:00 +0000

It's the Gundam Model Kit Contest 2013!

So I went to the venue earlier today (5/20/2013) and, well, my first reaction is "Wow! It's bigger than I expected". Honestly really I was expecting a smaller booth since it is not GBWC (Gunpla Builders World Cup), but boy I was wrong!

The first thing you will notice when you check out the booth is the entrance where you can see a huge wall about the history of Gundam and a synopsis of the first 5 episode of Gundam Unicorn. Nothing really new here if you always go to these kind of booths, but if you don't, its interesting to read them to get some background info on Gundams ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ (You can click on the images to enlarge)

The prizes for the gundam.info raffle ヾ(☆▽☆) whoever is gonna win is so lucky!

A quick run through on the entries for NC-Open Category. Basically, this is a category for people who joined a Gundam Model Kit Contest for the first time. Given the quality of some of the works though, I wonder if all of them really have this as their first time 「(°ヘ°). If it is, then, wow they are good! I looked into the entries and there were some which captured my eye but I didn't bother taking solo pictures ｍ（．＿．）ｍ so sorry. But if you're curious about my top pics, It's the following (In no particular order):

1. The orange AGE-FX on the first pic.

2. The black AGE-1 Spallow on the third pic. (You can't see it though coz it's blocked ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ)

3. The orange AGE-2 Double Bullet on the fifth pic.

Those 3 are really good. I will try to take a picture of them on my coverage of the results on 5/26/2013 so look forward to it (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ.

Now, a quick run through on the entries for Pro-Open Category. There were, based on the time I submitted my entry, 43 entries (That was a lot that I expected). I was expecting around 20-30 entries only because of the rule where you have to buy the Gundam from Toy Kingdom （x_x；）.

As expected, there were a lot of Astrays, Dark Hound, Sinanjus and Unicorn/Banshee. What I didn't expect is for there to be a lot of Buster Gundams as well. I didn't realize that suit was that popular (✖╭╮✖). So anyway, the following were the models which captured my attention:

This banshee was well painted and made. I guess the only thing that takes away from this entry was that it uses the original colors. But otherwise, a really good job was done on this one ∩(︶▽︶)∩

Of all the buster entries, I think this is the best one. Again, the only thing that takes away from this entry is that it also uses the original colors.

This Freedom frankly looks weird to me but because of that it got my attention as well as my girlfriend's attention (✿◠‿◠). Painted quite nicely. I hope that the pose was better though because it looks rushly posed to me. Don't you think so too?

This duel is my entry so please support my entry ｡◕‿◕｡. Frankly, I think my entry has a fighting chance, although I'm really disappointed with my entry because I was not able to finish it according to my design plan. I planned to detail it more with gold and silver and also to place decals but it just suddenly rained and rained and all modelers know that it is risky to paint in a rainy day because of the humidity and stuff so ＼(-___________-;)／. I hope I can still win something though ┐(‘～`；)┌

Wow, didn't think anyone would enter a Sinanju Stein. As expected, it looks good. Sinanju is after all good enough on it's own so spoiling or making it ugly is a tough job. Anyway this model is made really well that I won't be surprised at all if it wins it all. (╯3╰)

This kit is nicely weathered although again it uses the original colors so yeah I think that will affect the judging for this kit. (ﾒ｀ﾛ´)/

So basically that's it for the kits that got my attention from the Pro-Open category and I wish everyone good luck （＾▽＾）／＼（＾▽＾）. Let's see if the winner do turn out from the kits that caught my eye ＼(￣O￣)

I didn't cover entries from the special category because there are only so few entries but I have to show you this entry because I think it looks so great ＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／. I want to buy a MG Jesta too!! I love how this suit looks!

I will end this post with some random pictures of the available exhibits. Oh yeah the Sandrock and Wing display looks so great so I think you guys should check that out. If those where entered you can almost guarantee that those two will win because they are both masterfully done ♡＾▽＾♡.

That's all for now! Hope you enjoyed reading this post! Till next time! bye!
ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ

Hello Gundam World!

noreply@blogger.com (Lacerta) — Sun, 19 May 2013 06:24:00 +0000

Hi all what's up everyone! Lacerta here :).

Some of you probably know me already, most of you probably don'

Well anyway this is a short introduction and random facts about me :)

I, umm...., loved GUNPLA ever since I was a kid.
The very first Gundam I watched was Gundam Z, since then I started to like Gundam and promised myself to build my own Gundam models :)

Anyway, I made this blog to share with everyone my works, insights and knowledge on GUNPLA.

I will post my honest reviews on all the GUNPLA I own to help everyone in choosing what future models to buy or to checkout the models for whatever other reasons they have :).

I will also share my WIP(Work In Progress) and Finished works here for everyone to see :)

I will try to update this blog at least weekly and make the blog as fun, informative and as full of pictures as possible ^_^. So wish me luck.

Welcome to the world of Gundams (^_^)\/