I was browsing through my drafts when I found this buried amongst them. I was supposed to post this article but decided to postpone it so that I could concentrate on preparing for my exams during that period of time. And a series of hosting problems that happened thereafter had me completely forgotten about its existence.

It was not until I was reading through DC23’s blog where he featured this as his “2009 Gunpla of the Year” that I remembered about it.

Julius first caught my attention with his diorama “Stardust Memory- Stipulation of Gerbera” for BAKUC 2009, where a GP-04 stands on top of a wrecked GP-03 Dendrobium.

Julius Lim hails from Penang, Malaysia. Though a beginner in blogging, he certainly has very impressive skills to boot for a modeler. The manner he crafted the entire denbrodium from scratch, certainly speaks volumes about his modeling abilities.

A close-up on some of the details

The large claws for holding the large beam sabers

The missle pods

Denbrodium base & I-Field Generator

The assembled scratchbuilt Denbrobium

For more details of his work-in-progress, you can visit his article – BAKUC 2009 : Stardust Memory- Stipulation of Gerbera and Work-in-Progress thread @ Zero G

And for more photos of his completed work, you may view this article – BAKUC 2009 : RX78-GP04G WIP and the completed photos @ Zero G

Upon further reading through his blog entries, I’ve uncovered more great dioramas that Julius has previously constructed. Such as the following:

BAKUC 2008 – Sinanju

The Sinanju that he had scratch-built. I couldn’t tell it that was scratch-build from the first look from the photos, until I read and looked further into his entry.

Stage19 – The Moon In The Darkness (Eva Dio 1998)

A non-gundam diorama for a change but just as equally impressive.

DC23 has nominated Julius’s “Stardust Memory- Stipulation of Gerbera” for his “2009 Gunpla of the Year” and it is not difficult to see why.

Any thoughts on the “Stardust Memory- Stipulation of Gerbera” diorama after seeing it? With 2009 will be ending in another couple of weeks, I would like to pose you the following question:

“If you had to choose, which would you choose as your Gunpla/Diorama of the Year 2009?” For diorama’s case, would this “Stardust Memory- Stipulation of Gerbera”, “The Graveyard by DC23 ” or “The Sinanju Diorama” be your choice or will it be something else. If so, post a link to the diorama of your choice. The same goes for your choice of gunpla for 2009.

For my choice of the “Diorama of the Year 2009″, my vote goes to DC23’s The Graveyard. As for Gunpla of the Year, I’m still deciding and looking around for it. What’s yours?

Barely a week after featuring the MSN-06S Sinanju with diorama, another amazing diorama has just caught my eyes. I present to you: the Graveyard.

Don Carlo Suratos (a.ka. donc0023 in Plamo & ZeroG) hails from Philippines and he is the man behind this amazing diorama, ‘the Graveyard’. ‘The Graveyard’ is his entry for the recently concluded Bakuc Philippines 2009 and just for the record, he is also the Bakuc World Champion in December 2008. And now introducing, our cast in this diorama; Infinite Justice, our main lead, together with the Impulse, Gunner Zaku and the MG freedom guest-starring as the wreckage lying below.

Without further ado, enjoy yourself looking at these wonderful micro-details of this diorama.

As compared to the MSN-06S Sinanju with diorama, this diorama can be considered much ‘noisier’ and bustling with life. Despite being ‘noiser’, it doesn’t mean that you can overlook all the little bits of details inside. Looking at these miniatures, you can see ‘life’ from them, through their actions and poses; very dynamic, just like real people in real life going about with their work.

I highly recommend dropping by his work-in-progress link @ ZeroG, the 37 pages might seemed a little daunting initially, but I believe that everyone of us can learn a thing or two on making diorama while going through then along the way. If you always wondered about how this miniature structure are constructed, built and painted, this is preharps the best time to do so.  Do drop by his blog – DC23 mech arts for the full set and actual size of photos of his diorama.

Well then, after seeing this, what do you people think of this diorama? Which part of it do you like best?

If you had to choose between this diorama and the MSN-06S Sinanju diorama for a winner , which one would you pick and why?

The following display is currently held at Takashimaya in Ngee Ann City. Thanks to Toymaker, we have been given a glimpse of some the entries for Singapore BAKUC 09. The following pictures does not constitute all the entries but selectively picked up.

The very first entry which he came across left him in awe, and the first thing that struck him was the sheer size of this build. It was really massive, and a variety of different parts from all the genres has been used. This Zaku Mobile Suit was named Z.E.A.M.A. (Zaku Embedded Assault Mobile Armour) by its creator. Both him and I has been left wondering on who could be the possible modeler behind this giant, since I don’t recall seeing and mention of in the local forum before. The set of picture in this post does not really show the full extent of the kit. I suggest one going down personally to catch a glimpse of it when one is free and available.

Any thoughts after seeing some of the entries above? Which one of them has caught your eyes and why?

Check out more photos in their original size at Toymaker’s Singapore BAKUC 2009 post.

In addition, I’m currently testing out a new way for displaying pictures in this post so I need some feedbacks from you guys.

Is this manner of displaying picture good? or would you prefer the old fuss-free method with everything laid out from top to bottom (longer scrolling) For example, like the MSN-06S Sinanju Diorama and the Graveyard post? Other thoughts and feedbacks are also welcome.

updates:

Do also check out other bloggers’ coverage on the Singapore Bakuc 2009 for more pictures.

Chubbybots

Singapore Bakuc 2009 Part 1 Chub’s Report

Singapore Bakuc 2009 Part 2 De Arimasu!

Kianyang

Anime Festival Asia 2009 Figures

BMecha

B-Mecha @ Anime Festival Asia 2009 Part 1

B-Mecha @ Anime Festival Asia 2009 Part 2

B-Mecha @ Anime Festival Asia 2009 Part 3

B-Mecha @ Anime Festival Asia 2009 Part 4

I’m sure many of us has seen our share of Sinanjus and its different variations already since it was released. But I don’t think we have yet to come across a Sinanju that comes with such detailed diorama. This piece of wonderous piece of work is done by NorrisPackard (fichtenfoo’s forum) or Karl (in figure.fm).

I’ve first spotted this on fichtenfoo’s forum . This is Karl’s entry for this year’s BAKUC. No major modifications done to the kit itself, with the exception of the particle cannon that it’s carrying on its right hand. This main thing that I would like to bring to your attention is the meticulous attention paid to the small details on the diorama.

Below, is a list of what Karl has done for this project:

• Kitbashed/scratchbuilt main weapon (railgun)
• Scribed additional panel lines
• Used IC sockets to detail up the thrusters
• Custom paintjob
• Scratchbuilt diorama base

Let us look at the overview of the entire diorama, before moving on to marvel at the minute details.

The custom paint job and details of those hexagonals print (above and below ) are also masterfully painted.

The macro details like the above picture really took my breath away.

I’m sure everyone has already know about the upcoming Bandai World Gundam competition, and so if you’re wondering why you’re not seeing this piece of work, this are the reasons why;

1. Karl didn’t finish this on Nov. 1, and,
2. even if he did managed on time, the local BAKUC rules bars him from joining this build in any local or international contest prior to the BAKUC itself, which is really unfortunate and pity.

In addition, this is not Karl’s first work on diorama. Allow me to refresh your memory, with the following picture below.

Familiar, isn’t it? This is also done by Karl. Here are some more others ot it, for those of you who hasn’t seen it before.

Before and after comparsion

The details of the cracks and broken fence are really realistic-looking. If you take the Sandrock Gundam out of the picture, I’m sure many of us would have mistaken them for the real thing from a macro shot.

What do you guys think of this diorama after seeing it? Which part of it do you like best about this diorama?

Have you had the experience of doing a diorama before? If so, how was it?

images via [fichtenfoo]

The Banpresto Desktop Head Display sets, first released in 2008. T the series consisted of four sets, each set containing four display units.

The following sets below are groups in rows:

Set 1 : RX-78, Wing Zero, Impulse Gundam and Gundam X

Set 2 : Zeta Gundam, God Gundam, NT-1 Alex and V Gundam

Set 3 : Nu Gundam, GP03, ZZ Gundam and Turn A

Set 4 : RX79G, Devil Gundam, F91 and Strike Gundam

According to ToyMaker’s review, during his trip to Hong Kong, he visited several stores in search of these Banpresto Desktop Head Display sets. And it seems that these items were really in demand. Majority of the shops have either sold them out or raised the price of their remaining stock by marking them up 2 times of its original price. Despite all these, he was able to still grab a few of them for himself and other enthusiasts.

His initial expectations of the display sets were not very high since the price was considerably lower than its G-System counterparts. But he was proven otherwise when he first opened the package, the moulding was quite accurate in terms of proporation and shape. And it is actually possible to remove some parts easily for colouring if necessary.

While G-Systems display head sets have very good detailings and LEDs installed, the details on the Banpresto units are kept at a minimum with no LEDs as well.

With the fillers done, let us move on to the main stars of the show. Below is a showcase of a collabrative effort between member from plamo.outhere and Zero-G forum:

RX-93 Nu Gundam by Erix 93

V Gundam by Whitebase

Turn-A Gundam by G-Net

RX-79[G] Gundam by ryukick 2088

GAT-X105 Strike Gundam by kbata

RX-79(G) Gundam MODELING by dlcm (Zero-G Forum)

MAS-0011[Ext] EXS Gundam MODELING by Rayloke (Zero-G Forum) [G.SYS Gundam Head Display]

All showcased Gundam Head Display are from BANPRESTO non-scale Gundam Head Display, with the exception of MAS-0011[Ext] EXS Gundam which is from G.SYS Gundam Head Display.

Visit GUNDAM HEAD DISPLAY GROUPBUILD 2009 for more pictures of the respective Gundam Head Displays.

Among all of them which one of the following showcased Gundam Head Display did you liked the most? And did you personally own one of them yourself? If you did, which display head was it? And do you have photos of it to share them with us?

On a side note, I’ve made some changes to the site over the past few days. I will fill everyone in with the new changes and additions that I’ve added at a later time.

Spotted this while dropping by plamo.outthere.

AMS – Advanced Modeling Syndrome;  is a condition that is characterized by a modeler’s obsession or continual pursuit to outdo his own capability & standard, resulting in the inability to complete a model kit. In the worst possible scenario, the modeler could suffered a burnout and become incapable of doing any model kit for long periods of time.

The root for causes are many but can be typify by the some of the following examples below;

• adding Metal trusters, Spikes, Tubing, Grooves covers and also LED lit beam sabers to model kits,
• adding mobility mods and making proportion adjustments,
• surfing the internet for references and research on similar builds before embarking on the project and
• many more.

All these itsy-bitsy things will trip-up a modeler, potentially reducing his/ her production levels to near-zero and leave them in depression, despair and remorse.

So far, there has been no known cure for this illness at the moment. But it can be kept under control if one exercise enough self-control and discipline. And if managed well, it can actually help one to reach & achieve a greater level in plamo-ing.

Am I suffer from it? The answer is a definite yes. And the best prove & example for this, is the Kotobukiya Virtual-On Temjin that I’m currently working on right now. See the pictures below for a sneak peek on the project’s current progress.

Despite fitting it tight, did you notice the seam-lines on the right leg are still noticeable ?

Seam-lines are also visible on the lower arms and thigh areas

*Only the lower right leg are snap-fit tightly to see if seam lines are visible, while the rest are not snap-fit tight.

After getting real close to completion with the painting all done, I realised the seam lines at the joints are still showing, so I decided to hold off the decision to top-coat to complete the project. And instead, to rework on those seam-lines before advancing any further.

So with the explanation and examples done, my question to you all;

Do  you also suffer from AMS (Advance Modeling Syndrome) and have begin to display symptoms of them? If so, are they affecting your plamo-ing life and project?

Here is a quick look and preview of the 1/100 MBV-04-G Temjin Ver.1P from Kotobukiya which I just bought over the internet recently from hlj.com.

Not to keep  you waiting any further, let us move on to preview the initial snapshots of the 1/100 MBV-04-G Temjin Ver.1P built straight out of box first before talking any further.

Below are a breakdown of my initial thoughts after straight-building this kit out-of-box;

• The kit comes with only 14 runners which makes assembly a breeze. You could straight-build the kit and complete the assembly in less than a day.
• Colors for majority of each individual parts are molded accurately which saves time for repainting if you’re planning to straight-build it out-of-box.
• The kit holds pretty well with the exception on the shoulder and lower arm areas, the joining at these areas feels awfully fragile. They could actually breakdown if you exert pressure on them.
• As usual, Kotobukiya kits are expensive. They cost slightly more than your average Master Grade kits. You are advised not to buy them on impulsive unless you really really want them that badly or other manufacturers don’t offer a similar kit.

That sums up my initial thoughts and comments about this kit at the moment, I’ll try and get more detailed & specific when it’s completed. Just for the update on the progress, I’ve just finished the priming phase today. Should everything goes well, we should be seeing it completed by end of next week or the week after.

Did you also recently purchased a 1/100 MBV-04-G Temjin just like me or are you in the midst of planning to get one? What are your thoughts and comments if you have one already? If not, has this preview actually spur you to add this to your shopping list?

Sharing with everyone photos of the winning entries for the Singapore Gundam 00 & Sangokuden Model Kit Challenge 2009 which just recently ended.

Gundam 00 Open Category Winners

1st - 00 Raiser by izzaku81

2nd - Overflag Booster by Eddie

3rd - Cherudim Avalanche Custom by Toymaker

Best New Challenger by MOSCOWER

Merit Prize

BB Sangokuden Open Category Winners

BB Sangokuden Junior Category Winners

Credits to [spruecutters.com] for the photos

My mind has been in a whirl lately;  I seemed to have tried too hard getting everything done at the same time which backfired and resulted in not getting a single stuff done.

Back to the topic, I need some feedbacks from everyone. Well, as you can see I’ve changed into a new wordpress theme called ‘thematic’. With that being said, here comes a series of questions which I need your valuable feedback(s).

• As compared to the previous theme, which layout one is better?
• Is the content (reading text) on single post too narrow that you find them hard to read?
• Is the text hard to read?
• Are the images now too small? (they are now being resized to 375px)
• Is there anything that you wished to see in this blog?
• Any other feedbacks and suggestions that you wished to add that is not listed above?

Looking forward to the feedbacks and suggestions that you guys be offering. Thanks for the help everyone!

One of the gundam plastic model kits that I bought in the past when I first started on gunpla building. Never had the chance to take photos of it in the past since I don’t have a camera back then.

Figured that this would be a good time to show some of the gunplas that I’ve built in the past, so I took the chance to take some photos of it now that I have my own camera.

As you all can see from the photos, sprue marks & other flaws are all visible because I didn’t have the proper tools for gunpla building when I was younger. Yellowing at seam joints occurred as a result of not being coated over with a top coat. sigh..

Lesson learnt, never underestimate the importance of protecting you plamos by coating it over with a top coat after your completion of work, if you want them to last for a long long time.

On a sidenote, as some of you have already realised, I have just changed into a new theme after the old one suddenly screwed up on me. Everything was in a mess and out of place, so rather than salvaging it,  I’ve decided to changed the theme totally to save the trouble and stress.  So far I’ve only updated 2 pages(10 posts in each page) of the latest ones with another 15 more to go, so do not be surprised if you see some of the older post in disarray. Additionally, blogrolls, RSS and others are now temporarily offline for now, they will be back once again when I decided how to rearrange them in this new layout.

I planned to rollout the changes slowly and completed before end of June, with some new ideas I hope to implement. I’ll go over them once I’ve completed and worked them out.