Gunpla by GoodGuyDan

Update

2025-11-23T08:59:00.000-06:00

I disappeared again. For those of you who were excited to see the new work I promised was coming, I apologize.

Melody, our dog of 15 years, passed away in July this year, and her loss is devastating to us.

We brought Melody into our family around the time I started building Gunpla. She was a constant companion while I worked on kits, and an occasional inspiration.

My wife and I miss her dearly. So, if you have a pet in your family, then please take a moment to show them some love and affection in memory of Mel.

Thank you

Dan

RG RX-178 Gundam MK-II [TITANS]

2025-07-16T18:28:00.000-05:00

Introduction:

Welcome to the second kit in our group build series for Gundam Zeta. You may recall that the first kit was the HG Zeta Plus A1; in contrast to that troublesome kit, the MK-II was extremely easy. I slept on the MK-II since its release, but I can totally see why this kit was often recommended as a starting point for the RG line. It hits all of the now old fundamentals of the early RG line: the pre-molded frame is solid, the details are well cast, and you get a variety of extra materials to accent the build, like the textured hoses and clear pieces. If you've only ever built the newer RG models, this kit gets a strong recommendation from me. Consider picking this kit up from my referral link, and I will earn a fraction of the commission from each purchase. It helps me out tremendously and doesn't cost you a dime!

Kit Talk:

After bumbling through the HG Zeta Plus A1 I made a point of not doing anything too crazy with this build. I did a small amount of masking to highlight various areas of the kit, fused some seamlines, but otherwise built and painted this kit entirely out of the box. The TITANS version of the MK-II Gundam comes with a few alternative 'prototype' parts you can choose to use; I used a few of them in this build on the shoulders and calves.

Decals for this kit came from G-REWORK; their design is similar to the RG decal layout, but the design differed in a few key ways that I preferred. My color scheme is also somewhat influenced by G-REWORK. I also went with a less saturated design, although I didn't go quite as far as their design.

Photos:

MG MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon

2025-07-04T07:33:00.017-05:00

Introduction:

One of my favorite pieces of work was the old Gelgoog 2.0 Anavel Gato custom I cobbled together using the newer 2.0 Gelgoog body and very old 1.0 accessory parts. (This is well before Bandai ever announced the P-Bandai version of Gato’s unit). I took a lot of time to painstakingly masked that kit since I was participating in an HLJ contest at the time. The kit didn’t place in any category, but I was still very proud of that project.

This Gelgoog Cannon was my chance to revisit the Gelgoog 2.0 in a new format and bask in the nostalgia of this design. I tried to recapture some of that painstakingly masked detail without delving too far into the minutiae. Despite being a recent-ish P-Bandai design, the Gelgoog Cannon’s Cannon parts are all from the initial MG release in the mid-90s. If you’re planning to pick this kit up, be prepared for some mid-90s jank. If you want to support me and the work I do you can purchase a Gelgoog 2.0 using this link to Amazon. Any time you purchase something with my link, I get a small percentage; it won’t cost you a dime, but it will help me out immensely.

Kit Talk:

People seem to sleep on the Gelgoog 2.0. Sure, the frame is less flexible and detailed compared to the Zaku 2.0 or Gundam 2.0; but there’s still a lot there to enjoy. The armor panels are also nicely detailed with more raised and sunk detail compared to the Zaku. The Gelgoog also has PRESENCE; it’s huge compared to the Zaku or Gundam, and definitely stands out nicely on the shelf. Weirdly, this specific kit has a bit of a fit issue on the back of the legs; I just can’t seem to pinch those bell-bottom legs together as tightly as I want. I don’t recall this being an issue on the last Gelgoog I built, so this part might have just warped slightly over the years.

I looked through a few of the canon (hehehe) color schemes for the Gelgoog canon, but I settled on this grey and white version. I felt like the simplicity of the armor was a nice contrast to the intricacy of the inner frame and the busy decal layout. I snuck a bit of bright red into the verniers and the tank on the backpack, and I chose decals with small yellow elements for a little pop of color.

The decal scheme for his kit was inspired by an old Zeongraphy toy. The complexity of the decal scheme elevates the overall design. Decals came from a variety of sources, including Delpi, Bandai, HIQ, and whatever half-used sets I squirreled away for a rainy day. The decal layout of this kit really wants you to know that this Gelgoog is part of the 58th unit; it’s just too bad that unit doesn’t have a cool insignia.

Photos:

More updates are coming

2025-06-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

About three years ago I really fell off of my process of building, painting and photographing kits in a timely fashion. Since then my piles of built but unpainted kits, and painted but un-photographed kits just kept growing.

Below is a list of all of the projects I finished, but haven’t photographed. Hopefully over the coming weeks many of these kits are going to find their way onto this site.

HG Stark Jesta August 22
MG Tallgeese Flugel November 22
MG Astray Blue Frame December 22
HG Macross Plus YF-19 June 23
HG GP00 Engage Gundam July 23
MG Buster Gundam 2023 June 23
RG Z’Gok July 23
MG GM Sniper 2 September 23
MG Duel Gundam November 23
HG Full Armor Gundam GTO January 24
RG GP01 April 24
HG Ariel Gundam April 24
HG Age 1 Razor May 24
EX Musai December 24
HG Jack Edge January 25
MG Gelgoog Cannon March 25
HG Zeta A1 2025 (posted today!) May 25
Rg Gundam MK II June 25
HG G-Xiphos June 25
HG Shaldoll Rogue June 25

HG Zeta Plus A1 Test Type Color

2025-06-26T07:37:00.009-05:00

Introduction:

Lately, I’ve been involved with a series of group builds for various series (some of these group builds happened months or years ago, and I never got around to photographing the kits). This kit was one of the kits that I built for a Zeta era group build. The designs of the Zeta era have grown on me over time, and the A1 version of the Zeta might be one of my favorites. It’s just too bad that this particular color variation is a P-Bandai kit at the HG scale. If you’re interested in picking up an HG Zeta A1 for yourself,f consider supporting me by purchasing one through this Amazon affiliate link. I receive a small percentage of any purchase you make, and it doesn’t cost you a dime to use!

Kit Talk:

I was overambitious with this kit, I made some dumb mistakes, and I compromised the stability of the design. Despite all of those statements, I still don’t hate how the kit turned out. I modified the thigh/knee area of the kit to allow the lower leg to rotate just above the knee. In theory, I liked the extra mobility this modification provides. In practice, this required removing a lot of material, making the joints very fragile and prone to separating. I also replicated a mod I’ve seen on many Zeta/Sentinel designs, by using plastic plate I elongated the distance from the forehand to the back of the head. I also made many of the “normal” modifications to this design (reshaping, sharpening, seam line fusions, etc).

I based the kits’ color scheme off of an old Robot Spirits Ka Signature toy, which features a two-toned red splinter camo scheme. Unfortunately, the two reds I chose did not have a lot of color contrast. I didn’t notice this until it was too late, and if I’m being honest, I was running out of motivation to finish, and I wanted to move on to another Zeta era kit before the group build ended. On top of that, the camera crushed any remaining contrast in the pictures.

Decals are from Ghost/GRework. I really like the decal designs and layout they chose, and the decals contrasted well with the color scheme. Based on what I’ve seen with other kits in their series, the decal designs can change over time. So, if you see a decal design you like, I recommend purchasing it before it changes.

Photos:

Kits for sale!

2025-06-21T16:24:00.003-05:00

I hate that I need to do this, but I must make room on my shelves for new projects. I've listed a handful of painted projects on my Etsy store. Some have already sold, so if there's something you've seen on my site that you really want, this might be your opportunity to own it. There are currently 14 kits for sale, and more may become available.

Here's the link to the store and a few pictures of the kits that are for sale:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/GunplabyGoodGuyDan

RG GF13-017NJII God Gundam

2025-01-01T21:54:00.003-06:00

Introduction:

This is the last kit I received from JojoHobbyNStuff right around the time the kit was originally released, and I regret not posting it sooner. Of all the available versions of the God Gundam (HG, MG, HIRM) the RG is definitely the one to get. It has an excellent level of detail, good pose-ability, a variety of expressive hands, cool effect parts for the back, and my favorite rendition of beam saber effect parts.

Do you like my work and do you want to support me? Consider buying this kit, (or anything else) on Amazon using my affiliate link. It doesn't cost you a dime and allows me to continue to create new content for you to enjoy!

Kit Talk:

In hindsight, I'm not sure the all-gold 'Hypermode" color scheme was the right choice. I used a variety of Gaia Notes and Mr. Hobby gold tones, along with a few custom mixes that included clear yellow, orange, and red to various degrees. It's a bold and ostentatious look (that's saying something for a kit normally painted in bright primary colors). If I purchased the kit again tomorrow, I would choose to paint it in the classic color scheme.

I didn't modify the kit in any appreciable way, because it simply didn't need it. Decals wouldn't have stood out well against the gold, so I opted to exclude them from the build.

Let me know in the comments below, is this a kit you built and bought? Did you enjoy the build, and if not, what about the build did you not enjoy?

HG RMS-117 Galbaldy β

2024-12-28T14:18:00.007-06:00

Introduction:

The Glabaldy is one of those Zeta designs that I've really grown to love over time. I'm a huge fan of the MS-14A Gelgoog, and the Glabaldy shares many design similarities with it. Although unlikely, I would be happy to see more designs from this lineage like the Glabaldy α.

Kit Talk:

I feel like a lot of people skipping this model kit, and I feel like that's a mistake. It's a really well-designed kit, with a decent amount of molded detail, few notable seamlines, great color separation, good mobility and a few fun gimmicks. For a measly 1,600 ¥ you can do way worse for the HG line.

This is the second time I have painted this kit, (the first time was a collab project), so I kept this project pretty simple with a full paint job, some masking, and a custom decal scheme. I can envision this kit being the basis for a lot of fun bashing or modification projects.

Maintenance Update

2024-12-07T11:24:00.002-06:00

I noticed a few kits still needed to find their way into their respective galleries at the top of the page.

I'm working through 11 years of work to ensure everything is accounted for. If you happen to notice that a kit is missing from one of their respective galleries, drop me a note in the comments!

HG RGM-79V GM Night Seeker

2024-12-04T21:32:00.000-06:00

Introduction:

The Night Seeker is one of the MSV designs that I saw and immediately fell in love with. The first time I became aware of the design was from the Manga MSG 0083 Rebellion, in which a squad of special forces Night Seekers is dropped from a Gunperry in an attempt to recover the Gundam "Physalis." They fail, of course, but the design of these GMs is striking. I still need to pick up the Night Seeker II, and I'd like to make one or two of the Vasuki variations.

Kit Talk:

There's not too much to say about this kit. I've done so many HG GMs from Gundam the Origin that I can't remember the different mods between one or the other. You can expect there were some seam fixes, option parts, masking, etc.

Photos:

MG FA-010A FAZZ Ver Ka.

2024-11-17T21:36:00.007-06:00

Introduction

The MG FAZZ Ver. Ka. feels like a 'weird' kit to me. Not because the design isn't cool or popular; but because this is exactly the type of kit I would expect Bandai to release as a P-Bandai exclusive. I'm happy they didn't, but it still feels weird.

Unsurprisingly, the MG FAZZ Ver. Ka. is based on the MG ZZ Enhanced Ver. Ka. Some of the transformable parts have been excluded from the design. The backpack, chest, head, and exterior armor have also been changed slightly to allow the installation of the supplemental white heavy armor. Despite the weight and high center of gravity added by the Hyper Mega Cannon, the model is stable, but it has developed a slight lean.

Kit Talk

Despite the size and time required to finish this kit, I enjoyed this project, but I'll admit it was long and taxing. I used scribing tools to add and re-scribe details into the grey and white armor layers. I used masking to color-separate some model components; otherwise, the kit is mostly stock. If you're a fan of the FAZZ Gundam, I recommend picking this kit up!

Photos

A long overdue post

2024-03-28T14:59:00.000-05:00

Hi folks, it's me, Dan,

This post should have been made ages ago, and it wasn't. But, now seems as good a time as any, and I think its better to say something instead of nothing.

Here's the short version. I'm still around, I'm happy and healthy, and I still build and paint model kits from time to time. But, things have also changed. I acknowledge that Gunpla and model building is no longer as important to me as it once was. And it's becoming more and more difficult to find the time to do all the things I once did to keep the content stream flowing.

I have a few more kits that are already photographed and ready to post. But, I'm not holding myself to photographing every kit I have finished or will finish.

If you're here because you like perusing my work, don't worry. I don't plan to take this website, my discord or YouTube channel down. In fact, this site will be here as long as Google decides to keep supporting Blogger. But, I also don't plan on updating this site regularly anymore.

If you ever feel like popping in to say 'hello' or to see what's going on, check on our Discord channel. It will be posted on the side bar of this site. That will be the best way to get my attention. Things may change again in the future, and I might start building like the old days again, or I may stop altogether. Either way, it's been fun, I've met some amazing friends along the way, and I've made a lot of really cool stuff that many of you seem to enjoy.

Until we meet again,

Happy modeling,

Dan

HG Moon Gundam

2023-12-30T10:25:00.002-06:00

Introduction:

In hindsight, I should have done this color scheme on the Varguil instead of the Moon Gundam. However, it's been a few years since there was a print run of Varguils, and the 'p-Bandai tax' isn't worth it for just the mono-eye head.

If you like my work, consider purchasing this kit or anything else from my Amazon affiliate link! It doesn't cost you anything and every purchase supports me directly!

Kit Talk:

The HG Moon Gundam is a fantastic HG kit. It has excellent color separation, good poseability, and an exciting design. It also looks like an undersized Sazabi. Unsurprisingly those similarities inspired the color scheme and modifications I made to this kit.

The new funnel racks are from the HD Funnel 01 set. They have a similar design to the Sazabi, although I wish the set included the parts to make the funnels appear like they're lunching out of the racks.

HG Narrative Gundam Type C

2023-08-16T21:27:00.005-05:00

Introduction:

I think the base Narrative Gundam Type A/B variants are a pretty boring designs. The NarrativeType C on the other hand is great. The design maintains the skeletal 'scarecrow' aesthetic of the A & B while having some psycho-frame pizazz. It looks like a mech that was pulled out of mothballs and just fitted with whatever they had while in transit to the AO.

I don't feel like I've seen many painted examples of this kit, so I would definitely encourage anyone with an inkling to take the plunge and paint one up.

If you would like to support me and my work without spending any extra money, consider buying this kit or anything else using my Amazon affiliate link. It doesn't cost you anything, and it helps me immensely!

Kit Talk:

There isn't much to mention with this kit. I did a bunch of masking and seam fusion. You may notice that the V-fin on the Type C looks a bit different than the one on the Type A. I accidentally cut too much off one side of the horn, and I had to reshape both sides to get it to look right. I also cut out and replaced two of the missiles inside of the shield with some plastic plates and details parts.

The psycho-frame color is a mix of clear red, fluorescent red, and some pearl red. This mixture is still translucent, but the pearl flake adds a lot of character to the parts.

HG Narrative Gundam Base Model

2023-07-26T23:02:00.001-05:00

Introduction:

Have you ever seen a movie where a character falls over the ledge of a cliff, and at the last possible second someone grabs a hold of them before they fall into oblivion? That was this kit. After seeing Gundam Narrative in theaters, and not enjoying it, I abandoned this fully painted kit into my bin of spare and junk parts. Four years later I dug it out of that bin and finished it.

Shockingly, the paint was undamaged despite being tossed into that bin and moved across town more than once. I felt like I couldn't put more time into this version of the kit because I was missing everything except the mobile suit.

Stay tuned, because this isn't the last time you're going to see the Narrative Gundam on my site.

Do you like my work? Do you want to support my future projects? Consider pickup up this kit or something else on Amazon through my affiliate link!

Despite being described as a prototype for the RX-93 V Gundam, the Narrative is about a head shorter than its eventual successor.

Frame Arms Girl LUDENS (EVA Creative Suit)

2023-07-10T22:01:00.000-05:00

Introduction:

I've been a fan of Hideo Kojima's games since I played Metal Gear Solid back on the PlayStation in the late 90s. And, when I found out that Frame Arms Girls was going to make a version of the Kojima studio Ludens studio mascot, I knew I had to get it.

Kit Talk:

This was my first Frame Arms Girl kit, I wasn't sure what to expect with this model kit. This kit required a fair amount of seam work, masking, and hand-painting for the raised golden barnacles and the grey trim around the suit. One of the chest straps cracked at the last minute, it may be visible in some of the closer shots.

I chose to only paint the EVA suit version of the kit, and I skipped the 'skimpier' version.

If you would like to support me and the snazzy work that I do, then consider purchasing this kit or something else from my Amazon affiliate link!

Photos:

MG Gundam Epyon EW

2023-07-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

Introduction:

Just like the MG Prototype Wing Zero EW from June I built and painted this kit as a part of the Gundam Wing group build that we hosted on my Discrod server in 2021. I had built the MG Epyon once before in 2013 as a commission. I recalled being very impressed with the kit back in 2013, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had the same overall impression of the build. The MG Epyon has aged extremely well and I would absolutely recommend picking one up if you vibe with the design. I also recommend picking it up from my Amazon link if you would like to support me and the work that I do in the hobby.

Kit Talk:

I made a few modifications to this model kit. The most time intensive (and probably least notiable) was hiding the seamline that runs all along the wings. This process required extensive modification of the parts, the painting and assembly order. I don't think I would recommend this mod to most people.

One simple mod I would recommend is to upgrade the center 'search eye'. All this mod requires is some material remove a bit of photoetch and an aurora gem. It's fast, easy and it adds a ton of character. Also, because it's in the center torso, it's a hard mod to miss.

Photos:

Razor Crest

2023-07-04T14:00:00.009-05:00

Introduction:

The first season of the Mandalorian TV show is my favorite piece of recent Star Wars media. I love the 'lived in' quality of the world and the equipment that inhabits it. The Razor Crest is a prime example of that world building and prop design.

The Razor Crest is a 'ST-70 Assault Ship' a type of military patrol ship. But, it feels like an upgunned Ford Panel Van. I love that the hull looks like all of paint has been worn away, it looks greasy, battered and used far beyond it's intended lifespan and role.

Kit Talk:

This is a tiny little model and I finished building and painting it in about a day. I used this kit as a test case of Mr. Color's line of 'Super Metallic 2' paints. I picked out a few panels and masked on different metal colors. I also picked out the rims of the engines with a golden color. I shaded the exhausts to give it that 'burnt metal color'.

The yellow/orange striping on the sides of the hull was painstakingly masted on and then chipped off by hand. I chipped off too much of the paint on the one side, but I still like the overall appearance.

This is a great little model if you want a quick and easy project. Pick one up on Amazon through my link to support my work.

Photos:

MG Prototype Wing Zero EW

2023-06-04T22:07:00.001-05:00

Introduction:

I built this (and the next kit) in 2021 as a part of the Gundam Wing group build that we hosted on the Discord server. I remember when this kit was first announced, many people were upset that this wasn't the "TV version", I didn't have this hang-up. I really like the design, it's emblematic of the TV version but with a modernized, detailed flair. I'm a big fan, and I hope you also appreciate what I did with the design.

Kit Talk:

A lot of the mods I made to this kit aren't very apparent. I added magnets and pla-plate to the twin beam rifles to hide a lot of ugly connection points between the rifles:

I also filled many of the hollow gaps visible on the kit:

One last element that I didn't document was an upgrade to the 'search eye' in the chest with new parts and an aurora gem.

Photos:

PG Exia Gundam

2023-02-26T21:15:00.006-06:00

Introduction:

PG kits always feel like a 'special event' to me. I need a special reason to start one, otherwise, it feels like I'm 'cheating' on the rest of my backlog. I started the PG Exia right around the time people started working remotely during COVID. It sat for a long while in pieces, and I only buckled down to paint it just before I started my new job over a year ago.

Kit talk:

I don't really bother to mod PG kits very much aside from re-scribing a few panel lines. I tweaked the color palette with a custom mixed light grey, electric blue, and pink. Early into the paint job I decided to push more metallic colors into the frame, I like how those small metallic areas create points of interest that keep your eye moving around the design.

I also supplemented the decal design of the kit using a variety of markings from a few different Kotobukia decal sets. I like the character and realism the additional markings bring to the design.

MG Build Strike Noir

2023-02-01T20:46:00.005-06:00

Introduction:

This is a fun little project I dreamed up after acquiring an MG Build Strike last year. This project ran into a few snags, which I'll talk about a little bit later.

In my head, I came up with a little story about Sei Iori building a few variations of the strike using the spare parts from the Build Strike. He would use these variants for exhibitions or friendly Gunpla Battle matches. The type of matches that you wouldn't want to bring your prized fighter to absolutely decimate your opponents (that's just poor form!). The Build Strike Noir, is a great exhibition fighter, it has a ton of different weapons and equipment, and the design is well-balanced, agile, and powerful. It's the type of design that would put on a great show for a crowd, even if it doesn't have the raw power of Star Build's RG system.

Kit Talk:

The Build Strike works remarkably well as the base for the Strike Noir. The designs have similar silhouettes, and the striker packs are compatible with both designs:

Let's talk about where I screwed up. This is a pretty basic mistake, something I should have been prepared and aware of. I received and started building/painting the Build Strike part of the project months ahead of the Noir part. By the time I came back around to the Noir pack, I lost track of the grey I had used for the main armor color which explains the mismatched grey tones. Decals are from Delpi decals sets for the Build Strike and Strike Noir.

RG Evangelion Unit-00

2023-01-30T16:30:00.009-06:00

Introduction:

Evangelion Unit-00 was my introduction to Bandai's line of RG Evangelion kits. Having built the old HG Eva kits, and Koto's TV version of the Kotokits my expectations were low. But, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the design, the details, and poseability. This kit includes parts to build both the early and late types of Unit 00, I chose to keep this kit in the late type configuration.

The paints used on this kit are from Gaianote's Evangelion color line. The decals used are from Delpidecal. This kit required just a pinch of masking for the silver details on the interior body suit. I purposely mixed a combination of glossy and matte coats to add contrast to the outer armor. I think this mixture of finishes will be carried over to my other RG Eva kits.

HG RGC-80S GM Cannon Space Assault Type

2022-12-31T11:14:00.010-06:00

Introduction:

Sometimes a kit it so nice, you just have to build it twice. After I gifted my first HG GM Cannon Space Assault Type to Shin of JoJoHobbyNStuff fame, I decided I needed another. This kit borrows the shield and bazooka from the HG Gundam Rollout Color, because why not. This kit features a bright peachy red, which might have been a custom color, or it might be right out of a bottle. I don't quite remember and this kit has been painted for at least six months at the time of writing. This build includes all my usual tips and tricks like panel line scribing, seam line fixing, and other things that I don't quite remember. Decals are probably from Flaming Snow.

Photos:

HG RX-78-02 Gundam Rollout Color

2022-10-16T11:23:00.009-05:00

Introduction

Just like my older Beyond Global kit, I decided to repaint this P-Bandai model in the Fix Figuration style of 'Rollout Colors'. I really like the concept of having the bare Luna Titanium Alloy visible. The glossier metallic colors contrast well against the flat red and white. I scavenged the weapons and equipment from this kit for other projects. I like the idea that this mobile suit would have been unarmed and just used for mobility testing at this stage.

The metallic colors of this kit are Mr. Color Super Metallic 2 Stainless Steel. I purposefully kept the metallics in their natural 'out of the bottle' finish and I flat-coated everything else using GX 114. The decals used on this kit are from Flaming Snow.

1/48 RX-78 F00 Yokohama Gundam

2022-10-11T19:55:00.006-05:00

Introduction:

Do you know what my big issue with this kit is? Once I finished it I immediately regretted not having the full Mega-Sized kit. The Yokohama version of the Gundam is probably my favorite version since the old 3.0 design. It's too bad that sourcing the Mega-Sized version is difficult in the US.

I rescribed some lines on this kit, and added aurora domes to the clavicle lights? cameras? All of the painted colors were based on the ratios listed within the manual, but they aren't exact because I used Gaianote's paint. The metallic color used throughout the kit is a mixture of silver, titanium and gold; and the thrusters are a mixture of silver, iron and clear blue. Decals are from Delpi Decal.