Anyone into gunpla - Japanophiles unite to share tips on painting our toys (GUNPLA IS FREEDOM)

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It's amazing how closely the Freedom animation models mimic the Gunpla. They even have the same joints! But then, this is nothing new -- in Revenge of Cronos, one of the robots had the Bandai/Made in Japan copyright stamp on its foot, and the CGI models in Transformers Energon were based on the toys.
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I've never dabbled in gunpla (or figurepainting/anything like it), but I've seen some before that are done like aquariums/terariums (sometimes with water) where the models are intentionally roughed up and burnt with tools like soldering irons to look like they were actually in combat. That kind of stuff looks insanely cool.

 
DickMain said:
I've never dabbled in gunpla (or figurepainting/anything like it), but I've seen some before that are done like aquariums/terariums (sometimes with water) where the models are intentionally roughed up and burnt with tools like soldering irons to look like they were actually in combat. That kind of stuff looks insanely cool.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=j8Ag0Tw6Vic
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Ive been practicing and researching about doing gundam dioramas since there are moments in the series i would like to immortalize like God Gundam holding Shining Gundam. Thing is that as a builder you gotta go in knowing that the model will be "damaged" and wont be able to do anything else(posing wise) for the rest of its life(unless you wanna do another diorama with it. Which for me who gets invested when making kits is a hard part for me to overcome sometimes.
 
00R-Gundam said:
Ive been practicing and researching about doing gundam dioramas since there are moments in the series i would like to immortalize like God Gundam holding Shining Gundam. Thing is that as a builder you gotta go in knowing that the model will be "damaged" and wont be able to do anything else(posing wise) for the rest of its life(unless you wanna do another diorama with it. Which for me who gets invested when making kits is a hard part for me to overcome sometimes.
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I know that feel. It's why I can't really bring myself to attempt battle damage; the thought of intentionally fucking up a gunpla just rubs me the wrong way. I attribute it to the same part of my brain that hates the idea of damaging a book in some way, whether it's folding a corner over to mark your place or scribbling notes in the margins or highlighting text. Couldn't even do that to my textbooks in college that you're supposed to write notes in. I could maybe handle doing weathering, but I prefer the actual plastic to remain unharmed. Doesn't stop me from appreciating the work other people put in, though.

Also, new gunpla announcements are happening this week, presumably for Q2 next year. It will be Wing's 30th anniversary next year, so maybe we might see a new kit for that, but they've made a kit for the majority of that series's mobile suits already, so I dunno. Maybe they'll make some more grunt suits? Leos are fine, but it'd be cool to see some of the others like Taurus or Aries or Virgo.
 
Welp, that was a wash. The only new announcements were for Zakupla-kun and Char's Zakupla-kun kits, due in May and June of next year. These will be using standard polystyrene as opposed to Limex, which is good to hear; from personal experience, even if Limex is more sustainable, it's a lot more brittle and easy to accidentally break.

Aside from that, there's some more promo pics of RG Shining Gundam (due in April) and HG Scopedog Turbo Custom (also April), and concept art for HG Ashsaviour (out in June). And that's pretty much it mecha-wise. Guess we'll have to wait for the next big show for any major product announcements.
 
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Got my first "Gunpla", a 30 minute missions baskyrotto. Not had a chance to build it yet.

Given that the model is basically an unlicensed Front Mission kit, it got me wondering if there's anything Bubblegum Crisis related out there. Either licensed, or not.
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For official model kits, the closest I can find is a long out of print Motorslave (a vehicle they would use) and some figma like toys, again long out of print. I'm talking year 2000 out of print.

As for unlicensed copies, there's a line called "30 minute sisters", but they're more little girls with robot limbs instead of women in power armour.
 
Judge Dredd said:
Given that the model is basically an unlicensed Front Mission kit, it got me wondering if there's anything Bubblegum Crisis related out there. Either licensed, or not.
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Not Bubblegum Crisis but there *is* a fully-transforming Moderoid Garland. Be warned, it doesn't have rolling wheels. I wonder if there's some sort of custom hack to give it rolling wheels.
 
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Finally finished repainting my Gundvolva. It's the first time I used brush for painting. Found a kind of paint that can be applied directly without using thinner or anything. Still far from perfect, but I got to start somewhere if I want to improve my hobby skills.
 
Howdy everybody. Saw this thread and read through it real quick, as I fucking love building stupid plastic robots like the turboautist that I am.

I have seen a lot of shit talking of Kotobukiya, and I just want to say one thing: I agree wholeheartedly, they're nowhere near Bandai kits.

That said, I still enjoyed building my Metal Gear Rex and Ray and my Jehuty and Anubis. I should say I did get each of them for a decent price. That is really the biggest issue with each of those kits: the prices are fucking insane unless you get lucky.

Anyway, glad I found this thread. The pictures of people's painted models are inspiring to say the least, they all look great.
 
Finally finished up the skeleton of the MGEX strike freedom, I was nervous about this kit before starting, but it's slowly turning into one of my favorites.

For all the shiny/gold pieces, I have only been needing my nippers and a hobby knife, as most other times require some sanding. However a majority of this kit features under gates which have been fairly easy to work with. Minimal touchups have been needed as well as all the "picking marks" were set up too be covered up.

I had a bottle of mark softener show up with an order, realising I hadn't ordered setter to pair. I made a 1/3 solution of vinegar/water to try out with the waterslides, as I haven't had much luck with them yet.

The HG Heavyarms was alright too build, fairly straight forward build nothing to complain about, nothing to write home about either though.

Current backlog as it sits:
MG infinite justice
MG Zeta Ver.Ka
HG ZZ
 
Do MGs require glue/sanding? Those are things I want to avoid because I'm worried about health side effects. I really want the Eclipse, though; that thing is like a Gundamfied J-Ark.
 
Space Police said:
Do MGs require glue/sanding? Those are things I want to avoid because I'm worried about health side effects. I really want the Eclipse, though; that thing is like a Gundamfied J-Ark.
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I've never had to glue anything and filing isn't required. But a few micro plastic never hurt anybody. I save all the little shaved bits in a tupperware (to avoid having to clean them up later) and sprinkle them on ice cream to celebrate a built kit. Forbidden sprinkles.
 
Space Police said:
Do MGs require glue/sanding? Those are things I want to avoid because I'm worried about health side effects. I really want the Eclipse, though; that thing is like a Gundamfied J-Ark.
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Never glued with my MG's, unless a peg breaks.

I generally wet sand. I have a wet rag in my workstation that I use, rewiping the residue every section. The build-up on the rag is notcible, which is nice knowing that at least it's on there and not in my lungs.
 
Space Police said:
Do MGs require glue/sanding? Those are things I want to avoid because I'm worried about health side effects. I really want the Eclipse, though; that thing is like a Gundamfied J-Ark.
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Glue is rarely if ever needed on pretty much any gunpla from the last twenty years, if not longer. One of the rare recent exceptions is that some of the recent RfV Zakus have a bunch of small greebles that require glue. It's still not a bad idea to have a bottle of cement around for any accidents, or if you want to try seam welding. But anytime you do use glue, as long as you're not sticking the bottle in your nose and taking a huge whiff, you should be fine.

Sanding is just one method of nub removal, so you don't have to if you don't want to. I used to use an X-Acto knife for the job, carefully removing a bit at a time until it was pretty smooth, but that had the downside of occasionally gouging the plastic or my skin. Once I got a glass file, though, that made the process a lot easier and safer. It does make a bit of dust still, but in my strictly non-medical opinion, if you're not going through a dozen kits a week or something, it's probably not a huge health concern; your lungs do have the ability to remove foreign matter, after all. If the thought of it does bother you, wet sanding works with a glass file much like sandpaper, or you could always wear a mask.

Note that this applies to gunpla of any grade. The basics are always the same, the only differences are in how big and how complex the kit is.
 
Space Police said:
Do MGs require glue/sanding? Those are things I want to avoid because I'm worried about health side effects. I really want the Eclipse, though; that thing is like a Gundamfied J-Ark.
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Nah glue aint needed unless some fucky shit is going on with the kits which is super rare. Sanding is optional but if you're worried just use an exacto knife. Also fellow Brave enjoyer if you liked that one i recommend Gundam TryOn 3.
 
Today I finally got the Gaplant, and it is EXCELLENT! I like how big it is, the transformation is clever and sturdy (though I wish there were tabs to snap the legs together), the colours are good, and the pipe detailing is also nice. You can swoosh it around pretty easily too! I also like how it had the same red thrusters as the Raider; that's particularly soulful and toylike. Older kits seem to be pretty soulful in that way, and I enjoy that.
Also, what is the big issue with transforming the RG Zeta? I really want a transforming Zeta, but Wave Shooter is too expensive and hard to find (is there any chance it will be reprinted at some point?), and the RG looks really cool and detailed, so I'm kind of leaning towards the RG. Complex transformations aren't an issue for me, so how complex is it compared to, say, a Transformers Bayverse Studio Series figure?
 
Space Police said:
Today I finally got the Gaplant, and it is EXCELLENT! I like how big it is, the transformation is clever and sturdy (though I wish there were tabs to snap the legs together), the colours are good, and the pipe detailing is also nice. You can swoosh it around pretty easily too! I also like how it had the same red thrusters as the Raider; that's particularly soulful and toylike. Older kits seem to be pretty soulful in that way, and I enjoy that.
Also, what is the big issue with transforming the RG Zeta? I really want a transforming Zeta, but Wave Shooter is too expensive and hard to find (is there any chance it will be reprinted at some point?), and the RG looks really cool and detailed, so I'm kind of leaning towards the RG. Complex transformations aren't an issue for me, so how complex is it compared to, say, a Transformers Bayverse Studio Series figure?
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From what I've heard about it, it suffers a bit from early RG issues like the use of the Advanced MS Joints that are compounded by needing the space for the transformation gimmicks. The connections and joints could loosen up over time, so you might end up having to snap parts back on while you're trying to transform it or have difficulty making it hold a pose. Still, if you're looking for a fully transformable version of it in that scale, it's your only option, so it does make the buying decision easier. Take a look at Dalong's review of it to get an idea of how it all comes together, he documents the entire transformation process as well as various quirks of the kit. If you have the space for a MG Zeta, especially the Ver.Ka revision, that might be worth looking into, though I suppose that wouldn't be the same scale as your Gaplant.

As I mentioned before, RGs have gotten better over time, and newer kits tend to be sturdier and better about their gimmicks. RG GaoGaiGar surprised me with how solid the finished product is after transforming and combining all the mechs together, with only a couple fiddly connections. Earlier kits aren't bad, they just hadn't been developed as much yet, and they're still some of the best looking kits in 1/144 scale.

And yes, everything does get reprinted eventually, but sometimes it'll take a while, especially P-Bandai kits like the Wave Shooter. I did a search to see when it was last reprinted, but unless I'm mistaken, I don't think it was ever available on US P-Bandai, so that would explain why it's hard to find here. Looking at other regions, it seems like it was only printed once in 2017, so it's definitely been a while. For kits you really want, it's a question of how patient you're willing to be versus how much money you're willing to spend.
 
RG GaoGaiGar is my model kit of the year contender, since it is so good especially when youre transforming it, i felt that i was in the anime seeing it transform. Hoping we get the rest of the GGG crew in 2025
 
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