Monday, June 20, 2016

Accessories Review - ANUBIS MULTI FUNCTIONAL ACTION BASE (Suitable for 1/144 Model Kit)

ANUBIS MULTI FUNCTIONAL ACTION BASE

Hello Gundam Fans, today I'm going to do a review on Anubis Multifunctional Action Base.
Straight out of the box you would have 3 Runners, a Set of screw for the claws, 2 pieces of plate (1 Designed and another flat), 1 red color matt, 1 base and 1 instruction manual.
 
3 Runners (Used of course)
2 Plates (red matt I've glue to the flat piece)
1 Base.

and lastly instruction manual~ (back and front)

After all the assembly you would have:
3 Display claws.
have 3 different play option each
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Now for putting the base and plate on you will get something like this:
after that you assemble the claws on the action base and you will get something like this:
And your Anubis Display Base is complete~!

Photos:

If you are creative and want to paint this kit (although I've painted the design plate silver originally was gray) you can get something like this:
Review is based on my own perception of the kit.



Tuesday, June 7, 2016

How to Choose the Right Gundam Model Kit

How to Choose the Right Gundam Model Kit

Once you’ve decided that you want to get into Gundam kits, an important step in picking your first model is understanding the Gunpla grade and scale system. FROMJAPAN breaks the system down for you so that you get the right model the first time.


Understanding Gunpla kit grades and scales

There are 5 existing Gunpla kit grades that you can buy in the market. They are the High Grade (HG), Master Grade (MG), Perfect Grade (PG), Real Grade (RG), and the Super Deformed Grade (SD), respectively. Let’s talk about each grade in detail.

High Grade


High Grade kits are the most collectible because the line-up of Gundams and mobile suits in this grade, whether it be a protagonist’s or an antagonist’s mobile suit, is vast and High Grades are one of the most affordable grades available aside from the Super Deformed kits.

High Grade kits have two scales: 1/144 which is around 13 cm tall depending on the model. Some models are a little bit taller like Sinanju and Sazabi, while some HG models are somewhat shorter like Exia. 1/144 kits are nice to collect and display because they occupy less space than Master Grade or Perfect Grade kits. The other scale is 1/100 which is around 18cm tall.

You can readily determine that it’s a High Grade kit because it will have the abbreviations “HG” on the box and its box art is in landscape format. As for the 1/100 Scale High Grade kits, you won’t be seeing any HG letters on the box, though you’ll know it’s a 1/100 HG kit if it doesn’t have “MG” or “Master Grade” printed on the box art, and the box art is usually in portrait format. Don’t get confused between 1/100 HG and 1/100 MG kits! First timers might get confused because they looks the same.


With regards to detail, HG kits already look great when built straight from the box without any painting. They have a moderate amount of parts to assemble. Adding some panel lining will boost the detail and appearance of your High Grade kit as well as some minor painting in some areas. High Grade kits include some foil stickers for added detail of your model and sometimes the kit also includes some clear stickers as the model’s decals.

The ability to pose models has been improved through the years. In older High Grade models during the 90s, the articulation HG kits were limited but satisfactory, but in recent years, Gunpla technology has advanced a lot and articulation of newer HG kits are superb to the point of being comparable or equal to that of Master Grade kits!

High Grade kits are suitable for everyone, and it’s usually where first time Gunpla hobbyists start their Gunpla modeling journey.

Master Grade

Now if you want more detail, mechanics and an inner frame skeleton to show off, then Master Grade kits are for you! They are the next level up from HG kits, and while more expensive, the pay-off is worth it due to the kits’ level of detail, included gimmicks, mechanics and some dry rub decals that will greatly improve the awesomeness of your model.

Master Grade kits only have the 1/100 scale which are usually around 18 cm tall. Some recent MG kits are much larger like the MG Sazabi Ver. Ka and MG Unicorn Full Armor. MG kits have the “MG” abbreviation on the box art, which is colored gold so that you don’t miss the labelling. The kit box sizes vary depending on the number of assembly parts with the largest being from models like the MG Sazabi Ver. Ka.

The details of an MG kit is where it starts to get very interesting and amazing. The big difference between an HG and an MG kit is that MG kits have an inner frame or skeleton mechanic where you put on the armor pieces one by one just like a Samurai warrior would do when preparing for a battle. Color variation and separation of the armor pieces are also well designed; most MG kits don’t need additional painting since they already look awesome straight from the box like HG kits. Some MG kits also include some LED light-up mechanics.

One of the best parts of the MG kits is applying the dry rub decals! Decals, which are standard additions to MG kits, really make the model look realistic and add to the detail. It takes some practice to apply them to a kit but it’s worth it. If you want crazy amount of decals to put on your model, then consider buying an MG Ver. Ka. Kit. MG kits with a “ver. Ka.” extension on the model name are redesigned by Hajime Katoki, and he really likes lots of decals. You won’t be disappointed with the amount of decals that ver. Ka kits have. EW kits also include lots of decals since EW kits are also redesigned by Katoki.

Master Grades are recommended for the enthusiastic Gunpla modeler/hobbyist, which craves more detail on their models. MG kits requires more effort and work but the payoff is wonderful.

Perfect Grade

Perfect Grade kits are the holy grail of Gunpla model kits! They’re the best of the best in detail, mechanics, and gimmicks, and are the largest highly detailed scale available. PG kits are the most expensive in the market because they have the most number of parts to assemble and their scale size of 1/60.

Perfect Grade 1/60 scale kits are around 30 cm tall. They’re the tallest Gundam models that you can build, and take up a lot of display space! So, you must prepare your display area well. In essence, they are Master Grade kits with so much detail they will blow your mind away. They also include decals like MG kits and usually have LED light-up mechanics, too! They cost a lot of money, but as in all Gunpla model kits, they are worth it. Especially when you’re an enthusiastic Gunpla modeler/hobbyist who wants to take their hobby to the next level!

If you want a Perfect Grade kit but don’t want to hurt your wallet too much, then this is the kit for you! Real Grade kits are roughly palm sized Perfect Grade kits. This is the latest model grade that Bandai has begun producing, and they are one of a kind! It’s the first model grade that is 1/144 in scale but still has an inner frame just like MG kits. How cool is that?

Real Grade

If you want a Perfect Grade kit but don’t want to hurt your wallet too much, then this is the kit for you! Real Grade kits are roughly palm sized Perfect Grade kits. This is the latest model grade that Bandai has begun producing, and they are one of a kind! It’s the first model grade that is 1/144 in scale but still has an inner frame just like MG kits. How cool is that?

The RG kit’s level of detail are comparable to PG kits. Articulation in RG kits is as best as it can get, armor color variation and separation is also at its finest in RG kits. They are heavy on decals, too. Now you know why it is called “Real” Grade, because the goal of this model grade line-up is to produce the most realistic but affordable Gundam and mobile suit model kits available. To pick out this kit grade, look for “Excitement embodied” on the box art and the abbreviation “RG”.

Super Deformed

Super Deformed kits are a whole new world of Gunpla. They have no scale but are around 8 cm tall, they are very short because SD kits are “chibi” in form, hence “Super Deformed”. They are the most affordable kits available and the least amount of parts to assemble. The most popular series in this model grade are the Brave Battle Warriors and BB Senshi, which have their own anime series. If you want something different and “chibi” in appearance, then SD kits are for you! They are a great choice if you want to expose your children to the world of Gunpla since they are easy to assemble and cute in nature.



Monday, June 6, 2016

[Iron Blooded Orphans] 1/100 Scaled Graze Gundam model kits - Review

Today I'm gonna do a review on the Iron Blooded Orphans 1/100 Scaled Graze (Standard/Commander Type). Straight out of the box, you are suppose to start off with building the inner frame of this kit.
You would have a slight lighter gray colour inner frame compare to standard dark gray.
as for the articulation of this kit,
it's fantastic, but there is few issue with this kit I face while posing it without the armor, the arms pop off easily, the crotch pieces split of ever so slightly when I try to spread out the legs, other than that, it's all good.

Not to mention the inner frame is actually quite detailed for a 1/100 scaled model.
\
look at that leg scalp, it's simple yet its nice.
Even without it's armor, it looks like its ready to go out to the battlefield xD

Now as for the armor parts.
The green made me wow, the color combination of the green and the light grey works perfectly.
definitely 10/10 for me on the outlooks. The sad thing about this kit they actually gave you 2 pieces of grey sticker to cover up the yellow part on the chest section.

As for the articulation (with armor).
Still very good, but some of the mobility is hindered by the sideskirt and front skirt.
With the armor on, everything seems to be fine except the hand section, it will pop out easily from the shoulder.

As for the weapons.
You are given the standard weapon, a rifle and a axe.
Graze all armed up with it's equipment.

The graze has a gimmick on his head, you can actually open up to show it's face/camera?
quite cool huh?
 You are also given 2 play choice whether you wanna use the back booster on the butt or on the back.
this is the standard Graze.
in the box you are given this 2 parts, to change it to this graze.

The graze also comes with 2 different types of hands, the open palm or the gripping hands.
 You are also given 2 different type of head display, either changing it the commander type or the standard type.

You are also given extra parts to build the 1/100 Scaled Barbatos  1st/2nd form hands.

Fun Fact, If you actually have a Schwalbe Graze, you can also custom your Graze with its part as it is compatible with each other.

Posing with Graze.

Review is based on personal opinion, if you like this model kit and interested in buying please kindly visit our website
Mainsite: www.gundam.my
1/100 Scaled Graze: http://goo.gl/3K7asc



Bandai celebrates 35 years of Gundam model kits


SHIZUOKA, Japan -- Plastic model kits of the hugely popular TV animation series Mobile Suit Gundam mark their 35th year anniversary since the first model kits went on sale in 1980.

Japanese toymaker Bandai has sold approximately 450 million units of nearly 2,000 different Gundam plastic models so far. The company's craftsman spirit and production prowess have contributed to the enduring popularity of these models, known as Gunpla, over the decades.

Although many toymakers have shifted their production bases overseas, Bandai bucks this trend and still makes these model kits entirely in Japan.

On Nov. 22, Seiya Takaoku, 50, won the championship at Japan's national competition of the Gunpla Builders World Cup 2015 in Akihabara, a central Tokyo district well-known for consumer electronics shops and animation and comic book-related goods.

There were more than 1,500 entries, but Takaoku created his original mobile suit plastic model that had not been featured in any of the Gundam TV or film series. "I make Gunplas in any way I like. That can complement the story or help encourage my imagination. That's what attracts me," he said.

Katsumi Kawaguchi, an official of Bandai's hobby products department, has engaged in Gunpla production since the plastic model kits debuted more than three decades ago. "The more you make Gunpla, the stronger your passion becomes. There are as many works of Gunpla as there are Gunpla creators," said Kawaguchi. "The official [Gundam] story has been updated. Gunpla products are still a strong seller after 35 years."

Bandai operates its manufacturing base for plastic model kits, called Bandai Hobby Center, in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Here, the company melts and molds resin to produce plastic model kits. Bandai's hobby products department has around 140 staffers, and about 90 of them work at this center.

In October, three new resin molding machines went online there. Painted in black and purple, the machines conjure up the image of Gundam's enemy mobile suit, named Dom. These machines apply 180 tons of pressure to clamp molds and produce 4,000 to 5,000 pieces of sprue -- a set of joint-molded plastic model parts -- a day, raising the center's production capacity by 20%.

The molding machines, custom-made by Toshiba Machine, are designed to inject four types of resin -- all different materials and colors -- into molds and produce multi-color sprue pieces. "Throughout the world, only Bandai can handle this machine," said Kenji Shida of Bandai's hobby products department.

Since joining Bandai in 1985, Shida has been focused on Gunpla production throughout his career. Indeed, he is accredited as one of only four "senior meisters" in Bandai's 35-year Gunpla history.

The company uses five different kinds of resin, such as polystyrene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. When molds for new plastic model products are made, Shida and other engineers fine-tune the molding machine's settings according to the shape of such molds and the types of resin used.

To melt granular-like resin, they finely adjust the temperature between 190 C and 240 C and decide which resin to pour into the machine, in what order and at what timing. Currently, it takes about 20 seconds per sprue from the time when they pour resin to when that resin sets. Bandai aims to cut this time to 15 seconds, said Shida.

In this process, their intuitive sense based on many years of experience counts most. Computers are incapable of analyzing the delicate movements and qualitative changes that occur in the four types of resin used, said Shida. What's more, it is important to hash things out with resin makers, such as Asahi Kasei.

Moreover, Bandai Hobby Center is conveniently located in a cluster of relevant companies in Shizuoka. This allows Bandai to produce everything -- from packaging to instruction manuals -- domestically. Its exports of Gunpla model kits account for over 30% of the total shipment thanks to rising popularity in other Asian countries.

Molding with the times

In 1983, Bandai introduced its first multi-color injection molding machines that were imported from Germany. In 1985, the company switched to the ones made by Toshiba Machine. Initially, it used hydraulically-operated machines and could only produce up to 2,500 sprue pieces a day. The company now uses electric injection molding machines.

In 1990, the company introduced multi-component injection molding machines that could combine different types of resin to make a single plastic part or could make movable parts in the molding process by using different materials.

Multi-color plastic parts are connected to a piece of the Gunpla's sprue, and all one has to do is to put all these parts together to make a Gundam mobile suit model. This so-called "colorful plastic sprue" has become synonymous with Gunpla.

Currently, Bandai operates a total of 17 multi-color injection molding machines around the clock, and its hobby center is equipped to produce as many as 24 million units a year, including non-Gunpla model kits.

Over the past 35 years, Bandai has released approximately 2,000 different types of Gunpla models. The company has all of the molds used so far in storage at the hobby center and nearby warehouses. As such, Bandai can bring back and use these old molds to re-produce older Gunpla models if need be.

Bandai reported 76.7 billion yen ($641 million) in sales of Gundam-related goods in fiscal 2014, making up about 14% of group sales at Bandai Namco Holdings, Bandai's parent company.

Bandai has already depreciated the bulk of its Gunpla plastic molds, meaning that these molds are actually its hidden assets. Many Gunpla fans are fond of older mobile suit models. The company can enjoy a high profit margin, although not as high as that of video games, if it brings back those old plastic model kits. This is because such older models come with much less of a depreciation burden.

What would Pokémon look like as Gundam mecha? Awesome fan-made models show us

A fresh take on old-school Pocket Monsters and mobile suits.

On the surface, Pokémon and Gundam seem like they couldn’t be more different. One is about tramping around the globe, looking for colorful creatures to form bonds with, while the other is about flying through space, looking for robots to blow up.

But the two franchises actually have a lot in common. Each has multiple anime and video game iterations plus decades’ worth of lore. Their biggest similarity, though, is that just as Pokémon is filled with a huge variety of inter-connected Pocket Monsters, each with their own unique strengths, weaknesses, and other characteristics, so too are there encyclopedias’ worth of information and technical specs for the vast array of Gundam mobile suits.

And as proof of how easily the franchises could mix, look no further than the handiwork of Imgur user Khrisamisu.

Proving that his love of the two franchises is long-term, Khrisamisu decided to take three of the most iconic old-school Pokémon and create mecha versions of them by sourcing parts from model kits of some of the most venerable Gundam mobile suits.


Charizard here began life as reptilian-looking Danazine mobile suit, to which Khrisamisu added accoutermants from a AEU Enact mecha and a custom paint job. The modeler has dubbed the finished version the PM-006 “Charlie” (006 being Charizard’s official Pokédex number).


Since Charizard is the evolved form of Charmander, one of the original starter Pokémon, Khrisamisu couldn’t let the other two beginning options go unrepresented. After enough experience, Squirtle will eventually transform into Blastoise, so with some parts from the Gusion mobile suit and extra MS Cannon 01, the PM-009 “Sheldon” is ready for battle.

Finally, just as Bulbasaur becomes Venusaur, so too can Venusaur now become PM-003 “Petunia.”


If you’re curious to see the steps that went into making these three awesome robots, Khrisamisu has documented part of the process here, and even includes information on the specific paints used to produce the Pokémon-like colors.


It’s a little surprising, what with so much Pokémon and mobile suite love going on, that neither Pikachu nor the Gundam-type robots themselves are anywhere to be seen, but maybe that’ll be Khrisamisu’s next project.

copied from: http://en.rocketnews24.com/2016/05/23/what-would-pokemon-look-like-as-gundam-mecha-awesome-fan-made-models-show-us-%E3%80%90photos%E3%80%91/

'Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans' Raises Its Flag On Adult Swim

After a long hiatus, Gundam is finally coming back to Cartoon Network as Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans will be aired on Adult Swim in the near future.

The reason why this is noteworthy is that back when Gundam Wing was aired on Cartoon Network, it did incredibly well. The viewing numbers were very solid and many thought this would be the start of the Gundam franchise’s success outside of Japan.

However, before Gundam could find its feet Wing ended and nothing really followed it up. To make matters worse, the demand for the model kits was also incredibly high but due to various production bottlenecks at the time retailers weren’t able to get enough stock.

In the time since, networks like SyFy tried running some of the newer series like Gundam 00 but they didn’t really have the same scope as Cartoon Network to reach the right kind of audience.

So to have Iron-Blooded Orphans come back to Cartoon Network via Adult Swim is fantastic news and with any luck, Bandai will be able to keep up with the subsequent model kit demand. After all, the High Resolution Model of the Gundam Barbatos is nothing short of epic (shown below).

copied from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/05/13

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

videos: how to make master grade gundam model kits

this video will covers gunpla tutorial about:
1. weathering gundam model kits
2. create battle damage effects
3. creating a diorama effect base
4. pen lining Bandai MG destiny gundam model kits
5. installing water decal on model kits with tools
6. removing seamlines on gundam model kits

 it will also explains the history of MG as an experts model kits, u may keep watching it, quite interesting to learn gundam modelling tutorials online too, it's really cool ~~