Thursday, March 31, 2011

Giant Gundam (Made in China)

Still remember the life-size gundam build in Japan? Well, China is not about to lose to copy the same thing.


This was being erected in Sichuan theme park last December 2010.

We're used to seeing gundam models used the color white and blue, so the yellow thing bothers me.  I wonder why they choose yellow.













But then, China decides to make their own "original" style of gundam.



After its mysterious disappearance, the Chinese gundam returned on January 2011 and it looks like it has its new modifications.

Looks like there are a mixed of familiar elements mashed together in it, huh?

So, it makes me wonder...

                              Zaku + Gundam equals... hmm...



Source:

Monday, March 28, 2011

Gunpla Tutorial: Panel Lining


Panel lined legs of Strike Freedom HG 1/144
             Panel Lining is probably the easiest way of putting additional details on your gundam model and I'll show you my way of doing it. I'll make use of the HG Strike Freedom's legs as a perfect example to show you how important panel lining is. Just imagine what the legs look like without those black panel lines. I can assure you its very dull. That is why panel lining is important because it makes your gundam model more complete. So lets get started on the panel lining tutorial.


Gundam Marker
Ordinary permanent marker
                Gundam Markers are the main tool in panel lining. The black color is the one commonly used. You can buy it in most local hobby shops that sells gunpla. But if your on a budget, you can make use of an ordinary marker. Just make sure its a permanent marker and doesn't easily wear off. I tried using an ordinary permanent marker and it works well just like a gundam marker. You just need to be conscious about the brand and quality of the marker before buying it.


Left arm of the HG 00 Qan[T]
              Now let's start panel lining. First take a part you wish to panel line. Its better to panel line right away after taking a part from the frame. It makes your job a lot easier. I'll make use of the HG 00 Qan[T]'s left arm as an example. You could clearly see the line there. All we have to do is get a marker and draw a line there.


Drawing a straight line
              Panel lining is simple as drawing a line. Just use your marker to draw a line on the panel. Do it slowly and firmly to avoid getting over the border. It is also advisable to panel line in a working place with good lighting.

Instant panel line
               We've finished panel lining the part in an instant. Very simple, right? But don't think that panel lining is always easy. There are some parts that are difficult to panel line such as circular panels and narrow areas. Smudges and excess markings are likely to happen during this times. But don't worry because I included some tips on how to erase this hard to avoid excess markings in the later part of my tutorial. Please continue reading and lets proceed to the next step which is panel lining thin areas.


Thin panels
                There are some thins panels that the marker couldn't reach. Just like the hand of the HG 00 Qan[T] on the picture above. The panels are too thin that the marker won't go through. In this case we'll need to use a pointed object to reach those thin lines.


Paints
Needle and Toothpicks
             The easiest way to panel line those thin areas is to use a needle or toothpick. This is commonly used on the head part because the panels are too thin for the marker. Just dip the needle or toothpick on a paint or on a smudge from the marker and apply it on the thin panels. Remember to be careful not to puncture yourself. Afterwards don't forget to dispose of the used toothpicks and put the needle in a pin cushion.


Thin area panel lined
               Now we're finished panel lining the 00 Qan[T]'s hand. Thanks to the panel lines, it looks more complete than it was before. But were not yet done. Its time to proceed to the next step. Next, I'll be showing you some ways on how to remove those excess markings.


Excess markings
              Don't panic if you accidentally missed a panel and caused unwanted markings. Attempting to erase it right away might cause the smudge to scatter even more. Instead, wait for it to dry before erasing it. Now I will be showing you some ways on how to erase this unwanted markings.


Eraser
               Who would have thought that an eraser would be usable in gunpla. Its affordable and easy to use. All you have to do is rub it against the excess markings until it disappear. But this could also depend on the quality of the eraser. Another problem is that the eraser can't reach small areas. In this case we'll need to use another method which I will show you on the next step.


Cutter / Design Knife
              You could try scratching off the excess markings using your nails. But this is not very effective. Instead, lets use a design knife or cutter to scratch away those unwanted markings. This is more effective and easy to do. It can also reach those small areas that the eraser can't. Just be careful not to cause any damage or hurt yourself.


Panel lining finished
                Now its clean and free from any excess marks. We're finished with the tutorial and you have everything you need to know about panel lining. As you can see panel lining is fun and easy to do. Its a part of the gunpla hobby and it makes your gundam model complete. So get your gundam model and try it out yourself. 
                Its also advisable to search on the internet for a panel lined example of your gundam model so that you will have a guide on which parts should be panel line. Thats all about it. Thank you for reading my tutorial and look forward to my future posts.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Review: HG 1/144 - Strike Freedom Gundam



Model Number: ZGMF - X20A
Pilot: Kira Yamato
Manufacturer: Terminal
Operator: Orb Union
                Three Ships Alliance
Appearance: Gundam Seed Destiny
Armaments: Beam Saber x2
                  Beam Rifle x2
                  Beam Cannon x2
                  Beam Shield
                  Dragoon System



Body Parts
Panel lined all the body parts. Especially the legs.
The stickers are located on the eyes, shoulders
and chest. You are given four hands, two close fists and two open palms.








Wings of Strike Freedom

A little bit of panel lining, added some gold marking details, and painted the thrusters with red and black markers.








Dragoon System effects


This is my favorite part of the kit and the pride of the HG Strike Freedom. Not even the MG and PG has this kind of effects. It really makes the HG worth buying.






                                                                    

Beam Sabers and Beam Shield


The sabers should have been red. Its a good thing I have some spare red beam sabers. The shield is perfect and very detailed the way it should be.








Beam Rifles and Beam Cannons


Some panel lining on the beam cannons with red mark details. As for the beam rifles, I painted it with white, black, blue and red markers.










This is the combination of the two beam rifles. You just connect the beam rifle to the other one and change the short barrel into the long barrel.























































Click here to see our review on the HG 1/144 - Strike Freedom Gundam (Ver. GFT)

Review:
I had a lot of fun building this kit. I did a lot of panel lining and I painted the beam rifles. The articulation isn't that great. But thats alright since the Strike Freedom really focuses on long range attacks. The weapons are complete and well detailed, especially the beam shield. Expect to do a lot of panel lining, especially on the legs. This model is very dull if done in snap built.

What makes the HG Strike Freedom special from its higher grade versions are the dragoon system effects. Only the HG has this which makes this kit worth buying. But if you have the money to spend its still better to buy the MG or PG, especially the Full Burst Mode version. Thats all for the Strike Freedom HG 1/144. I hope you like my pictures and review. 


Rating: 5 out of 5


Click HERE to view our unbox review of the HG 1/144 - Strike Freedom.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Giant Gundam Survived the Earthquake?

Many otaku fans are worried asking if the giant gundam still remains standing after the earthquake.

Here's what I found:

















I thought it really fell from the quake starting from the upper portion o_O

Turns out it was a planned dismantle.  I wonder where they are planning to take it? I hope they rebuild it again after Japan cleans up.

Or did a gundam fight started that might have caused the quake?




Looks like the Zaku won. 
Source:
Gundam Dismantle
Credit to: Mirage for the  Zaku

Unbox: HG 1/144 - Reborns Gundam


















Expectations:

            First of all I like the box art of this kit. It really attracts you into buying it. I want the Reborns Gundam model since I first saw it on the last episode of the gundam 00 season 2. The battle between the Reborns and 00 Raiser Gundam was really intense. What really shocked me was that the Reborns is a back to back mobile suit. Theres the gundam mode in front and the cannon mode in the back. Thats pretty cool and unique for a gundam. Which makes the Reborns Gundam truly worthy of being the last boss in the 00 series.

             Just seeing all this frames makes me curious on how the model will turn out. I have a lot of expectations on its mechanism. I want it to be just like in the anime. I'm already imagining the cool poses I could do with this model. I'm already building the Reborns Gundam and I will post the pictures as soon as I finish the model.