Bandai METAL Line (MBuild/MStructure/GFFMComposite/MRDamashii/Gundam Chogokin)

[Big s]

38 minutes ago, Scyla said:

Rule of Cool?

I'm sure there is a scientific explanation for it but my first guess would be because it is a cool looking and fun and engaging gimmick.

I was just wondering because I don’t remember that in the design. Was it added like the weird what if panels for the Sazabi?

[no3Ljm]

2 hours ago, Big s said:

I was just wondering because I don’t remember that in the design. Was it added like the weird what if panels for the Sazabi?

True. Original design didn’t have it. Including all the old MG and HGUC kits. We can probably blame the GunPla customizers, resin kits makers, etc for making them cool looking. And now Bandai including Katoki himself are following what was established by the community and applying it to everything else.  

I have to admit those sliding gimmick stuff looks cool on certain suits. But not on Sazabi though. That one is overkill. 

Edited January 12 by no3Ljm

[Big s]

4 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

I have to admit those sliding gimmick stuff looks cool on certain suits. But not on Sazabi though. That one is overkill. 

I honestly never really liked it especially on the Sazabi. The Nu felt like it was trying to be like the Unicorn on the mg ver ka and the Nu really only had psychoframe on the cockpit orb. But it does seem to be something that was a mix of the customized and influenced a bit from Inicorn.

[leeboo1211]

9 hours ago, Big s said:

I was just wondering because I don’t remember that in the design. Was it added like the weird what if panels for the Sazabi?

It was popularized by a specific custom build featured in the Gundam Sentinel Model Graphix series in the magazine and eventually published in the book... I'll see if I can find a photo of it. 

[leeboo1211]

11 hours ago, Big s said:

Why does it have a sliding gimmick?

This book was originally published around 1987-88 so it's been awhile... Now that I see it again, it's a full scratch build... Which is crazy. But it was so popular that it became the de facto Ex-S pose.

[seti88]

6 hours ago, leeboo1211 said:

It was popularized by a specific custom build featured in the Gundam Sentinel Model Graphix series in the magazine and eventually published in the book... I'll see if I can find a photo of it. 

am not the only one who remembered the mismatched shoulder graphics from the old days! thanks for the photo...

that art was so iconic to me back then (esp with that broken circle), that and the red incom's esp on the knees and forehead.....coolness all over

...the EX-S was so cool that they couldnt care less if the shoulder graphics line up... and then came the booster for legs type and that really blew me away...

[lechuck]

15 hours ago, Big s said:

I honestly never really liked it especially on the Sazabi. The Nu felt like it was trying to be like the Unicorn on the mg ver ka and the Nu really only had psychoframe on the cockpit orb. But it does seem to be something that was a mix of the customized and influenced a bit from Inicorn.

I won't argue that the Nu Ver.Ka was to a certain extent riding the Unicorn train at the time, but its conception actually stems from the then also popular Evolve Nu Gundam (from CG animation short) with the more segmented armour and exposed frame.

I believe Katoki said in an interview that just tweaking the design and fixing proportions would have only made it a "Version 2.0" of the Nu, there needed to be more for the Ver.Ka – hence we got the Nu Gundam "Evoke Mode" that sort of combines that popular Evolve split armour design with Unicorn NT-D mode. Personally I think the Ver.Ka Nu did its "NT-D mode" with a better implementation than the actual MG Unicorn, which is a flimsy to keep transformed and appearance wise has proportional issues.

[Big s]

14 hours ago, leeboo1211 said:

This book was originally published around 1987-88 so it's been awhile... Now that I see it again, it's a full scratch build... Which is crazy. But it was so popular that it became the de facto Ex-S pose.

I probably had seen this years ago and long forgotten it. I still think it’s odd to put markings in a spot that would end up splitting like that though.

 

1 hour ago, lechuck said:

I believe Katoki said in an interview that just tweaking the design and fixing proportions would have only made it a "Version 2.0" of the Nu, there needed to be more for the Ver.Ka – hence we got the Nu Gundam "Evoke Mode" that sort of combines that popular Evolve split armour design with Unicorn NT-D mode. Personally I think the Ver.Ka Nu did its "NT-D mode" with a better implementation than the actual MG Unicorn, which is a flimsy to keep transformed and appearance wise has proportional issues.

I think that was the first kit where the ver KA had a weird gimmick. Before that it would either be designed to look like his version of the suit sort of like how the old mg Sazabi and others had a totally redesigned set of pictures in the instructions that looked very little like the actual kit. I remember before that things like the rx78 version ka that came out before had more of the katoki look, but no gimmick and the fix figuration line appeared more like his reworks of designs as well.

I still don’t think the NU or Sazabi mg ver ka looked like his older redesigns and kinda ended just being more gimmick based.

[no3Ljm]

Next MB Dragon Scale. Ryuohmaru from Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru. With transformation gimmick.

[davidwhangchoi]

29 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

Next MB Dragon Scale. Ryuohmaru from Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru. With transformation gimmick.

if i didn't look close enough, 

i would've thought it's another astray seed gundam metal build

[no3Ljm]

2 minutes ago, davidwhangchoi said:

if i didn't look close enough, 

i would've thought it's another astray seed gundam metal build

[68whiskey]

14 hours ago, lechuck said:

I won't argue that the Nu Ver.Ka was to a certain extent riding the Unicorn train at the time, but its conception actually stems from the then also popular Evolve Nu Gundam (from CG animation short) with the more segmented armour and exposed frame.

 

Im going to say they were both made by Anaheim Electronics as my reasoning lol 

[no3Ljm]

1 hour ago, 68whiskey said:

Im going to say they were both made by Anaheim Electronics as my reasoning lol 

Ofcourse! Headed by their top Engineer Katoki Hajime.  

[sjr]

The Providence will be out soon. Should be shipping around the 24th. I'm seeing early sales for nearly 70k Yen.

I pre-ordered last week for ~56k, or slightly less than US retail.

[Test_Pilot_2]

Dunno how I missed them, but I snagged a pre-order for Lancelot and Barbatos today from KappaHobby. Price was fair, I think ~ 477 + free shipping for both.

[Scyla]

New round of preorders for the Sword and Launcher Striker. Release date 07/24.

Sword Striker (¥12800): https://www.anime-export.com/index.php?product=76025

Launcher Striker (¥12800): https://www.anime-export.com/index.php?product=76024

[mog_kupo]

4 hours ago, Scyla said:

New round of preorders for the Sword and Launcher Striker. Release date 07/24.

Sword Striker (¥12800): https://www.anime-export.com/index.php?product=76025

Launcher Striker (¥12800): https://www.anime-export.com/index.php?product=76024

 

Of course Bandai reissues a pair of add-ons that are not very difficult to get instead of a Gunbarrel or Gerbera set

[no3Ljm]

Next Gundam SEED Freedom releated MRD and Chogokin figures to be revealed during the Gundam SEED Series Exhibit at Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo from January 18 to March 10, 2024. Also displayed are the MRD Freedom and Justice Real Type Color Version.

[recon]

On 1/13/2024 at 8:54 AM, leeboo1211 said:

This book was originally published around 1987-88 so it's been awhile... Now that I see it again, it's a full scratch build... Which is crazy. But it was so popular that it became the de facto Ex-S pose.

Boy. I will die a happy man if they release this under the MB or GFFMC line

[leeboo1211]

6 hours ago, recon said:

Boy. I will die a happy man if they release this under the MB or GFFMC line

Lol I contemplated getting the 1/35 G-system GK that was basically this... Then came back to reality regarding my modeling skills. 

[no3Ljm]

7 hours ago, recon said:

Boy. I will die a happy man if they release this under the MB or GFFMC line

35 minutes ago, leeboo1211 said:

Lol I contemplated getting the 1/35 G-system GK that was basically this... Then came back to reality regarding my modeling skills. 

Too bad the JiangGao Model 1/100 Ex-S didn't pan out.

[recon]

1 hour ago, no3Ljm said:

Too bad the JiangGao Model 1/100 Ex-S didn't pan out.

Yup sad

[recon]

2 hours ago, leeboo1211 said:

Lol I contemplated getting the 1/35 G-system GK that was basically this... Then came back to reality regarding my modeling skills. 

That is an expensive monster but awesome display piece

[68whiskey]

On 1/17/2024 at 10:02 AM, mog_kupo said:

 

Of course Bandai reissues a pair of add-ons that are not very difficult to get instead of a Gunbarrel or Gerbera set

I know its not technically bandai but if you dont want to pay $300 or whatever the going rate is , there is always this. Metal Kingdom stuff is fairly decent 

https://gundamit.com/metal-kingdom-gat-x105-aile-strike-gundam-mobius-backpack_p1984.html

[Scyla]

Hacchaka's review for the MB Providence is up: https://hacchaka.net/archives/52104992.html

He beefy: 

[68whiskey]

Its pretty damn cool but imagine paying $4-450 for it and its limited to like 3 poses lol 

[davidwhangchoi]

16 hours ago, Scyla said:

Hacchaka's review for the MB Providence is up: https://hacchaka.net/archives/52104992.html

He beefy: 

i didn't even know he had two hands on his arms. never seen em in the show. 

[68whiskey]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/mXMWGfxaCNc

Heres a pretty detailed unboxing video and a size comparison to the PG Unleashed RX78

[lechuck]

On 1/27/2024 at 11:55 AM, Scyla said:

Hacchaka's review for the MB Providence is up: https://hacchaka.net/archives/52104992.html

He beefy: 

Looking very much forward to this, should hopefully have mine in hands by next weekend.

And I'm willing to bet that Bandai will give us a Legend Gundam derived from this. There is enough reuse potential on the base Gundam, for it to be a valid business case – of course meaning P-Bandai distribution only.

 

[recon]

Chogokin Mighty Strike Freedom

Edited January 29 by recon

[recon]

Other line ups under the chogokin line includes Sazabi and Gundam Calibarn

Edited January 29 by recon

[davidwhangchoi]

i'm confused as hell.. why is there a chogokin line? 

Metal Build is not enough high quality? 

 

[General Rasp]

10 hours ago, recon said:

SOC Mighty Strike Freedom

Is that an actual suit in the new Seed Freedom movie?

[mog_kupo]

5 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

i'm confused as hell.. why is there a chogokin line? 

Metal Build is not enough high quality? 

 

 

I seem to remember that the Chogokin line is a little "less" quality compared to the Metal Build line?

 

That Calibarn looks nice BTW

[no3Ljm]

6 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

i'm confused as hell.. why is there a chogokin line? 

Metal Build is not enough high quality? 

Like mog_kupo points out, it's less quality but still good to display with.  Give or take, somewhere in-between of GFFMC and MB quality?

13 hours ago, recon said:

SOC Mighty Strike Freedom

@recon, I think this is just standard Chogokin line. Not Soul of Chogokin.  

2 hours ago, General Rasp said:

Is that an actual suit in the new Seed Freedom movie?

Looks like it since it has the Gundam SEED Freedom logo on the image banner.

 

But pass for me. I don't like any Strike Freedom variations way past Gundam SEED Destiny series when it comes to design. But I still going to watch the movie.