A Gundam Newbie

[Scream Man]

So i just got into Gundam. To be specific, I got shown designs and then episodes of Gundam 00, and for the first time really liked it. i have always found Gundams so busy looking and over the top, or else very square and block so that neither really appealed to me. When Gundam finally came to Australia it was Gundam Wing, which I didnt like at all. Busy designs, annoying characters...it just didnt grab me.

but that turned around when i was shown 00, and I suspect ill like Seed ok too based on what I have read. So, being the vaguly obcessive compulsive guy i am, I started looking at Gundam models and toys. And hewre is where I got bamboozled.

So many scales! And then within a scale, there are different grades. It all got a tad confusing. I gathered a bit from Wiki, and a bit from looking around, but Im still confused about whats happenign. So I turned to u all for assistance.

There are 1/100 cool looking 00 models. There is a 1/60 Exia. There are both nice lookijng and lousy looking 1/144's. There seem to be very very small overpriced toys. isd that it from 00 so far?

Next; I went out and grabbed a couple of the kits just coz they looked cool. One was a freedom from G-Seed, and thats looks fine. The other is a Crossbones, which also looks great, but i have no idea what its from. If Im reading right, it seems to be just a random thing Bandai made up. In fact i found a section on toywave that seemed to be all random things Bandai made up! Is that common?

And lastly, is there a listing anywhere, with imnages, of the ships? Im sure i saw a ship kit ages ago i really liked and was going to get, but talked myself out of.

Cheers all!

[dizman]

Oh to be a gundam newbie again, so many series, so many gundams, so little time ! Anywhoo for your standard model kit that wont dissapoint, has plenty of features, and is averagely priced go for the 1/100 series. The 1/144 are really just kiddy models (sorry to anyone who disagrees). The 1/60 line is quite badass but are intricate and moderately hard to put together. Oh yes, bandai makes up tons of things that pertain to gundam as to sell more toys/models. If you needed a list of gundam series to watch heres a few.

Mobile Suit Gundam (try for the 3 movies, shorter and cathes all the main points of the series)

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (one of the best sequels and regarded by some as the best of the entire gundam saga, watch the series if you can)

Chars Counterattack (Only a movie but it wraps the orignal timeline up fairly well)

FINALLY

8th MS Team (IMHO the best gundam OVA made, definately worth a watch)

Heh, hope I helped .

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

aeug.blogspot.com is the best resource I know of for news and pics of various kits and figures. Upcoming ones, that is.

I liked Gundam Wing, by the pictures and designs when I was younger, the series was likeable, til I realized that derived so much from the original Gundam, and didn't add a whole lot new. Gundam Wing, like Seed, is an Alternate Century series, most of us here are UC, or Universal century fans. Universal century encompasses the original Gundam series and everything associated with it in its continuity.

Overall, Wing was one of the first ones I was able to watch in its entirety, it was cool, but the excitement and appreciation of it did not last long. Its definitely the most over rated of the Gundam series in my opinion. I still like it, but nowhere near as much as before. For example, Zexx is very reminiscent of Char, but unlike Char, does not go the distance nowhere near as much. Char is more calculating, definitely more hellbent on getting revenge. Anyone remember that scene with Kycilia in the 3rd movie/last parts of the series? AWESOME. Basically, Zexx is a much softer Char with a winged mobile suit in a nut shell.

By what you said, it sounds like you will be more of a UC fan. 0079-08th MS Team-0080-0083-Z-ZZ-V-Turn A.

As differnt as the Turn-A design is, and as loathed as it is, I like the design a lot(hated it at first). It looks pissed when in motion. Also of note, is that Tomino told Mead to change his original designs twice, because they looked too much like traditional gundams. Mead may take a lot of the heat for Turn-A's design, but its not his fault. Seeing it in motion changed my mind.

Of the AC series, I like 00.

As for models, you're better off tracking down the newer or v2.0 1/100 Master Grade models. If you have the dough, and are experienced, the 1/60 Perfect Grades might appeal to you. For figures, the MSIA have a lot of variety but are made of PVC. The HCMpro line has tiny figures but are made of ABS and POM. I have yet to handle the HCMpro, but I hear good things about them. The reason I have yet to purchase any is due to the small size and high price. You are paying more for these than for a MSIA.

Edited April 14, 2008 by Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0

[thegunny]

Here's my take on the kits.

Due to the overwhelming amount of kits I've settled on HGUC (High Grade Universal Century) 1/144 kits for all the variants and MG kits for the main versions. The HGUC kits are reasonably detailed, quite cheap and don't take up as much space when completed. The older 1/144 non HG kits are a bit ho-hum but then if you want to have a complete set you have to go with some of the older kits (they are dirt cheap which helps offset the lack of detail). Gundam 00 kits are just called HG or FG as it isn't in the Universal Century but they are the quality.

The MG 1/100 kits are pretty good with heaps of details and parts but are fairly large in some cases and to do them justice you really need to take your time with them.

The EX kits are really high detail kits that require full painting and all the tricks in the book to do them properly. Their scale varies depending on the subject but they are usually restricted to support vehicles and space ships. I think the Hildolfr is the only mecha in that range.

If you want a challenge then get the 1/400 Mussai or White base. They are absolutely huge! I haven't started on mine as I've got nowhere to put the finished models

[Mr March]

If you do not watch Gundam 0080 War in the Pocket, you have no soul

[Gubaba]

I highly recommend the newer 1/100 scale Master Grade models. The older ones ('96-'99) can be a little iffy. (RX-78GP02, I'm a-lookin' at you!)

Try http://www.gundam.channel.or.jp/pramodel/

It's Japanese only, and they haven't updated it in a while, but it should give you a good idea of what's available.

And, uh...best of luck to you getting into Gundam. When I was intorduced to it, there was a grand total of three TV series and three movies (which themselves were just a compilation of the first series), so it was easy to keep track of. It's become horrendously confusing since that idyllic time...

And yeah, as dizman said, watch the original Universal Century series. They're the most popular and rewarding Gundam stories out there, if a little old-fashioned.

[promethuem5]

Hit up dalong.net for extensive galleries of all of the modern Bandai kits... HGUC, MG, non-grade, 00 stuff, it's all there.

[GRAND CANNON]

0080 and 08th MS Team are at the top of my list.

As mentioned above, Gunota Headlines is an excellent source for Gundam news and cannot be recommended enough.

It is also where I gather the info for the checklists in my signature. Have a look-see.

Also MAHQ is an amazing source for any/every type of vehicle that exists in the Gundam universe.

GC

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I gave up all my gundam toy/model money for macross toy/model money.

Gundam has way too many robots in it to be honest. What they should do is limit the number of robots in a show and focus only on 1 or 2, because I think by the time seed came out, it was getting hard to differentiate one gundam from another gundam when the fights showed gundams fighting against each other. It was very confusing.

If the shape is unique or there is a special theme to the robot that makes it more identifyable then I am happy. Which is why I like 00. The way I see it is each side should have 1 or 2 identifying features that best represents that "race" on the robot so when they fight they don't become a confusing mess like with the fights in the seed shows. (so many "hero" head turrets!)

And yeah, as dizman said, watch the original Universal Century series. They're the most popular and rewarding Gundam stories out there, if a little old-fashioned.

I think the goofy 70s robots is part of the appeal. Robots with 70s style flares. Overweight fat robots with big-ass cat claws. Heroes that insist on using melee weapons to fight in an age of guns to prove who is more 'right'. (ie reminds me of star wars)

Also I miss the idea of "dismantling and rebuilding" from the older show: when the parts were too valuable that they couldn't just make more than one robot so they had to dismantle parts from an original to make a different one like a kid taking apart his bicycle and mixing it with other bike parts. Why don't they do that for these new mecha shows? Where you can upgrade it like a pc if you are too poor to afford big upgrade across the board and have to gradually buy stuff in stages because it's too expensive? Like lets say a knee gets damaged, and it can't walk so they pull apart the torso and make the treaded version of that robot instead and then choose only to fight on sandy rough environments to survive? (just an example of pulling apart a half-busted robot and reusing it after a big fight) These days they can have 5 robots and have them all rape other robots with ease because there is no hurry to keep up with the enemy. (ie arms race between the two sides to make the best robot) They are ready-made, and have a head start.

Edited April 14, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[wolfx]

Ahh...so 00 played its part to suck in this poor soul into Gundam. I wonder when the G-man will get sucked into Gundam too.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I do try to keep up with watching all the shows, but macross toys still prevent me from getting into gundam model/toys. I think the whole: "enemy stealing ideas of the good guy" sort of wrecked the idea of the two sides having distinct robot design which turned me off because it feels like they want to milk a popular hero type and just make variations on the hero mech to boost sales. But storywise I liked it better when the Gundam was the only advanced thing and if it got stolen or destroyed or captured by the elite soldiers on the other side, it meant losing the war, so it was thrilling watching the outnumbered good guy have to run away and survive each battle and gradually get damaged and worn by the fighting. (but also get better in skill)

One good guy with the 'hero' head turret who takes responsibility for the fate of the world = better than multiple heroes imo. They need to go back to the idea of making the hero robot "expensive" and rare, and hard to maintain like the old show. Not have groups of people using them like some kind of 8thMS Team just with newtypes. As past shows have demonstrated: it can make a fight seem confusing. Battles are less dangerous if the good guy loses because there are other advanced robots out there too. When there is a group, sole responsibility doesn't rest on one person who gets bitch-slapped for taking too much unnecessary risks or going off by himself without help. (which as a good theme from the old school show, because it highlights the danger of losing the war if the bad guy can just copy the good guys robot after studying it and the whole arms race - good guys in newer shows already have the best tech and are not in fear of having to catch up to the bad guy so it makes them seem too invincible)

In old show the average grunts' role was important as support for the hero for the battle to be won. I think by the time gundam Wing came out, it went away from that idea and made them too strong and too numerous! Sure maybe the hero is more popular and sells more toys but the show suffers if there are too many variations of the hero mecha involved in a single battle because now there is none of that danger anymore. (ie losing the tech in the wrong hands by fleeing in a ship so the elite can't take it, risk of damage due to no parts etc)

Instead of:

-the kid in the robot being saved by the superior technology of the gundam (and not his noob skill which is due to lack of battle experience) where the elite bad guy pilot must actually go easy on him so as to not risk destroying the only surviving prototype.

it's more like:

-there is no hurry to run away, because the good guys can rape every other robot there is due to the hero being a common robot that a team of people use. No need to run away as if you have the plans for the Deathstar or to sneak being detected, because hey, "we have an uber strong weapon that can kill whole groups of inferior robots and pilots that are already experienced in battle skill right from the age of 12. Even if it gets destroyed/captured/stolen that's ok, because we are 50 years ahead in technology and have unlimited money to make more so there is no consequence for failing. And no need for grunts or an experienced crew to help out by buying time or stalling an advance in some way, because we have other super ace hero robots to do the job."

Edited April 14, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Noyhauser]

I can't say much more than what others said. I collect some of the HGUC stuff because they are a good distraction from normal models... but nothing in Bandai's line up compares to stuff like Hase or Tamiya.

I used to have the same opinion as the OP on the designs, until I really started watching all of the series again in my 20s (I had watched some of UC stuff in japanese as a kid.) The designs start to grow on you I think. I have a place in my heart for the 0079 stuff; the MS-09 Dom and the MS-14 Gelgoog are two of my favorite designs. After watching Zeta again, I gained a huge appreciation of the Hyaku shiki and Zeta.

As for the best series, I've got two answers. The best production is 0080, but the best gundam series is Zeta followed by the original series. If you had to just watch one series, 0080 is the most accessible and profound; you don't really need to see the other series to get into it. However zeta is really the best of the genre because it encapsulates everything that Gundam is about; newtypes, massive political conspiracies, and great mecha actions. Alsozeta has the best ending of all the series, I think.

[Scream Man]

thanx for the posts all, it has helped with my general knowedge quite a bit

the 1/100 ones seem to be the way to go, and i think Ill laregly stick with them. i AM getting the 1/60 Exia, but that mech is just too cool to say no too.

As for other 1/100 theres a few that have caught my eye (a black one called the Noir that looks awesome to name one) but its still hard to get what series they come from.

Like the Crossbones: Where is that from?

[Vifam7]

thanx for the posts all, it has helped with my general knowedge quite a bit

the 1/100 ones seem to be the way to go, and i think Ill laregly stick with them. i AM getting the 1/60 Exia, but that mech is just too cool to say no too.

As for other 1/100 theres a few that have caught my eye (a black one called the Noir that looks awesome to name one) but its still hard to get what series they come from.

Like the Crossbones: Where is that from?

Crossbone Gundam is a manga series that stems off from the Gundam F91 movie.

Just a word of note: If you're going to watch any "Universal Century" Gundam series, it is highly recommended that you first watch "First Gundam" (the 0079 TV series or the 3-part compilation movies). I recommend the 3-part compilation movies as they tend to be more 'canon'.

For general Gundam info, perhaps the best website to start with is: GundamOfficial.com

Edited April 14, 2008 by Vifam7

[lechuck]

Aside from personal preferences, what everybody has said basically sums it up.

But here is my take with a more structured view on the whole thing.

Please feel free to add/correct/criticize to what has been written.

The Shows:

First things first: Separate between Universal Century (UC) and alternate universes (AU).

What belongs where?

UC

- Mobile Suit Gundam

- Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

- Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in a Pocket

- Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

- Mobile Suit Z Gundam

- Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

- Mobile Suit Gundam F91

- Mobile Suit V Gundam

The above list is basically in chronological order. The meat of UC basically consists of Gundam -> Zeta -> CCA.

If you decide to watch only the core tree shows, then I would suggest you use the the tree Zeta Gundam movies

for the middle part, as the ending of movie #3 gives you a better flow into CCA.

My personal favourite is CCA. A very cool Amuro piloting the Nu-Gundam in a grand scale finale - what more can one ask for...

Now on to the AU stuff...

AU

- After War Gundam X

- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz

- Mobile Fighter G Gundam

- Turn A Gundam

- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny

- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73 STARGAZER

- Mobile Suit Gundam 00

Non of the AU shows interconnect to each other, but obviously the ones with the same preceding title belong

together in their respective universe.

The Manga/Novels:

There is probably plenty to pick, but due to the language barrier and my geographical location this part of

Gundam remains inaccessible to me. Her are a few titles to satisfy your curiosity

- Ecole du Ciel

A side story beginning before Zeta Gundam. Done by Mikimoto.

- Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

Takes place in UC 0096, tree years after CCA

- Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash

A story by Tomino, set 12 years after CCA. Story about Hathaway Noa, Bright Noa's son.

- Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam

Another Tomino story, that is set in UC 0133 (between F91 and Victory)

The Toys/Figures:

Essentially there are tree lines that can be followed.I can't really comment on these things, because I don't have any.

I'll try an re-iterate what has been said about these things on the web

- (Extended) Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA/EMSiA)

Your typical figure done with that gummy plastic. The extended variations have more articulation/features/accessories

then their normal counterparts.

- Gundam Fix Figuration

Figures that are more look then play. Parts tend to fall off or the paint app is shoddy.

- HCM Pro

These are basically 1/200 scaled down and pre-built versions of Master Grade models.

Very good quality (build/articulation/paint) for most if not all current figures, but at 1/200 they are kind of small.

The Models:

Ahh... the most fun aspect of Gundam. Some of the stuff below I already wrote in the Gundam plamo thread:

HG/HGUC = High Grade

- 1/144 scale

- considered as the "el cheapo" versions of models

- not so detailed

- no inner frame (= endo-skeleton of the Gundam)

- limited articulation

- plenty of models to choose from

MG = Master Grade

- 1/100 scale

- has inner frame

- good amount of detail

- plenty of articulation for a model

- good amount of different models to choose from

PG = Perfect Grade

- 1/60 scale

- considered as the be-all and end-all of Gundam modeling

- inner frame

- plenty of detail

- plenty of articulation

- includes electric wiring for lights (e.g. eyes of the Gundam)

- not so many models to choose from

- expensive

HG, MG and PG model kits are pre-coloured and are snap-fit, so theoretically no paint and glue is required.

There is also the non graded stuff, that is typically released while the Gundam show is still running. They come

in different scales and the proportions of the models are a bit lacking at times.

I started off with a PG, but primary focus now are the MGs. I think they offer the best value for money.

OK, that was a long post. But I hope this helps you out a bit.

Edited April 14, 2008 by lechuck

[Ghadrack]

Just to chime in, don't forget Gundam Sentinel which I think arguably has the most interesting mecha designs, so far as I know there haven't been any injection kits made of Senitel creations but they have graced the FIX line and G-System has released some of the most awe inspiring resin kits in all of anime mecha history.

Edited April 14, 2008 by Ghadrack

[lord_breetai]

The Shows:

First things first: Separate between Universal Century (UC) and alternate universes (AU).

What belongs where?

UC

- Mobile Suit Gundam

- Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

- Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in a Pocket

- Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

- Mobile Suit Z Gundam

- Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

- Mobile Suit Gundam F91

- Mobile Suit V Gundam

You forgot everyones favourte Japanese-Canadian co-production live action movie. G Saviour!

[Phyrox]

Just to chime in, don't forget Gundam Sentinel which I think arguably has the most interesting mecha designs, so far as I know there haven't been any injection kits made of Senitel creations but they have graced the FIX line and G-System has released some of the most awe inspiring resin kits in all of anime mecha history.

HGUC:

S-gundam

Ex-s gundam

Zekueins

MG:

S-gundam

EX-s gundam

Zetaplus C

Zetaplus A

FAZZ

non-HGUC 1/144:

Zetaplus C

S-gundam

ex-s gundam

S-gundam attacker

[GRAND CANNON]

You forgot everyones favourte Japanese-Canadian co-production live action movie. G Saviour!

Damn you for bringing that up........DAMN YOU!!!

But seriously, don't forget Ms igLoo and the Evolve series.

[wolfx]

Just to chime in, don't forget Gundam Sentinel which I think arguably has the most interesting mecha designs, so far as I know there haven't been any injection kits made of Senitel creations but they have graced the FIX line and G-System has released some of the most awe inspiring resin kits in all of anime mecha history.

Not true. They have the S-Gundam/EX-S in a few incarnations , most notably the highly sought 1/100 MG kits.

They also have the FAZZ and Zeta from Gundam Sentinel. But the kits are pretty old so i don't know how they stack to today's standards.

[jwinges]

If you've got the money stick with the MG kits. They are 1/100 scale which is about the size of a Yamato 1/60 Valk. Very few of the MG kits made after 1999 will disappoint...most are simply remarkable. Most have a a sub frame that is built before the outer shell is added. Many opening doors and hatches, movable eyes etc.

If your looking for small scale the HCM pro line is designed to have the detail of the MG kits but in 1/200 scale. They are small and very cool for diaramas.

The HG kits just plain suck.

There is also a 1/100 scale series that started with gundam seed that are similar to the HG series. No where near the MG kit quality. they look ok but don't have the subframe. they are a nice compliment to the MG kits since they have some that are made in MG yet.

The PG kits are incredible but there aren't a lot of them. Mega dollars.

There are also the MSIA and Fix figuration series which always seem to suffer from gasphon disease. Avoid them.

My top list for gundam shows. Haven't watched 00 yet.

Zeta gundam

8th MS

0083

MS Igloo and Apocalypse 0079

Gundam Seed and seed destiny

Chars counter attack

Turn A gundam

Gundam x

ZZ gundam (double zeta)

0079

0080 (Too slow!)

Victory gundam (can't watch it)

Gundam wing (the horror)

SD gundam (kids crap)

The UC timeline is probably the best but to get the most out of the later ones you really have to watch them in order by UC timeline year starting with 0079 which is worth enduring to better understand the rest of UC.

[Scream Man]

This is great guys, keep them coming!

i think the Freedom i got was opne of those simpler ones., It has no internal frame. looks good though.

Havent started the crossbones yet. Hopefully tonight.

[Wicked Ace]

Scream Man, thanks for making this thread. I have seen many Gundam models since childhood but never knew anything about them. I have just begun watching Gundam Seed, on loan from a friend. As a newbie, this series is quite daunting.

[lord_breetai]

SD gundam (kids crap)

Do you just mean SD Gundam Force? Cause the actual original SD ovas that were parodies were pretty cool.

[promethuem5]

If you're into slightly more realistic and reasonable stuff (well, maybe..), I'd stick to Universal Century stuff.... Wing can be fun, but SEED can really disappoint if what you're into is stuff like 08th MS Team or War in the Pocket (which I found boring lol...). Then again my favorite is 0083 Stardust Memories (The Last Blitz of Zeon), which contains my favorite design, the GP-01FB (right after I proclaim my love for the grunt series, gotta love the irony, right?)

[Noyhauser]

Not true. They have the S-Gundam/EX-S in a few incarnations , most notably the highly sought 1/100 MG kits.

They also have the FAZZ and Zeta from Gundam Sentinel. But the kits are pretty old so i don't know how they stack to today's standards.

I'm actually building a 1/144 Zeta C Plus kit right now. Actually let me rephrase that. I originally built the kit when I was 13, and I found it recently in a box. I decided to take it apart and give it some tender loving care that it obviously didn't get when I first built it. Its not a great model, its got alot of space in certain areas to allow it to transform. So I've decided to fill all the spaces in with Morimori and make it a more realistic model, without a transformation sequence.

Part of me wishes that Bandai made an affordable line that was more model oriented, like some of their previous kits, in addition to the HGUC, MG and PG kits. I actually liked alot of the kits from the late 1980s and early 1990s, like the Jadg dooga and Geara Dooga. The only other option I see is to buy B-club resins, which are horribly overpriced.

[Scream Man]

Im not so much into super-realistic or anything. i like my anime to take itself seriously, but also ghave some fun. I love full metal panic for example.

Honestly for me the avoidance was never the plots. as a kid in Australia, Gundm was a name i knew peripherally. I knew it was a big Japanese show but not much more. i was only a kid when the anime revolution of the late 80s/early 90s hit, and so wa slimited to only getting what was released here on Video (Yes.....VIDEO!). And even then, Australia is in PAL format, not NTSC, and so I couldnt import anything to watch from overseas. Not every anime translated in America came here, and not every anime was translated to English anyway. I have dim memories of knowing that Gundam was a bunch of crazy model kits with robots. i rmeember that the early ones were always a bit blocky for me, and therefore never appealed. So i stopped looking to closely.

By the time i saw my first Gundam series i was already into anime. And even then; I am primarily a toy collector, so any other hobby comes peripherally. i have quite a bit of anime, but i know true anime FANS who have a lot more. Anyway, Gundam Wing aired on Cartoon network, and i figured now was the time to see what all the gundam fuss was about.

And i hated it.

the designs of the gundams i found vaguly dizzying and over the top. there were weapons and gear i just didnt like. Deathscythe? Why arm your robot with an impractical weapon like a Scythe? i just didnt get that. And even if I could have gotten past the designs ("Why does th Gundam have feathered wings?" I d ask...) the story itself was.... well it was a little boring frankly. i didnt give a crap about any of them. i gave it a good 3 weeks or so to grab me, and nothing. So i stopped watching, and that was it, no gundam for me!

00 hooked me because it was exciting and interesting. i liked the idea of the paramilitary force, coz im a sucker for secret organisations and the like, no matter how little sense they make (Come on, the goverments of Earth just HAD to know where Tracy Island was....), and i love the kind of graceful martical arts fighting of the Exia. The characters were interesting, the setting was fun, the animation was awesome....and for the first time the designs seemd clean and simple to me. i LOVE Exia as a robot design. i also like kyrios and dynames, though not as into Virtue.

Anyway, as to model kits i have decided i like enough to get, or try too:

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=8953&table=207 - That one is awesome

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=7643&table=207 - That one im still deciding. Im not sure bout the colour

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=6530&table=207 - That one, though i dont think i have the painting ability to do the small Gundams.

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=4370&table=207 - Ditto, and it has ships Id need to paint too....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=5558&table=207 - Kinda like that one...

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=...9&table=05a - That one intrigues me, but Id like to see clearer pictures.

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=...8&table=05a - Again, interesting, but need cleaer pics.

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=8880&table=05a - Really like that one.

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=8548&table=05a - And that one. i have no idea what this or the 2 before are from....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=6696&table=05a - Thats ok...

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=6403&table=05a - Thats pretty cool. im not sure why it says it has crew in its feet, but ok....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=1028&table=05a - Im really torn on this one. i think i need better pics....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=235&table=05a - Thats ok....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=233&table=05a - I didnt realise that Gundam competed in the street Fighter contest, but ok. This one is funny anyway

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=197&table=05a - this guy reminds me of a swat trooper i dont want to get it, i just liked the colours...

Im still hunting round looking at stuff, but toywave is one site that i have found easy to navigate and has pics. So there u go.

Long winded aint I?

[Noyhauser]

Having read your post all I can suggest is watch the series from the start. Gundam wing was a steaming pile of poo, and nowhere close to being as good as the main UC stuff.

Please download the three Gundam 0079 movies, 0083 Stardust memory, then the Zeta series. I think watching them will give you a new appreciation of some of the "blocky" mecha, and their follow-ons. Personally I feel some of the new Seed stuff you have there is fadish, and not as good as their predecessors. You claim the deathskythe is completely unrealistic, and yet you have the Strike Noire with its mechapistols.... I wonder how you're going to look at them in 5 years time.

Down the list you have the Zeta and the Gundam MK-II; Those two are classic designs, partly because of the stories behind them. Aren't you at all curious to know the stories behind their designs and what made them classics?

Edited April 15, 2008 by Noyhauser

[Scream Man]

Sure, but i also have limited time and resources. If i can find em ill give em a try, quite happily.

mecha pistols makes more sense to me than the scythe. i mean u have to accept a certain level of disbelief anyway, because if u have the technology to make giant super agile robots, why would you do many of the things and use much of the gear that they do in the series? But some stuff just doesnt get me. maybe it was that I hated the series, that the designs bounced on me, i dunno.

[Noyhauser]

Sure, but i also have limited time and resources. If i can find em ill give em a try, quite happily.

mecha pistols makes more sense to me than the scythe. i mean u have to accept a certain level of disbelief anyway, because if u have the technology to make giant super agile robots, why would you do many of the things and use much of the gear that they do in the series? But some stuff just doesnt get me. maybe it was that I hated the series, that the designs bounced on me, i dunno.

I watched all three by D/L online torrents. Start with the Gundam movies.

[Mr March]

I still believe the peak of Gundam mechanical design was during the 0080, 0083 and Char's Counterattack era (the RX-78NT-1 Alex and MS-18E Kaempfer being my absolute favorite mobile suits, with the RX-93 Nu-Gundam and MSN-04 Sazabi being close runners up). However, I will say that the new era of Gundam designs, beginning with the MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame in SEED and continuing with designs like the GN-001 Exia in Gundam 00 are some of the best Gundam mecha I've seen in a very long time. They've taken the best parts from old Gundam sensibility and merged it with completely re-thought aesthetics. These new designs are both instantly recognizable as Gundams and yet are very different modern mechanical styles. The head units in particular are now a more helmet-like linear design as opposed to the old statue-like crowns of past mobile suits. Overall, I find it a welcome change for the franchise.

[cyde01]

don't do it scream man!!!! don't turn over to the dark side!!!!

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

The stories are definitely more important. For me, I find that I feel more inclined to purchase a mecha depending on whether or not I like the character who pilots it & even then, for relevant purposes. For example, I would rather by a Turn-A over a Wing Gundam, because I like the Turn-A story a lot, and Loran to me, is a much better character than Heero(quiet wannabe Amuro who can't nail the innocent kid turned soldier approach, even though thats what he was supposed to be, or test tube Metal Gear Solid, eh whatever). Same reason why I want a Max type VF-1A TV version, its the one he used in his most memorable moments, like taking out Milia. For Gundam, take for example the EZ8 in 08th MS team. Its quite possibly the ugliest Gundam in the team, but its pilot was a likeable character, and the last fight with this Gundam was awesome, if not unorthodox.

With that said, I agree with Noyhauser, check out the UC stuff, especially the stuff he mentioned. To see Char systematically, and patiently destroy the Zabi family was awesome and central to the original Gundam. His rivalry with Amuro is interesting, and the way it culminates in Char's Counterattack was awesome. Speaking of which, I just watched that, and thats one of the best Gundam movies I've seen. 0080 has an ending that is unexpected. The main character, Al, is annoying though. Its basically a view of war from naive kids, or specifically Al, a naive kid who is sympathetic towards the Zeon. Sad ending. The opening and end songs make no sense with that anime, although the ending song is more fitting than the opening. 0083 is literally Top Gun and Gundam smacked together. 08th ms Team is great, the main character was not at all what any main Gundam character is.

Altogether, I like the UC stuff a lot better than the AC or Au or whatever. 00 is good though.

[jwinges]

Im not so much into super-realistic or anything. i like my anime to take itself seriously, but also ghave some fun. I love full metal panic for example.

Honestly for me the avoidance was never the plots. as a kid in Australia, Gundm was a name i knew peripherally. I knew it was a big Japanese show but not much more. i was only a kid when the anime revolution of the late 80s/early 90s hit, and so wa slimited to only getting what was released here on Video (Yes.....VIDEO!). And even then, Australia is in PAL format, not NTSC, and so I couldnt import anything to watch from overseas. Not every anime translated in America came here, and not every anime was translated to English anyway. I have dim memories of knowing that Gundam was a bunch of crazy model kits with robots. i rmeember that the early ones were always a bit blocky for me, and therefore never appealed. So i stopped looking to closely.

By the time i saw my first Gundam series i was already into anime. And even then; I am primarily a toy collector, so any other hobby comes peripherally. i have quite a bit of anime, but i know true anime FANS who have a lot more. Anyway, Gundam Wing aired on Cartoon network, and i figured now was the time to see what all the gundam fuss was about.

And i hated it.

the designs of the gundams i found vaguly dizzying and over the top. there were weapons and gear i just didnt like. Deathscythe? Why arm your robot with an impractical weapon like a Scythe? i just didnt get that. And even if I could have gotten past the designs ("Why does th Gundam have feathered wings?" I d ask...) the story itself was.... well it was a little boring frankly. i didnt give a crap about any of them. i gave it a good 3 weeks or so to grab me, and nothing. So i stopped watching, and that was it, no gundam for me!

00 hooked me because it was exciting and interesting. i liked the idea of the paramilitary force, coz im a sucker for secret organisations and the like, no matter how little sense they make (Come on, the goverments of Earth just HAD to know where Tracy Island was....), and i love the kind of graceful martical arts fighting of the Exia. The characters were interesting, the setting was fun, the animation was awesome....and for the first time the designs seemd clean and simple to me. i LOVE Exia as a robot design. i also like kyrios and dynames, though not as into Virtue.

Anyway, as to model kits i have decided i like enough to get, or try too:

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=8953&table=207 - That one is awesome

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=7643&table=207 - That one im still deciding. Im not sure bout the colour

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=6530&table=207 - That one, though i dont think i have the painting ability to do the small Gundams.

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=4370&table=207 - Ditto, and it has ships Id need to paint too....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=5558&table=207 - Kinda like that one...

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=...9&table=05a - That one intrigues me, but Id like to see clearer pictures.

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=...8&table=05a - Again, interesting, but need cleaer pics.

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=8880&table=05a - Really like that one.

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=8548&table=05a - And that one. i have no idea what this or the 2 before are from....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=6696&table=05a - Thats ok...

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=6403&table=05a - Thats pretty cool. im not sure why it says it has crew in its feet, but ok....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=1028&table=05a - Im really torn on this one. i think i need better pics....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=235&table=05a - Thats ok....

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=233&table=05a - I didnt realise that Gundam competed in the street Fighter contest, but ok. This one is funny anyway

http://www.toy-wave.com/eng/detail.php?id=197&table=05a - this guy reminds me of a swat trooper i dont want to get it, i just liked the colours...

Im still hunting round looking at stuff, but toywave is one site that i have found easy to navigate and has pics. So there u go.

Long winded aint I?

In order of your selections:

1. The Strike Noir...I bought on its release day in Akihabara last year...wasn't really poplular but I find the design very cool. Watch Gundam seed stargazer to see it in action. Unique strike gundam design. I haven't built mine yet. I'm a bit backlogged.

2. 1/100 justice...very cool but won't be as detailed as the MG kits. ALso its pinker than it is shown in the anime.

3. The EX ship kits are awsome but you have to glue and paint them. If you have the skills go for it. These are also pretty big.

4. Same goes for the EX eternal.

5. Same as #2 in regards to quality. They are the same scale as the MG kits though which is nice for both this and the Justice since I don't think there are MG kits of them.

6. Supposedly the Unicorn gundam is incredible. CHeck the gundam thread since some of the members reviewed it there. Many moving parts.

7. I was thinking about getting Lucas MG strike myself...looks very cool.

8. MG hi V gundam ....a good kit. Lots of detail.

9. I've heard that this F91 mass pro kit (MG) isn't the best for quality.

10. Zeta gundam v2.0 MG is A true work of Art. Don't pass on it.

11. MG MK-II Aeug is a good kit.

12. MG EX-S gundam is tryly awsome. Very large, expensive and awsome. Now they just need to make an MG deep striker pack for it.

13. C1 Zeta MG kit. I would do some checking to make sure this is based on the v2.0 zeta or else the transformation will stink like the v1.0 zeta. This might be a prototype pic since I think this kit usually comes in orange colors.

14. G Gundam MG kit. I've heard this is only of average quality. Plus G Gundam is considered one of the worst gundam series. Its like gundam wrestling and kung fu with horrible characters.

15. The MG EZ-8 kit from 8th ms team. I have this kit and it is and fun build. Don't try panel lining it with a gundam pen. It over does it...use a pencil instead. The EZ-8 is a modified gundam and has a lot of extra hatches and stuff the normal ground type gundam doesn't. A good kit...I think I paid about $40 for mine.

You might want to look these up on HLJ.com or some of the gundam sites for more pics. There are also a lot of pics in the macrossworld gundam figures thread.

Keep in mind the general rule of quality and parts. (listed below from highest to lowest for parts count and quality.

PG 1/60 scale

MG 1/100 scale

1/100 seed series (scaled up HG kits)

HG 1/144

EX kits are different since they are compled and require glue and paint.

HCM pro are mostly a completed kit in 1/200 scale that have a quality above the HG kits but just below the MG kits.

Good luck..

Edited April 16, 2008 by jwinges

[dizman]

Sigh, all the madness, all the different story arcs in different realities, all the crazy plot devices and hundreds of Gundam designs and shows...... now I remeber why I got out of Gundam . Gundam is fun for awhile but it just gets too damn tiring to keep up with all of the shows (if you are going to be a completist that is).