By Christopher Troy
I completely missed an update for August, but low and behold the latest in Gundam/Gunpla news from the FPNYC blog. This week we’ll be looking into new releases, other series Bandai has shown love for in model kit format, and news on the Gundam 00 movie premiere in the US!
September Gunpla releases:
Probably the biggest release in September is the new version of the very popular Gundam Deathscythe from Gundam Wing. A master grade level kit, the design of this version of Deathscythe seems to be a hybrid of the first version of the mech, and it’s Endless Waltz counterpart. It sports better articulation than the original kit, as well as clean parts for it’s Beam Scythe and Beam Effects for it’s backpack and shield. Of course if you prefer the original Endless Waltz designs, we have you covered, as we still have the 1/100th scale EW kits in stock at our store and website.
Of course, Deathscythe isn’t the only new release this month. September also sees the release of 2 separate HGUC kits: A pair of Twin Balls (snicker snicker) and the Delta Plus. In terms of series that came out within the last 5 years, we’re getting a pair of new Gundam OO movie kits in the form of Gundam Harute and Raphael, plus the brand new series Gunpla Builder G is getting the Beginning Gundam and the Hi Nu Gundam GPB Colors. We’ll get back to that series in the near future, as it has a very unique premise!
Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3
DWG2 is a guilty pleasure of mine, as it was a game where hundreds of robots threw down from various Gundam series. A new entry is the series was announced last week, and it’s going to be cell-shaded, and include characters from OO. I assume we’ll hear more about this title at the Tokyo Game Show later this month, which is basically E3 for Japan.
The OTHER Gunplas
As I’ve mentioned in a past article, Bandai occasionally does dab into making model kits for other series. Gundam is and shall ever be their main cashcow in the model kit market, but the other kits allow the creators to try out different things in terms of scale, built and articulation, and it usually leads to awesome results. Currently in the FPNYC store we have both EVA 2.0 kits in stock (Untis 0-1 and 0-2) and they are both very much awesome. However from time to time we get one or 2 kits from other series that sell out pretty quick, so I figure I’d highlight them for a bit.
Macross Frontier is the latest installment of the legendary franchise (also called Robotech in the states for reasons that could take up an entire blog entry) and while I didn’t care much for the series, the kits kick ass. Usually running in the $70-100 price range, they’re expensive, but keep in mind their about 1/100th scale kits that are super articulated, and have 3 different transformation modes. While not on the FPNYC website, they are very much in our store, as I witnessed a very happy customer purchase one this past Saturday while doing some research on my next article.
To the right of the Macross box art is a kit from the hit Adult Swim Series Code Geass. The Geass kits usually come in at about the 1/144th size, and run about $20-30. They really don’t offer any unique action gimmicks, but their well stocked with accessories. We had exactly one shipment in back in the day that sold out within a week, and it might be some time before we get them back in stock, but you can always swing by the store/website to see what we do have in stock!
The gentleman pictured to the left of me should not be a stranger to anyone familiar to the anime world- it’s Goku from Dragon Ball Z! With the release of DBZ Kai, Bandai has released new products based on the legendary manga/anime, and this is the hero’s Gunpla. Close to the 1/100th scale, Goku comes with variant pieces and is super articulated, and very sturdy. We’re currently sold out of Goku, but it’s only a matter of time before we get him back in.
Gundam OO: Awakening of the Trailblazer US Premiere
The all new Gundam OO movie opens in Japan on the 18th of this month, meaning with any luck, it will be brought over legally on DVD next year. However, if you plan on attending the New York Comic Con/ Anime Festival this October, you can amongst the first people in the USA to see it (Subtitled of course). FPNYC has weekend and day passes on sale in the store, so come pick yours up today.
That’s it for this month. Next time we’ll look at the Gunpla Builder series, check out some new kits, and hopefully have some news to report on the new Gundam Wing/G- mangas.
