[WIP] Gundariumsmith

I have been stuck in 2014. Aesthetically, I created a set of sub-par banners, graphics and logos, slapped it on Blogger, tweaked the settings to my personal taste, whether it was practical or not, and called it Gundariumsmith. Though I've been satisfied with the design, I know I can do better. Plus the site could use a face lift as we come close to the fourth year of this blog (has it really been four?). In this article, I wanted to highlight the changes that have been made, the reason for the changes, and future (dream) changes to come. I apologize if you clicked on this post looking for Gunpla. There probably won't be much for you here (check out my stuff in the menu above!).

The most obvious changes will be the background and banner. Those are can be seen universally. I originally had a tile of grainy gray squares. Overall the blog had a grain heavy aesthetic because I wanted to have a sort of television grain theme. If I got into the reviews enough, I wanted to start doing video reviews in a sort of VHS aesthetic (if anyone remembers the "Why I Hate Money" cringe-bomb series). Though I still like the idea, I think I unintentionally moved away from the aesthetic over the years as my taste slowly evolves.

ABOVE: Grainy Gray

To replace the backdrop, I have a long exposure of the New Hampshire night sky in late summer -- cropped, duplicated, rotated, and tweaked to be tiled -- hopefully you can't find the seams too easily. I like the darker background, though I'm not sure if the star sky helps or hurts the overall theme, especially since I used the image in multiple places. I'll have to test it out for awhile.

The next change is also quite universal -- the sidebar. I originally had the google+ profile links on the top. Over the years I've grown to detest these logos, not because it's g+ (though that has another can of worms), but because the objects themselves were slow to load and quite rigid in design. Since I barely use the platform, I decided it'd be best to remove it all together. Instead, I have the latest builds right at the top, followed by a link to my Instagram as a shameless plug to a platform I frequent more often than anything else I currently use (seriously, if you're even remotely interested in what I do, please follow me!). The other banners currently remain the same, though I should probably look into remaking them in the near future.

The last two changes are probably the most significant -- the pages. The About section had not been changed since I started the blog, and Gundariumsmith had a format that was not only hard to follow, but hard to upkeep. I needed to change these badly if I wanted to

In the About section, I had a section that read,

You will find nothing special on this blog: just an account of an average guy, and his wishful thoughts, trying to put the pieces together. Updates are sparse with little content, and modeling skills are mediocre at best. Photography is done with an average point and shoot camera in a DIY light box.

Though part of that is true, I have grown as a photographer -- my equipment is not as basic as it once was. Though no one probably reads the About section, I should have changed this at least a year ago. As for the Gundariumsmith section I mentioned I stopped Quick Reviews this year. Because of this, I wanted to downplay the OOB kits by removing the banners, then highlighting the significant work year by year. Inspired by my brother's page update in 2016, I made some changes of my own.

With these changes, I hope the blog will be easier for you, the reader, to go through the content. I still have a lot of improvements to make in the writing of the articles themselves, but hopefully I can get there one step at a time -- this is just a work in progress.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. If you have the time, please let me know what you think of the changes!

A Stark Upgrade: Part 2, Delays

Previously on 宇宙傭兵: スペクターGM: Part 1, Salvage Ops

Flavor Text: Work In Progress?
"You're taking all our resources right now. It better be worth it."
"When will you upgrade my suit, Ana?"
"How much longer until you get back to work?"

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!" Anantha said out loud as she attempted to quiet the team's voices in her head. With a few deep breaths, Anantha moved the welder closer. Flipping her mask on, sparks scattered through the machine shop. The smell of flux fumes filled the shop as she slowly guided the welder, keeping the circular pattern with ease.

"This project was a waste of our time and money."
"We should have left the Jegan behind"
BANG!
With a flash of light, the welder blew back, causing Anantha to do the same. As the smoke and fumes dissipated, the machine shop was silent. Anantha looked around to see the hangar and machine shop empty -- not a soul, not a suit. Only the cold metal walls that surrounded her stared back.

"Fuck."

---

WIP: Delays
In the previous post, I imagined this project to take a few weekends, and I would be done by the end of March (maybe even earlier). Unfortunately I've been running into further delays of various kinds. What I thought would be more free time turned out to be more hours at work. Though I am all for more pay in form of overtime, it has left me without much free time. With the little free time I had, I spent a lot of time finishing Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE -- I had the game since its release last June and wanted to make sure I finished the game before Persona 5 released.
On a side note, TMS♯FE is a quirky mashup of Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei. I can't say its a must play game, especially because it's on an outdated console (Wii U), but for any fans of both franchises, it was a fun trip. If you have a chance (and about 60 hours to spend), try it out!
Back to the build, once I got back on track, I wanted to top coat the chest I just finished painting. The same issue I had with the Hobby Zaku surfaced again: the Tamiya, Mr. Color, and Testors paint all reacted to the Krylon top coat and wrinkled. Combine this with a family-related event, I know I won't be finishing this build in March.
Coming back from the family-related event, I'll probably be spending a lot of time on the PS4 -- Persona 5 has been my most anticipated game since 2013. No gunpla kit can compare to this excitement. So when do I anticipate the completion of this "mere upgrade?" Who knows -- I'm just hoping when I get back to the build, I don't run into any more paint issues. For those who wanted to see the final product at the end of this week, I truly am sorry that I am terrible at delivering on my self-set schedule, especially for what was supposed to be a simple upgrade.

As I've mentioned shamelessly in previous articles, if you want to follow my work in a more frequent format, please follow my Instagram. Between Morgenroete and myself, we're trying to use the platform to fill in the gaps between Blogger articles (especially now that I have discontinued the "Quick Review" format). I hope to see you there.
Until the next time, may your cuts be ever clean!

A Stark Upgrade: Part I, Salvage Ops

Previously on 宇宙傭兵: スペクターGM

Flavor Text: Prologue
      "Are you sure they're here?" Al inquired as the three pilots scanned for evidence.
      "You're going to miss them if you keep asking." Anantha responded in irritation. After a short pause, Al snapped back,
      "I'm sure you won't miss them with that fancy camera of yours."
      "Please Al, you still butthurt about-"
      "RADIO. SILENCE." Marinus ironically yelled. The three pilots abruptly stopped and continued to scan the area.

      The war-torn factory district had been isolated from the rest of the colony after a small skirmish during the Laplace conflict. With the district in disrepair, rumors of illegal activity spread through the rest of the colony. Though there was no hard evidence, citizens of the once Federation-occupied manufacturing colony were reporting Zeon mobile suits. So far, rubble, silence, and the blackness of space were the only objects the team could see.

      "Look, Marinus, we're wasting our time. The Zeeks are not coming to this rust bucket of a colony, you won't be reliving your golden One-Year War days, and we're pissing away money the longer we stay out here." Al said, attempting to convince Marinus to halt the operation,
      "You have somewhere to be, Al?" Marinus rhetorically asked,
      "We could have taken that escort job and actually make money instead of catching the wind!"
      "Who are you to question my judgement?"
      "I don't need to be here, Captain! I'll take my skills to another team that actually pa-"
      "Guys!, I see something." Anantha interrupted.
      The three pilots flew to the location of the sighting. No Zeon forces to be found, but a relatively in-tact Stark Jegan had been abandoned on a roadway. Anantha jumped out of her suit and started surveying the remains.

      "Other than its head, the suit is quite undamaged." Anantha excitedly reported "The run time on the computer says less than 200 hours!"
      "Great," Marinus responded, "we'll salvage for spare parts and sell the rest. Take it up, Al"
      "Wait, no! Al revolted "I'm not carrying someone else's scrap!"
      "Just get it done, Al! We need to hurry before any Zeon forces find us."
      "For the last time, Captain, they're not-"
      "You get 70% of parts sales" Marinus said, talking over Al.
         "...deal," said Al as he picked up the Stark Jegan.

---

Concept: Inheriting The Old
After finishing the 'Weiß Hund Zulu' in late 2015, I pretty much abandoned the Specter GM project -- The trio was achieved and the two side characters were at an okay state. Over the next few months I thought of doing u/sandrock465's "mid-season upgrade" like he did with his Strike Ixion (Brave to Jäger) that summer, but I had no intention of purchasing kits merely for parts, so that idea was scrapped and I continued with other projects. Fast forward about a year and a half, Gunplaworks is clearing his shelf of older models, one of them being a Stark Jegan. Now I can play around with the idea of a "mid-season upgrade" without spending money on it. Thanks friend!

The idea here is to add further mobility to this Sniper. With the extra boost on the legs without the increase in armor in the upper body, Anantha can fly around space much faster while still hitting her targets. I don't have a name for the suit yet, but I have a few ideas.
The other goal in this project is to upgrade the aesthetic of the Jegan Sniper Type. The OOB build is quite boring and removing the accent colors to a black/navy color scheme made the kit look even less interesting. I aim to add better accent colors and panel line details not only to the new pieces but the old ones as well.
Part of the aesthetics upgrade is the "iconic" Sniper Type head I created. In the original build, I was experimenting with a level of customization I was not used to. I can't say much has changed, but since I have an additional head from the Stark Jegan, I have a new opportunity to retry the old concept. Click here for more information on the original Sniper Type.

The goal of this project is to finish all the aesthetic upgrades by the end of March. Though a lot of the work is technically done, I anticipate, like February's hiatus, I will be busy -- I do not know how much time I will have to dedicate to something as "simple" as this. Maybe I'll finish a majority of the work over a weekend. Maybe I'll have to hold off until the end of March. Either way, I'll play it by ear. If you want to follow this project a little closer than this blog, make sure to check out our Instagram!

Until next time, may your cuts be ever clean!

Review: A Year in Gunpla 2016

The last time I posted one of these was for 2014 (posted in 2015). Though I attempted to write a similar article for 2015, nothing was ever posted (just like that MG RX-78-02 review I was supposed to do). Nevertheless, here we are at the beginning of 2017 looking back and looking ahead. After nearly three years of this blog, I still have no idea who actually reads this stuff, so if you are one of those readers, thanks for stopping by, once again, for my inconsistent, rare moments of...

It has never been a better time to be a fan of Gundam (from the American perspective). Anime from the franchise is more readily available than ever before with multiple series airing at once. Merchandise can be purchased in big name chain stores and on the web, and soon enough, if everything goes right, we'll have access to Premium Bandai (if you haven't filled out the survey, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?). With Bandai looking to the west to expand their market and companies like Bluefin expanding the market of collectibles, I hope to see better access to this hobby in the near future!
Personally, 2016 has been a year of changes. The biggest change was getting a job (based on what I studied in college). The previous years of this blog were fueled by a drive to create, funded by whatever I could scrape up (or generous "gifts" from my brother), and made possible with gratuitous amounts of time. I tried to make the most of every purchase, thinking about what I could make with the materials on hand. With the influx of money from this job, purchasing any High Grade kit was no issue to me. Unfortunately, the job also meant a lot of my energy is spent there instead of this hobby. This is the obvious and logical way of life, but it's one thing to talk about the change and experiencing the change. Having to manage time between work, play, and other responsibilities, has been quite a change in pace. Finding a good cadence between all of the things I want or need to do has been a challenge. Because of this change, I wanted to find a way to continue connecting with the community without the need of writing and photographing in such detail.
My best answer was Instagram: this was another big change. Obviously not as big as a job, but it changed how I thought about Gundariumsmith as a blog. With two apology posts between April and July, I felt the need to change the pace as I started a new chapter in my life. In addition, I wanted to continue working on my hobby in photography, something I, to be honest, have more interest in than scale models. With Instagram, just as I explained back in July, I had two goals in mind,

• Fill in the spaces between long-form reviews (that I doomed myself by calling them "Quick Reviews")
• Share my love of photography and gunpla at the same time.

I also felt more free to share beyond the Gundam franchise on Instagram. I was planning on expanding here on Blogger, but only if the subject remained within scale models. If I had better access to an airbrush (hopefully I can figure out an old one I inherited...or I should just throw money at a new one), I probably would have finished off the AE86 I purchased back in 2009 and shared that on this blog. Nevertheless, Instagram gave me more flexibility in what I shared and how often I shared (relative to the format of this blog).

Speaking of photography, the last big change of this year is my equipment. After a decade of photography, I was finally willing to drop money on a DSLR. Granted, I was also blessed to stumble upon a used Nikon D3100 a friend was trying to sell. With the new job, I was waiting for a sale somewhere for a 3000 series Nikon, 300-350 USD was my goal, but with this second hand D3100, I spent 100 (then spent another 170 on a non-kit lens). After a few opportunities to shoot with this camera, I began to see the power difference between my previous cameras and this beast of opportunity DSLR. Though I am still proud of what I was able to accomplish with lesser technology, I am happy to be able to push my ongoing journey of photography to greater heights.

Reflecting on these changes on my life and this blog, I was thinking about my blog's purpose. The premise of this blog, outlined in the About section, hasn't changed since the start,

You will find nothing special on this blog: just an account of an average guy, and his wishful thoughts, trying to put the pieces together. Updates are sparse with little content, and modeling skills are mediocre at best. Photography is done with an average point and shoot camera in a DIY light box.

Despite this paragraph staying the same, my short term goals in terms of what I write about in each article has been quite inconsistent. As I gain more experience in building and exposure to kits, my views change and so do the articles. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think I need to realign my goals for this blog: I need to take a break.

I don't mean take a break from the hobby, but to step back from the blog to think about what my goals are. I want to think about the content I produce, and ways to improve the format. I know one of the major questions I'm asking myself is how I can improve on the Quick Reviews - My original goal of doing the Quick Reviews and photographing kits was to document the kits I have and organize my thoughts on custom projects. However the Quick Review format does not really help any readers nor is it easy for me to update the database.
In the end the questions I want to ask (based on thoughts from an inspiring Youtuber reflecting on his recent success) is "How do I make my content unique enough to provide value?" Between dalong.net and Zakuaurelius (and the two 'r's two 'b's before him) the "market" for reviewers is quite saturated. So what can I do to provide "value" beyond what already exists? This is what I want to think about rather than chugging along with the regular format.

I also do not mean I am abandoning this blog! I will still post any custom projects/group builds I participate in, so between the less frequent posts and Instagram, I should still be active enough. It's mainly the Quick Reviews that I want to overhaul in the coming year. I apologize if any of you look forward to those articles.

---

Rather than ending on the rant wall, let's go through the questions PerfectGradeMod has posted on r/gunpla!

How many kits did you buy?
I've lost count. I usually have a decent log on my blog, but I have not been doing a good job keeping that up to date. For sure the number is well over ten kits (not counting the kits that have been gifted to me or given away).

How many kits did you build? (link a gallery if you have one!)
Nine, maybe? For the previous two years, I had between 15+ kits per year. Other than the burst of kits I built in the winter of 2015, there were large portions of time I had not been building.

Do you have a high or low moment you'd like to share?

• High: though I started in 2015, reworking my friend's HGUC Guntank was a very fun project. Throughout the build I was uncertain whether or not the kit could be repaired. In the end I gave Guntank's arms its articulation back and gave it a pretty decent paint job.
• Low: I was anticipating being able to do a lot of custom work over the summer. I literally built nothing. Part of the reason was the heat - our air conditioner broke and was not fixed until late August. The other part was starting my job, I felt as though I had no free time. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance my time properly. I basically stopped functioning over the summer.

What releases are you looking forward to/hoping for next year?
I am interested in how the MG Ver.Ka ZZ Gundam will look. Though I am not fond of the design (nor the anime), I am interested in what kind of details/changes Katoki and the team will engineer into the updated design. From the ZZ Gundam, I would like to see two spin-off kits come from this Ver.Ka,

• FAZZ (in reality, I just love the name)
• Tryon 3 (because the HGBF kit was disappointing)

With the 30 year anniversary of Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam as a thing in Japan, I am expecting to see more kits from that series, whether it be MG or HGUC. A few kit's I'd expect/want to see are,

• HGUC Galluss-J and HGUC R-Jarja: variations of these suits already exist in kit form. Will this be the year we find ZZ versions of these kits?
• HGUC Queen Mansa: it would be expensive, it would barely hold its weight, and it probably won't become a kit. One can hope though.

Gunpla wise, what will you remember most about 2016?
2016 is the year I slowed down: 2014 and 2015, were strong years of building, learning, and working my creative mind. 2016 definitely felt much less so.

Do you have any Gunpla goals for 2017?
Other than the goal(s) mentioned above, I need to sort through the backlog of snap-togethers and separate between dead end projects and back burner projects. I don't know the fate of the dead ends, but I know I want to truly finish off some of these half-finished projects I have. To me, a backlog of untouched kits are okay - I can easily share my hobby whether it be giving it away or building with friends, but the half-finished projects serve no purpose and take up space. I don't need that right now.

A few projects in particular are on my mind

• EZ-Destiny (tentative name)
• Second Generation Diva Crew, Mobile Suit Division (at least the non-protagonist suits)
• Super Fumina custom (cannot disclose any plans right now)
• Banshee Head Display (painted to match the Strikes Odaiba Banshee Norn)

I really should get an airbrush setup soon.

---

That should cover all I wanted to blog about. I hope you got an insight on my thoughts about this blog, the hobby, and what lies ahead. Until we meet again, whether it be Reddit, Instagram, or this blog, may 2017 bring you opportunities to enjoy life and grow. This has been Gundariumsmith, may your cuts be ever clean!

[100kTY] Giveaway Results

Ladies and Gentlemen,

With the 100kTY giveaway and contest ending two weeks ago, I best be wrapping this event up and send some balls on their way. Unfortunately, there were no entries for the contest.

That's right, Zero.

I had some folks interested in the event, but in the end, no one delivered. Oh well, one less prize to send out for now. I have plans to host a larger contest in the future, so we'll see where the planning takes us. As for the giveaway, we have a total of fourteen entries with a chance to win the HGUC Ball Twin Set. Thanks for dropping by and entering!

Without half the event to worry about, I decided to put more work on myself to determine a winner. I started by using RANDOM.ORG's random number generator to first shuffle the pool of names by grabbing a number 1-n (n being the total number of names remaining) and adding the name from the chronologically sorted list to the new list, then deleting the name from the chronology pool (wash and rinse 13 times). Once the shuffled pool was created, I took four random numbers - three random numbers between 1 and 14 (taking out repeat numbers), and a single random number between 1 and 3. The number between 1 and 3 determines which of the three numbers is the winner. I hope this is random enough.

...and the winner is,

Congratulations, and thank you for reading (as little or as much as you do) and participating in this giveaway! I will contact you requesting for shipping information. If I do not receive a response in such a time frame, I will contact one of the other two names (from the final pool of 3).

I think that is all from me. If you have any questions about this giveaway (or the contest that did not happen), feel free to contact me through my email, or leave it in the comments (here or reddit). Thank you once again for keeping up with the blog, and I hope to see you all in the next one!

One Hundred Thousand Thank Yous!

Greetings Internet,

For those in the US, I hope you're enjoying the extra day off this Labor Day weekend. Whether you're transitioning back into classes, starting a new job, moving to a new place, or doing exactly what you've been doing, I wish you the best in your pursuits. For those keeping up with this blog or just stopping by, I want to direct you over to the navigation bar under the banner of this blog. I am hosting a contest by the title "100kTY" to celebrate a minor milestone of one hundred thousand views. Please take the time to check it out!

It's a small contest, with some small prizes. I hope you enjoy the concept and try your hand in the contest! Once again, thank you for stopping by!

If you have not clicked the link to the contest page, here's another link!

Absent Without Leave

In the recent past, I wrote "Another Hiatus" as an apology to any dedicated readers. I had every intention to post on a more consistent basis, but here we are with almost two months of silence. For that I apologize again. Though I cannot promise a more consistent presence, I think I have a solution/compromise: Instagram.

It takes time to compose a formal article, whatever the subject may be. Following ZakuAurelius on Youtube and Instagram, I like the way he uses Instagram to tease what is to come. The idea of having a less formal way of visually showing what I am up to would be a good way to break the silence between articles -- I had to take his format for myself!

I am not particularly seeking a larger audience through Instagram. Rather, I want to offer another window into both my scale model and photography hobbies. Through Instagram, I want to share not only builds in their various stages, but also less related projects, adventures (local and overseas) and acquisitions. If you are remotely interested in that side of Gundariumsmith, please follow me on Instagram (I take no offense if you are not interested).
Back to the subject of silence, the past month or so, I have been preoccupied with the transition from classes to the working life (and absolutely nothing to do with Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE). Now that the transition is over, I wish to have a more regular schedule in which I can regularly put time (and money) into my hobbies. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. In the mean time, to truly break the silence, I have been working on a review of the following,

That's right, MG RX-78-02 Gundam (The Origin Ver.), the first Master Grade since I kicked off the blog with the MG Tallgeese EW Ver. over two years ago! I've been quite excited with this build, but writing my thoughts has proven difficult with little to base my review on -- my experience with Master Grade builds has been more or less lacking. Nevertheless, I will hopefully have that review available within the next two weeks. Please stick around for it!

Another Hiatus

After over two years of this blog, I am not sure who reads this on a regular basis, but for those who actually follow this blog (without the help of reddit) thank you for keeping up with my work. I don't deserve any of your time, yet you stick around, read the blog, and look at the photos.
I am writing today not to review a kit or to show off a custom build, but to apologize. I finished off my Secret Santa series with the HGUC Delta Plus and proceeded to fall off the face of the earth. Though my brother, while he was here living the landlubber's life, was posting his builds, I continued silence even after he shipped out again (Thanks for keeping the blog running, bro).

After the major hiatus in early 2015, I was determined to have a more constant schedule of posts in 2016, however, that slipped pretty quickly with a build up of work and the transition back to classes. I cannot make any promises right now, but I wanted to, at the very least, assure any committed readers that I am not dead and I hope to be posting a review soon. Once again, I apologize for disappearing.
Currently I have a rough article written for the next review: my first Real Grade! I finished building it in mid-February, finished writing a rough article in late February, but the photography needs a little work. Here is a preview of what is to come,

Hopefully I can find the time to finish this article and move on to other builds. Until then, keep your cuts clean! This is Gundariumsmith, I'll be back!

Couch Review: Beargguy III

Here's something a little different: we are not looking at a Gunpla kit today. Instead, we are looking at a GFT exclusive. I hope you enjoy!

Preamble
I saw a friend I had not see all semester today. She had been in Australia studying abroad. While she was on the other side of the hemisphere, she decided to visit family in Japan. She asked a couple friends, including myself, if we wanted anything.

Turns out that is a dangerous question to ask me.

I asked her to swing by a building dedicated to something she is completely uninterested in, find an item that is only sold in that building, and bring it home (to be fair, this was not a gift, I owe her money...and possibly favors). The item, as you may have seen in the title image, is the Beargguy III plush from Gundam Front Tokyo.

Background
In the meta-series, Gundam Build Fighters, the character China Kousaka builds a custom Gunpla she calls Beargguy III. There is no Beargguy II: Beargguy III is a word pun. In Japanese the number three is pronounced 'san' which sounds like the Japanese honorific さん (san), the equivalent to the English honorifics Mr. or Mrs.

This suit only shows up as a side story but has become quite iconic in the realm of Gunpla as many have used the kit as a base for many customized works. With its variant, Beargguy F, even more ridiculous ideas have shown up.

Thoughts
I have a huge bias towards Beargguy. There is no doubt I love this 'gguy,' though I feel like some corners were cut in the production of this plush.

The head is massive, like it should be. In fact, most of the mass is in the head, leaving everything else dangling. Super cute! However, I feel as though the arms and legs should be more cylindrical: they're pretty flat and insignificant. Also, the color separation is done through what I believe is screen print where the head has a massive amount of embroidery. Not sure if I agree with that decision, but I can only assume it was to cut costs not just of production, but for the consumer.

The bow is made of a softer material and has a nice embroidered touch to it, though I would have foregone that embroidery for an embroidered chest ( I really do not like how it feels).

HGBF Beargguy III

When I first saw images of this plush on Gundam Guy, I was afraid it was going to be a tiny plush (like the regular production catbug plush, which I still need to obtain). Turns out this ball of cotton is a good size (refer to images above and below for size comparison).

HGUC REVIVE RX-78-2 Gundam (I need to work on my white balance)

Pikachu Plush: Pokemon World Tournament 2015 (Boston)

Overall a very cute addition to my small collection of plush toys and a fun plush to have. If you ever find yourself in Japan, staring up at a 1:1 scale RX-78-2, then maybe consider the non-Gunpla items at Gundam Front Tokyo, like Gundam socks.

2015 Gunpla Lollapalooza

Come one! Come all! Test your skill among the best of the internet! Join us for the first annual Gunpla Lollapalooza by heading over to GunplaLollapalooza.blogspot.com.

Redditor Brenticus302 has taken it upon himself to host a reddit-based Gunpla competition, gathering a a few members of the community to be the panel of judges, one of which will be me. I am delighted to be working with Brent and the fine folks in the judges panel.

Don't think you have what it takes? Come join anyway! Treat it like a group build, improving your skills, trying something new, and just having fun with others from the community! If you have a new kit in your backlog that you're about to build, submit it to the competition! I look forward to seeing all your fine work towards May!

Review: A Year in Gunpla, 2014

Before the year was over I must have attempted to write one of these at least three times. I was on the fence about writing one now or writing one during the Gundariumsmith anniversary. Whatever my thoughts were, I decided to write one now and here it is,

Here lies no pretty pictures of model kits nor screenshots from the latest episodes. Just a wall of text you may or may not be interested in. Is my writing even halfway decent?

2014: Overview
It has been a crazy year for fans of Gundam. As we celebrated the thirty-fifth anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam and the franchise as a whole, Sunrise presented us with a variety of media to look forward to in the coming months and years (followed by Bandai's money-raking Gunpla-making machine).
We started off 2014 with the latter half of Gundam Build Fighters and the finale of the four year long series, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. While waiting for said conclusion, Sunrise announced two exciting pieces of news: The first to be a new series written by Yoshiyuki Tomino (the original writer for the Gundam series) titled Gundam G no Reconguista, and the second to be an OVA series directed by Yoshikazu Tasuhiko (the character designer of the original Gundam series and the director of the previous OVA, Unicorn) titled Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin I, an anime based on the manga retelling of Mobile Suit: Gundam. On top of this amazing news, with the positive response of Gundam Build Fighters from fans, the announcement for a sequel came soon after. It is quickly revealed that the title of this sequel was Gundam Build Fighters Try.
Going through 2014, as we see these announcements eventually come to fruition, with G no Reconguista and Build Fighters Try airing at the same time, we also see boat loads of Gunpla releases month by month. Some of the most notable kits this year are from the ever-so-popular Gundam Unicorn with the ridiculously massive High Grade Universal Century Neo Zeong, the ridiculously flashy and expensive Master Grade Unicorn Phenex, and the long awaited Perfect Grade Unicorn. Other notable releases are Master Grade Gundam X, the first Master Grade from its series after nearly two decades, Master Grade Turn X, the second kit from its corresponding series as we see the Blu-Ray Disc release of Turn A Gundam release this year, and Reborn-One Hundred Nightingale, the first in a new line of 1/100 scale Gunpla.
In this beautiful franchise explosion of media and merchandise, this blog, Gundariumsmith started, first on Wordpress back in February, and transferred to Blogger in April. Though I have been watching Gundam and building Gunpla for much longer, this year brought many steps towards advancing my skill in the scale model hobby - through the community on Reddit, through friends, and especially through my brother, Morgenroete Munitions. Thank you for sticking around (even if you're just lurking)! Here's to hoping Bandai continue this ambitious Gunpla release cycle in the coming years!
Now that the relatively bias-free overview is over, I can start writing more on my experience in Gunpla!

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Personal Highlights
What a year! When I started the blog earlier in the year, I was not sure how far I could or wanted to take it. I had an inkling feeling that I would lose interest in the hobby if I started trying too hard. Turns out, I do not mind a little writing. Hopefully this eventually leads to better writing (and hopefully I stop using the word 'hopefully' all the time). So without further ado, I present the personal highlights of 2014!


Favorite Anime in 2014?
In the Gundam franchise, I think I would be murdered by fire if I did not say Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Episode 7: Over the Rainbow. Aside from the Gundam franchise, I would have to put my vote towards Kill La Kill. Most of my opinion coincides with Digibro's review of this anime, though I would be ranking it number 1 rather than 3.

Favorite Gunpla Release?
This one is hard. In the earlier months, one of my favorite releases was the MG Sengoku Astray, though I still have not made the move to purchasing the kit. Another one of my favorites for 2014 was HGBF Beargguy III which I eventually received as a gift. But my favorite release of 2014 has got to be the Kshatriya Repaired.
The quad wing was already a badass in its own right. Give the suit a peg leg and a hook Hyper Beam Javelin and we have a menacing machine. Though I wish Bandai gave us the Kshatriya Besserung, a quick conversion from Repaired will do the trick.

Most Unexpected Release?
Another hard question I pose on myself, since I do not think anyone predicted another brand new line of Gunpla this year. In addition, with the two anime series airing, who knows what to expect? I would say of all kits announced in 2014, the most unexpected for me was the ZII. I think it was released because it shows up in Unicorn manga, but it is hard to assume especially because I have not read it.

If you want to know more about the HGUC ZII, I'll turn you over to the Transforming Gundam expert over at Gunpla Works.

Favorite Build?
I would be lying to you if I told you my favorite build was the Strike Senketsu. I would continue to lie if I told you my favorite build of 2014 was anything from Space Mercenary: Specter GM.
I think I had the most fun with the commission job I received from Gunpla Works: the SD Loto of the SD BB Senshi Kshatriya. Because there were less pieces and more details, there was a little creativity involved with the color separation. Though not technically a build, it was definitely the most fun I had with Gunpla in 2014.

Greatest Achievement?
Everything Strike Senketsu.
The two contests I participated in this year have helped me push my boundaries, attempt something I would normally be scared to do, and learn something by doing so. The 2014 Refurb Build Contest helped me attempt panel scribing, airbrushing (candy colors), and, most of all, getting creative with the build. I probably felt like Sei Iroi in episode 9 after the Girls-Only Gunpla Battle,

"When I saw your Beargguy-san, I realized you can build your Gunpla with your own inspiration. I was caught up in Gundam's setting and world view. Now I realize that."

I look forward to more contests in the future (if I can participate in any of them). If I can figure out the logistics, maybe I'll host my own contest in 2015!

Looking Forward to Anything in 2015?
From the Gunpla that has been announced, nothing has truly captured my attention. Maybe the G-Self Assault Pack or the Guntank Early Type. For some reason, all the kits Bandai has announced just does not inspire me all too much.
There are a few things I hope Bandai will release in 2015.

• MG Geara Zulu: Any version would do. I just want a suit with the ornate design of the Sleeves without actually having having to display a Sinanju on my shelf (the hipster in me does not like the overly popular on my shelf).
• MG Tallgeese Flugel: I am a big fan of the original Tallgeese - II and III are a little off-putting to me and, for a handful of reasons, I despise the feathered abomination that is Wing Zero Custom. That said, for some reason, I want the Flugel (anything from a full kit, P-Bandai or regular, to a third party conversion kit).
• MG AGE-3 Orbital: THIS FAT BALLERINA. NOW. Even though I meet Kio bitterness and gnashing of teeth, I really like the suit design and I would love a Master Grade version of it. If Bandai prolongs this any further, I might have to settle for the HG.
• HGRC Recten/Recksnow: From episode 1, I enjoyed the design of this mobile suit. I'll be sure to display my Recksnow (Rex-No?) with a blue bandana!

Any Resolutions for the New Year?
How will the turn of a year effect my resolve? I refuse to make resolutions based on a sun-based time counting system. If I had any resolutions, I would have made them based on personal events! On that note, I bid you all a happy 2015! Thank you for reading any of this. What did you like about 2014 in the realm of Gundam or anime in general? What do you look forward to in 2015? Leave it in the comments!
May your cuts be clean and sandpaper rough. This is Gundariumsmith, putting an end to this wall of text.

[Guest Builder] Indigo

Here's something different: rather than showing off my own work, I decided to feature a very special Gunpla Builder on this blog. I have been thinking about ways to feature other local builders that may not have the time or motivation to create a blog but creating content about someone else is a lot harder than writing about one's self.
Good thing today's featured builder has been in my life for quite some time. So without further ado, I proudly present a builder fairly new to Gunpla and the Gundam franchise, Indigo!

Welcome to the Bug Hunt by Indigo

Indigo is a freelance illustrator and graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He's worked on all sorts of projects from illustrating children's books to concept art for a game company, he's even produced an illustration for a hot sauce label! But his favorite subjects to draw are bugs (as you might be able to figure out from his Tumblr username). Even at an early age, I saw his fascination for all sorts of bugs.

For the past two months, Indigo has been producing daily illustrations with "September Study" and "Inktober." If you are not fond of bugs, worry not, he has many illustrations based on many other creatures including Humans! Please check him out on indigobugs.tumblr.com and society6.com/indigom

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Gunpla Origin Story

July 2014: the height of one of the best summers ever. I had recently purchased a pre-HGUC HG GM Sniper for the long distance beam rifle as a cheaper option than getting the Builders Parts System Weapon 004. With this purchase, I also obtained an extra mobile suit with a variety of weapons, and a 1:1200 scale Apsalus III. Using the beam rifle on my Jegan Sniper Type, I had no direct plan for the rest of the kit.
While talking to Indigo one evening, he showed a decent amount of interest in Gunpla. I decided to give him the remainder of the kit as a way to kick off the hobby (without having to invest in anything).

WIP: HG GM Sniper

While Indigo was working on the GM Sniper, redditor WilxLopez of Mobile Suit Studios posted a photohunt giveaway for the month of July. The normal 5 USD Amazon gift cards were distributed, but one other prize was included this month - HGUC Z'gok (Char's colors). I ended up snagging that prize.

At the time I was working pretty hard on finishing the Strike Senketsu so most of the kits I ordered and received were on backlog. As Indigo finished the straight build of the partial kit I gave him, I thought it would be appropriate to pass the HGUC Z'gok to a new builder.

WIP: HGUC Char's Z'gok

Indigo has plans to do full paint jobs on both kits. In fact, he's already primed them. I cannot wait to see the results! I continued fueling the fire by giving Indigo a HGUC Zaku I for his birthday, but he hasn't been able to do much with Gunpla as of late. Hopefully he will have more time for this new found hobby soon!

The Ten Thousand Thank Yous Giveaway Winner is...

When starting the Gundariumsmith blog, I had the intention of occasionally creating videos - either video reviews or holding a pseudo-podcast with some friends. Though I haven't reached that goal, I wanted to experiment with the tools on hand,

• Audio: M-Audio Producer USB
• Music: (mostly) Royalty Free
• Video: Canon Powershot SX150 (same camera for photography)
• Images: from the blog or from raffle entries.

Besides the full raffle process below, the contents of this blog entry, including the winner of the "Ten Thousand Thank Yous" Giveaway, is on the video. I hope you enjoy seven long minutes of nothing but my monotonous voice.

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Raffle Process
The responses were all put on Google Sheets, Google's spreadsheet program. From here I made sure each entry and his or her additional entries qualified. On a separate spreadsheet, I added each redditor's entry as many times as he or she qualified in one column. For example, if /u/ForExample submitted a photo of her workspace, she got ForExample entered into two cells, representing two entries into the raffle.

This is where it gets a little crazy. Before using a random number generator, I decided to further randomize the drawing by shuffling the names. I achieved this through some features on Google Sheets I learned from my Dad (through Microsoft Excel).

Figure 1: An example of what the function "RANDBETWEEN" might look like.

In a separate column, I typed in "=RANDBETWEEN(1,xx)" and dragged this function from the first name to the last. I copied the randomly generated numbers and pasted "values only" (found in "Paste Special" menu when right clicking).

Figure 2: Where to find "Paste values only," converting RANDBETWEEN to solid numbers

With these random numbers, I selected the column and sorted A through Z, sorting the random numbers 1-xx. Though the numbers are sorted, the names are now randomized.

Figure 3: Highlighted to show how sorting the numbers will shuffle the names.

From here, using RANDOM.ORG's random number generator, I produce the winning number and look for the name on the corresponding row number, revealing the 10k Giveaway winner - watch the video to see who won!

WIP Gundariumsmith: A Plethora of Updates

Be advised: this is essentially a wall of text, you will find mostly uninteresting things in this post (unless you are truly interested in this blog).

A Word of Apology
First of all, I apologize for not posting much of anything for the month of August and September. I am thankful Morgenroete has been able to post while he's abroad. With the Specter GM complete, pictured below, and the almost complete 'Weiß Hund Zulu' (all part of the Space Mercenary: Specter GM project), everything has been lined up to be posted, but with the REFURB contest, and my situation in August, I was not able to post much of anything. Hopefully I can find the time to finish up those projects and move on to the next part of the Specter GM project, GM Quel Semi-Striker

Specter GM with Jegan Sniper Type; Photograph Taken in July

"When will you actually finish the Gunbarrel Astray?"
"shhh.."

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Exciting News!
Since late July, I have been spearheading the plans for a group build among my small Gunpla community. After a few of us started planning mobile suit teams, we wanted to involve the rest of the members by creating a team where everyone in the community can contribute a mobile suit of their own. More news on this to come this Fall!

With Fall comes a new academic year. Though I am not part of the Academic system anymore, I volunteered at an after school program. This year, a friend we call Meijin and I finalized curriculum and gathered supplies to teach the basics of scale modeling at this program. With my schedule, there is a possibility I may not be able to teach, but everything has been set into motion! I am so excited to at least have paved the way for this class to become a reality. I would not stay tuned for more news on this, I will not be posting any more information about this class for the sake of privacy of the students.

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Blog Overhaul

Now for the boring, but major part. I feel as though the gallery has become too cluttered and hard to read - Combining the list of kits my brother and I worked on makes the list pretty long. It is hard to find much of anything there.

So I decided to create a Featured Articles section. With categories like Recent Competition, and Monthly Top Viewed, the reader can see articles that stand out. Three seems okay for now, I might add more topics later.

With the gallery being hard to read and easily hitting the page limit of 6, I want to overhaul all the pages. For awhile I noticed the list of kits between my brother and myself is quite long. I tried to split it up into "Competition Gallery" and "Regular Gallery," but even that did not do much to make such a long list easy to read.
I think I need to consolidate everything from Reviews, Commissions, and Gallery pages into two pages - one for each author. This will most likely mean I will have to re-do all the graphics for the pages to fit into the new format (this will all happen in the background, so you won't see it until I am satisfied with the format) and most likely re-type some of the content.
As for the Projects page, I might have to incorporate the content into the Gallery through Google Docs/Drive to save space. I am not sure how this will look, but I will definitely consider it.

With that, I will reduce my page count to four (Home, About, Gundariumsmith, Morgenroete), leaving me with two open pages. I'll leave at least one open for a contest page (ooo, you heard it here first - contest to be organized in the future), and the other page, I may bring back my Wishlist, but I do not know how interesting that actually is to anyone.

If you have any feedback or suggestions about the format of this blog, feel free to leave it in the comments (it's filtered so it might not show up, but I'll still read it). Thanks for reading this!

Introducing Morgenroete Munitions

In a couple previous entries I mentioned my brother and his overseas adventures. Now that he is back, he wanted to show off his work without having to create and maintain his own blog. Since blogs have the option of multiple authors I decided to give him access to post his own entries.
The other day I was trying to figure out the best way to introduce him, but since he told me he does not want to post anything that he was working on before the blog, there really was not much to introduce him with. That is until yesterday when we decided to work on a new Light Box together. With that, I am more than happy to announce a new author to this blog: my brother, comrade, enabler, salty sea dog, and creator of the light box shown in figure 1, Morgenroete Munitions.

fig. 1: Light Box Mk-II

Morgenroete, normally spelled Morgenröte and is German for "Dawn," is a reference to Orb Union's munitions company in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. He chose the name to compliment the theme that I created as Gundariumsmith.

As for the light box, after Morgenroete saw my light box and how flimsy it was, he built one, taking queues from my box to increase the structural integrity of the box, taping extra cardboard where needed. For the side and top panels, we used loose leaf lined paper, taped together (sections with hole punches were cut out) in a 2 x 2 grid. I decided to do a test run with some of the final set of items I recently obtained from the three group purchases. The following photos are taken with the same Canon PowerShot SX150 that I have been using, but this time with three CFL bulbs instead of two.

From the HLJ order I made in March, back when HLJ announced the HG Customize Campaign, I bought two items: HGUC GM, and HGBC Hyper Gunpla Battle Weapons (purchased in a group, so there were three other items and five in the total order). The order did actually ship until April, and the items did not arrive until some time last week. I was scared we would not get the bonus runners because our order delayed for so long. Thank goodness we did, because the two other friends I ordered with only joined me because of the bonuses. Quick reviews of these items to come!

In addition to testing the light box with packaged items, the trial photography run included an item Morgenoete had given me from his overseas adventure, SD BB Senshi Sengoku Astray. This Gunpla had been on my wishlist ever since it was announced. I am happy my brother was able to obtain it in Japan rather than having to pay for shipping. I will do a full photo session after I find the time to do some detail painting.

Taken with Light Box Mk-II

I found, with the size of the Light Box Mk-II, CFL bulbs are too far, causing the inside to be dimmer than my original light box: I am forced to use a tripod. In addition to the lighting, though the height makes 1/100 scale photography easier, the width was not as effective as I hoped. Even so, I am happy with the results of the new light box. All I need now is better lighting (and a better camera).

Going back to introducing Morgenroete, a kit that he decided to build and paint is the Gundam Ground Type. While I was working on the Nemo for the GGC, he was slapping Tamiya Olive Drab on his Ground Type. He sent home a large package at one point, with this kit included, writing I could do what I want with anything in the box - he was just playing around. So I started going on a painting frenzy, cleaning off the OD and repainting the parts with a little color separation.

Left: before repainting. Right: after repainting.

Now that Morgenroete is back (and seeing his Gundam Ground Type repainted as previously shown), he has been spending his vacation time doing some amazing work in the Gunpla world. Here is a taste of what is to come.

Photography by Morgenroete Munitions

This is the battery pack from the HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type (Yonem Kirks Custom). He painted it with Tamiya J.A. Green, Testors Flat Black and started the weathering process with Testors Silver. I am certainly impressed! Both of us have only been hand painting up to this point, but, in the near future, we will be jumping into the world of airbrushes with a Splash of Color. I hope you will look forward to more work from Morgenroete Munitions!

On a side note, the top pages will have to be arranged in a way that we can show both our work with a decent amount of distinction. I am not sure how to tackle this with the least amount of work, so I am leaving it for now.

The Best GM

Wilxlopez of Mobile Suit Studios is back with another photo hunt for the month of May. Last photo hunt ended with no one winning the entry "Z'gok with a Watermelon" (maybe that's a hint that I should be getting a Z'gok). A whole month and no one obtained a Z'gok. I actually considered ordering one purely for the 5 dollar Amazon cash (it would have almost been like rebate on the Z'gok). I decided against it since I was already pretty deep in spending. But seeing no one wanted to claim the easy prize, I decided to put together a paper cutout of a Z'gok as a pseudo-entry. 

Since it seemed to be well received by /r/Gunpla, I decided to go for round two of paper cutout pseudo-entries with a GM holding a flower.

Though by the time I found out about the May photo hunt, both prizes had already been claimed, making my entry relatively useless. Nevertheless I still had fun making  yet another corny doodle of this Earth Federation mobile suit.

Eventful

It's been quite a day today, I am quite excited! Where do I start?

The GP Base from Santa Village JP via Amazon finally came in

The story of this HGBC GP Base is one that involves three other different group purchases I made with some friends. Placed orders ranged from January to last week. For one reason or another, none of the orders were coming in. Needless to say I became quite frustrated, especially because of the fact that the only kit I could work on at this point was the GoodGuy Competition Nemo.

It was late March or early April. After getting some Amazon cash from SocialSci, I decided I could pass the time waiting for these orders with a GP Base: maybe spend some time trying to wire some LEDs. Unfortunately when it started shipping, the estimated time of arrival was early May, so that plan fell through.

As the 2014 GoodGuy Competition came to a close, and the first order came in (Gundam Astray Red Frame w/ Flight Unit and Zaku I Sniper Type Yonem Kirks Custom), I was quite happy that I was finally able to start building something else. That is when I hear my brother is due to come back from his adventure on the high seas on Friday. On the day he arrives, the postman comes with this package. So while anticipating my brother's arrival, I also receive the GP Base.

It's quite a simple stand, and I hope to still do some custom lighting, since the plastic leaves a lot of play room and it would be fun to incorporate my very basic knowledge of circuits into this hobby, but that will probably be put on the back burner since I have the base kit for the Gunbarrel Astray and Jegan Sniper Type to work on.

More Box Photos!

Speaking of Jegan Sniper Type, my brother's arrival came with laughter, sea stories, and Gunpla: lots of Gunpla. Right before he left he asked our circle of friends for Gunpla requests. I had parts for the Jegan Sniper Type, but I did not actually have a Jegan, so I decided to trade my Zaku I Sniper Type (Yonem Kirks Custom) for any version of Jegan he could find. I'm happy he was able to find one at the local hobby shop so I did not have to make another online order.

Better Content to Come!

Next Time on Gundariumsmith: with the Red Frame complete, it is time to do a quick review. Though a photoshoot exists, I kept using the wrong settings through the excitement of today's events, became frustrated, and decided to redo on another day. I am hoping the other orders come in soon: this project I conceptualized in January is finally catching some moment, and I do not want it to become a back burner project.

So stay tuned, more content to come soon!

EDIT: I even forgot to title it. I think I just need a little sleep before continuing.

Welcome

Welcome to Gundariumsmith (again). I hope you mostly enjoyed the content in the original blog. As I stated in my post, 'Moving!' There were features I wanted that were missing in Wordpress, so I decided to play around with Blogger and see what I can do with it. Though Blogger has some disadvantages, especially for a service affiliated with Google, there were too many features I could not pass up, mainly with tweaking the template to my liking (which only exists for a price on Wordpress). I am happy to make the switch, and I hope you, the reader, will enjoy the new format!

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For my first post I just wanted to post my final photo set (this and more in the Gallery) for the GoodGuyCompetition that ended last night. I had some fun with photography, my first "real" hobby, right before the due date.

Bonus Photo: 'Heavily Armed' Nemo

I'm sort of upset at myself: I did not deliver the best photos as possible going into this event. Right before I took the photos, I was stealing my brother's borrowed, with granted permission, my brother's Gundam Ground Type to clean up and re-paint for practice on my upcoming projects.

Original paint job with re-painted M.S.G. hand guns.

Torso work.

Because of this, I had a tiny bit of paint on my fingers. Though I washed my hands, the remaining paint on my hands ended up sticking on to my contest entry. I started using latex gloves to make cleaning up easier, but I cannot undo for the contest at this point. In a way I am sort of glad the contest is over: I can finally stop worrying about deadlines and work at my own pace.

Projects to look forward to,

• As seen in this post, RX-79(G) Gundam Ground Type: Revisited
• I will do a more in-depth post about this kit soon
• I want to finish by week's end: before my brother gets back from his adventure on the high seas.
• MBF-PV01+AQM/E-X04 Gundam Gunbarrel Astray
• RGM-89SP ‘Jegan Sniper Type’ (part of a larger project known as 'Space Mercenary: Specter GM')

For more details on the latter two projects, please visit my "Projects" page.

Once again, Welcome to the new location of Gundariumsmith. Please stay tuned!