gundam seed

Allow me cut to the chase. The Hi-Resolution Model Astray is an astounding "meh."

As a moderator over at /r/Gundam I often see folks asking how to get into the franchise and what shows to watch. Hopefully this guide will help you along that path.

 

TL;DR?

If you don't have time to go through and read, it's best to pick with one of the below series:  

Start with this		Or pick one of these
Mobile Suit Gundam		Gundam 0080	Gundam 00
		G Gundam	Iron Blooded Orphans

 

Note that the above are in no order of preference or recommendation. Why I think they're four good starting points is detailed below.

If you can't be bothered as to finding out why the above are recommended, or just want me to make the decision for you, then watch the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The full series, all 43 episodes, is the best way to go. Though many will argue that the movies are a valid alternative.

 

I just saw this handy (and surprisingly apt) guide to the various Gundam TV series over on /m/.

 

Click to Enlarge - Open in a new Window

 

It's a great guide for those new to the series or those just looking to dive deeper into the Gundam catalog.

The following just showed up on Samuel Decal's news feed...

 

A FUTURE NEWS.... MG　AGE-2　7月14日 MegaSize 1/48　AGE-3　8月 RG　Justice Gundam　形状試作公開　7月21日 MG　Buster Gundam　8月 MG　Aegis Gundam 9月 HGUC　Rose Zulu　8月 HGAC　Wing gundam　8月 HGAC　Tallgeese　9月 HGFC　Dragon Gundam　9月 PG　Unicorn Gundam　製作發表　11月　※8月のキャラホビで形状試作公開 PG　Banshee　製作發表　11月　※8月のキャラホビで形状試作公開

 

For those too lazy to open up Google Translator, 月 means month, so this list represents August through November of this year. The notes following the PG Unicorn and Banshee seem to indicate that it's currently in a testing phase and my premier at this year's Chara Hobby???

 

Generally, I'm not one to buy 1/144 scale kits. However I've had a project floating around in my head for a long time and the Real Grade Strike seemed to fit the bill. It's the perfect scale and I love the Strike Gundam's design. Plus it would give me an excuse to pick up and mess around with a RG level kit.

But wait, perfect scale for what you might ask? Well a kit bash with my ancient 1/550 scale Dendrobium of course! I've had one sitting around for over a decade, back from the days before I knew better and ripped pieces from the runners. When I pulled it apart I realized how great the cannon was and that it would look great by itself. Slowly the idea developed into a full scale kit bash. My first kit bash actually. And thus far, things are going great.

 

 

After four months of paint, tears, and more paint... my black Perfect Grade Strike Freedom is complete. For those of us with ADHD I'm going to kick things off by posting all the pictures. From a technical prospective they're rather 'blah' due to the small size of my studio and the humongous span of this kit's wings, among other reasons. You can read more about that, along with very little detail about the build, after all the pretty pictures.

 

The Pictures

 

Click to Enlarge | On Flickr

 

So at long last the body of my PG Strike Freedom is complete...

 

Click to Enlarge | On Flickr

 

Can you spot the issues? The silvering on some of the decals is painfully evident in this shot. I can also spot at least three areas of unfortunate paint transfer via parts rubbing. The clear pieces on the wings, which normally would have had a sticker applied to them, got a coat of clear red followed by some dull coat for frosting. Probably the only aspect of the kit that turned out better than expected. Though it does clash with the rest of the design. Sadness.

 

It's been awhile since I updated with my progress on this guy...

 

Click to Enlarge | On Flickr

 

She's certainly been giving me some heart burn for a while. What's been killing me mostly are the decals and the dull top coat.

 

The kit is slowly moving along. Following the issues chronicled in my last update a lot of pieces have now been repainted and received new decals. Now I await some 60 degree days to give them a good top coat. I do have some some other pieces finished though. Unfortunately there's some silvering/air bubble issues on the shoulder armor. Oh well. Not much I can really do about it without delaying the whole project yet again to order more decals.
Click to Enlarge | On Flickr