Author: Falldog

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Stripping the Hyaku Shiki

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Recently the great Gamera Baenre posted to /r/Gunpla about how he was stripping the gold coating from the new Hyaku Shiki 2.0. He didn’t post a full tutorial on the process, and since I just used the same process on a my upcoming Hyaku Shiki 2.0 build, I figured I do a quick tutorial myself for folks with questions.

The process is really easy. All you need is…

  • 1 gallon jug of Purple Power (roughly $18 on Amazon)
  • Plastic tub in which to soak the parts (I used a 12qt dishpan, $6 on Amazon)
  • Dish washing gloves, or any other waterproof glove ($4-$10 on Amazon)

Oh, and you need the Hyaku Shiki too. Per Baenre the original plated Shiki was clear plastic below as well. Why is it clear plastic? Well guessing that milky white is just the base manufacturer color. Makes sense, why spend more on a coloured frame folks won’t see? read more

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PG Unicorn Gundam – The One Week Build

Last weekend I started out on an ambitious build. Well, the build itself wasn’t so nuts, the time frame was. The goal was to build a PG Unicorn in one week. Here’s how things turned out…

o why only a week? It didn’t start off that way. Up until now it’s been awhile since I’ve painted a kit. Lots of straight builds, but nothing since I finished my White Glint back in January. I’ve been trying to decide which kit I should do a simple job with, just to scrape off some of the rust, when I wound up with a second PG Unicorn. As I was thinking about how to paint it, figuring I’d get it knocked out relatively quickly, another project landed in my lap. With two kits I wanted to get done in short time, and a schedule conducive to tackling the Unicorn, I figured I’d try a super quick build. That eventually morphed into a weekend-to-weekend build, then into a Sunday-to-Saturday express build from hell. read more

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A Tale of Two Zoids: HMM Geno Breaker and HMM Berserk Fury

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I wanted to take a few minutes out to discuss the latest Zoids HMM builds I’ve gone through, specifically the HMM Geno Breaker and HMM Berserk Fury (or Berserk Führer if you didn’t grow up with the Americanized Zoids New Century). I picked up both thinking they would be pretty similar builds that would look good side by side in my collection. Well, one was a delightful build… the other not so much.

Frankly, the Geno Breaker is not a good kit. There aren’t any major issues with the build, just lots of minor ones which add up. The HMM line of Zoids kits is from Kotobukiya, a model manufacturer whose build quality has been pretty hit and miss over the years. Typically this means poor engineering choices, poorly designed joints, bad seam lines, that sort of thing. Every now and then you encounter a kit fit issues, the Geno Breaker is one of them. There are quite a few pieces throughout the kit that don’t fit too well. They’re either too loose or too tight such that they’re quick to fall off or would be a huge pain in the ass if you ever had to dismantle or paint the kit. Often these fitment issues run-a-muck of bad engineering which exacerbates bad seam lines, makes poseing the kit a bitch sketchy, or simple leaves weird and unsightly gaps here and there. read more

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Gunpla Display Cabinet 3 – With a Vengeance

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Despite building some big and pretty display cases a year or so back for my Gunpla collection, the obsession means that new kits come in hardly ever go out. Well, I am trying to curate my curate my collection by having distinct collections within the overall collection but that’ll only limit growth so far. I’m just thankful I haven’t gone nuts over the MG Wing series… though this year I’ve gotten into HMM Zoids and an assortment of Ligers sure require a lot of shelf space (two to three MGs worth). So, where to put them? Well my existing cases were already bursting at the seams and I’ve got a few key pieces that I hope to add later this year. The layout of the room doesn’t really allow for more full height cases without being to obstructionist and the center of the room is nothing but dead space. The solution? Fill that space! read more

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Zoids HMM Liger Zero Review
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Zoids HMM Liger Zero Review

I’ve been looking to get into the HMM Zoids series for awhile now. It feels wrong to be lusting over Zoids when I still haven’t picked up any of Bandai’s Macross models. Though Macross may be the far superior franchise I can’t help but be sucked in by the nostalgia of days spent watching Zoids on Toonami. It’s a weird thing to build a model, based off a show, that was based off a toy they were trying to sell. Somewhere there’s a Japanese executive laughing like Dr. Claw. I’m sure all the Zoids fans are scoffing at me calling them toys. The original Zoids product line may have technically counted as models but they’re nothing compared to the HMM line. read more

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Gunpla and Model Reviews

Here’s a list of the Gunpla and other model reviews I’ve done, either here on Otaku Revolution or for other folks like Gundam Guy. These are sorted (roughly) by publication date, not kit release date.

2020


Perfect Grade Unleashed RX-78-2 Gundam


MGEX Unicorn – A review and model retrospective

2019


Kotobukiya Ace Combat 1/144 X-02S and XFA-27 Model Review


BSC 1/35 Zeta Gundam Bust Short Review


Steel Legend Metal Build 1/100 Kshatriya Review


Nillson Works PG Astray Grayscale Review


Max Factory PLAMAX 1/20 Macross VF-1 Super/Strike Gerwalk Valkyrie – Dry Fit Review read more

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Completed Model: Kotobukiya’s White Glint from Armored Core For Answer
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Completed Model: Kotobukiya’s White Glint from Armored Core For Answer

Practice makes perfect, and well, I haven’t been practicing. 2014 was a rather dry year. I finished a couple kits early in the year but between my Caged Unicorn at the end of May and this White Glint I didn’t even touch my airbrush. Unfortunately that caused me to re-learn some past lessons and produce a project that wasn’t all it should’ve been.

I started painting this kit back in November and, for the most part, things went well. Unfortunately I was expecting an easy November and December which instead became the busiest part of the year for me. Start and stop builds never seem to work out for me. There’s always a sense of “Hey, I already procrastinated, what’s a bit more?” For 2015 I’ll try to get any painted builds done before Halloween rolls around. read more

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M3 Model’s 1/60 Red Frame Tactical Arms Review
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M3 Model’s 1/60 Red Frame Tactical Arms Review

This beast happens to be a 1/60 scale Tactical Arms by M3 Models. If you weren’t aware the giant sword you see above what’s known as the Tactical Arms. The world, of Astray Red Frame fame, is scaled up from the Master Grade’s 1/100 scale to work with the Perfect Grade Red Frame. Like my Seraph Hobby Banshee Bust I picked this up from Samuel Decal who has all of M3’s press photos (which aren’t much different than what I’ve got here now that I look at them).

Once again the moral implications of this unofficial release are blurry. Sure, Bandai was never going to release one of these, but it is essentially a direct copy of the MG equivalent. M3 also used the same instructional build steps in their guide as Bandai did with the MG Tactical Arms. At the very least, that last part makes me feel a bit dirty. read more

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Seraph Hobby 1/35 Banshee Gundam Bust – A Quick Review
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Seraph Hobby 1/35 Banshee Gundam Bust – A Quick Review

I wanted to take some time to review my first non-Bandai Gunpla release, the 1/35 scale Banshee Bust from Seraph Hobby. I’ve got a few option pieces here and there but never a full blown kit so it has been a pretty interesting experience. I picked this up via the always great decal resource, Samuel Decal. If you follow the link you’ll see Seraph Hobby’s press photos for the kit.

Perhaps I should start by saying that I in no way condone Bandai knockoffs. If you have the choice between a Bandai made kit, and a reprint from TT Hongli, go Bandai every time. Every review I’ve ever seen has easily placed the Bandai product as the superior release. Sure, Bandai’s releases generally cost more but it’s worth it. Plus you should really support the folks who took the time to develop, design, and manufacture the original product. However, when you start talking about kits that Bandai doesn’t make, it’s a massive gray area. Awhile back I started getting these PG sized action bases which are just reprints of the one included with the PG 00 Gundam plus some extra pieces to support every PG kit. The one included with my 00 broke, so what to do, wait years to get a replacement? Buy another PG just for a base? Or get a clear one which Bandai doesn’t even offer. read more

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Reconguista in G: What’s going on? A general summary of the universe

Been watching Reconguistia in G lately? Well, you should, if only for the great animation and fights. If you are, do you know what’s going on? Let’s just say "easy to follow" isn’t exactly a common descriptor. Tomino’s break-neck pacing and sporadic exposition haven’t made the picture clear for a lot of folks. If you’ve seen Turn A, it’s a lot like that, just turned up to 11.

Hell, I barely have a grasp of what’s going on and that seems to fly out the window with the start of each episode. Hopefully this will help clear things up a bit… read more

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