RG Gundam Banshee Norn Destroy Mode – Lighting Model
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RG Gundam Banshee Norn Destroy Mode – Lighting Model

I don’t really have anything new to say about this kit that I didn’t already cover when I built the Unicorn ver TWC Lighting Model a few years back. The Banshee version is the same, save for the design differences and a LED setup that’s yellow instead of red.

The paint is a handful of custom mixes. I started with Tamiya X-16 Purple and added various shades of gray for three separate tones. Inner frame is typical X-10 Gun Metal. I sat on this project for ages because I couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to colour wise. Eventually I just said, “Screw it, I like purple, let’s go with that.” I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. Just enough subtle colour separation and deviation from the typical Banshee colour scheme. read more

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Otaku Evolution Episode 169 – Venus Wars

I love Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, but a lot of what he makes, in terms of direction, is a bit wonky. I suppose the Gundam The Origin OVA is an exception, but don’t think that’s because he made the manga, because he did that for Venus Wars, too. I guess he just improved over time, because Venus Wars, a bit like the Crusher Joe movie, is kind of a mess. No, Venus Wars is especially a mess, just a lopsided, but gorgeous-looking wreck of a film that I want desperately to love. It certainly has nostalgic value to it, as it was one of the first anime movies I ever saw, back when it aired on the Sci-Fi Channel’s Anime Saturday block. read more

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Otaku Evolution Episode 168 – Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01

I have to be honest, there’s not a whole lot to say about Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01. It’s a very short, very straight-forward mecha action feature. And my approach to it? Basically a good, old-fashioned blow-by-blow of the unusual events that unfold. But I felt like I needed something relaxing and untaxing in the middle of 80s Month. Also, the 80s was so mecha-oriented, I had to put something mecha-related in this month.

You know, to get hyped to do this month’s videos I watched a lot of 80s commercials on YouTube. There’s a YouTube channel called Dave’s Archives that has tons of collections of old commercials that are worth checking out. It had me singing that damn Mac Tonight song for nearly a week. read more

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MS IGLOO Inspired Takom PL-01 Tank Build
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MS IGLOO Inspired Takom PL-01 Tank Build

Here’s a quick build report on my MS IGLOO/Zeon inspired PL-01 tank from Takom. The PL-01 is a prototype Polish light tank with a very distinctive stealth (as much as a tank can be stealthy) design. This is my first tank in a long while, and first kit from Takom.

For the most part Takom’s PL-01 kit is pretty straight forward and easy to put together. There are a few issues though starting with a ton of visible seam lines. I did my best to hide all of them by welding and sanding which was, for the most part, successful. The most obvious seam is on the front, which isn’t glue on my build, because I wanted to paint the top and bottom parts independently. To go back and glue would have screwed up the paint quite a bit and I was just lazy enough to not care. read more

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Otaku Evolution Episode 167 – They Were Eleven

It’s 80s Month! I’m pretty fond of doing this theme month, even if this month’s specific offerings aren’t exactly the greatest anime of all time. Yeah, I kind of cornered myself by already having covered most of my favorite 80s anime previously (Bubblegum Crisis, Gundam 0080, Royal Space Force, Patlabor, Char’s Counterattack, The Fuma Conspiracy, and Night on the Galactic Railroad). But hey, They Were Eleven is decent enough, and I get to put on my 80s aesthetics again! Bitchin’. read more

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Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 (Episodes 1-12) Review

SPOILER-FREE SYNOPSIS: In the year 2045, sustainable warfare has made an even wider gap between the haves and the have-nots in certain areas of the world. Motoko Kusanagi, Batou, and other former Section 9 members are now GHOST, a PMC that cleans up messes in the U.S., but have found themselves entangled in a bigger plot. So-called “post-humans” threaten the world order, and Section 9 is revived in Japan, at the behest of the newest Prime Minister. But is the Prime Minister just a puppet for the American government? And is there more to these post-humans than just superhuman monsters? The gang’s all back to brain dive into a brand new series by Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki! read more

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Otaku Evolution 166 – Serial Experiments Lain

Ah, Serial Experiments Lain. I still don’t 100% know what’s going on at all times in this one, though several watches has me getting the gist of it, or enough to speak on it as a reviewer. It’s a noodle-scratcher, that’s for sure, and was especially potent when I was still new to any anime that was more complicated than, say, Dragon Ball Z. It holds up pretty well, too, it’s not just one of those shows that seemed complicated at the time and is now quaint. It still has things to say that are relevant to today’s society. I like that. And I recommend seeing it or revisiting it. read more

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Otaku Evolution Episode 165 – Lupin III: Voyage to Danger

So this is my second episode with the new opening. What do you think of it? I wanted to include anime that I’ll probably review either this year or next into it. Though I doubt I’ll be covering Lupin III Part IV, because it’s still too new to meet my requirements, I’ll definitely be covering Lupin features.

Speaking of Lupin features, Voyage to Danger certainly is… one. Yeah, I guess there isn’t a whole lot to actually say about the feature. It’s not terrible by any real measure, but it’s not incredibly good, either. Like many Lupin specials, it just sort of exists in the middle. Which is weird, because it has this reputation for being really good, but I just don’t see it. It’s mediocre. Next time I review a Lupin special, I’ll make sure to find an especially good one. Or at least one that I can speak on for more than a few minutes. read more

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Otaku Evolution Episode 164 – Outlaw Star

So, this is the first episode of Otaku Evolution with the brand new opening. The new opening tune is “Hyperdrive” (the instrumental version) by Sebastian Forslund. The new ending music is “The End of All Things” by Niklas Johansson. I found the tracks on Epidemic Sound, a resource available to Channel Frederator producers, which I’m still able to access, despite my YT channel being demonetized because I wasn’t getting enough views or subscriptions. They’re royalty-free, but of course I’ll make sure to credit whenever I can. They’re both great pieces. read more

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Falldog’s Guide to Gundam Canon and Timelines (2020 Edition)

 

About a six years ago I had the idea to put together a piece discussing the Gundam franchise’s many timelines and many, many complexities. Little did I know that I was opening a can of worms. Welcome to that can of worms.

The Gundam franchise is a confusing assortment of TV series, manga, games, novelizations, and even audio dramas. These are broken across many different universes, and within those universes, similar and sometimes contradictory stories. What I’ve tried to do below is take as much of the franchise’s numerous installments I could muster and lay them out graphically. Before we get to that there are a couple of core concepts we need to cover. read more

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