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The Gundam |OT2| Another 5 years of Gunpla, Origins, and GUNDAMUUUU!

jackal27

Banned
I have been on such a Gundam binge lately. In the past month or two I've watched The Origin, the Zeta movies, ZZ, Char's Counterattack, Unicorn, MS IGLOO, Thunderbolt 1&2, that 2013 08th MS TEAM short, all those dumb CGI shorts, and some sprinklings of MSG, 0083, and 08th MS Team here and there.

Tonight I finished F91 and now I'm on to Victory Gundam! After this I'll have seen every piece of U.C. Media!!

What are the general thoughts on Victory? I've just heard it has lots of deaths. I really like the animation and suit design so far. After getting through the first half of ZZ, I'm not sure anything could feel like a slog.
 

AALLx

Member
The MG Unicorn has quite a few issues that seem to stem from being a decently old kit and them not really sure how to fully do the transformation at the time. The Ver. Ka is actually a significantly worse kit as the OVA version was remolded off of that to fix some issues with knee posability and waist transformation. Going from the PG, Bandai has learned a lot since then at how to make that transformation work.

Ooof, so I already have the better versions then. These are what I got:
9305578240_aa5c86272f_c.jpg
834341551_1_1000x700.jpg
I assume these are already the OVA versions. The waist is weird actually. On Unicorn mode it's completely unmovable, but when transformed it becomes completely unhinged.
 
I have been on such a Gundam binge lately. In the past month or two I've watched The Origin, the Zeta movies, ZZ, Char's Counterattack, Unicorn, MS IGLOO, Thunderbolt 1&2, that 2013 08th MS TEAM short, all those dumb CGI shorts, and some sprinklings of MSG, 0083, and 08th MS Team here and there.

Tonight I finished F91 and now I'm on to Victory Gundam! After this I'll have seen every piece of U.C. Media!!

What are the general thoughts on Victory? I've just heard it has lots of deaths. I really like the animation and suit design so far. After getting through the first half of ZZ, I'm not sure anything could feel like a slog.

I love victory. It's one of my favorites in the series.
 
What are the general thoughts on Victory? I've just heard it has lots of deaths. I really like the animation and suit design so far. After getting through the first half of ZZ, I'm not sure anything could feel like a slog.

Personally? Victory is one of my worst Gundams. Sure there's lots of deaths and some pretty morbid ways people go out, but it feels really hollow compared to other Gundam TV anime. I don't particularly like the mech design for most of it, outside of the lead Gundam.

For most of Tomino's Gundams I feel like there a plethora of good or interesting ideas, but they're not always done well. With Victory I feel like there's a lot less of those good ideas peering through.

I feel like the writing is the weakest of all Tomino's entries into the franchise, and I completely understand why he tells people not to watch it. All that said, I'll admit I watched it prior to the Rightstuf release. So I was working with whatever subtitles I could find and I suppose maybe I didn't get the best experience, but based on the way the show progressed overall I'm not sure my opinion would change much on a rewatch.

But I think everyone else in the group loves it so I don't know how much my opinion helps.
 
Black Zaku looking good!

Rewatching/marathoning Iron Blooded Orphans since my friends wanted to try a Gundam but did not know which one, so they decided on the newest. They are really enjoying it, and so am I on a rewatch. Were in the last 10 episodes of Season 2, we watched from 26~40 last night haha while eating snacks, and pizza ect. Show definitely has a better flow when marathoned or several episodes at a time. Even I thought it moved pretty slow when seen one episode a week, but mashing them together its very watchable. But they are enjoying the characters and story overall. I don't think they are ready for how its gonna end though haha.

My only real issue with it is still the amount of terms, sides, and organizations there are in this show. They are tossed around like we effing live there and should know what they are on first mention. My friends noticed it too asking "wait who is Aburau? whats the SAU?" Other complaint is some of the animation and ways scenes are edited make it hard to follow some fights. At least they leave a bit to be desired (which seems like a common issue in season 2 of gundams I realize) maybe because of budget changes. Like a few extra frames of animation would go a long way in a few moments.

ANYWAY

Getting the itch to custom paint another kit guys! Anyone wanna suggest a kit and paint scheme? Want to paint but no idea what to paint~ I know the main color I want is probably sky blue, like the G-Reco gundam's chest blue shade. (Kinda just want to buy a kit of that too, but I never finished the show haha)

Was thinking a grunt suit maybe, possibly a HG simply because I want to mess around with paints on the cheap.
 
You're just a man of chaos, it seems.

And some advice: The less you take Macross 7 seriously, the more you'll enjoy it.
I already know all about space hippie Basara as he tries to get people to listen to his song while he romances his stoic bro Gamlin and sings a space vampire into having orgasms. It's just the weird order I've watched those two shows in. I may or may not watch Delta again, it's honestly just a show that doesn't touch anything in me. It's just not as hype as Frontier...at least to me.
 

yami4ct

Member
Ooof, so I already have the better versions then. These are what I got:

I assume these are already the OVA versions. The waist is weird actually. On Unicorn mode it's completely unmovable, but when transformed it becomes completely unhinged.

Yup. Those are the more modern slightly fixed versions. I like them for what they are. Like, I see them as models and not figures so for a thing you build pose and look at they hold up decently well. The PG versions are much improved as they should be and I expect the RG to be as well. RG is probably what finally gets me to buy a Banshee if they make the Norn.
 
You're not wrong.

First transformation of the Quarter is one of my top favorite anime scenes due to the HYPE.
That and I feel like it just stays more consistent. They kind of come off as assholes on the first ep, especially Michael but eventually you can tell that he just enjoys fucking with people and Alto is so damn insecure that you almost have to mess with the guy a bit. Sheryl comes off as a bitch but she's a dedicated cool artist with a childlike personality at times. Frontier also uses its music much better, which Delta doesn't start getting right till half way through. Not to mention that Frontier actually remembers that these things transform so the action is better. And how the hell is SMS more competent than Delta? Issamu could solo all of Delta. VF-25's look like murder machines too. I like some of Delta's cast but the ones I like aren't even really in the spotlight. The cast is kind of too big to get really fleshed out. I like Mirage, but they dropped the ball hard with her. There's a plot thread on her they could have started bringing up that got like a 6 second flashback scene. She's a character that could have been the main honestly but nope. It has to be the guy I can't remember the name of. She has connections back to OG Macross how do you not focus on that? Maybe my tone would change after a rewatch since I already know where the show goes but it's almost Korra season 4 levels of unfulfilled potential.
 

AALLx

Member
Yup. Those are the more modern slightly fixed versions. I like them for what they are. Like, I see them as models and not figures so for a thing you build pose and look at they hold up decently well. The PG versions are much improved as they should be and I expect the RG to be as well. RG is probably what finally gets me to buy a Banshee if they make the Norn.

Yeah, I do like it too, just wish the waist was posable in either form.

Just finished re-watching Gundam Unicorn again (watched the RE:0096 release). This is personally the best Gundam show for me (I have no attachment to UC and I vastly prefer AC's) as the plot, story, and animations are all superb, and the finale was a great pay-off to all the build up. I really love both Marida and Kshatriya as well. Here's to hoping that Twilight Axis continues with the events in Unicorn.

Finished building my Barbie Toes Lupus Rex as well:
 
Yeah I'm very disappointed by what I've heard... seemed like such a promising idea too. Still hoping for that Crossbone anime someday.

I figure they'll throw us a bone (lol) at some point if the begging for it continues. As far as Twilight Axis goes I'm just curious as to what can be actually accomplished in the time allotted.
 
So I assume the point at which Gundam X was rewritten to account for a loss of 11 episodes was around episode 25? That seems like it would be it to me as boy the series feels like a cliff notes version. The narrator pops up way more often, things are constantly developing off-screen and bad guys are thrown left and right at Garrod like it's going out of fashion and there's a clearance sale.

Nevermind Tiffa exclaiming that Garrod has grown away from here not two episodes after he rushed to save her last. Or Enil's sudden "I can't stay and be friends" second development. Still enjoying the show, but it really feels like you can tell they're crunched for time.
 

Paltheos

Member
After a long wait, I finally got my confirmation email from samueldecal for shipping for my MG Testament (usually he's quicker than this). Anyone who ordered be sure to check your email. >_>

So I assume the point at which Gundam X was rewritten to account for a loss of 11 episodes was around episode 25? That seems like it would be it to me as boy the series feels like a cliff notes version. The narrator pops up way more often, things are constantly developing off-screen and bad guys are thrown left and right at Garrod like it's going out of fashion and there's a clearance sale.

Nevermind Tiffa exclaiming that Garrod has grown away from here not two episodes after he rushed to save her last. Or Enil's sudden "I can't stay and be friends" second development. Still enjoying the show, but it really feels like you can tell they're crunched for time.

The real crunch becomes apparent in the next few episodes. All the tomfoolery of Garrod fighting a konga line of baddies is a pretty fun change of pace imo, and all the stories are cohesive enough. I liked the brisker pace that came with the fantastic new opening (Resolution is one of my favorite OPs ever). The only part I found weak is expecting the audience to believe that the Double X is a more formidable general-purpose mobile suit than the X Divider. There's even one episode which nods to this where the divider shield is thrown to Garrod midbattle to provide him additional thrust in a pinch. It made me a mite too aware that I was watching a toy commercial. For goodness' sake some of those times the X Divider's just sitting in the hangar bay.
 

Llyranor

Member
I personally didn't like Unicorn much at all and had to force myself to go through the OVA. It has some quite nice music and animations (though too much CG for my tastes), but the plot felt contrived and mostly boring, and most characters were either forgettable or obnoxious. The whole 'allowing tons of innocents to die to help an enemy 'misguided' pilot [who coincidentally is always of the opposite sex] see the light and realize that killing tons of innocents is wrong' stick is getting really freaking old. Main protagonists were all bad.
 
Banagher starts off pretty cool, but in episode 4 he sucks. He's a bit too preachy and I don't really care about how within the context of the show he is viewed as morally superior.

But I'm ok with him
 
I personally didn't like Unicorn much at all and had to force myself to go through the OVA. It has some quite nice music and animations (though too much CG for my tastes), but the plot felt contrived and mostly boring, and most characters were either forgettable or obnoxious. The whole 'allowing tons of innocents to die to help an enemy 'misguided' pilot [who coincidentally is always of the opposite sex] see the light and realize that killing tons of innocents is wrong' stick is getting really freaking old. Main protagonists were all bad.

A lot of Unicorn was, like they mention in one scene "Retreading humanity's atrocities" aka kinda like a flash back of the gundam UC timeline reminding you how actually f'd up it is. I do agree that a good bit of it felt long winded though and tried to make points that many Gundam series have made before and fans are well aware of. Each episode tried to be about a different aspect of the same overall point which kinda worked in scenes but not so much in others.

Though saying that the main protagonists were all bad is horribly false. Marida and the Commander are two of the best characters to come out of Gundam since Athrun mother effin Zala. Seriously though their relationship was one of the more interesting in a Gundam series, sadly they were "side characters" they are the main characters in our hearts!
 
I can only remember the mecha porn and action sequences in Unicorn...and Marida and Zinnerman. The rest might as well be Jojo stand explanations.
 
A lot of Unicorn was, like they mention in one scene "Retreading humanity's atrocities" aka kinda like a flash back of the gundam UC timeline reminding you how actually f'd up it is. I do agree that a good bit of it felt long winded though and tried to make points that many Gundam series have made before and fans are well aware of. Each episode tried to be about a different aspect of the same overall point which kinda worked in scenes but not so much in others.

Though saying that the main protagonists were all bad is horribly false. Marida and the Commander are two of the best characters to come out of Gundam since Athrun mother effin Zala. Seriously though their relationship was one of the more interesting in a Gundam series, sadly they were "side characters" they are the main characters in our hearts!

I don't even like Seed, but I liked Athrun.

That said, I think newer shows have had good characters. Gundam Age isn't good, but Flit was pretty cool. And Sei is a top tier protagonist.
 
I don't even like Seed, but I liked Athrun.
And Sei is a top tier protagonist.

Me either, all Seed was good for is a cool, albeit streamlined gundam design, Athrun, and wasting a ton of awesome names on grunt suits.

Also yes Sei is awesome but its weird counting BF as a real series lol, though it is basically one of the best.
 

AALLx

Member
2 of the best tracks to come out of Unicorn:
La la la la laaaaa la la la lalalaa... (transforms to destroy mode)
RX-0 Theme

What I really like about Unicorn was how positive it all was in the end, and how despite the acceptance of nihilism, the show still emphasized the beauty of human potential. "But even so..." felt powerful when taken into the context of the pointlessness of life and existence; that even if everything will disappear to nothing in the future, just believe in one's own potential is enough for one to step forward.

The Beast of Possibilities, "but even so...", opening the Laplace Box; they're all about exploring the idea of future, possibility, and potential.
 
Unicorn also gave us the gift of Aimer, one of the best singers... and I guess now more or less "anime singers" in a long time. Or at least boosting her career, her releases are always in the top 10 here in Japan when they drop which is awesome.

Though I think because she rarely appears in person she won't break into the mainstream :/
 

Man God

Non-Canon Member
Unicron is pretty bad all in all. I don't mind the finale though. Full Frontal was such a bad char clone though. How the fuck do you make a clone of char that boring?!?
 

AALLx

Member
Unicron is pretty bad all in all. I don't mind the finale though. Full Frontal was such a bad char clone though. How the fuck do you make a clone of char that boring?!?

Because he's literally a clone of Char who is nothing more than soulless vessel of Char's ideals.
 
Unicorn also gave us the gift of Aimer, one of the best singers... and I guess now more or less "anime singers" in a long time. Or at least boosting her career, her releases are always in the top 10 here in Japan when they drop which is awesome.

Though I think because she rarely appears in person she won't break into the mainstream :/

Yay, another fellow Aimer lover.
 
Wasn't he on a ship that blew up?

The Revil clone noticed that Uso's dad had already escaped right before the Jeanne D'Arc got taken out by Cronicle. Later on, the Jeanne D'Arc turned out to still be operational and suicide rammed into the Zanscare battleship with the last remaining leaders. I think it's implied that Uso's dad hid away so that he could do a sneak attack at the last moment.
 
2 of the best tracks to come out of Unicorn:
La la la la laaaaa la la la lalalaa... (transforms to destroy mode)
RX-0 Theme

What I really like about Unicorn was how positive it all was in the end, and how despite the acceptance of nihilism, the show still emphasized the beauty of human potential. "But even so..." felt powerful when taken into the context of the pointlessness of life and existence; that even if everything will disappear to nothing in the future, just believe in one's own potential is enough for one to step forward.

The Beast of Possibilities, "but even so...", opening the Laplace Box; they're all about exploring the idea of future, possibility, and potential.

You know.. the show outight says that but it never really clicked with me until I read your post.
 

Lynx_7

Member
Hey Gundam Gaf! I've been a little obsessed with The Origin (the manga, not the adaptation) lately and I wanted to ask, is there any way to read Zeta Define right now? Are there even any plans to officially localize it? It's kinda weird how there seems to be absolutely nothing on the internet about that series. I'm guessing it's not as good as Origin's reinterpretation of the original and as such isn't getting any attention?
 
Hey Gundam Gaf! I've been a little obsessed with The Origin (the manga, not the adaptation) lately and I wanted to ask, is there any way to read Zeta Define right now? Are there even any plans to officially localize it? It's kinda weird how there seems to be absolutely nothing on the internet about that series. I'm guessing it's not as good as Origin's reinterpretation of the original and as such isn't getting any attention?

I don't think Zeonic got around to it? And I don't believe anyone's planning to localize it. Viz is currently publishing Thunderbolt and Vertical (the company that released the Origin manga) is doing the Gundam Wing Glory of Losers manga next.
 
So I got my first ever Master Grade, a Geara Duga, and unfortunately I fucked up the mono eye decal. I didn't realise it was a water decall rather than a sticker, and pealed it off. Can I salvage it, or is it gone?

Also, in case that eye decal is a bust, are there any ways I can get replacement decals without buying a new kit?
 

NEO0MJ

Member
So I got my first ever Master Grade, a Geara Duga, and unfortunately I fucked up the mono eye decal. I didn't realise it was a water decall rather than a sticker, and pealed it off. Can I salvage it, or is it gone?

Also, in case that eye decal is a bust, are there any ways I can get replacement decals without buying a new kit?

Can you take pics? In some cases it might be saved. If it can't then some places like HLJ and Gundam Planet sell decals.
 

Lynx_7

Member
I don't think Zeonic got around to it? And I don't believe anyone's planning to localize it. Viz is currently publishing Thunderbolt and Vertical (the company that released the Origin manga) is doing the Gundam Wing Glory of Losers manga next.

Well, that sucks. Like most U.C.-era Tomino shows, I think Zeta suffers from a lot of problems that could be fixed by a retelling in the same vein as The Origin, so imagine my excitement when I discovered it actually exists. And then my disappointment when I noticed there's no way for me to read it.

I hope Vertical shows interest in the title once it's finished so they can do a hard cover release like they did with Origin.
 
Can you take pics? In some cases it might be saved. If it can't then some places like HLJ and Gundam Planet sell decals.

Here you go

Basically the decal was pealed off, but otherwise intact

In case it's relevant, I've also included the part it's meant to be stuck on. It's meant to be the mono eye for the suit

L0mZzoy.jpg
 
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