Introduction to Gunpla & Review: HGBF 1/144 Star Build Strike Plavsky Wing

Seven hours, nearly eight, really. That's how long it took me to complete the build on my very first Gunpla.

What are Gunpla and Gundam?
For those who do not know, a 'Gunpla' is a plastic model of a popular mobile suit from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime / manga franchise. Mobile suits in the franchise are mecha (piloted suits as opposed to independent robots like the TransFormers) stand between 15 and 18 meters tall, and usually possess firepower comparable to that of a battleship. They come in a plethora of shapes and forms, and have just as much variety in their equipment. While most of them are humanoid, there are a vast array which are not, like the panther-like BaCue. Gundam are a distinct class of mobile suit, and can usually be identified by their two ocular sensors, forehead jewel, and the V-fin into which the jewel is mounted.

The Gundam franchise started in the 1970s in Japan, and the first Gunpla kit came out in the '80s. I remember watching some of Gundam Wing on YTV when I was younger, however most of the iterations were never exported that far. Due to the high popularity of Gundam and Gunpla in the recent decade or so, Bandai standardized their assembly instructions, so that even though the text is in Japanese, non-Japanese modellers can still build the kits, as long as they follow the instructions closely enough. Because of Gundam Build Fighters and its sequel Gundam Build Fighters Try, both of which are about Gundam fans building and fighting their own Gunpla (taken from all the other franchises), Gunpla currently enjoys a massive surge in popularity. This also means that Bandai has the motivation to release new and better kits, with the result that the quality of some of the newer HG kits bleeds into RG territory.

Different Kits for Different Folks
Gunpla come in different scales and grades. Lower-grade kits are, of course, less expensive than higher-grade ones. The difference is often in the amount of detail complexity, and not in piece size, however some of the higher-grade kits come with electrical or motorized parts for lights and/or movement. Kit sizes are 1/144, 1/100, and 1/60. Naturally a 1/1 kit would be quite difficult, however there is a life-sized statue of the first Gundam in Japan, erected to celebrate the franchise's 30 year anniversary.

The lowest and least complicated grade is SD, and includes the super-deformed / chibi version of many mobile suits.

High Grade is more complex, with a much higher number of pieces, but is still hollow inside. Pieces vary in size from tiny to fair-sized. HG also has two variants: Custom Grade, which are made so you can swap parts and customize, and Build Fighters where you can swap parts with any other HGBF kit. HG kits are snap-fit, meaning you do not need any glue, and while the parts are coloured you may want to touch things up to bring out the full effect. Very few kits are perfect as straight assemblies.

Next up is Real Grade, which comes in a larger scale. Like Master Grades they include an inner structure on which to build. They allow for a greater amount of detail than an HG kit, but the parts can be just as small. Real Grades can be snap-fits, but ones requiring modelling glue would not be unheard of. Check the description before you buy.

MG kits are even more detailed. If RGs didn't already require you to have a complete set of building tools, the MG would, and it would also require you to have a higher skill level to complete it. Finally, if you're up for spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a single kit, there is the Perfect Grade. The largest, most detailed kit out there, it will most likely include motorized parts, electricals for lights, and even metal parts.

There are also many variations within certain grades, like Metal Build, or injection gloss (different colours), not to mention variations of a Gunpla with different equipment. If you're interested in getting into Gunpla, you certainly should know what you want to get out of it first, as well as how much you would be willing to spend -- about $20 for a decent HG kit vs $200 for the same Gundam as a MG.

My Objective In Gunpla
I like Gundam, and I think some models in particular have very interesting and cool concepts incorporated into them. While I have watched a comparatively low number of the franchise's series, I am a fan of Gundam 00 and both of the Gundam Build Fighters series in particular.

Some of my readers here may already be aware of that, because I based the Alicorn Engines' design on the GN Drives that Celestial Being's Gundam use in Gundam 00. In doing so, however, I have come to realize that I need to see how certain things come together on a practical level, because I favour a certain level of realism as reflected in my characters' avoiding having sticky hooves, and in always carrying the equipment they use. So I decided to order a kit that includes the '00-Gundam' and the '0-Raiser.'

Then I wanted to get a model that would be closer to something I would fly. I think this would be something with good balance between speed, power projection, and melee ability, with a couple little tricks thrown in. I like quite a few models from GBF, but I'm not a martial artist like Sekai Kamiki (although I may end up getting the 'Kamiki Burning Gundam' if it comes together well, and its articulation is as good as on the 'Try Burning Gundam). The 'Star Build Strike' stands out a more perfectly balanced that the 'Perfect Strike Gundam,' which looks overloaded with Launcher Strike's Agni Canon, Sword Strike's anti-ship sword, and Aile Strike's flight pack.

I also became interested in transforming Gundam, particularly those that have fighter modes, and whose kits have good integration and transition between the modes. Here I have to acknowledge that the '00-Raiser' has a fighter in the '0-Raiser,' and the 'Star Build Strike' has its 'Universal Booster.' They are not, in themselves, transforming Gundam. So I looked for some reviews.

I like the design on the 'Harute' from Gundam 00: A-wakening of the Trailblazer, but the kit has some problems, like its legs and frontskirts popping off repeatedly. On top of that (and I do mean 'on top,' the flight mode is basically just a backpack on top of the Gundam itself. For the same reason, I am unlikely to choose the 'Gundam Wing Zero Honoo,' since from below you see the mobile suit more than anything. Which is a shame, since it's pretty cool otherwise.

I also looked at the 'Gundam Wing Fenice Renascita,' Ricardo Felini's ending Gundam from GBF. It has a few good tricks, and its Bird Mode has near-perfect integration, but I don't like how its shield gets in the way of its wings, and vice versa. I would have also liked it if it came with the beam rapier from the 'Gundam Wing Fenice' kit, as that is more unique than an ordinary beam sabre.

Returning to models from 00, I rejected the 'Kyrios' because it not only has problems with its long front skirts, just like its successor the 'Harute,' but its transformation is awkward because it requires a part swap to complete. Initially I disliked the Arios's long design in fighter mode, but it has grown on me, especially since it carries the gimmicks of the heat claw, GN field projector, and GN machine guns. I have also found the 'GN-Archer' for a good price, and this has the big engine design I liked that is also used in the 'Harute,' but like 'Arios,' the Archer's transformation is integrated much better.

These four are where I will stand for now, but some other concepts have already caught my eye. There's the 'Kamiki Burning' as I mentioned before, but there may be others, such as the G-Portent, which has a curvier design than other Gundam, being designed by a young woman in GBFT. It is an extremely powerful suit, with some interesting capabilities. I also like the softer colour scheme -- and green is my favourite colour.

HG 1/144 Star Build Strike Plavsky Wing - The Review
Finally we get down to it. As I said before, this is my first modelling kit. Ever. It took me seven, nearly eight hours to complete, so my original idea of taking a picture every five minutes to show my progress would have been absurd. It came with all the plastic parts on coloured and coded runners, so it was easy to follow almost all of the diagrams in the instructions. My only question is in regards to how to attach the smaller wings to the model, since I only got two of them in.

The tools I used were: a pair of ordinary cutter pliers; an X-acto knife, an ordinary pair of scissors, Sharpies (blue, black, green for touch-ups). The gates on the runners were placed in such a way that I could manoeuvre my pliers in well enough to make my cuts at the thinnest part of the connecting piece. I used the X-acto to whittle or shave off the nubs as best I could, although since the knife is well-used it left some marks on the grey pieces. Care is always required. I used the scissors to guide the included stickers into position, whenever space or the sticker itself was smaller than my finger.

There are some very small parts in this kit, and I was lucky not to lose any of them. At some points I nearly lost the camera stickers under my thumbnail, but I acted quickly and smartly to stop that from happening. I also only cut and fit pieces together over my desk, which I had covered with the packaging paper in which the shop sent the kit. I had some difficulty pushing some pieces exactly into place, but succeeded with sheer persistence and 'no way am I giving up on this!'

The reviewers I have watched never talk about how difficult it is to get the forehead jewel and its mounting into the V-fin. It is really hard, and the greatest challenge I faced with this kit. I just kept shaving the nubs (and eventually the sides) of this tiny, tiny piece back until it finally clicked into place on the V-fin, and then I was able to slide it right into the head.

My only complaint about this kit is that Bandai could have worked with better material for some of the accessories: the rifle could be light grey or white to make colouring easier, especially the little indents which are supposed to show when it's charging. Colouring these a visible green is impossible without using paint, which I do not have. They also could have included stickers for the inside of the Absorb Shield. Colouring that with markers is tricky stuff, so I retouched it this morning. An alternative is to do the piece in black or dark grey, which is a colour they already use. The included stickers would then supply the colour for the other parts of the shield.

Otherwise I am satisfied with Star Build Strike's level of detail, poseability, and accessory count and variety. Having now built a kit, I do not know much long it would take me to make another, but surely it would take a little less time! According to reviews, the 'Star Build Strike' is in line with a level of difficulty that beginners can manage. I certainly found it very challenging, but a less stubborn person would have probably given up, so it may not be for everyone. Still, I think it looks very nice.

I will give it a rating of 8/10 stars, and a solid B+.

Some more cool poses:

I tried to bend the leading knee more to make this pose more dynamic, but the sideskirt fell off. This was the limit.

A fast-moving firing of the Star Rifle.

Triple fire while moving rapidly to the left.

Trying for the classic 'Ten' duel-wielding stance. I also realized I hadn't done anything with the Universal Booster separated.

I have always thought this stance was cool.