On May 14 to 17, 2015, the whole Gunpla world will be scouring the net for news from one of the biggest hobby shows of the year. The 54th Shizuoka Hobby Show has been the event to watch when it comes to big announcements of new kits that will be released late in the year, and last year’s was the biggest in years (PG Unicorn Gundam, MG Hi-Nu Gundam ver Ka, RE/100 Nightingale) so it is reasonable to have high expectations this year.
All Gunpla lines have had their ups and downs on the first half of 2015. The HG’s release schedules have been constant, but outside of the offerings from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and the otherwordly designs from G-Reco, things were more of the same. There is the V2 Assult Gundam which excited long-suffering fans of Victory Gundam, and the excellent detailing in The Origin HGs excited even a non-1/144 scale collector like me. But most had been those predictable pieces. Hopefully, we’ll see some surprise or two in the HG line in this event.
The MG line has continued its irregular pattern of releases since 2014. The Gundam Double-X has turned out OK (albeit, without the G-Falcon some fans were expecting), and the Exia Dark Matter was a fine addition too. But it was the announcement of the Hayku Shiki ver 2.0 that picked up the pace for this line. This second iteration of Char’s final suit in Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta, used the technological innovations introduced in the MG RX-78- Gundam ver 3.0 as well as further improvements since.
The Hyaku Shiki was a prototype of the Zeta Gundam to test its transformation capability: a test which failed. The unit was then given to Char Aznable (as Quattro Bajeena) since it is a working mobile suit anyway (in the same way that the Re-GZ was given to Amuro Ray despite it too being a failed prototype of a mass-production Zeta Gundam). This new kit will feature the defective transforming mechanism, where parts of the suit can transform, while parts could not because of design flaws (see the refined design in the Delta+ Gundam). This is a testament to how technical Bandai’s design team has become, focusing on the mechanical aspects of the design which until recently, could only be found in the ver Katoki line.
The next in the MG line is the Wing Fenice Renascita. I was never a fan of this design until I saw the first colored pictures. Unlike so many gunpla enthusiasts, I wasn’t too keen on many of Build Fighters’ designs. But being a former Wing fan, I was surprised at the clean build. I always preferred the safer designs like the Lightning Gundam or the Build Strike to over-the-top ones. While this is still not “instant buy” for me, I am seriously considering getting one later this year.
Most of the good MG releases this year have been in the P-Bandai department. The release of the Grey Wolf and Red Snake Zeta Gundams managed to breathe life into the line until, at least, Hyaku Shiki was announced. There’s even a Geara Doga Full-Frontal colors announced.
RE/100 continues to roll out new designs. We’ve already had two this year (Mark III and GPO4), and one upcoming (Dijeh). While many have pointed out the line’s similarity with the old 1/100 NGs, oversized HGs the RE isn’t. With better stability, a lot more details, and an interesting line-up, the RE is ripe for a big announcement. A Kshatriya, perhaps?
The RG has seen a solid release of the RG Gundam 00-Raiser. It currently has the highest review score in Gaijin Gunpla’s website, a testament of how well the line tries to live to its motto “Excitement Embodied”. People are now wondering what will be next.
Because I have proclaimed this year as my “Star Wars” year, I held off on the earlier releases, even the major release of the Hyaku Shiki (with the greatest difficulty, I might add). There seems to be little indication that things will change…
…unless, of course, Shizuoka throws us another surprise or two.
The big reveal last year was, of course, the Perfect Grade Unicorn Gundam. However, I don’t think we will be getting any new PGs this year. Those things cost a lot to make, and the returns might take a while. The safest bet is the RG and the MG lines. Will the next RG be another main MS, or will Bandai take a risk and release a grunt unit for a change? The big late-year Master Grades for the past three years have all been main suits from Char’s Counterattack: two Amuro Ray suits (Nu Gundam from the Char’s Counterattack movie, and Hi-Nu Gundam from the novel version), and one Char Aznable suit (Sazabi, while the Nightingale was released under RE/100). Will it be the same this time, or will Hajime Katoki set his sights on other main suits?
The dark horse is the RE/100. The releases has been steady, and many people are starting to appreciate what the line has to offer, but it is in dire need of a major release. Perhaps a Kshatriya will be major enough to generate enough buzz to draw more people to the line. Maybe it can come in the form of cockpits, to give the line an MG-like air without the technical depth of an MG build? This event is a make-or-break for the RE/100 line, if Bandai wants it to succeed and differentiate itself from the old 1/100 NGs.
We have a few more days before the event starts. As always, dream big, but keep your expectations low. Let’s all enjoy what Bandai has to offer.
* All opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and in no way reflects Back2Gaming’s official stance. It is also important to keep in mind that the Hobby Show features various other companies like Tamiya, so be patient if the information trickles a little too slowly for your liking.
2 Comments
Lightning Zeta is pictured. Best.
Crap P-Bandai exclusive