We saw so many of you at our Otakon panel! “Gunpla is Freedom” saw an attendance of over 150 people, and we hope everyone learned something new, or at least had fun. We gave away over 20 vintage kits and Thunderbolt manga and made so many new friends.
After we got home, there was a new Gundam OVA to watch! We thought Gundam Build Fighters GM’s Counterattack was cheesy but fun. It certainly explains the bulk of these new releases for August. Check them out below, and some cool pre-orders for September, too:
Nils Nielsen’s new mobile suit from GM’s Counterattack, so you know it’ll have a ninja themed look. I love how it can shroud itself with shields in a star-like collar.
Honestly kind of disappointed these beams didn’t just come with the Ninpulse kit. It feels like a cash grab to have these four beam effects sold separately.
The latest iteration of Iori Sei’s suit—which doubles as an early version of Sekai’s suit in Gundam Build Fighters TRY. You can tell how this kit bridges the two series.
The Gundam Mafia sure went overboard on puns, huh? Here’s the GM’s GM, a slightly more dynamic version of the run-of-the-mill GM you’ll find in many Gundam series.
Once again, I wish these additional weapons came with the GM/GM kit itself. The silver lining is that you can easily incorporate them into any HGBF kit there is.
HGBF Hyper Gyanko (pictured above)
Fumina has three kits and China has one; now Gyanko is getting her own kit! I think Gyanko is cute and they’ve made some strides in making this look more like a figure than a DIY kit, including clear parts for her eyes that look more lifelike.
I found it hard to believe we didn’t have a Real Grade Unicorn until now, but here we are! Unlike High Grade versions, this iteration transforms from Unicorn mode to Psycho Frame all in one.
RG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam (First Limited Package)
Same thing, but in a special box that shows the suit in Unicorn Mode instead of Psycho Frame on the box cover! For some reason this is rarer and also costs more.
Mega Size Model Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode) 1/48
How often do we get a Mega Size (1/48) kit? This is the first new release of one since I started doing this monthly buying guide in January 2015. It says it’s to commemorate the new 1:1 Unicorn Gundam. I can’t wait to go back to Odaiba and see it!
HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1 “EXAM” (pictured at top)
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Blue Destiny was a 1996 side story for a Sega Saturn video game. I’ve definitely never played it, but I love this GM-like face and brilliant blue coat.
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