Yes, School

Sigh~ it's that time of year again. My last year of under-grad has started, so here I am, not updating the blog ever. As usual, I'm going to keep trying to keep up with the activity here and there. I'm pretty glad that people are still frequently visiting my posts and stirring up discussions; it feels like my blog is still alive when I'm gone. Please do not forget to visit every now and then! I still have tons of ideas for Gundam Top 5 posts that people have requested, and now that I can take decent pictures, I will be showing off my new gunpla kits~

The Controversial "Top 5 Gundam Series" List

I've been waiting years and years, compiling as much information and experience as possible to write the most reasonable list of the best Gundam anime series' in history. This is the one list I haven't been able to do for various reasons. One: I still have a hazy memory of many shows. It will take an enormous amount of time to re-watch all of them again. Two: a list like this will probably invite the most commenting and arguing yet. Possibly even more than the Top 5 Most Powerful Gundam list. That is why I have to pay special attention and really make the most objective article possible.

I'm still in the process of re-watching each Gundam series, and that will likely take forever. I really want to get this post over with though. I know this is one of the most hotly debated topics in the Gundam fan community.

So I ask you: What do you think are the best Gundam anime's of all time?

AGE-FX: Peak of Lackluster Designs

So I still haven't bothered watching Gundam AGE, mainly because I'm busy with Zeta Gundam (but also because I'm still not interested). BUT, what I have been noticing is pretty much every mobile suit design due to every recent gunpla release being related to AGE. Now, most of these designs didn't bother me. Some of the enemy designs were strange but unique, and the AGE 1 and 2 were alright.

Then, I came across the Gundam AGE-FX:

I'm sorry if anyone likes this, but I've got to be honest: this is one of the most disappointing and unimpressive designs I've ever seen. To the best of my knowledge, the AGE-FX is what you would call the final Gundam. It is the strongest Gundam to come out in the series, and it represents the hero until the end of the series. Usually, the final Gundam ends up being everyone's favorite because of how powerful it is and how appealing its design is compared to everything else. But in this case? It just doesn't work.

Just look how blocky and tacky it looks. And its main colors are baby blue and lime green? Not very intimidating either. If I'm not mistaken, this is the mech designer from Gundam 00. I can tell, because most of the later designs for Gundam 00 were pretty terrible, unimaginative and blocky too. I don't know, I just couldn't get over how disappointing this design was. Am I alone in this?

Dalong.net

Dalong's epic Gundam collection

I'm sure almost everybody in the gunpla community knows about Dalong.net. Dalong's webite is one of the best sources for plamo reviews and pictures, mostly because he has reviews on EVERY single MG, HGUC, Seed, and 00 model kit that has ever come out. If you want to know about a gundam model, you can be sure that Dalong has it. Mainly, I like this site because of the plethora of pictures he provides for each model.

Though, one thing I have noticed is that he isn't really what you would call a hardcore model maker. I think he merely aims to provide reviews and pictures of each model kit released. I say this because his models definitely don't look that great. Usually, he doesn't paint or top coat any of his models. He does panel line, but this is something I would consider a weakness. His panel lining is excessive, thick, and relatively messy. Honestly, it's too much, and it really doesn't look that great.

 Lines too thick? Messy? Excessive?

What do you think about his technique? Are we meant to simply appreciate that he provides endless reviews? I'm usually guessing that he doesn't really care about how his techniques look. Regardless, I just wanted to say that I love his site. It's completely in Korean (which I can read, thankfully), so many people will not be able to read his reviews. It's really more about the in-depth pictures though.

Misunderstanding About Gundam Top 5

Now that I've gotten your attention, read on. Basically, my Gundam Top 5 section is the most visited section of my blog, and I'm glad I've gotten so much traffic and activity due to it. That's why I've been trying my hardest to edit them and make them perfect in case they contain any errors. Unfortunately, some people seem to have the wrong idea about what these lists are really about.

In particular, I took note of one user, named Arc. If you're reading this, I really don't mean to call you out, but you're a good example. Arc contributed to almost every Top 5 list I made, and I'm thankful. Unfortunately, most of his comments were complaints about things he thought were "missing" from the lists. Take note of this one from my Top 5 Antagonist Mobile Suits list:

"ArcApril 25, 2012 12:02 AM

Turn X, you never had the love you deserved - even though you can basically kick all protagonist gundams's butt.

Reborns? this is the only gundam that can outclass the overpowered 00 Raiser

Sunanoo? yet another mobile suit that can par with 00 raiser

for AGE universe - we have Zeydra and Kronos

Nightingale? when Hinu can e listed why Nightingale can't?

Unicorn Banshee? I'm pretty sure this thing does not belong to the light side."

He basically listed the most powerful mobile suits he could think of. The reason this is meaningless is because my list was NOT about power. NONE of my lists, except for the "Top 5 Most Powerful Gundam", are about counting down power. Similar complaints occured in Top 5 Big Guns.

Again, that list was not about power. So what ARE my lists about? Well, you've REALLY got to read the intro paragraphs. They explain exactly what I'm trying to count down, and the guidelines for choosing entries for the list. But mostly, they are usually about the impact they leave in their series and the Gundam metaverse in general. It's really not a hard concept. Top 5 BEST, not most POWERFUL. If it was about power, I would say powerful. Half of it is how great they are, and the other half is based on my own opinion.

Basically, considering that these are mostly my opinions, there IS no wrong list. If you've ever asked where something is, you've asked a pointless question. Where? It's not on the list. That's it. People take these things too seriously. Note that I only do this for fun, I'm not out to compile an official list for people. That's what the Gundam Wiki is for. 

Japanese Politicians Considering Building a Real Gundam

Yes, this is real news. I found this reported on Gundam Guy, who got it from Kotaku. You can find the whole article here: http://kotaku.com/5921304/japanese-politicians-are-thinking-about-building-gundam-like-real-working-gundam

Basically, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party is seriously discussing the construction of a real life Gundam for use in the Self Defense Force. They are apparently going to talk about it on Nico Nico Live, which reeks pandering to a young nerd audience. They did an estimate back in 2008, and they believe it would cost about $725,000,000 for the parts and materials required to build a Gundam-sized mecha weapon.

Now, a lot of people are furious over this. You would think anime nerds and Gundam fans would be all over the idea, but we've got to get realistic sometime. As a diehard Gundam fan, I would LOVE to see a fully functioning giant robot, but this is just bat-shit insanity. First of all, our current level of technology would make it impossible to actually create a functioning 60-foot robot. But more importantly, there really isn't a point to having giant robots fight our battles. It's cool in anime, but it would never work in real life.

Can you imagine a giant slow moving contraption trying to fight off fighter planes and smaller targets on the ground? It would never catch up, and be hit by a missile from a blind spot before it could even react. Now, when the LDP say Gundam, they actually mean just a mecha weapon in general, so it could just be something small like the robots in Avatar. That would actually work. But not a Gundam, which would crumble under its own weight with its slim legs.

The most important thing that's got everyone riled up is the fact that Japan is still in a recession. They are currently going through some tough times, so it really is insane for politicians to be talking about trying to build a giant robot when the cost could solve their problems already. It would totally be awesome, but...crazy.

Top 5 Wings in Gundam

Confused? Well, ever since the Alternate Universe series' started getting more and more over the top, there has been a noticeably increased presence of flashy backpacks and wings. While most Universal Century machines had simple backpacks with two or four thrusters, these newer designs have ridiculously fancy wings that serve no other purpose than to look awesome. And that's what this list will be running down: the most impressive-looking wings in the Gundam metaseries.


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5.  Quad-Wing (Kshatriya)
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I didn't think I could find anything from the U.C. era that had over-the-top wings, but luckily the Unicorn OVA has some incredible designs. My favorite among them is the Kshatriya, which wreaked absolute havoc in its introduction. Its special features are its massive shoulder binders, which have mega particle cannons, funnels, and miniature arms with beam sabers stored within them. The epicness of the Kshatriya is owed to these wings, which is why the Federation forces start calling it the "Quad Wing". There's no denying the power and stylishness of wings that are almost bigger than the mobile suit itself.


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4.  Satellite System (Double X)
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Ah, the forgotten Gundam. The Double X is one of the most under-rated designs in the entire Gundam multiverse. This is largely due to the fact that the Gundam X anime is under-rated in general. It's a shame really. The Double X is an impressive design, and its wings have a lot to do with that. They serve a significant purpose; the wings are actually solar panels that absorb microwaves in order to charge its Twin Satellite Cannon. The golden glow they give off signal some of the most epic moments in Gundam X, which is why they're deserving of this four spot on the list.


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3.  Wings of Light (Destiny Gundam)
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Say what you want about Seed Destiny; it had some of the best designs to come out of the Alternate Universes. Out of all the mobile suits, I feel that the Destiny Gundam is the most under-rated as it always gets overshadowed by the more popular Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice. Well, in terms of over-the-top wings, Destiny has them all beat. Called the Wings of Light, they mostly serve as an advanced thruster, but they also have the ability to leave after-images to confuse the enemy. Though of course, their real reason for existing is the fact that they are ridiculously flashy. They make for some great eye-candy, and an impressive Master Grade model kit!


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2.  Moonlight Butterfly (Turn A Gundam)
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Presenting the much-talked about leader of the Top 5 Most Powerful Gundam list. The Moonlight Butterfly is the Turn A Gundam's signature feature and weapon. Once these luminescent wings are activated, nanomachines are released that turn technologies into sand. These wings are basically the most powerful weapons in the entire Gundam universe, and are pretty stylish too despite being butterfly wings. It would be an insult not to include the world-ending Moonlight Butterfly.


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1.  Angel Wings (Wing Zero Custom)
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These are the wings that influenced me to create this list. The Wing Zero Custom has always been one of my favorite designs, and is definitely one of the most popular designs in the Gundam fan community. One would think that these gigantic angel wings are a bit too over-the-top, but that's actually what makes them so great. You just have to suspend your belief and appreciate how incredibly stylish they are. Instead of the traditional wings on the anime version, these angel wings have thrusters hidden all over its "feathers". While they don't serve a real purpose (besides atmospheric re-entry), Wing Zero's angel wings are definitely the most impressive looking wings in the Gundam metaverse.

Yeah, I realize I'm pretty biased towards my favorite Gundam considering I also chose it for the Top 5 Big Guns in Gundam list, but as I've said countless times, these are just my opinions, so you're free to disagree~


Check out my other Gundam Top 5 lists~