|
 Gundam Build Fighters is the latest installment in the ever-expanding Gundam metaseries, and this time they're not even trying to hide that the whole thing's a toy commercial. Expanding on the concepts introduced in the 2010 Gunpla Builders OVAs, Build Fighters is set in a world close to our own, with one major exception:  Thanks to major advances in bullshit anime science, Gundam Plastic models can be brought to life and piloted in special Gunpla Battles. Since this is your typical shonen anime, Gunpla Battles are ridiculously popular, to the point that there's an annual global tournament. Yes this is pretty much the same concept as Danball Senki, I guess there aren't too many ways to make a shonen model kit anime.  While various characters have already been revealed, these two guys are our main heroes. On the left is Sei Iori, a seventh grader who's a whiz at building Gunpla but is completely terrible at piloting. On the right is Reiji, who knows jack poo poo about Gunpla but turns out to be a natural at controlling the things. The two quickly decide to team up; with Sei building and Iori fighting, together they're the Build Fighters! Their goal is to achieve victory at the Gunpla Battle World Championships, and odds are pretty good they'll do it. What the hell, this doesn't sound like Gundam at all! Nope. Everything we've seen so far indicates that this is going to be your average shonen anime. The running theory is that after the disaster that was Gundam AGE, Sunrise decided to just make a genuine kids show to make a quick buck to fund the upcoming Gundam: The Origin anime. Is this going to turn out like the last "kid's show"? Probably not. The world of Build Fighters seems incredibly hard to twist into a melodramatic mess, and the concept is so overwhelmingly simple that there shouldn't be any threat of this outshitting Gundam AGE. But you never know with Sunrise these days. Who's making this? The director is Kenji Nagasaki, who's worked on various stuff over the years. Gundam-wise he was part of the 00 crew, and directed Episode 26 of Gundam AGE (the one where Asemu screamed he was a SUPAH PILOTTO). The writer is Yosuke Kuroda, who has written for a ton of shows. Seriously, check that link out. Why should I watch this?  Build Fighter's main appeal to the typical Gundam fan is the massive amount of cameos from other shows. The trailer alone is at Gundam Unicorn levels of fan service, and the show proper will likely feature every single Gundam series ever. Except G-Savior. Probably.  As for people not completely obsessed with Gundam, Build Fighters' draw is that it is silly as gently caress. See that chariot? The robot that is riding it is supposed to be able to fly, but the guy who built it cut off one of the wings to make it look stylish. To compensate for this complete loss in functionality, he made a little vehicle for it.  And then this guy went full mental and build a pair of arms onto this Gundam's shoulders just so it could cross its arms while fighting. If crazy things like that sound cool to you, check this show out! I have seen the light and embraced GunPla as my one truth. What can you tell me about plastic crack? Wait you mean this show actually worked? Wow. Anyways there's a thread for the hobby and a guide on /toy/ (edited by yours truly) to help new builders get started. When is this show starting? The show is scheduled to start October 7th. The first opening will be sung by BACK-ON, and the first ending will be handled by AiRi. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Sep 29, 2013 |
#
¿
Sep 29, 2013 05:10
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 14, 2024 08:04 |
|
|
The clusterfuck that was the Beginning 30 kind of ruined the charm of Gunpla Builders for me. It's just so ridiculously tone deaf to encourage putting time and effort into customizing your model only to have the protagonist just slap on an ugly conversion kit his dad sent him and effortlessly wipe away opponents.  I'm hoping the eventual Build Freedom will look much better.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2013 07:00
|
|
|
Demicol posted:I never watched the first series, even though I was interested in it. Don't think any fansubbers picked it up and I didn't see any raw's either. Well I'll be looking forward to this at any rate. All three OVAs are on the official Gundam youtube channel. EDIT: If you just want to see a big fight like in the trailer, skip to the last one. You won't really miss out that much to be honest. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Sep 29, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2013 16:31
|
|
|
Honestly, Build Fighters seems like a pretty good choice to try and reintroduce Gundam in the west. It's not tied to any of the major series outside of the cameos, Gundam: The Origin is coming right after so Bandai can immediately start shoveling UC down the throats of western audiences, and of course the blatant Gunpla marketing would help sell the real moneymakers. Speaking of that, Barnes and Noble signed a deal with Bluefin (the main western distributor of Gunpla) earlier this year, and are now stocking Wing and Unicorn merchandise for fairly reasonable prices. If any of you live nearby one, consider checking it out!
|
|
#
¿
Sep 30, 2013 06:48
|
|
|
There's a pretty long list of Things Bandai Screwed Up when it comes to Gundam in America, so I don't think we need to go down that road again. And man, if Bakugan Battle Brawlers was popular enough to get four seasons (most of which initially airing in America, and the fourth never even coming to Japan) and moved a poo poo ton of brand new merchandise, I can't see Build Fighters not being able to do the same thing.  Not that this is ever going to happen anyways. If Build Fighters was going to be dubbed, I think we'd have heard of that by now. At this point Bandai probably just treats the west as a lost cause.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 30, 2013 15:46
|
|
|
 MG Gyan is pretty drat cool, so if you decide to get a model for it then make it that. The beam saber has an LED, the shield has an incredible amount of stuff going for it, and you even get a 1/20th unpainted figure of the pilot. Also it's a fairly old grunt MG, so it's pretty cheap! You can probably find it for around $40 or so. EDIT: I am probably going to spend this entire thread detailing the models that show up and explaining whatever random plamo terms pop up.  EDIT 2: V Gunpla is pretty much baby's first plastic model, you can start at whatever grade you want. The only real difference is parts count. It's painting where you want to start on a SD or an HG first. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Sep 30, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Sep 30, 2013 17:10
|
|
|
For everybody else's reference, here is an excerpt from the Perfect Grade RX-78-2's manual: Here is a snapshot of the "manual" for a resin kit I'm working on:  Now resin kits are kind of on the extreme end, difficulty wise, but most model kit manuals tend to look like that (especially military stuff  ). I'm sure we can all agree that the first picture is a hell of a lot easier to parse, and that's a Perfect Grade. Literally as complicated as Gunpla can get. Manuals like this are why Gunpla is incredibly accessible, and just another reason they stand above pretty much every other line of model kits.Dred Cosmonaut posted:Whats the over/under on the tallgeese appearing Guaranteed. Wing's getting a push right now (hell one of the lead Gundams in BF is a modified Wing), the Tallgeese is a very popular design, and there are 50 episodes worth of cameos. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 18:01 on Sep 30, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Sep 30, 2013 17:52
|
|
|
Build Fighters will be featuring G Gundam designs, so it's already absorbed that show's insanity as its own.  Also since so many people seem to be watching this solely because the Sumo showed up, as a heads up this month Hobby Life Japan is restocking the 1/100 model kit of it and several other Turn A kits. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 01:01 on Oct 2, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 2, 2013 00:58
|
|
|
Didn't a kitbashed Vagan suit show up in the trailer fighting a repainted Lumber Gundam? EDIT: V Well drat, and here I looked up all of the Victory Gundam suits because I thought they were the only other guys wacky enough to have tails. How did I forget Turn A? 
BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Oct 2, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 2, 2013 04:11
|
|
|
Another design has been released. And just like that one Hyaku Shiki in Gunpla Builders, the Akatsuki has been spray painted white. Also it has a beam gatling gun that may double as a ridiculous beam saber? I dunno. EDIT: I think it also has the Green Frame's axe-handle gun. Wow, somebody actually remembered that thing exists. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 07:20 on Oct 4, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 4, 2013 07:18
|
|
|
The Build Gundam mkII was displayed a lot earlier, so I doubt the name is indicative of anything. It's pretty possible that Sei might just gently caress around and create a ton of stuff on his way to the mid-season upgrade.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 4, 2013 07:36
|
|
|
HGAC Wing just got released last month. I hope this means that every time a new model is announced they'll show up in an episode.  Endorph posted:I just realized what this show needs. We already had The O vs Red Frame, so you never know! Geek U.S.A. posted:This is the most honest gundam show ever made! I hope F91 is in this because it's the best gundam ever. HGUC F91 is set to hit retail pretty soon, so we probably will.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 6, 2013 15:35
|
|
|
Build Fighters will also be streamed in the USA and Canada.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 6, 2013 20:08
|
|
|
 You better not be yanking our chains Bandai.  EDIT: Ahahahaha and they immediately plug HGAC Wing, this is everything I thought it would be.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2013 15:52
|
|
|
Well that was a pretty great first episode actually. Battles were nifty, Ramba Ral out of nowhere, and the music was cool, if somewhat unexpected at first.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2013 16:22
|
|
|
Bimmi posted:But nope, it's pretty much just "buy our playsets and toys." Oh well, can't say that this came as any great shock. This is a show being made for a particular kind of audience, the likes of which would not appear to include me. Build Fighters isn't airing on the weekends, like most Gundam shows (including AGE). It's airing on Monday afternoons, a time slot specifically targeted towards children coming back from school. Because it is a kids show.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2013 18:07
|
|
|
I'm already almost certain that the midseason upgrade is going to feature those two Endorph posted:The ancient Egyptians used Gunpla to decide who would become pharoah. I'm not sure if Gunpla Shadow Games would be stupid or hilarious.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2013 20:19
|
|
|
Oh my god, I just noticed Ramba was inspecting an HG Gouf. EDIT: They said he was a regular customer, right? I hope all he does is buy Goufs. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Oct 7, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2013 20:48
|
|
|
Golden Battler posted:In particular during the tournament commercial, the Dijeh destroying the Freedom had me in stitches. Supposedly the writer isn't a fan of Seed. Monaghan posted:But man, I really wish gunpla stores like Sei's existed in North America. They do! They're just not nearly as common and sometimes have ridiculous prices. And as I mentioned earlier, Barnes and Nobles is starting to stock kits so there's an option. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Oct 7, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2013 22:15
|
|
|
I want an AGE model to show up just to see the silly as gently caress game-only variants get animated. Also lately Gundam X has been getting a push merchandise-wise, so even if it wasn't one of the main suits I'd have expected to see it. EDIT: Man, I liked Gundam X. What's with all the hate? 
BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 23:01 on Oct 7, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2013 22:58
|
|
|
I am having entirely too much fun looking at the background of Sei's shop and identifying boxes. From left to right, there's MG Ex-S, Nu vKa, Sazabi 1.0, Heavyarms vEW, Acguy, I wanna say a Dom, and Unicorn vOVA.  Farther to the right's there's Johnny Ridden's Zaku II 2.0, another vKa, Victory vKa, and Gundam 2.0. Also  Two aisles for Seed and HGUC respectively.
BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Oct 8, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 8, 2013 02:29
|
|
|
HGUC F91 is coming out in December, so it's almost certainly going to get some spotlight like how episode 1 shilled HGAC Wing. And now that I think about it, that means we should be getting a scene for HGAW Double X too. 
|
|
#
¿
Oct 9, 2013 03:21
|
|
|
Schneider Heim posted:It's the League Militaire's grunts that were drab. There is a massive amount of people who like them just because of that. Not everybody goes for the Gundams! Also the fact that there aren't many model kits for Late UC designs is a massive shame; a lot of people are still really disappointed Bandai didn't release a MG V2 this year.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 10, 2013 05:46
|
|
|
With all this speculation, I almost hope Reiji just turns out to be a really sheltered kid or something similarly mundane. I also hope he's revealed to be a girl because both his voice and his character design make me think he's one.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 11, 2013 01:58
|
|
|
It's pretty likely that Sei will eventually figure out how to pilot. Maybe he's subconsciously constantly comparing himself to his dad and dragging himself down, maybe he just needs some more practical experience, whatever. It is also just as likely that Reiji will learn to love gunpla as much as Sei. I wouldn't be surprised if Reiji ends up building the upgrade while Sei pilots it.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 11, 2013 06:09
|
|
|
Bimmi posted:edit: Ideon, etc. Just wait until somebody puts in their heavily customized GM. 
|
|
#
¿
Oct 11, 2013 15:47
|
|
|
bubblegumbo0 posted:It's alright so far but it is giving me the urge to visit the local gunpla stores. You have no idea how lucky you are to have those.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 13, 2013 11:11
|
|
|
That was pretty great. I liked how Reiji didn't suddenly embrace Gunpla (and how Sei couldn't just hold the episode 1 promise over him forever) and actually thought it was really silly, and the battle scene was excellent. Youtube may have ruined the quality, but the battle choreography (and soundtrack!) was pretty drat great. Huge improvement after AGE. The opening was nifty too, though I have to admit I thought China (I can't believe that is actually her name) would get the Build mkII instead of Bearguy III. And the ED was hilarious in an incredibly nerdy way. Ral showed up near the end, I wonder if that means he's secretly a member of the Gunpla Elite Four. Also obligatory what the gently caress is up with Reiji comment. EDIT: Rewatching the opening, I notice the Tallgeese was the first suit in that opening enemy crawl. So yeah, guy who was wondering about that, it's showing up. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 16:29 on Oct 14, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 14, 2013 16:06
|
|
|
Word from NYCC is that Build Fighters will be 25 episodes. Looks like we might have another two season show on our hands. Also, apparently the next episode previews ( EDIT: SpikeMcclane posted:The previews are there at the very end, just after the gunpla commercials. Welp. That's what I get for not watching till the end. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Oct 14, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 14, 2013 18:02
|
|
|
Clearly Reiji can go Trans-Am.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 14, 2013 20:33
|
|
|
I want a scene where Sei's mom heads to the market she mentioned in episode 1, and it's entirely staffed by the cast of 08th MS team.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 15, 2013 01:48
|
|
|
That's not a Gelgoog, it's a Dijeh.Neddy Seagoon posted:A freak Gunpla accident sends a piece of runner plastic flying into his face, scarring him horribly for life! While attempting to build HG Sazabi, Yuuki learns the hard way that its limb connections are a piece of poo poo.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 15, 2013 16:10
|
|
|
Titles/summaries for the next three episodes have been released. Some rough translations from /m/: 3: Full Package To prepare for the next match with Yuuki, Sei confines himself to his workshop to complete the Build Strike. On the other hand, Reiji heads to "that place". "That place" is presumably the Zeon cosplay bar we saw in the trailers. Man that's going to be amazing. 4: Gunpla Idol Kirara Sei and Reiji smoothly progress through the Gunpla Battle Tournament. One day, a girl named Mihoshi arrives at Sei's parents' model shop.. Kirara didn't show up in the opening, but you can see her in the ED. She's the girl with pink hair. Presumably Mihoshi is her real name or something. 5: The Strongest Builder Facing an upcoming battle with Yuuki, Sei devotes himself completely to preparing the Build Strike. So much so that China's worried about him... Then, before the two, a mysterious boy named Yasaka appeared. Yasaka is the kid in the opening with the rad as gently caress Gundam X.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 16, 2013 03:09
|
|
|
Viola the Mad posted:How long is this show going to go? Are we going to get the standard fifty episodes or are they going to stick to a full/half season schedule? BlitzBlast posted:Word from NYCC is that Build Fighters will be 25 episodes. Looks like we might have another two season show on our hands. There's no outright confirmation yet though. Talkc posted:The only thing i can hope for now is a Custom Robo style video game to come out of this. Cause this show is basically Custom Robo the show. With Gundam. This already exists, it's called Gundam Breaker.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 16, 2013 17:39
|
|
|
Bandai America died earlier this year, so it's more that they straight up can't.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 18, 2013 05:23
|
|
|
Nah, you can still twist pieces out of the runners. It'll look like poo poo and be covered with nubs, but it's totally possible. Also he said scissors mostly as a joke since they are straight up the worst way to cut pieces out. Even toe nail clippers are better than those things.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 18, 2013 17:07
|
|
|
Apparently Build Fighters is getting a manga sidestory. Here's the lead suit. If anyone thought the Build Strike was a lazy design, the Zeta Fire is here to make you facepalm. I'm going to assume the intent is to capture the ORIGINAL DESIGN DO NOT STEAL sentiment a lot of people do with their first custom kits. EDIT: V A red Zeta Gundam. Totally different.
BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 06:19 on Oct 19, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 19, 2013 06:07
|
|
|
Let's just be glad we didn't get something from a Filipino modeler. If you're curious, that thing used to be the Sazabi.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 19, 2013 07:31
|
|
|
It's a clusterfuck of a design, but the actual modeling work is superb. Going by Build Fighter's whole build quality = higher specs, it'd probably kick rear end. For the people who aren't already familiar with Gunpla, the hobby has an annual worldwide competition called the Gunpla Builders World Cup. There are smaller qualifiying tournaments in each of the competing countries (Japan, China, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Italy, North America, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia and Malaysia last time I checked), and then a final global round in Japan. The kit in the above picture won the Philippines' qualifying rounds (mostly because a new rule annoyed some of the better Filipino modelers, but eh). It is a giant mess, but that's just the usual design aesthetic for kits there. Seriously, check out its competition.  For contrast, have a look at the winning entry from America's latest semi-final round (which was held at NYCC).
|
|
#
¿
Oct 19, 2013 08:07
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 14, 2024 08:04 |
|
|
Caros posted:I actually prefer it to Unicorn but to each their own. It's definitely got much better battle choreography at least.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 20, 2013 19:48
|
|