I need some expert Gundam guidance. I have a two-part question, first where can I do I start if I want to watch the animated series, so I understand the background of what i am building, and what is a good model in this realm to start off with.
3 Likes
I’m not a big Gundam fan, just a mere sci-fi, military, mech and cartoon nerd overall.
This is a little odd to ask, but what is your age range? I would help for recommendation.
The original and old Gundam series are very slow and long, they were made as a year long continuous show.
The 90s and 200x are kind of what most Gundam and Gunpla revolved around. However, there are so many different show of different length, styles and stories. This is where it is a bit overwhelming for newcomers. Though, “Mobile Suit Gundam SEED” is probably the most iconic series of the show overall.
The most accessible shows I would recommend are the recent one, they are sophisticated seasonal shows, easy to digest, but still of great quality. At the moment, I would say “Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS” is the one you can comfortably start with. One of the best series even by old school fans (I know quite a few 60s years old people loving it, which is rare).
For the model, I will give you this link for the understanding of the grades: Gunpla | The Gundam Wiki | Fandom
Higher grade doesn’t necessary mean more detail. Just the details are cut into smaller pieces for further customization, which is one more the selling point of Gunpla. The most common size is 1/144, which is still about 12.5cm (5 in) tall for these mech model.
The Entry Grade (EG) is cheap and easy to assembly.
The High Grade (HG) is the standard line, made in Japan and everything.
The Real Grade (RG) is the more refined HG, more expensive, but it is becoming increasingly more common for enthusiasm. (Honestly, the majority of the people don’t have the skill to make use of the more refined models. Make good business for the manufacturer. Though, some models are exclusive to this line)
The other grades are more about size. They have equivalent to HG and RG, but in different scales.
5 Likes
Thank you, for the information greatly appreciate it. I to answer the question I am 40 years old.
2 Likes
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED will be a good entry point for you. First aired in 2002 (or 2003?), it is slightly more serious than the more recent one. And since you were around for 20 back then, it will be a good nostalgia.
3 Likes
Thank you for the follow up ill look around to see where I can stream that series.
1 Like
Check on Youtube , they have a lot of them. Plus a lot of how to build videos. Hope this helps and hope you have a great week. Take care, Tony " Zaku Fan "
1 Like
Some basic info about Gundam series is that there are a lot of timelines in the series. The main time line is called Universal Century (UC), and every other timeline is a separate and self contained series.
Some people find starting with the UC very intimidating, and watch something like Iron Blooded Orphans, which is my favorite show, or Mobile suit Gundam Wing.
If you don’t mind 70’s animation, cheesy writing, and a banger theme song, give Mobile Suit Gundam a try. I think it is on Hulu.
This YouTube video briefly explains the timelines. Another great YouTube channel is GundamInfo, they post episodes or whole series to watch for free.
There is no need to feel like you need to watch every episode to buy a model from the show. I usually become more interested in a series after a build a kit from it lol Gunpla is Freedom
If I had to give some recommendations for kits, I would say buy a High Grade (HG) if you want to dip your toes in and see if you like it. HGs are 1/144 scale, usually about 5” tall, and are pretty cheap. The Origin line of HGs are fantastic and you cannot go wrong with any of them.
Master Grade (MG) is the next scale for gunpla. There are 1/100 scale, about 7-9” tall, have more parts and usually have more details. Price can range in this scale, all depends on what is it. The MG Zaku II 2.0 is a gold standard for MGs and is one of my favorite designs.
There are other scales in gunpla, but these are 2 are the most common to start with and MG is the most popular scale, it’s my personal favorite scale to buy.
1 Like