MG Zaku 2 Ver 2.0 - More Surprises

I'm feeling extremely unlucky these few days.

At home, my Broadband was down, and my laptop is wireless connection is 'mysteriously' dysfunctional as well, so there's now way I can utilize the fast connection in my university for blogging, even though it's way faster than what my home PC can offer. Wuhhuh~~

Anyway, I'm currently using the computer lab for all my Internet stuff, and recently found some pretty cool images of MG Zaku II Ver. 2.0 from Yoshimu's Blog. The news came from Gunota Headlines, and the photos are from a Japanese toy show called Modelers' Flea-Mar, which was the 5th so far.

What surprises me about Zaku II Ver. 2.0 this time is the mechanism. Apart from the neat inner frame, which seems to be getting cooler by each MG release, Bandai is also working hard in making the assembly of these models easily and more fun. take the conductive pipes from the photo for example, Gunpla modelers don't have to cut and assemble each individual ring anymore. The rings seem to be attached to the part trees, and modelers just need to snap off the gates, and slide the rings into the pipes. Easy for painting, and prevent you from losing any of those tiny parts as well. Nice.




Also, it seems like Zaku 2 will have its interior design for the foot as well. I can see some hydalic pipes from the photos. Extra nice.

The manipulators are those of Dom and Sazabi: larger, and more action for each fingers as well.

Overall, this will definitely be the best Zaku 2 yet. All the stuff mentioned above have already surpass all the previous MG Zakus and Goufs.

Can't wait to get my hands on it ^o^

From the same source, another juicy image of MG Strike Noir. So far the design has been quite amazing, but I don't know why Bandai threw in not one, but two Duel Gundam type beam rifle into the kit. I've never seen Strike Noir use it before in the anime, even Blu Duel Gundam doesn't seem to have it on its armament list.



Speaking of kits from Stargazer, SD Verde Buster is also on show. Better design than the original Buster Gundam, especially the huge visor. Haven't seen many images of this SD kit, here's one though~


More images from Yoshimu's Blog.

Zaku II Ver. 2.0 is MG 100... NOT!

Being kind of confused which MG is No. 99 after seeing Strike Noir, even though I did blog about the prototype image of Strike Noir quite some time ago. So, the blame is on me, since I was hoping so very dearly that No. 100 will go to Zaku II Ver. 2.0. Now I realize that it's not. Zaku II Ver. 2.0 will only be MG No. 97, and the actually No. 100 will only come in August, in conjunction with a full 12 years commemoration of the MG line started in July 1995. Who's going to be that MG is still unclear, and it seems to me that we will remain unclear for another few months.


Another cool image of Zaku II Ver. 2.0 - Image from Uwants.com

Kind-of disappointing for me, maybe I was looking too hard. Nonetheless, Zaku II Ver. 2.0 will be awesome, and will definitely be one of future purchase.

From Hobby Shop Midori, a limited production MG Zeta Ver. 2.0 (Green Divers color ver.) will be out in March, which is this month. The price is 5,000 Yen. Get this if you're a hardcore Amuro Ray fan, or if you're interested in its special decal/sticker design, but don't expect anything extra from MG Zeta Ver. 2.0. Anyway, since it's on limited production, that's might just be a reason to get your hands on it, right?



Also, HGUC Acguy coming out in April at a price of 1,400 Yen. Not as sophisticated as the MG Version, but would definitely feature quite a bit of action. What I can guess from the Japanese description is that the stretching of the claw arm will require extra parts.

Super-duper Ex-Model Hildolfr

Some updated images on the upcoming Gundam models and HCM-Pro figures from Gunota Headlines and The Gundam Base Side 1. The focus is on MG Strike Noir and HG-100 Akatsuki Full Set I think. Previously, I mentioned that MG Zaku II coming out in April would probably be MG No. 100. I still believe so as MG Strike Noir may be the REAL MG No. 99, not Hi-Nu Gundam, will definitely check on that for you. And for bling-bling fans, Akatsuki's shiny armor will definitely blur your eyes a bit, so blur you would probably see the 7,000 Yen price tag as 700 Yen, and burn your wallet without second thought!

My pick among all these upcoming model is Ex-Model Hildolfr. Wuhhuh~ It does transform! And it's just so cool. All the details make it seems extremely real as a tank. This one is on my wish list already.

Check out the images below for each models. Click on the names to view the rest of the images from the Gundam Base Side One.

MG Strike Noir - I don't think the display stand is included, which will be quite a disappointment. But a huge array of weapons are included to compensate that, even though posing them would be less. And for interested Gundam fan like Mike, the HG-100 SEED series manipulators are quite a bonus, since you can use those instead of the normal MG ones to protect the parts from being exhausted with all the action posing. Nice thinking from Bandai.



HGUC Mass Productive Gelgoog / Gelgoog Cannon - Color deviation HGUC kit of Char's Gelgoog released last year. At least Bandai is not as evil as before by giving us the compatibility between the mass productive and the cannon version. Both have different helmets for grunt unit and commander type as well.


HGUC Blue Destiny - A MS I'm not quite familiar with, just know that it's from a Gundam side story, and its arch-rival is a Zaku-Gouf variation called Efleet. The use of HGUC Gundam Hazel-type elbow joint is pretty much a seal for a lot of action and playability. Since the design of Blue Destiny is so close to RX-79[G] Ground Type Gundam, does this means that MS from the 08th MS Team will be HGUC-lized?


HG 1-100 Akatsuki Gundam Full Set - Don't forget to spray a layer of clear top coating if you're lazy to paint the kit, or suffer the effect of oxidization.



Ex-Model Hildolfr - I going to buy this one for sure! Sieg Zeon!!!



HCM-Pro Ground Type Gundam - Comes with a set of parts to add some cool combat effects to the figure. Will only work well if you're willing to paint the kit, and the extra parts are only available for limited release.


HCM-Pro Freedom Gundam - Small in size, but really neat in terms of action and details. The armor pieces of the chest come off to reveal the mechanical design inside, and lots of action for the rail cannons.


HCM-Pro Mass Productive Gelgoog and Kuspen's Gelgoog - Same images from my previous post, so I'm not going to repeat them here.

Also mentioned are HG 1-100 scale clear kits of the four models from the SEED Destiny series: Strike Freedom, Infinite Justice, Destiny and Legend. Not sure if Bandai will actually mass produced these kits for the market, or as souvenirs or model events and competitions. Anyway, they look real ugly as models for me~ XD

Back from Chinese New Year

Today's the 9th day of Chinese New Year, everyone's pretty much back to their work and studies after a whole week of fun. Actually, many people in the private sector, like my father, started working since last Thursday. As compared to the first two days of Chinese New Year, the sense of celebration for the annual festive seems to be decreasing faster and faster by each year.

Before I go on more with talks about my Chinese New Year experience, I must apologize for not updating my blog as frequently as before. The last entry was 6 February, which was two weeks ago. Since then, I was being busy cleaning out the house (Chinese: 大扫除) for the New Year. It's to get rid of any unwanted old stuff so that new ones can come in (Chinese: 除旧迎新), for the belief of getting blessing of course.

During the Chinese New Year, most Chinese, including my family were busy welcoming coming guests to our house, or to make our friends and relatives busy by visiting them :-) Anyway, everyone's enjoyed themselves since this is the biggest event for Chinese, plus there were a few days of public holidays not to be wasted.


Food at Mindy's house


Mindy (center) at Mindy's house :-)


Lulu at Selena's house


Lulu wishes a Happy Chinese New Year to you~

Many things happened during my period of absence from blogging, for example my computer was under virus attack, and my laptop’s mouse is dead ToT Very unfortunate for me, because this must be the 4th mouse broken by me in two years. This despairs me a great deal, since my Chinese Zodiac is the rodent, and I can’t take care of my mouse. As absurd as it might sound to you, it does mean quite a bit for me.

In the world of Gundam, most GUNPLA lovers are busy building Master Grade Hi-Nu Gundam I assume. If you're planing to get one, check out Dalong.net (completed) and Gunplablog (in progress) for their reviews on the kit. Hi-Nu Gundam is also the 99th entry in the MG line, meaning to say that the next one to come out will be MG No. 100. It does seem like No. 100 will be Zaku II Ver. 2.0. Personally, I think it’s just fair that Bandai showing more emphasis to the Zeon’s MSs after so many Gundam-type models. Just look at the recent MGs: F91/ Harrison’s F91, Crossbone Ver. Ka/ Full Cloth, Strike Gundam IWSP, Strike Freedom/Full Burst and Hi-Nu. Where did the bad guys go? And, want to bet who’s going to be MG No. 101? My guess is Char’s Zaku II, the green and the red always come out one after the other.


MG Hi-Nu Gundam - Image from The Gundam Base Side 1

Also, the so-called Gundam Fix Figuration Simplified Dendrobium is finally out. Definitely not impressive for me. Don’t be surprise if you can’t find much difference between the new GP03S and the ones from the anime or HGUC and MG models. Hajime Katoki, the designer for GFF is the one who created GP03S for UC0083: Stardust Memory. I think it would be quite agonizing for him if he were to refine his creation, without having to contradict the one everybody is familiar with from the anime, and not to stray too much from the mechanical line of UC0083 MS.


GFF GP03 - Image from Amiami
For those of you who love Japanese Idols, the annual Wonder Festival was held in Japan several days ago. Not the event for hardcore Gundam fans like me since there are almost no Gundam to be seen, but some figures will make the guys salivating all over. Check out HK DMZ Plus, Toycan and Danny Choo's Blog.


Haruhi's figure! I also want ^o^ - Image from HK DMZ Plus

A brand new season of Sentai series, better known as Power Rangers outside Japan, called Juuken Sentai Gekiranger is out. My kanji is close to nil, but Juuken can roughly be translated into “animal fist”, so I assume there will be a hell lot of punching, boxing, and Bruce-Lee-Jet-Li type Kung-Fu stuff in the series. These days, Sentai series are getting more and more violent (for a kid like me who came for the olden days :-) Three Rangers this time: red, blue, and yellow which are boringly the same as what we get at the start of the previous Magiranger, Abaranger and Hurricanger. Well, it would be easier to extend the gang in the future, plus more room for character development. Their robots, better know as Zoids if you follow the Power Ranger series, consists of a tiger, a cheetah and a wolf, and features the extension system, where new animal robots can be joined with the Zoid for special abilities. Cool, but nothing new really, since the original idea of this extension system came from Gaoranger, which must have been five or six seasons ago.


The Juuken Gattai from Juuken Sentai Gekiranger - Image from Robot Japan

On a personal account, my blog’s visits has just pass 10,000! Not a big thing for super bloggers like Danny Choo or Gunota Headlines, but definitely meaningful for me. I thank you for your support, and will Gambatte more for more updates in the future.


HGUC Bawoo wishes you a prosperous year of the boar

MG Zaku II Ver.2.0 ?!

A lot of images of upcoming Gundam merchandises this time, six that are being mentioned earlier on, and another 12 new ones, including those which will be featured in April.

The most significant announcement for me is MG Zaku II Ver. 2.0 to be out in April. Check out all the poses possible with the new design. Although the price will be much higher than the first release more than ten years ago, what Ver. 2.0 can offer looks really promising. I suppose Bandai will throw in all sorts of gimmicks for Zaku II as well, like a launch platform, a whole array of weapon, etc.

For fans of HCM-Pro, I'm not sure if you'll be angry with Bandai for re-releasing a few of the earliest models like RX-78-2, Guntank, Zaku II and Rick-Dom in their so-called "Repainted" version, even though the only new stuff I notice are those clear stickers and a new packaging. Freedom Gundam will get its long-awaited HCM-Pro treatment in April as well.

All images are from Hobby Search. Click on the names for more information (in Japanese) from the website, and click on the image of a larger view with more details.

MG Strike Noir - March, 4725 Yen



HGUC Mass Production Type Gelgoog / Gelgoog Cannon - March, 1680 Yen



Ex Model 1-144 Hildolfr - March, 7140 Yen



HG 1-100 Akatsuki Full Equipement - March, 6825 Yen



HCM-Pro Kuspen's Gelgoog - March, 3100 Yen



HCM-Pro Mass Production Type Gelgoog - March, 2100 Yen



HCM-Pro Char's Rick Dom (Special Painted Version) - March, 3150 Yen



HCM-Pro Gundam RX-78-2 (Repainted Version) - March, 1890 Yen



HCM-Pro Guntank (Repainted Version) - March, 1890 Yen



HCM-Pro Zaku II (Repainted Version) - March, 1890 Yen



HCM-Pro Rick Dom (Repainted Version) - March, 1890 Yen



HCM-Pro Freedom Gundam - April, 2625 Yen



HCM-Pro Ground Type Gundam - April, 2625 Yen



MG Zaku II Ver 2.0 - April, 3675 Yen



HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 2 - Aril, 1575 Yen



Ex Model 1-144 Oggo - April, 3675 Yen



SD Verde Buster - April, 630 Yen

Hi Price GFF

It seems to me that GFF nowadys are getting more and more expensive. The metal composite Gundam Ver. Ka mentioned in the previous post is worth a PG model, and each of the next two releases are more expensive than a MS Ex-S Gundam. It either because Bandai is very confident with the market, or maybe they want to test the market at how well it can afford these kind of stuff.

On the other hand, GFF models are very beautiful. Their design, paint scheme, and markings are really well done. Most of them feature quite a lot of action-ability and posability as well, but I don't think I would take them out of the box if I buy one.

Anyway, here are the images of the two GFF mentioned from Hobbynet Online:

GP03 with simplified Dendrobium - maybe a complete Dendrobium next time? Will be out in March, 8190 Yen.



Zeonography Black Tri-Star Set - same content different name, GFF or Zeonography, we know they are of the same product line. Zaku I, High Mobility Zaku II and Dom from some of the previous Zeonography releases given the Black Tri-Star paint scheme. Another rip-off for Bandai, but really cool aren't they? Will be out in late February, 8190 Yen.

More Gundams

Two Gundam models and one GFF this time.

The two models: GP02A MLRS and HG Civilian Astray DSSD don't look so impressive to me. GP02A MLRS features new rocket launchers, a new bazooka (same one from its GFF release, designed by Katoki) and a new backpack to mount the launchers. HG Civilian Astray DSSD is perhaps the ugliest Gundam ever, just look at the legs! Apart from the helmet design, what's so good about this target-practice MS from Stargazer which inspires Bandai to give it a model release anyway?





The GFF Metal Composite Gundam Ver. Karelease however, is going to stir up quite a bit of commotion, I reckon.

This time the scale is MG-standard, with the first release being the super-famous Gundam Ver. Ka that comes with a whole array of armaments, as well as its supporting vehicle, G Armor. Bandai has announced that certain parts of the body will be made of metal, hence the name, and there will be plenty of details, just like a MG model! Am I the only Gundam fan salivating now? The one thing that is not so cool about this product is the price: 12,390 Yen from Amiami. That's equivalent to a PG model man!

Images of HGUC GP02A MLRS and HG Civilian Astray DSSD are from The Gundam Base Side 1, GFF Metal Composite Gundam Ver. Ka from Amiami.