明けましておめでとうございます!!!

Ending the year with a reflection on my part of this blog. Talk a bit about goals for 2009 as well… in terms of Gunpla at least ^^;. There’s no doubt that I’ve built more Gunpla in ’08 alone than my whole life combined ^^;. Above is a Grand Glorious Gathering of the Gundam models I’ve built just this year.  I’ve wondered… If I didn’t start this blog, just how big would my model backlog be? I’d say the above image would probably be just an empty desk xD.

I still don’t consider Gunpla building as one of my actual hobbies (as in, going all out – painting, using “hardcore” modeling techniques, seam removal, etc); I buy Gundam models more for the “Gundam” than the “model” but I’m slowly beginning to edge more towards the hbby side, as evident by the fact that I’m gradually trying new things on my models such as detailing, using  new tools, top coat, and even recoloring ^^;. I’ll continue to experiment more until the day I am finally ready for an airbrush in my hand.

My single biggest effort this year is the MG Unicorn Gundam Ver. Ka. This is the model which I’ve put my skills to the limit and I must say… I’ve learned a lot and experienced a whole new level of this pastime. It is the one model I am actually proud of in my lot :D. Second is my MG Wing Gundam Ver. Ka and ironically, I actually intended to mess up this model because I used it as a testbed for new experiments. Funny that they are both Ver. Ka models because I dreaded building both of them >_>. On a random note, my favorite non-Gunpla review is Genesic GaoGaiGar ^^.

For 2009, my goal is to break some traditions of this blog. Specifically the “home look” part. Meaning… I would like to get into painting a model kit entirely, mainly in custom color schemes. Think I’m gonna name this group of models the “Ver. Z” ^^;. I’ve already planned out a “MG Impulse Ver. Z” for some time around spring ^^;. The “home look” reviews will continue as usual but depending on life, things might get a little slowier. In any case, I hope to clear my backlog by the end of the year – 11 MG, 1 HG, 2 SD, 1 PG.

Again, I really can’t thank all of you enough for the support. Let’s look forward to another great year of Gunpla in 2009! Cheers, everyone! ^^

200k Hits! New Year’s Giveaway!

Blah. Couldn’t find any appropriate “200k hits! Thank you” photo! so here’s a groupshot of all the Gundam models as celebration. ^^; anyway, yea… This humble blog have just reached 200,000 hits today ^^. I remember when I used to get 5-8 hits per day on my xanga page and I thought that was incredibly high ^^;.  It feels a bit sudden and I’m like “what? really? O_O”. I’m a bit surprised… I’ve just started blogging this June as a way for myself to keep track of what I’ve built and gradually, with increasing readers and feedbacks from all of you,  it managed to end up the way it is today. Never actually thought such a niche blog could become so big ^^;. I’ve also improved my Gunpla modeling skills as a result. I thank all of you who comes here daily and occasionally, providing feedbacks about my contents, and allowing me to improve and fix things over time. I’m also thankful to people who linked to me through their blogrolls or referring to my reviews as references. It feels like I’m one step closer to my goal of becoming a “well-known gunpla blog in the otakusphere” *sheds a tear of joy* Thank you, everyone!

Now, to celebrate the coming new year and the 200k hits… It’s time for another contest!!! I’ve asked for ideas in a previous post for ideas and picked up bits here and there. Now, this time the name of the game issss….. *drum rolls*

GUNDAM MOTIVATIONAL!

Yup. That’s right. Create your own motivational poster with your Gundam models or figures.

– The main goal is to give THE BEST LOLZ. This is parody after all ^^.

– The sky is the limit: Do whatever you want. Use as many Gundams as you see fit. Do action poses. Battles. Photoshop. Speech bubbles. Anything. All up to you.

– Best half of all entries will go to final competition so number of final contestants will vary. Readers will do the final judgement (Poll).

– You have until next wednesday to submit an entry. One entry per person. Hope this is enough time for all of you.

– Email to zyuan3618[at]hotmail[dot]com

– Will share all the entries after this is over.

– Easy enough?

Now the prize:

In the event you won and already have this, we can work something else out. This is all for now and I’ll update if I need to make any changes or clarification. So Gundamu Contesuto… READY! GOOOOO!!!

Lastly, HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!

Astraea Review… Part 1

I will try to avoid doing this in the future as much as I possibly can but due to time constraints, this is actually more beneficial and I can get things done faster this way ^^;. As the post title might imply, I’ve only posted up half of Astraea Type F’s review (mainly the construction and up to the completed model). I’ll upload the dynamic poses another day. This way, I don’t have to spend 3+ hours doing the entire review from head to start. I think it’s probably easier on your eyes as well since you’re not reading/looking everything all the way through ^^;.

While progress shots are still taken with my old camera, completed model shots are done with my SLR. You’ll noticed a lot of underexposed shots, blurry pics, and pretty much fail photos ^^;. I’ll still upload them so when I gradually improve my slr handling skills, I have photos I can look back at to see how far I’ve come.

On an unrelated note, I’ve secured the prize for the next giveaway. I’ll announce and start the contest tomorrow.

Astraea Complete

Still have the torso to top coat and then the photoshoot before writing up the review.

I won’t be home Sunday and maybe Monday so I’m trying to shoot for Tuesday to complete the review ^^;

If this Astraea wasn’t red, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between it and Exia.

My friends came over today to deliver a Christmas present…

A mini nuclear reactor! Awesome! XD

Thanks guys (if you’re reading this)! Some people (like my mom) would probably be intimidated by this when they step into my room :D.

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Yuusha oh Tanjou! live by Masaaki Endoh with GaoGaiGar cast. Caution: Extreme Hotbloodedness…

We all know the “Go Go Power Rangers” song right? Masaaki Endoh did a hotblooded cover on that too… and it’s freakin’ AMAZING!

Sousei no Aquarion…

Just want to share this ^^. Gotta love Masaaki Endoh, he can change just about any song, slow or otherwise, to GAR. him and JAM Project = epitome of Hotblood in real life.

Astraea Type F Progress

With the MG Sinanju already coming my way, I feel a bit motivated and put some effort into finishing Astraea ASAP. Using the Avalanche Exia’s lower half to prop up the body, here are a few shots. I also did more work than I had intended with this model.

– V-fin is painted (crest and yellow part- both were originally for foil stickers). A bit messy but still trying to clean it up.

– Gray “beard” on face plate is painted. Gray shoulder part is also painted (replaced the damn foil stickers).

– All clear orb pieces are painted in clear green.

– Arms are also completed.

– Don’t worry… I”ll definitely pose it with the mask on.

– One layer of top coat.

Will try to try to try to try to complete it over the weekend… If I don’t spend the whole day playing SRWZ ^^;

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 OST 3

The third soundtrack for Gundam 00 is out for those interested. So far the music for the second season sounds a lot better than the first season and less remixes of the same theme. The second season also have a lot of opera echoing in the music which I am a sucker for ^^;. Oh, gotta love that mosaic of 00 Gundam as well ^^

Oh right, guess it’d be nice to provide the tracklisting:

01 Unified World
02 Distortion
03 Determination
04 Strike- Must listen!
05 Katharon
06 A-LAWS
07 Fighting Forces
08 OO GUNDAM- Must listen!
09 Affection
10 Extermination
11 Take-Off- Must listen!
12 Power Attack
13 Repose
14 Agitation
15 Secret Maneuver
16 Threatening Sign
17 The Ballroom- Must listen!
18 Innovator-(a bit creepy…mournful)… Must listen!
19 Interception
20 The Devine
21 Restart- Must listen!
22 Ash Like Snow (90sec ver.)
23 Friends (Anime ver.)

Where’s the Holiday Spirit?

Oi.. Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and have a happy holiday! Hope you all get to enjoy some quality time with family and friends and just relax for the rest of 2008. Do drive carefully and safely if you’ll be driving out in the snow! As for me… it’s just another day come and go ^^.

Now for a little Z Tidbit; I’d like to take this time to talk a little about myself ^^;. While I wish people a “happy holiday” and give presents, I actually don’t have any holiday spirit myself (but I’m neither the grinch nor a scrooge- please refrain reading this as a “sad kid story” type thing ^^;). This is probably because of the way I was raise (Chinese culture and all that); Christmas and Thanksgiving was entirely non-existent in my family. Since the day I’ve learned about such holidays and my family knows what it is, we never actually “celebrate” it. I’ve never received any presents from my parents because “any toy I get will be trashed within a week” (truth)^^;. We just let the day go by like any other day. I couldn’t have believed in Santa because I was told the dude was “made up by people” to begin with and my parents are just too lazy to set up a christmas tree. Yea… no magic there ^^;. In recent years, we’ve gotten better by at least saying “Merry Christmas” in the morning but that is as far as we go. henceforth, I’m not really thrilled by the holidays nor can I relate to people who goes “OMG XMAS IS COMING :D :D :D”. It’s neither a bad nor a good thing for me; I just feel… indifferent. Although I don’t celebrate the holiday, I’m still moved by others and reciprocate the compassion and kindness from others during this time of the year.

In recent years, I’ve actually come to dislike Christmas (not as much as Valentine’s Day though). The “holiday season” became the “holiday shopping season”. All that comes to people’s mind is just “spend spend spend shop shop shop buy buy buy”. All the damn advertisements doesn’t help either. Seriously, I only see the day as an excuse for others to blow up their wallet. It’s all about the sales, it’s all about the gifts, and the spiritual quality of Christmas rots. It’s disgusting. I keep hearing from people that “it doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore” and first thing that comes to their mind is stress- “Ugh. don’t know what to get her/him/them for xmas. ugh”. It just seems like no one is happy about the holiday anymore. No holiday spirit. No more of that “yay! Christmas ^o^”. This is just what I see in general now but I know some people out there are still enjoying Christmas to its fullest. ahahah… Who am I to be talking about holiday spirit? xD The point for this part of the post is… to me, it seems like Christmas is almost entirely materialistic nowayears.

Long post is long. Anyway, hope you all are enjoying your pot roast, eggnog, and whatever holiday goodies you might have! Again, have a wonderful holiday!