The latest Gashapon news...

We got a new post on the Bandai Gashapon Blog which contains some interesting information indeed. First out is the announcement that Ensemble Part 17 has hit the Gashapon machines in Japan. This set is retail the first volume to feature six different figures in the set rather than five, which will upset the delicate balance of the usual 10-boxes. As far as I can tell, these boxes have not been extended to 12 slots, so just exactly can you look forward to seeing in a 10-box? My assumption is that each 10-box will contain doubles of everything except for the Jagd Dogas which will be limited to one each per 10-box. This is usually how Bandai does it with Converge and Senshi Forte and would if this is true make the Dogas slightly scarcer than the rest of the pack. You could also say that the ZZ Gundam itself would be just as rare in such a scenario, which is why I am not entirely convinced this is how Bandai will go about it.

Two new premium figures sets have opened for preorder through the P-Bandai program. EX 29 is the Virtue Gundam which will round out the Celestial Being team nicely, especially with the Nadleeh making its appearance in Ensemble Part 17. EX 30 is a jaw-dropper for me personally and features the Earth Alliance's three first prototype Gundams - Forbidden, Raider and Calamity. The Virtue will be priced at ¥4950 and the O.M.N.I. troika will have a massive ¥9350 price tag. Both are scheduled for delivery in August.

We also get to see prototypes for more upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam SEED-themed releases. The Strike Freedom and the Providence are shown to be in development. The Mobile Suit Ensemble series will have its fifth anniversary this December and more news will be forthcoming as to what Bandai is planning to celebrate it. I hope it won't be one of those reissue sets with Gundams featuring gold-trimming on their V-Fins like in Converge.

Things are not as rosy when it comes to Gashapon Senshi Forte. Ever since the switchover from volume 10 to 11 the release pace has been glacial. Volume 13 is at least out since February and I even managed to grab a set which is on its way now. When it comes to volume 14 it appears to have completed development but I don't really know anything about it. Perhaps pictures have been leaked through the Komagata Information Bureau twitter account but it is nothing I follow. Thus I am not even sure if this sketch of what appears to be a RGM-79N GM Custom from Stardust Memory is intended for volume 14 or if it is a possible contender for volume 15. We've been hearing warnings regarding the imminent death of Senshi Forte for quite some time now, here is what our writer states on the blog:

 

"そして、ガシャポン戦士も14弾の準備を進めております。14弾の進行も大分時間がかかってしまってますが、15弾をどうするのか？というかどうしたらいいのか？がまだ固まっておらず、とりあえず辞めないという意志だけは持ちつつ今は14弾の進行に全力を傾けております。

毎年どんどん生産環境が悪化していき、低単価で薄利多売という商売スキームにガシャポン戦士やアンサンブルのような高仕様の商材というのはまったく合わなくなってきております。これもまた時代の流れとは思いつつも、限界を超えても走り続ける意志を持って頑張るしかないですね。もう今からコレクション新シリーズとか言われてもまた1から？という気持ちになっちゃうかなというのもあり新シリーズへの移行などは現時点では考えておりません。

とかいって14弾盛りすぎてボリュームヤバいんですよ・・・結構私も仕上りが楽しみだったりします。デコマスなどあがりましたらご紹介しますのでお楽しみに！"

 

 

Parsed through Google Translate this comes out as something like:

"And the Gashapon warrior is also preparing volume 14. It took a long time to progress volume 14, but what about volume 15? What should I do? However, it has not been settled yet, and while I have the intention of not quitting for the time being, I am now devoting myself to the progress of volume 14.

The production environment is getting worse and worse every year, and high-specification products such as Gashapon warriors and ensembles are no longer suitable for the business scheme of low unit price and low profit and high sales. I think this is also a trend of the times, but I have no choice but to do my best with the will to continue running even if the limit is exceeded. Even if it's called a new collection series from now on, is it from 1 again? At this point, I'm not thinking about moving to a new series because I might feel like that.

That said, there are too many volume 14 and it's voluminous ... I'm looking forward to the finish. We will introduce you when the decorations are finished, so please look forward to it!"

 

 

From the looks of it, it almost seems like volume 14 might be a set larger than usual. Maybe the entire series will go out with a bang. I personally don't think that Bandai is interested in letting the series live on as a low quantity-higher price product because that is already the direction they are bringing Ensemble, a series which seems to survive mainly thanks to its pricey EX-figures. Still, killing off Senshi Forte would mean disrupting a steady stream of super deformed Gashapon - a well known property that has been in constant production since 1997 in one format or other.