Bandai opens first Gashapon Official Shop in Bangkok

I just found out that Bandai has inaugurated its first capsule toy shop in Bangkok this June to much fanfare. The shop, located in busy Siam Centre district, features capsule machines where the tokens cost 50 thb each, but you require multiple tokens for a purchase. I haven't had time to visit myself but I noticed many of the stock Gachas are selling for 150 THB (about 4.25 USD) with pricier ones such as the Mechanical Bust series set at 250 THB. Interestingly, the 500 yen price (plus 10% VAT) has a near double mark up here in Thailand.

From the posted screens and youtube videos I have seen they currently also stock Mobile Suit Ensemble 3.5, Part 23 and 4.5 (later also confirmed Parts 04, 10, 15.5 and 24 as well as the lastest Senshi Forte set with the Witch of Mercury figures) all selling at 250 THB. From a strictly financial point of view I think it makes little sense to purchase from this shop compared to ordering the exact items you are after from Mandarake but the wait can of course be quite long before you strike that gold.

Check out the shop's facebook page for more teasers and information.
If you can stand youtube vloggers this recent video is also a good introduction. As you can see, Mobile Suit Gundam is just a fringe interest even in Asia and not really as popular as you may have wanted it to be.

Gashapon HG Mobile Suit Selection 23

I haven't got around to building the Bandai Gashapon HGMS checklist yet but I figured I'd run a review on a set in the meantime to at least give it a bit of an introduction. The HG figures aren't any more "high grade" than old 1/144 kits bearing the same name but they are an extensive line of cheap and durable figures produced in impressive numbers. The main series produced 40 basic sets between 1995 and 2006 as well as complimentary deluxe and alternate figure sets on the side. The Mecha and Mobile Armor Selection series for example have been featured sporadically on the blog already.


I didn't pick this particular set for any particular reason but it is a good introduction of what to expect from the series as a whole. In general the earliest figures are quite rough with few to no features while the later figures are quite complex with many moving parts and parts separation. Volume 23 that you see here was released in June 2002 and features seven different figures. While it is really rare to come across figures still in their capsules you will find full sets like these still in the inner plastic bags sold through second hand services from time to time. According to my notes I paid ¥800 for this set back in 2018 which should be a decent indicator.



MSN-03 Jagd Doga (Gyunei Guss Custom)


Individual figures are not numbered in this series but we'll run through them the way they are displayed in the booklet (in Japanese fashion from right to left). The set opens with this classy representation of Gyunei's Jagd Doga, complete with both monoeye and painted bird-eyes (something my Ensemble figure lacked if you recall that particular review). This figure gives you a good idea of the painting standard to expect, you will get some nice but basic colour detail on the front torso while the back tends to be a bit lacking, similar to how the early SD Full Color series are painted.


This parts-shot it not necessarily a full disassembly of the figure but a typical view of how the figure will appear when you take it out of its plastic bag. It should still give you a basic idea of the typical articulation to expect in these figures i.e. not a whole lot. The material is usually all soft plastic (also similar to the SD Full Color figures) and so you can expect warped components that might require straightening here and there. Occasionally, some components are made of hard plastic.






RGZ-91 Re-GZ


While the HG Gashapon figures will often come with a bit of situational poses this Re-GZ must be one of the worst examples to ever grace this figure line. I mean, sure, the pose is interesting but it requires the use of an ugly clear block for it to lean on and I don't think it works at all together with the other figures. Several mobile suits have multiple appearances in the Gashapon HG line but those are mostly reserved for the usual suspects and certainly not for the Re-GZ, unfortunately.


The figure looks much more appealing before you have assembled it - you get a feeling of what it could have been if the pose had been a classic standing around doing nothing thing... Below you can see the Re-GZ B.W.S. support system from the Mecha Selection Part 4 series, a related Gashapon figure series sold in random boxes, also released in 2002.






MS-06 Zaku II (The Origin)


The HG sets usually feature suits from all over the place and this set now takes a break from Char's Counterattack for a dip into The Origin. The first figure is a really interesting Zaku with its novel gear. We have a machine gun which is fed by an ammo belt and the left arm features a twin machine gun-pod. The exact designation of the machine isn't give but it might be a Zaku II C-5 or C-6 type based on the later accessory.


While I am not a huge fan of mobile suits kneeling or doing other awkward positions (man... that's two in a row) this at least feels somewhat serviceable, but it would be no fun building a squad of kneeling machines. :/






RX-78-02 Gundam (The Origin)


Alright, the booklet says that this is the RX-78-2 Gundam yet at the same time it talks about The Origin so I would expect the proper designation to be the RX-78-02. The best way to be certain for me is if the figure is holding the shield upside down but this poor fellow comes unarmed. We are seeing the Gundam as it rises from its flatbed truck in a scene reminiscent of the first episode of the U.C.0079 series. Ironically, I don't mind this particular pose at all, because as you can imagine the GMS series is chock full of RX-78-2s doing various activities.


The flatbed truck is divided into three components to fit inside the Gashapon capsule and i suppose you might end up with a vehicle that is slightly warped if you are unlucky. This particular unit turned out great although the colour is a bit uninspiring. I much prefer the green tint they went with in the Strategy of Gundam 1/300 figure series.






MS-06S Zaku II (Char's Custom) (The Origin)


The last entry in the Origin trio is an exotic variant of Char's Commander Type Zaku II armed with the awesome looking belt fed-machine gun. To my knowledge, the two Zaku figures in this set are the only Gashapon to ever feature this weapon. It would be great to see it pop-up in Converge the next time Bandai is feeling the itch to reissue something with Char's name branded all over it.


HGMS figures often utilize differently sized pegs to assist in assembly. Sometimes the pegs will be round and sometimes shaped when the intended pose is very specific. Occasionally you might have to deal with a swollen peg that needs to be modified a little to better fit as the soft plastic can be obstinate to work with.


We have plenty of Char's Zaku II in the HGMS series also, but only one from The Origin. Here it poses with two other Gashapon HGMS figures from the regular U.C.0079 timeline. As is typical with many Gashapon figures, the colour scheme will often vary from release to release.


The Origin line also features a bazooka-wielding MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type which appears in the volume 24. Surely this is something that the HGMS line can flaunt to get at least a little bit of extra clout?






MSZ-006A1 Zeta Plus A1 (Karaba)


One of the reasons that volume 23 is such a good introduction for the Gashapon HG MS line is the variety of figures you find in this set. Here Bandai shows that the series is perfectly capable of handling skinny and complex sculpts like the Zeta Gundam, and that it has the painting detail to match. Here we also see the standardized action base used (very sparingly) in the line. The concept of the base is similar to the ones used in the SD Full Color series, the base features a ball joint in both ends and for this particular figure it has an adapter to match the mobile suit.


This figure is a good representation of the more complex designs to be found in the Gashapon HG series. I can see myself feeding a Gashapon machine hoping to get this monster only to have it drop Zaku IIs instead. As far as I know, there are no artificial rarities in this series (although some sets might feature variants which are distributed as A and B variants kind of like the early secret figures in Converge).


The STANDart Karaba Zeta is one of my all-time favourite 1/220-figures but this Gashapon figure is certainly giving it a run for its money. It is too bad that the Gashapon series doesn't feature the basic gray Zeta Plus, bit of a missed opportunity I think.






MS-06M Zaku Marine Type


We have a lot of unusual mobile suits in this set and the last item is a mobile suit variation novelty; the underwater Zaku Marine Type. It comes armed with the funky looking handheld 240mm 4-tube launcher, the perfect weapon to fit in a Gashapon capsule. :) Even more interestingly, the figure sports the blue Earth federation colours but you could certainly bring your pencils to it and turn it into Zeonic green and white.


Notice the small peg on the left hand which is inserted into the missile pod, ensuring a tight grip. Some figures will not feature pegs like this and you might see two-handed poses where one arm is not aligning properly with the weapon.






Conclusion

The old Gashapon figures certainly aren't for everyone. It took me a bit of warming to them as well, but when you have a figure line sporting Gabthleys, Gaza-Cs and the Gelgoog Jaeger you know I will not be able to stay away forever...

Banpresto Gundam Illustrations World Limited Edition Mobile Suit Figure Set

Toady we are taking a look at a set of special releases under the Banpresto brand name. The title gives us no particular clue about the actual figure series involved here, but we are dealing with a Banpresto line called the Mini Figure Collection which ran between 1997 and 2000. The original figures are sometimes referred to using the "Convenience Store Love" moniker, which appears to be a broader concept also including different figures branching out into other intellecual properites such as SDF Macross for example. The particular releases under scrutiny here appear to be specials released to commermorate a special event. We have seen specials such as Art of Gundam before and I am going to assume that Gundam Illustrations World was something similar, probably held for a couple of months in one or more cities. We don't even have a year on the packaging to guide us.


I have managed to find three different figure sets and they all have the same packaging down to the inividual barcode. The short code [79252] is the easiest way to identify them.




The first package to examine contains the classic White Base trio of mobile suits and armor. We have a RX-77-2 Guncannon wit unit number 109, the RX-78-2 Gundam armed with a beam rifle and the RX-75 Guntank. Each figure is rather primitive and features pegs underneath its feet which are to be inserted into a rectangular black base. I have decided not to open the packaging for the time being so the review will have to make do with these less than perfect images for now.


The figures in these sets are not just repackaged versions of the Banpresto Mini Figure Collection but also feature minor tweaks, most notably some printed designations on the hull. The original Guncannon for example comes without the "RX-77" and "109" markings, the Gundam lacks the "RX-78-2" designation on its chest and the story is the same with the "RX-75" on the Guntank. The colours used however are pretty much the same, there might be the slight variation here and there. The photos of the original figures are going to be even worse I'm afraid, since they come on bendy cardboard cards with wrapped in very creased plastic bags. You can barely make out the black bases packaged behind each figure...




the next set features three Zeonic mass-production type suits, no prize for figuring it out that it is the one I like the most. It features a MS-14A Gelgoog with a beam rifle, the MS-06F Zaku II armed with a Zaku bazooka and a MS-07B Gouf with empty hands (although the left hand sports the five finger gun). You can see the attention to relative scale here, while not exact the Zaku II is dwarved by the Gouf and the Gelgoog.


Comparing to the old releases the most obvious change is the re-coloring of the Zaku II. other than that we again see additional markings on the special release figures. The Gelgoog sports a Zeon crest on the chest and "MS-14A" on left shoulder, the Zaku II has a Zeonic logo on the chest and the Gouf features the same chest emblem and the "MS-07" designation on the left skirt armor.


The last set I have on hand features three of Char Aznable's classic steeds. We have the prototype YMS-14 Gelgoog Commander Type, a Commander Type MS-06S Zaku II and a humbled MSN-02 Zeong which has to be content with sitting on the floor - other brands usually include some type of extra stand to prop it up into the air where it looks a bit more menacing.


No surprises here. Our special edition Gelgoog comes with a Zeonic logo on the chest and "YMS-14" on left shoulder. The Zaku II is perhaps a slightly darker tint of red and sports the Zeon emblem on the chest. The Zeong wears its "MSN-02" designation on the chest and the shakes things up with the Zeon emblem on the left shoulder.


So, are there any additional premium sets fromthis series? Well, not that I know of but I wouldn't rule it out. Here you can see some of the other possible candidates that could have been involved. Eventually these original figures may find their way to a proper review but for now we are leaving them here.