Bandai Mobile Suit Gundam 30th Anniversary Okawara's Origin

As per a recent request we'll take a closer look at one of the special 30th anniversary Gashapon sets that Bandai released in 2009. The figures are based on famous designer Okawara Kunio's original mobile suit designs and some of the figures have literally been sculpted in very peculiar ways to follow the perspectives seen on the original drawings. These figures are pretty hard to find and I had to use some secondary sources to dig up a couple more facts. For example, the Gundam Ace Magazine logo at the bottom of the booklet threw me off a bit leading me to believe this may have been some kind of cross-promotional release but it looks to be nothing more than a simple advert, stating that the magazine releases on the 26th of every month.


I bought these items second hand back in 2019 and as you can see I don't have any parts of the original packaging included. According to Hobbylink Japan the figures were released as regular Gashapon capsule toys sold eight to a box. The release date is June 2009 for the first wave, while this second release most likely followed in the autumn of that same year.


This parts explosion shot reveals that we are mainly dealing with rigid figures that have shaped pegs designed to pose arms and legs in a very specific way. Thin of these figures as little statuettes with zero play value.


Each figure comes with a tiny little Okawara Kunio memorial plaque that can stand upright at a slight tilt. You can bet that these will be missing on a lot of second-hand figures out there so pay special attention when hunting if this is a concern of yours.



MS-06F Zaku II


This set is very Zeon-heavy, since the RX-78 and the Guncannon were featured in the first wave. I find it refreshing that there wasn't a repeat Gundam thrown in here for the sake of it, which is often the case. Anyway, this Zaku figure quickly shows what is so odd about this figure series. Although tiny these Gashapon are painted to a very nice standard featuring highlights and shading as well as special markings, something very unusual for tiny PVC minis. In contrast, the back of the figure is almost entirely monotone which looks really odd but I guess with the idea of you viewing the figure straight on from the front this was not going to be a problem.


Size and colour comparison with a Zaku II from the Ichiban Kuji one-shot "Solid Essence Collection" from 2020 and a STANDart 1/220 scale Zaku F2 Type. These figures don't really match any other figure series out there although you could potentially press a few of them into service in a diorama with smaller 1/280 or 1/300 Gashapon figures.






MS-07B Gouf


Up next is my favourite figure from this set, a Heat Rod-swinging Gouf in a great looking pose. The only complaint is the left foot resting atop a cloud-like white little stand but you should be able to work him into a diorama setting really nicely. Notice all the highlights painstakingly applied to the heat rod, this is really nice for a Gashapon.






RX-75 Guntank


This figure set has been doing great so far but here is where it all falls off a cliff. The idea of creating these peculiar messed-up perspective designs doesn't work at all in my opinion. if you really wanted to highlight the look of the original paintings maybe Bandai should have released these as flat rubber keyring mascots or acrylic sheets. Or why not, you know just let the figure keep its realistic proportions and put this neat paintjob on top. It doesn't help that it sits elevated from the ground on this blue mini-dais. I don't like this miniature at all.






HT-01B Magella Attack


The Magella Attack Tank unfortunately suffers from the same issues as the Guntank, this one looks like it has driven halfway into a swamp and got stuck. What a shame since the paintjob is so vibrant and colourful. Oh well, at least it save me the trouble of trying to find more units to squad-build because these things are really hard to find.






So there you have it folks, a short review today but there isn't really a whole lot to say about these minis or things to compare them to. I am still missing a couple of the first wave which includes the RX-78, Guncannon, Char's Zaku II and cursiously a Zaku I. There is also a third wave of repeats of the Gundam, Gouf and two Zaku IIs that stand on large rectangular white bases. I have them around here somewhere and they will eventually find there way on here but those are just more of the same basically.

Seika Sharpener Collection EX : SEED Destiny

Seika is one of those large corporations that seem to produce a little bit of everything. If you visit their corporate website it looks just as bland and uninteresting as the rest of them; a cavalcade of buzzwords and image bank material, visit at your own risk. In its more inspired moments however it does produce toys, or at least it did. You'll mainly find various types of IP-related stickers, books, or similar knick-knacks. Among the highlights of its contributions to the Mobile Suit Gundam-themed toy landscape the large Toy Book series springs to mind as well as a bazillion of various pencil sharpener figurines. The EX line upped that game but only saw a few releases themed around Zeta Gundam, SEED and SEED Destiny. Today we are examining the first SEED Destiny batch of sharpener figures released somewhere around 2004-2005.


Here is a quick walkaround of the standardized box because yes, these things are packaged randomly. Ex figures typically come in larger boxes holding 6-12 individual figures or similar. I don't have enough data to speak on the figure distribution among these boxes and I have never even seen an image of one for this particular set.


These figures belong to a previous era, when the world was at peace and third world labour was still cheap. This allowed us to enjoy cheap figurines packaged in lavish full-colour boxes and a rather redundant mini-booklet thrown in for good measure! Nowadays, black and white packaging is everywhere and we don't always get printed assembly instructions with the larger figures either. The early 2000s is a bit of a golden age for mini-figure collection.


Each individual figure comes wrapped in a plastic bag and occasionally has some additional cardboard wrapping around the thinner parts to protect them from bending out of shape. The material is a mix between soft PVC and a somewhat harder ABS-PVC blend.


The main gimmick of these figures is of course that they are pencil sharpeners. Underneath each figure a simple sharpener has been glued into place. That's why we have the hole in the side of one of the six edges and why we have the large and unwieldy bases on these things in the first place. Come on kids, surely you know what a pencil is? Right?



ZGMF-X56S/α Force Impulse Gundam


This set is pretty much dedicated to showing off the various Silhouette Packs that apply to the Impulse Gundam, a popular theme for miniatures around this time. The Aile Stri... I mean the Force Silhouette is basically a copy of the Strike Gundam atmospheric flight pack and is seen here in action as the figure hovers slightly above the ground. The figure is attached directly to the base and you are not meant to try to remove it from the base itself. Similarly there is no articulation present, think of this as a soft plastic statue with a decent ability to not bend out of shape. Both the sculpting and paint applications are as you can see really nice for such a small figure. I should point out that the Force Impulse also returns in the second set of SEED Destiny figures in a more traditional standing pose. I didn't have it out of packaging at time for this review but will revisit this entry to add a comparison photo eventually.






ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse Gundam


Next up is the Sword Impulse silhouette close range combat variant, a daring design for a such small PVC figure. The (very nicely painted) blades are protected by cardboard wrapping and came out of the box in pristine condition, don't throw these away and keep them around for future storage. I am not a huge fan of this pose as it feels a bit unnatural and not to mention it will encroach on the space of figures you chose to place next to it. Still, this is my favourite variant of the Impulse Gundam and this figure does do it justice.






ZGMF-X56S/γ Blast Impulse Gundam


The Blast Impulse is the Launcher Strike look-alike for the Impulse and comes in a bit of an awkward pose here. Look at the beautiful detail and paintwork, notice the detail around the launcher handles and the various exhausts at the back. Even the little backpack peering out beneath the large fans is heavily detailed. Seika figures sometimes have a bit of a weathered finish with slight colour variations in the main body paintwork, you can see the shifting tone of greyish white on the legs here for example. It is a pity that we can't get small, pre-painted figures such as these anymore.






ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior


The last design in the set is my personal pick. and one I would have loved to get multiples of but Seika Sharpener figures is only something you will come across happenstance and these larger EX figures are even rarer. This mass production-type figure is the only one in the set to come in a classic standing pose and stands out a bit from the others in this way. Again beautiful colouring and detail work all around including the spare ammo drum attached to the backside of its shield.






ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior (Lunamaria Hawke Custom)


Don't look so sad, Shinn. Yeah, I know why you are disappointed, that secret fifth figure is indeed impossible to find - I have never even seen it on a photo. On the odd chance that I were to stumble on it somewhere in the future I'll come back and update this post. For now I just decided to upload a review with the basic range covered because otherwise it may never come up at all. I suppose I should confirm that I actually do not know that the secret figure will be Lunamaria's red variant but it is just something that I take for granted. The same pattern shows up in the SEDD Destiny 02 set by the way, where the basic set includes a green Gunner ZAKU Warrior and a secret red variant for Lunamaria's personal use (and that figure I have actually seen).



Conclusion

Should you go after the Seika EX sharpener figures? While there are a few really unique looking sculpts in this range they are unfortunately very hard to find, among the rarest of the rare small figures I would say. Still, they do show up at places like Mandarake from time to time and are generally not expensive, but you'll just have a miserable time trying to actively find them. I have resigned myself to picking Seikas up whenever I happen to stumble on them myself.

Gashapon HG Mobile Suit Selection 36

We're closing out the year 2024 with yet another vintage review. I didn't get to go through as many sets as I had planned this year but regular work and duties had to take precedence. In focus today is another of the late Gashapon HG sets, released in March 2005 when the series had really found its groove but it was only a matter of time before the line was permanently shut down. I really miss these simpler and sturdy figures compared to the frail build-a-crap Bandai releases today.


As usual here are the figures as they came out of their respective plastic bags. This is not a complete breakdown of parts but just how they happened to be partially assembled straight out of the packaging. Soft PVC-pegs on older figures like these can often be a bit unwilling to cooperate, opting to change shape rather than attaching like they are supposed to, so I prefer not to pick figures apart needlessly.



ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse Gundam


The Sword Strike Gundam sits in the middle of the Force Impulse Gundam released in selection 35 and the Blast Impulse which followed in selection 37. It has an impressive and sprawling pose which doesn't go well with a Gashapon capsule so expect your dual blade to require a fair bit of stretching out. Depending on your luck you may find that the figure stands firmly on its two feet without the ugly white support. I wish these stands were always made in clear plastic or at least another colour than the leg they support but that is what you can expect from these really cheap figures. I have toyed with the idea of making custom scenic bases for these figures but that adds to their storage footprint so for now I have let them be.






ZGMF-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom (Rey Za Burrel Custom)


The second entry from SEED Destiny in this set is the wonderful ZAKU Phantom in the custom white colour of Rey (no not that Rey from Disney...). This figure also sports a really beautiful action pose and it has been allowed to float above the ground on the typical Gashapon HG stand. Notice the peg holes for replacement ammo drums on the undersides of the shields - I wonder if these were supposed to have been included in the original design. I also wish Bandai would have completed the range with the machines belonging to Heine and Dearka but at least we can find Yzak's blue Slash ZAKU Phantom in the related Mecha Selection range.






RX-78-2 Gundam


Well, it has been six sets since we last saw the RX-78 in selection 30 so I guess it was really urgent to pump out another variant. Speaking of which, this figure comes in a really neutral standing pose pretty similar to the figure from wave 30 except that the previous figure was a bit of a jubilee thing that came on a square black podium. A complete waste of space in this set if you ask me but hey, at least the figure looks tidy and doesn't unnecessarily flail around with its arms which makes storage a breeze compared to the nightmarish SEED figures with their many wings and limbs all over the place. Again a small stand is provided which may or may not be required.






FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam


next up we have a random Full Armor Gundam showing up for the first time, just made it in the nick of time before the series was cancelled. We do not have a blue variant in this line but I guess it wouldn't be too hard to repaint this figure should you want to. Again, notice the green support piece available. While I can understand the increased cost of producing clear supports for figures that do not use clear plastic anywhere else, how about if they switched things up a little? Let's say they would have made the support for the RX-78 in the green colour of the FA-78 and used a white stand for the FA-78, would it have looked more interesting?






RX-178 Gundam Mk-II (A.E.U.G.)


The last three slots in this set are reserved for Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. These follow a wave of Z-themed figures released in selection 32 and a couple of stragglers in 34 and are actually reinterpretations of figures we have seen in this series before. First out is an A.E.U.G Mk-II armed with a beam rifle and shield. Interestingly, no leg support is provided for this figure and of course mine has really crummy legs and can barely stand up. The joys of collecting the Gashapon HG series in a nutshell. :) Other than that the figure looks really good and has a really neat gimmick in two optional right arms. You can see them used alternately in the images above. This is a really simple but effective trick that would have been nice to see on more figures of this line, especially army builder types.






RX-178 Gundam Mk-II (Titans)


Next up we have a colour-swapped Mk-II for Titans use. There is no unit marking on the shoulder this time, had it been released today there is a good chance Bandai would have made three variants with different numbers forcing you to go through many more coins to obtain the full set. :) This Mk-II figure also replaces the rifle with a beam saber, more or less straight as you can see...


Both Mk-II figures have grey hands and so you are free to mix and match the weapon options and bent or straight arms to find your favourite pose combinations. This is such a simple trick but it really brings out a lot of fun in the figures and it would have been great to see it employed on suits like the GM, Zaku II or Rick Dias to name a few.






RMS-106 Hizack


The last figure in this set is also my personal pick of the lot. The Hizack returns to Gashapon HG in fantastic form. Look at the details and paint job on this thing, absolutely superb for such a cheap Gashapon figure. Notice specifically the exquisite sculpt of the heat hawk weapon - it is not often we get to see so fine detail in a cheap figure. Many smaller Gundam figures would just have a big flat shape where the blade would become one with the handlebar.


The first version of the Hizack was released in selection 14 in the year 2000. A third variant which is based on the selection 36 figure but armed with a machine gun also pops up in selection 39 (together with a blue Federation version) released in December 2005.






Conclusion

The later Gashapon HG figures are really little works of art and the evolution from the series' humble beginnings in the late 1990s is a real treat to the eye (and wallet, since these things remain very cheap). Your main issue will be to deal with various issues where the plastic has been bent over time or due to careless storage or packaging. On the plus-side, these figures are rarely (I can't even think of a single example but I might remember wrong) subject to the sticky and oily residue which can sometimes haunt older Gundam figures.