FW Ultimate Operation : Booty or Bootleg?

A topic that I have never discussed on the blog is the existence of bootlegs. This is a rather huge concept with everything from illegal duplication to knock-off products and infringement on trademarks. I don't have any personal experience in this field and I suspect there are far more lucrative areas for these practices than Gundam Shokugan and Gashapon toys.

Still, a while ago I stumbled on something out of the ordinary while browsing one of the second hand markets in the Bangkok Chinatown area. There I was minding my own business while suddenly an angry Asshimar was staring down at me from one of those compartmentalized shelves where people sell their random stuff. This shelf was stuffed to the brim with decidedly old looking Gundam model kits and dolls but I can spot that angry glare from anywhere.

It took me quite some time to process what I was actually looking at. Here I was face to face with what appeared to be the FWUO Asshimar and next to him I could see another two boxes with a Dreissen and the Prototype Gundam. In peculiar cardboard boxes. Something about them just screamed bootleg and I was really curious to find out what was inside the boxes. I made a note to return to the shop later to investigate them closer.

Upon closer inspection of these rather worn boxes, indicating the passing of time, they puzzled me even more. If you are familiar with the Ultimate Operation figures you can see the immediate familiarity of the box art as seen on the Japanese editions which normally come on J-cards.

FW Ultimate Operation figures as we are used to seeing them.

The most glaring difference is the inclusion of rather blurry pictures of the mobile suits slapped onto the background. Some of the text on the front is also blurry and too small to be read, giving a bit of a homemade impression. The rest of the artwork looked decent, someone must really have been going through a lot of trouble if these were not the real deal.

Fortunately there was a very distinct clue at the underside of each box; a sticker in Thai with a "Big One" logo. A quick search revealed that Big One Group is Bandai's sole distributor of candy toys and capsule toys in Thailand. Mystery solved!

Still, one has to wonder why the distributor (or more likely the production plant) has gone through all this trouble of creating alternative packaging for these figures. The original figures are tied down to customized plastic packaging (similar to e.g. STANDart figures) and here they just bumble around inside a plastic bag inside the box. Apart from the sticker there is no localized text for Thailand on the boxes, it is the same Japanese product descriptions found on the home market releases. Perhaps these boxes are actually made by Bandai for export purposes to other markets across Asia?

The figures themselves are similar to their Japanese counterparts, even down to the accessories and little description pamphlets. The Prototype Gundam even has the same hopeless feet as the home market figure (how it was chosen as a "Best" I'll never know). The only thing missing here is the candy, but then again the items I purchases were not factory sealed so there might have been something here that is now lost to time.

Can you tell the figures apart? The figures sold in Japan are on the left, and the Thai figures to the right.

I am curious to learn more about these figures. If anyone has any insight into how many of them were actually available in Thailand (and if they indeed came with some form of candy) I would be eager to know. Have you perhaps seen the same boxes in the Philippines, Indonesia or elsewhere?

Mobile Suits Gundam Ultimate Operation : Bandai Museum Limited Edition RX-78/C.A. Gundam (Casval's Customized)

FW Ultimate Operation - the forever 1/220 underdog - is the precursor to FW Gundam STANDart. The figures in this line are sculpted in what is best described as dynamic poses. You will find very few mobile suits standing around to attention, instead they will usually lean, list, turn or bend as if caught in a moment. Extra articulation points in the arms and torso, as well as replaceable hands give them some additional opportunities too. One of these figures is the highly unusual RX-78/C.A., an alternate timeline Zeonic mobile suit featured in the Gihren's Greed video games, built to resemble and honor the good ol' RX-78-2. Yeah, it is kinda silly even for Gundam but there you go.

This particular RX-78/C.A. figure was specifically created as a promotional item for the Bandai Museum, which at the time of this figure's release would have been located in Matsudo. It was released sometime in 2003 with sales being limited to the museum shop only, in another fine example of Bandai cross-promotional strategy. This was probably a fairly sought after item back in the day although the advent of a booming online trade now also makes this figure available for the gaijin collectors.

I paid the very sizeable sum of $55.00 to obtain this figure back in 2014, showing my noob colours since I later found a second figure in Japan for the rather modest price of ¥1500. A lot of eBay sellers are simply taking the piss, so as with all things Gundam, it is buyer beware. The first figure I got thought was truly in immaculate condition, so much so in fact that I didn't want to spoil the packaging by trying to open it. Well, two years later I am finally able to do just that by grabbing a second figure...

If you are familiar with FW Ultimate Operation figures since before, you will quickly realize that this figure is simply a repaint of the bog standard RX-78-2. Of course the packaging has been modified slightly, and the metal dog tag in the package belongs to none other than Char Aznable himself. These nametags by the way probably require a post of their own since they are quite interesting, but I will leave that for another time. Suffice it to say, that the nametag in this package is not the same as the one I found in the box of my FWUO2 MS-06J Zaku II (Char's Customised) figure and there is a possibility that this tag is unique to this figure although I cannot confirm it right now.

The basic figure has a nice red colour scheme with plenty of weathering, something that adds a lot of personality to the FWUO figures. This particular figure has some issues with a bent leg, which is another fairly common thing affecting thin-legged figures of this line (you never see limping DOMs now do you?). The soft plastic would probably allow for some straightening action through heat application, but I am definitely not going to mess with it.

FWUO RX-78 line-up from left to right: RX-78-2 Gundam (FWUO volume 1, released February 2003), RX-78-2 Gundam Real-Type Colours (FWUO volume 3, September 2003), RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam (also from volume one) and the RX-78/C.A. Additional RX-78 family figures using other sculpts are also available.

When compared to its RX-78 brethren the C.A. does come across as a little Spartan in its look and feel. FWUO figures often sport nice unit insignias or unit recognition numbers, but in this particular case we find very little in the form of such detail.

I wouldn't consider Casval's Gundam a necessity in your FWUO collection, but I'm pretty sure the figure sells itself just by being red anyway. The only factor will probably be your budget versus the asking price. I doubt anyone with matching variables in that equation will be able to stay away... :)

Mobile Suit Gundam Ultimate Operation : FW Gundam Ultimate File

Today I have a really unusual artefact to present, an item I recently stumbled on simply by chance. It is the Fusion Works Gundam Ultimate File publication, which is a glossy book (more like a product catalogue than anything else) published by Dengeki Hobby Books whose logo also appears in the top corner on the front cover. According to the production notes on the last page the book was formally releases on March 20th 2008. The price listed on the back cover is 2500 yen.

At this point in FWUO history the series had already folded, with the last figures of Operation Maelstrom appearing already a year ago in March 2007. And to this end the book is not dedicated solely to the Ultimate Operation series, but also contains material on the first two volumes of the recently initiated STANDart figures series, also manufactured by Fusion Works. As such, the book is not an exclusive FWUO tome, although for the Ultimate Operation collector it is a complete reference guide and as such quite seminal.

The book itself is in landscape format and sits inside a portrait-oriented cardboard cover, to match the size of your typical Dengeki Hobby Magazine. It is roughly 100 pages but wastes no time on unnecessary words. The first page is an index, and from then it starts presenting full artwork spreads of the FW UO figures in the order they appear. You will recognize the style of the artwork from the miniature images on the Ultimate Operation packaging back covers, where the actual figures are presented against computer generated backdrops, often with augmentations such as glowing eyes or motion blur effects. Sadly there is no text or other facts presented but just the pictures themselves.

The YMS-15 Gyan from FWUO vol.  9 shares page with the two RGM-79SP GM Sniper II figures from FWUO vol. 10.

The two MSM-03C Hy-Gogg figures from FWUO volume 10 in some dramatically enhanced portrait shots.

Char's MS-14S Gelgoog and a litter of MS-09 Doms (this time around without the Black Tri-Star numbers on them), all from the reissue figures from the UC0079 series.

Interspersed between the action shots we find the real meat of the book however, the figure series data. Here each figure wave is quickly summarized and the book also points out some basic details about each figure, such as if there are marking variations or special gimmicks or transformations. You will find most of this information on the individual figure cards as well, but not as nicely displayed and detailed as here.

The below spread is of particular interest, displaying all the limited figures (which of course are not mentioned on the regular figure card backs) as well as the two FW EX figures released in 2005. I myself didn't even know about the Burstliner model until now, a model which I will now have to begin searching for (rather fruitlessly I fear).

Nearing the end of the book we also get a short summary of the first two STANDart waves of figure, although there is no additional artwork associated with these figures (dear FW can we also have a meaty STANDart reference as the series epitaph now that the series has been killed off?). The very last page before the end titles is titled "Special Comments" and contains three articles that I would have loved to read, except everything except the heading is in Japanese only (you knew it).

Overall, I find this book highly relevant as a reference guide for any serious Ultimate Operation collector. I don't know how rare it is, since I normally do not bother with the Dengeki Gundam products, but my guess is it is probably tricky to find though probably not very expensive.

Before we go, let's just zoom in on a couple of these awesome suits:

Mobile Suits Gundam Ultimate Operation 8

Alright, it is time to set the time machine for December 2004, we are about to take a look on the eighth set of the FW Ultimate Operation series. It took me quite some time to finally locate the missing figure and I'm really glad I did, as this set is one of the more awesome ones, in my humble opinion of course.

With just five figures, like many of the later sets, volume 8 stands a good chance of being completed. Especially so when compared to the early sets which can feature twice as many figures. However, I've noticed a distinct scarcity of pretty much all of the figures in the volume. Perhaps not surprising, given how iconic most of them are. The Kämpfer can prove to be a tough nut to crack, as can the Z'Goks. The Gundam and the Gouf aren't particularly easy finds either. However, once they do pop up, they don't seem to command any exceptionally high prices but tend to follow the average. This usually means somewhere between $10 and $25 depending on seller. Patience can be a virtue when it comes to finding FWUO figures.

Anyhow, as you can see, FWUO 8 is very heavy on the Zeon side, and how! Four out of five figures and each and every figure in the set clearly stands out from the others. All of these figures are a true feast for the eye. Let's take a closer look at each one of them.

RX-78NT-1 Alex : The only non-Zeonic figure in this set is the Gundam Alex. Compared to many other Gundams this figure has a sort of clean and simple design that I find quite attractive. It looks utilitarian in the extreme. With a simple BOWA beam rifle, weathered paint application and many decals really make it look like a proper line unit almost like an air force unit. Beautiful detail overall, and a striking paint scheme, though nitpickers will worry about paint bleed in areas such as the left wrist (made you look) and a few other places. Somewhat surprisingly, the signature Gatling guns are not customizable on this figure; you will get it with the left arm-gun extended and the right arm-gun stowed. Articulation features are the typical rotating head, spinning waist and arms rotating both at the shoulder and underneath it. As usual I do not recommend fiddling with the articulation too much, as the joints on FWUO figures tend to get loose quickly.

MS-18E Kämpfer : It is hard to elect a favourite in this set but the Kämpfer sure comes close. Awesome paintjob and sculpt, and the way all its little thrusters are lit up is just excellent. There is so much going on in this sculpt, the true dynamism that only FWUO stands for. Like all Ultimate Operation figures though, the Kämpfer is a bit lacking in the weapons department, carrying only a single shotgun. The articulation in the arms, head and waist follow the basic FWUO standard and in this case does a reasonable job of allowing the mobile suit to grip its shotgun with both hands. You will probably experience some balancing issues with this figure though, as its feet are very small. It won't take much to topple the Kämpfer and this is something I wish Fusion Works would have addressed before releasing this otherwise awesome mobile suit.

MSM-07S Z'Gok (Char's Customized) : The Z'Gok is one of those figures you just know will be featured whenever they invent a new figure line. A true mainstay it is somewhat surprising that it took FW one and a half years to finally include it in the UO line. Here we have it now, in two versions. The first one is the epitome red commander type Z'Gok used by ace pilot Char Aznable. Next to the white RX-78-2 and a green Zaku II this seems to be the third most likely figure to pop up. The figure comes with a total of three claws, two closed and one open. In this case I chose to leave the two closed claws in place as I don't want to fiddle around with the joints too much. Apart from the paint job it shares all other features with the camouflaged version so keep reading below.

MSM-07 Z'Gok (Camouflage) :This mobile suit is a good example of the novelties about the Ultimate Operation line that I miss in the other figure lines we review here on the blog. This striking paint job just oozes character. Bandai released three aquatic units in this colour scheme (the Hy-Gogg and the Gogg being the other two) and I can't wait to find the third to be able to display them together. Just like Char's Z'Gok you get three claws with this figure. An interesting twist is how they chose to display the figures differently in the packaging, look again at the pictures of the packages below, notice how this figure is displayed with the open claw, a nice if somewhat unnecessary touch. Both Z'Goks come with a rotating waist and the arms spin at the shoulder. The eye is painted in place though, which will limit the amount of poses you can get out of these figures.

MS-07H-8 Gouf Flight Type : The last figure in this set was also the last one for me to find. And it is a really cool mobile suit at that. Just look at that awesome paintjob with the smooth weathering and red standout detail. Excellent! The pose is captured as if in mid-flight, but the Gouf still stands up well without any balance issues. You can display the figure with or without the Gatling shield. You remove the right hand and snap the shield into place on the wrist and in the wrist socket (a hand is molded directly onto it). Without the shield you still have the triple barrel wrist gun in place. Articulation is found in a rotating head and waist, as well as arms rotating at the shoulder as well as underneath.

Comparisons

Although I don't have all the relevant figures for a full set of comparisons, we can still take a quick look at some of them here:

Starting with the Z-Gok, there were a total of three of them released in the Ultimate Operation line. Apart from the two figures in this set this figure reappeared with a new colour scheme in the special set known as Mobile Suits Operation Plus - U.C. 0079, one of the last sets ever in the line. It featured reissues of an RX-78-2 and five iconic Zeon units, in this case the Z'Gok in the traditional blue livery that we are so used to seeing in other sets.

Since we are on the topic of Z'Goks, let's just do a quick comparison between the lines. Above you can see one of the two highly detailed Z'Goks from STANDart (volume 9, released March 2011), the FWUO-style variant and lastly the fully articulated Z'Gok from Assault Kingdom (volume 4, released January 2014). Each figure clearly brings its own pros and cons.

Let's also take a look at the three types of Gouf units that were released in FW Ultimate Operation. From left to right are the Gouf Custom from Ultimate Operation volume 2 (released June 2003) and the sword-wielding Gouf from U.C.0079 (which in turn was a reissue of a figure from volume 5, so the figure first appeared in April 2004). Both two early versions featured some colour variations while the Flight Type only ever was released in set 8.

I would have loved to compare the Kämpfer to the one released in the STANDart series, but I suspect it will be quite some time before I (if ever) manage to lay my hands on that elusive figure.

In conclusion, Mobile Suits Gundam volume 8 is a tremendous set; well worth seeking out for all FWUO aficionados. Also remember that these figures display very well together with STANDart and Assault Kingdom and can spice up any such collection.

Random Post : Titans Strike Team

A formidable line-up of mobile suits from a Titans strike team. All figures belong to the Ultimate Operation line, from left to right: RMS-108 Marasai (FWUO Plus 1, released September 2005), the PMX-000 Messala (also from FWUO Plus 1) and the RX-110 Gabthley (FWUO Plus 2, released December 2005).

Mobile Suits Gundam Ultimate Operation Plus 5

It's time again for a dip into the historical archives, and a closer look at another smashing set from the ol' Ultimate Operation line. I love scouting these figures out online, though their availability seems to drop quite rapidly now, adding that small sense of urgency to the hunt. If you plan on getting onboard the train it probably wouldn't be wise to let too many of them pass you by.

Ultimate Operation Plus 5 was the last of the fifteen regular sets (or the last of the five extra sets after the first ten if you will) and appeared on the market in September 2006. They were not the very last figures of the line though, followed by first the "Plus - U.C. 0079" set in December (which was a repackaging of six popular figures) and then the last set ever, the Operation Maelstroem collection of three new figures. So, with this set being pretty much the last regular set, it has to be said that the series went out with quite the bang. Five great looking figures in the usual dynamic poses you've come to expect from this series. You can still find a couple of these figures popping up occasionally on eBay and I wouldn't consider any of them very rare or too pricey, but you'll need to look high and low if you intend to complete the set. Now, on to the figures themselves.

Opening the set is the RX-78GP03S Gundam GP03S, also nicked "Stamen" or "Dendrobium Stamen". It is a prototype suit featured in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. The most obvious feature of the figure itself is the two hip-mounted skirt-like binders for extra mobility (these two binders are also a source of much frustration as they tend to fall of the figure as soon as you look at it). The mobile suit comes armed with a M-82A Beam Rifle and a medium sized shield. It features the typical FWUO articulation at the shoulder, neck and arms. The arms have a couple of articulation points which means you can come up with a couple of variants in its pose. The legs are also -again typically of Ultimate Opreation- moulded in place. With such a dynamic pose the designers had to attach the left leg to a black plastic block which allows it to stand up. I'm not a huge fan of these foot supports, but I must admit that it allows for a nice action-like pose.

Although not evident from first sight, the AGX-04 Gerbera-Tetra has more in common with the GP03S Stamen than meets the eye. The funky red Gerbera-Tetra actually started its life as a white Gundam, the RX-78GP04G "Gerbera" prototype to be specific. However, the Gundam never reached completion and the prototype under construction fell into the hands of the Neo Zeon who had it converted into the AGX-04. This figure has a truly striking design and a look that means business. As usual with the Ultimate Operation figures the legs are molded in place, the head rotates and the arms feature multiple articulation points. Of course the somewhat bulky Beam Machine Gun weapon limits this poseability a bit. As awesome as this figure looks it has two minor flaws. The first one is the small feet. There's not a whole lot you can do about that of course, but this figure is one of those that will tip over if you happen to walk past it too quickly. The other minor flaw is, surprisingly for a UO figure, the colour scheme. The red shiny colour has a very artificial and plastic look about it, some weathering and a toned down colour would probably have worked a bit better here.

The RGZ-91 Re-GZ is yet another prototype mobile suit intended for mass production. Featured in Char's Counterattack this was the Earth Force testbed for creating mass produced transformable mobile suits. The project was ultimately a failure since the design proved too costly, resulting in this single unit built. The figure has a very attractive colour scheme in cyan and blue colour with many fine colourful details all over. The figure is armed with a Beam Rifle and a great looking multicoloured shield. Articulation comes in the usual Ultimate Operation flavour with head, arms and waist able to rotate. Out of the five figures in this set, this one proved the most difficult to locate, so if you are interested in it I recommend keeping eyes and ears peeled..

Nearing the tail end of the set, things are really getting into motion. Introduced in Char's Counterattack as newtype-capable mobile suits are the two iconic Jagd Dogas. The first of them, the MSN-03 Jagd Doga (Gunney Guss Customized) belongs to the character Gyunei Guss of the Neo Zeon faction. This is a big, chunky machine in startling colours and lovely overblown proportions in the way that only Ultimate Operation can do them. We're talking huge, golden shoulder binders, massive legs, attractive colourful detail and weathering, and a huge detailed shield in striking colours. Perhaps the least impressive thing about it is its still massive Beam Sabre which comes out a bit plain, even with the small Heat Knife that is attached to its hilt. As the blade is made of soft plastic, don't be surprised if it has been bent during years spent sitting on the card. Still, with the articulation of its arms and torso you will be able to do a lot of interesting poses for the figure and I would consider this fundamental to any Ultimate Operation collection.

Last of the set is Quess Paraya's MSN-03 Jagd Doga (Quess Air Customized). Paraya is a defector from the Earth Federation and uses "Quess Air" as her alias. Now, if you though that Gyunei's Jagd Doga was brutal, Quess' version will probably raise your pulse a bit more. Apart from the attractive red and silver colour scheme the figure has a slightly different helmet and drops the blades in favour of a mighty Mega Gatling Gun. This weapon is nothing short of spectacular and makes the figure that more intimidating. The body of the mobile suit also has the usual weathered look to it which enhances the appearance even more. Articulation is the same for both Jagd Dogas and offer a lot of poseability, I say it again, these two are absolutely essential components of your mobile suit collection. I am still waiting for the Jagd Dogas to make an entrance in the STANDart line. Good news are that these two will finally enter the Converge line with volume fourteen, which is anticipated later this year.

Comparative size of the figures in the Ultimate Operation Plus 5 set. The Gerbera-Tetra (ca 9 cm), the Jagd Dogas (about 8 cm), the Re-GZ (9.5 cm) and the Gundam GP03S (ca 8 cm).

As far as Ultimate Operation sets go, pretty much all of them were excellent, and I keep repeating myself as I try to find the proper superlatives to describe also this very fine set of figures. Something really unique was achieved with the somewhat cartoony features of FWUO, and their expressions sometimes tend to put their STANDart cousins to shame. The good thing of course is that Ultimate Operation and STANDart are size-compatible (together with Assault Kingdom as well) which means there's no excuse not to round out a collection of one with some of the cool looking mobile suits of the others.