Home » The Rest » 1/100 MG MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom – Part One – Unboxing

Share This Post

All Models | Gundam | Sci-Fi Kits | The Rest

1/100 MG MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom – Part One – Unboxing

Available from HobbyLink Japan

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Fifth Time Lucky?… Nah!

Born to runner up. That seems to be the story of my life.

I suppose it is the price one pays for working as a contract figure and model maker when one is a youth. Indeed, if you’ve been following any of my builds for HLJ, ‘Quick n dirty’ is a good way to describe them. I’ve always squeaked prefectural laurels (salvage the pride) in the five years the event has been run, but I’ve never been able to go further, and if you look at the following cheesy promo for the 2016 event, you can see why… my best builds are slapped silly by a young girl (junior category) with a cutesy little Beargguy diorama and, well… just watch.

Gundam Builders World Championships

Since the late 1970s, Bandai has been very aware that there is a huge variety of modelers buying their kits, from the initial demographic of early teens who bought into the initial kit releases in 1979, to the most dedicated adult kit-bashers who made the Mobile Suit Variation series their weapon of choice.

Even at the outset, the issue of how to satisfy as many modelers as possible, with wildly variable skill levels was noted right from the start, and made even more evident when the honestly simplistic designs of the original series were set against the follow up series, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the increasingly High Grade kits for which often left younger or less experienced modelers rather in the shade.

vintage_gunpla

A Matter of Money, Technology, or Altruism?

Following Zeta, Bandai took something of a technological leap and began experimenting not only with increasingly detailed models, but also mold shots which could be addressed by many different builders with good results no matter their level.

We began to see more and more precolored kits with the introduction of the kits for ZZ Gundam, and by the time we got into the era of the OAV series such as ‘0080: War in the pocket’, builders were being re-introduced to the System Injection system, in which styrene of multiple colors was shot into the same mold frame (or even part), so that parts could be detached essentially pre-painted.

IMG_0050

It all makes sense in a fashion…

When I was down in Kobe working at the Volks shop, the Bandai rep for Hyougo gave me an insight into the whole deal, which was really one of simplifying the production process and maximising sales by ensuring that as many folks as possible could get some satisfaction from their builds, no matter their skill level.

True enough…

With their bright colors, stickers, and increasingly press fit builds even a young modeler could do a good job, spray the whole lot down with matte-coat, and call it done, whilst a master could go to town and really come up with something grand.

It might have been a business move to streamline production in the first case, but it led to the idea that more and more of the community could be served the same fare, and dress it to their own ends.

It was this which drove Bandai’s first modeling contests in the late ’80s and early ’90s, challenging builders (regionally at first) to make the best of the kits available, whether they be the (then) ‘standard’ High Grade kits, or the early Master Grade models (which are still easy to make, right out of the box).

This is not to say that Bandai has forgotten the higher end of the market, with the Perfect Grade and recently released High Resolution kits, however, the point I am trying to make here is that Bandai has been more aware of its market and ways of encouraging engagement between everyone involved (tl;dr how to get people to buy more stuff).

The World is Your Oyster

With the increasing popularity of both the Gundam property and merchandise overseas, this notion of community has become increasingly important.

Learning from the lessons of the disaster of Bandai Ent. US in the early 2000s, and free from the sort of legal wrangling which has bogged Macross down in international Hell for decades, the current angle which Bandai’s modeling wing has taken has generally been very positive (a few issues related to properties like Star Wars aside, which I still do not understand).

This outreach led, five years ago, to the creation of the Gundam Builder’s World Championship, which now stands at over a dozen participating countries and is streamed for all ages (as you will have seen above).

There is little more to be said other than that.

People build bandai kits (the championship is not only Gundam related, though most kits do tend to be from that property) and everyone gets excited to see what is going on.

That the competition coincides with the big summer release schedule announcements and Gundam Expo is entirely coincidental, I am sure… 😀

Either way you look at it, this is a grand idea, and I’ve entered every year since it has been running.

Don’t ever expect to see my builds in the final, though.

Last year’s winner spent eleven months on the winning build; I’m lucky if I get to spend eleven hours on my entry (though I still expect to sweep the local round and place in the prefectural – #USI_FTW)

My Weapon of Choice this year, my favourite MSV – Gouf Custom, because who cannot like a shield with a gatling gun on it!

*DEFINITELY* Not an Ordinary Zaku!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The original Gouf was a bit of a master design – a high speed, down armored, but deadly close combat mobile suit which suited the personality of its pilot Ranba Rall (who has become so popular that he has been made more of a hero figure in recent years – especially in Origins).

However, this custom, really takes it one step beyond… A real beauty.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I like the MG series of kits, I really do. Superb levels of detail, and tight enough tolerances that they can be clipped together, lined up and sprayed down with matte coat and they still look boss!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The only thing I do not like are these wretched rub down seals ….. I much prefer water slide decals.

Bring it on!

One day to build a model for a contest?
Can Dr. Robodaz do it?

stand-back

Share This Post

7 Comments

  1. I’m excited to see what you’ll do with this. There’s no way to enter the GBWC in my country but I always look forward to seeing peoples entries from around the world.
    Good luck!

    Reply
    • Thanks, but do not expect too much.
      I’m a speed builder, not an artist, so my work lacks the subtlety for this contest.

      However, I always enjoy it.

      Reply
  2. I never knew your kits where build in a day…! They always are impressive, but knowing this makes them really go up there!!!!!!!!
    Makes one think what you could achieve with some more…., eh…, dare I say patience?
    Me, I poses the patience of an angel, except when it comes to airbrushing. I can’t wait after priming to paint and after painting to top coat…., but I’m slowly learning to acquire that skill too, LOL

    Concerning the Star Wars debacle between Bandai and Revell is nothing more then Revell being a sore looser and wanting (over the back of builders/fans) to up their sales in the west part of the world.
    One builds what one can get their hands on and to me as a little boy starting to build in the late 80’s that was Revell.
    So one could say that brand holds a soft spot for me, but as with all good things that come to an end, so did come an end to that soft spot!
    People themselves should be free to build what they want, but alas…. Are we even truly free…..? But I’m dwelling!

    Looking forward on seeing how the Gouf will turn out, being a 1.0 version, it may be interesting to see it fully build as the others out there are 2.0’s. Not forgetting to see the work in progress pictures, knowing now how quickly it is build!

    Good luck and happy building Dr. Robodaz!

    Reply
    • It is not a question of patience (though I am hasty enough), but time…. at least to a degree. as I get one day off a week and a half finsihed kit mocks me….

      Actually though… The next kit is a commission, so will be the first not needed in a day, which will actually allow fillers and other dusty tools to be dragged out and put back into service….

      I seriously am not joking when I say I used to make my way as contract modeler – first on the wargame circuit, then on when working for Volks.

      As I learn the aibrush ropes (especially the mystic arts of undershading) things do improve, and the more tempted I am to try larger kits which require more care (for example, I do wish I have been able to give the Mossie I did more time, but schedules wait for no man).

      There is also the tutorial aspect. The builds are public and open to the weeuns of the model shop. I used to think it was a bad idea to teach kids how to cut corners, but my old Dad (engineer) and the model shop owner (and one of the national judges this year) feels it is the best way to showing kids how to get good results.

      Ah… What you say about Revell makes sense, and I’d have no issue if they produced kits were the equal of the recent Bandai jobs. However I too have a soft spot for Revell, not only for my favourite kit of all time, a 1/24 Beaufighter and their Robotech line of hodge podge mecha kits….

      Ah well.

      And you’ve caught me on the hop. I had no idea Bandai had released an update to the GOUF Custom. Had I realised there was a 2.0 version, I’d have ordered that.

      Reply
  3. Yes sir you can! all your previous builds shown here had been amazing with those paint jobs being pure inspiration for us the beginners. I dont say good luck cause you dont need it, i’ll say Success man! your work is superb. I’ll be patiently waiting to see what you do with this Gouf custom.

    Reply
    • I do what I can, but seriously, have a look at the winners circle.
      THAT is good.
      I get work because I can do things quickly and ina dirty fashion.
      I pleases me that people like them – even get something positive from them, but I’m learning every day myself.

      Thank you though. Thank you very much.

      Reply
  4. And, do not forget that – though the Gundam World Cup is something of a glitzy, and themed affair – groups like the IPMS have been running international model contests for decades.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.