Gunpla


Gundam Plastic models, Gundam Plamo, or Gunpla are model kits depicting the mecha machinery and characters of the fictional Gundam multiverse by Bandai Spirits.
These kits became popular among mecha anime fans and model enthusiasts in Japan and nearby Asian countries beginning in the 1980s. Gundam modeling spread in the 1990s with North America and Europe being exposed to Gundam through anime and manga. They are extremely popular in Japan and other Asian countries but are gaining traction in the west.
The name Gunpla derives from an abbreviation of "Gundam plamo" phrase, ‘plamo’ itself being a portmanteau of plastic and model, since most kits are made of plastic.
Bandai sold over Gundam plastic model units between 1980 and 1984, and over units by May 1999. Recently, Bandai had sold an estimated 450million units worldwide across nearly 2,000 different Gundam models., Bandai Namco has sold Gundam plastic model units, including standard Gundam units and SD Gundam units.

History

;Late 1970s–1980s
Gundam models are based on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, which debuted in 1979 as a television show. The show was not highly successful, and the toys produced by Clover did not sell well.
In 1980, Bandai obtained the rights to produce models based on the Gundam franchise. While Clover's models were produced in the style of most children's toys - fully assembled and ready for play - Bandai designed theirs as plastic kits to be assembled, similar to military vehicle models. While Clover's products targeted children, Bandai's approach was more appealing to the teenage and adult consumers that were more typical of Mobile Suit Gundam's audience, and was received extremely well.
Nearly every mecha in the series was made into a model kit, from mobile suits to support aircraft and space battleships. Parts came in up to three different cast-in colors. These early kits are distinguished by their lack of articulation and low detail and, unlike later generations, require glue to assemble.
A later development was System Injection, a technique which permitted a single "part" to be cast in multiple colors of plastic simultaneously, minimizing the need to paint the finished model.
;Mid 1980s–1990s
In 1985, Bandai introduced use of poly-caps as connectors for better articulation of joints.
The 1987 model line for Gundam Sentinel introduced snap-fit models, which needed little or no glue to assemble. This would become standard in 1988, after which all kits use snap-fit assembly and no glue is needed.
In 1990, Bandai introduced the High Grade line, which began an ongoing process of increasing model quality, and the creation of a grade system to describe the detail and quality of each kit. HG kits had much higher detail and articulation, as well as features normally found in larger-scale models, despite being 1:144 scale. One example is the 'Gundam Core Block System', in which the pilot sits in a "Core" which can be removed from the Gundam to become a distinct vehicle, and the Zeta Gundam's transformation feature.
In 1993, a unified set of poly-cap joints was created for smaller scale models that allowed easy mass production of models that all shared the same basic skeletal frame. This standardization allowed Bandai to release more models over a shorter period. As a result, the Gundam shows of the 1990s usually received sizable 1:144 model lines.
In 1995, the 1:100 scale Master Grade line was introduced. This line featured more parts, better detail and improved articulation than past kits of the same scale.
In 1998, Bandai introduced the 1:60 Perfect Grade line. This line features extensive detail and articulation, light-up features, and a "body on frame" skeletal system in which the exterior panels of the model are separate components attached to a completely functional, articulated internal frame. This design element would later appear in lower-grade models. The PG line is typically the most expensive among all Gunpla kits, and only a select few mobile suits have been released in this line.
In 1999, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the franchise, Bandai released 1:144 First Grade kits of mobile suits from the original series. Marketed as budget models, these snap-fit kits featured the simplicity of the original kits, but with more modern designs based upon the corresponding Perfect Grade kits.
;2000s
For the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED models a new type of non-graded 1:144 model was introduced, with a completely different design plan. While these still feature snap-fit and color molding, they omit major joints, opting instead to only allow critical pieces to move—typically the neck, hips, shoulders, and feet. These are budget models, usually retailing much lower than other models; and this line was extensive, covering nearly every machine to be featured in that TV series.
Gundam SEED also featured non graded 1:100 models, identical in quality to Bandai's High Grade offerings.
It was also during this decade that the term "Gunpla" was coined by Bandai.
;2010s
In 2010, Bandai released the 1:48 Mega Size Model RX-78-2 Gundam kit as part of the franchise's 30th anniversary campaign. This kit features many innovations that make it easy to assemble for first-time Gunpla collectors. For example, the parts are attached to sprue gates thin enough to break without the need to use of plastic cutters, and excess gate plastic can be removed from the parts without using a hobby knife. Some sprues have been designed to snap together for easy and quick removal of assembled parts.
In the same year, Bandai introduced the 1:144 Real Grade line, which takes design elements from the MG line such as an inner skeletal frame to improve upon the HG line.
Both Mega Size Model and RG variants of the RX-78-2 Gundam were patterned after the 1/1 scale Gundam statue on display in Odaiba. Bandai also released Ecopla, a series of High Grade Universal Century and super deformed kits molded in black and made entirely out of recycled sprues.
In 2011, Bandai released the Entry Grade line, a low-cost model series similar to the 1:144 NG and FG lines, sold only in parts of Asia. Unlike other kits of the same scale, the first line of EG kits were made in China and the series was initially discontinued until the line was rebooted in 2020 with kits from non-Gundam franchises.
Also in 2011, Bandai introduced the Advanced Grade line, a budget line that focuses more on the arrangement of colored parts, thus sacrificing more articulation than the previous budget lines. The AG line incorporates a microchip that enables collectors to use the kit in the Gage-ing arcade game.
In 2014, as part of the 35th anniversary celebration of Gundam, Bandai released the MG RX-78-2 Gundam ver. 3.0, which incorporates the engineering techniques used in the MG 2.0 and RG kits.
In 2015, Bandai introduced a sub-line of the HG called "HG Revive", which consists of re-engineered 1:144 scale kits of the RX-78-2 Gundam and other classic mobile suit designs.
From late 2016 onwards, every Bandai produced model kit, including Gunpla, were made with Japanese and English text on the box and manuals.
In 2017, Bandai began the Gundam Evolution Project, which sought to improve Gunpla technology with various groundbreaking kits, such as the adoption of a new joint system or a new LED system for large-scale kits. This was in preparation for the 40th anniversary of Gunpla in 2020.

Assembly

Gundam model kits come in many varieties, but the majority made from the late 80s on - standard "plastic" kits - are manufactured and assembled similarly. Kits come as a collection of plastic parts, decals, and sometimes other decorative accessories which the purchaser assembles by hand into the finished model. The plastic parts are delivered in the exact form they exit the injection molding machine, on a "sprue tree" - a grid of interconnecting plastic rods, called runners, created by the channels in the mold that carried the molten plastic into the cavities that create each part. Each part is connected to the runners by a small plastic nub called a "gate" where the runner connected to the cavity.
The kit builder must cut away this excess plastic - e.g. with a pair of side cutting pliers - to free each part, then clip, carve or sand away the remaining plastic tip where the gates attached to leave a clean surface.
Once the parts have been freed, the builder must then snap them together to assemble the model. Early kits required glue, but from the late 80s onward all kits assemble without special tools or materials.
Some kits use an internal frame - a complete "skeleton," fully articulated and able to stand on its own - to which panels are then attached to finish the appearance of the mecha.

Customization

When it comes time to assemble the panels making up the external appearance of the model, the builder may choose to customize the model in a wide variety of ways. The most basic is simply to paint the model, which allows for a large amount of personal creativity. Applying decals is also a common technique - decals are included with most models, but are also available as separate products for customization.
Every conceivable modification is possible, with some more common options including:
  • Panel lining: Many models have grooves where "panels" meet. Applying paint or ink with a fine tipped brush or pen can make these lines "pop"
  • Panel line scribing: If the panel lines on a model are not as deep as the builder would like, they can use a knife to deepen them, or create new ones, using a ruler or custom stencil.
  • Weathering: A variety of paint and plastic etching and carving techniques can make the model appear worn or battle-damaged, exposing simulated metal beneath the surface of an actual mobile suit's paint.
  • Kitbashing: Kitbashes combine parts from multiple kits to create a unique new model. This technique has been used by employees at Hasbro to create prototypes of planned releases.
  • Conversion kits: Conversion kits are third-party products, usually made of thermoset resin, which can be attached to an official Bandai model to convert it into another model using the original as a base. Bandai used to release official conversion kits under their B-Club brand name.
  • Custom parts: At the extreme end, a skilled builder can create additional parts completely from scratch to add detail to the model. these can be purely aesthetic, enhance the articulation of a model, or introduce new gimmicks to a kit.
All of these are optional, and the model can be assembled and displayed using nothing more than a side-cutter.
Most models, once assembled, are poseable to some degree. Many are "fully poseable," with a wide latitude of motion. To help hold models in "dynamic" poses, Gunpla can be mounted on a stand, with some recent models having a dedicated attachment point for this purpose.