Playing Favorites

Hey everyone! I know my updates have become pretty sparse in the past couple of months, and I have no excuse for that [well, other than lots of art projects...]. I don't want this blog to become abandoned though, and I fully intend to write reviews for some of the kits that have been on queue for far too long. While I work on those, though, I thought of a quick little something to put together to help you, my wonderful readers, get to know me a bit better: my favorites of the Gundam universe! To be a bit more specific:

• Favorite mass-produced mobile suit
• Favorite mobile suit or Gundam
• Favorite pilot
• Favorite Gundam series
• Favorite kit of each scale I've built so far

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know your favorites as well~! Understand, though, that these are STRICTLY OPINIONS, and if it turns into an all-out "UC vs 00 vs SEED vs WHATEVER" war I will not hesitate to delete replies or the entire post, if it needs to happen. With that said, let's begin!!

BLOG STATUS

Hi readers, long time no chat! I just want to quickly let you all know that I will be making more posts soon. A problem I've been looking to fix for a while has been the quality of my photoshoot area, but I've purchased a lightbox that I'll be able to set up on January 8th or so. Around then, I should be able to give you guys a good review with proper photos!

Until then~

Summer's End: The Return of Weekly Updates

Yep, that's right! I'm sorry for not updating at all over the summer, but I was painfully busy between taking an art class, hopping between odd jobs, and spending time with my friends back home. Not that that's an acceptable excuse or anything though... >___>

ANYWAY, I thought I'd give you guys a little heads up as to what's on my plate right now.


~*~KITS TO BUILD/REVIEW~*~

Since I'm back at college, I don't have access to all of my wonderful Gunpla, but I do have the MC Hi-Nu Gundoom, the HG 00 Qan[T] Full Saber, the MG Gundam Mk.II HD Titans Color, the MG 00 Qan[T], the just-finished HG Extreme Gundam, and the HGUC Sinanju, in no particular order. On top of that, I've got the HGUC Hyakushiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher, the HG 0 Gundam, and the behemoth MG Ex-S Gundam to assemble!

I've got quite a bit to go through, and even more back home to rotate in during breaks ^__^;;  Today's review will be of the HGUC Sinanju, just in case you were wondering~


~*~OTHER THINGS I'VE BEEN UP TO~*~

I've recently [since early Spring or so] taken up a few extra things to do for fun, the first being the Pokémon Trading Card game. I collected the cards when I was a lot younger, back when Pokémon was really still taking off in the US, but it was mostly that: a collection of cards that ended up sitting in bags in my basement. Over the course of this past year, though, my roommate Seraphim and I have been attending the local Pokémon TCG club and, as a result, have bought tons of new cards to satisfy our different playing styles. It's honestly a fun card game, my only complaint being that every so often card sets will get phased out, rendering those cards illegal in tournament play which carries over into the club, of course].

My other new addiction is a fledgeling free MMO called Spiral Knights. Produced by Sega and Three Rings, it's an incredibly simple and fun game that has a Legend of Zelda feel to it. I really could go on and on about this, but I'd rather not [at least right now :P]. I'll finish up with this: for those of you who do play Spiral Knights, you're welcome to add me in-game! If you want to add me, my name is Hazel-Rah, and just let me know that you're a reader of my blog so I don't think you're some random stranger trying to friend me xD

And that's all for now! Time to get to work on this review~

--More Delays--

Hey there everyone, Baby TheEnd here! You might notice that I haven't posted anything new for the past 3 weeks or so, and I've got a whole list of explanations for that, but more than likely you're more concerned as to whether or not there will be a post this week.

And rest assured, my wonderful readers, there will be a review this week! In fact, here is my plan for reviews for the next few weeks:

THIS WEEK: MG ReZEL
NEXT WEEK: HG 00 Qan[T]
WEEK AFTER: HG Gaddess

I'll see you this Friday, everyone! Expect some awesome pictures and an awesome review~!

~Plans for 2011~

Hello readers! First of all, Happy New Year! :D. I hope that 2011 will be a year of triumph and good things for everyone ^__^

Now that I'm back from break, I can get back into the swing of my Friday blog posts, so never fear, this week you will not be disappointed! I've also made a little list of gunpla-related goals, which are:

-More custom colored HGs
-At least 1 custom colored MG
-Try out a resin conversion kit for a MG
-At least 2 kitbashed custom kits
-Branch out [how-to videos?]

I really hope I can fulfill all of these goals ^__^;;  And that being said, I'm thinking of doing a "Let's Build!" video soon. Would you guys be interested in something like that? Would you rather see a sped-up process of how I build, or would you want a regular speed, this-is-how-I-do-everything style? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Something else I'm thinking about doing is a gunpla photo contest. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do it, but expect to see a contest around here soon~!


Now, how about some blog stats? I think it's pretty interesting to see where people are reading the most~

So far, January already has over 400 page views! I think now that this blog has somewhat of a fanbase, the group of people who reads it is pretty steady in terms of number of people~

PG 00 Raiser is still in first, which is understandable since it's a PG :D. I'm quite surprised that the "My Apologies ^___^;;" post is so high up, but it does have the pictures of the ridiculous 00 Qan[T] variation.

Hahaha, do you guys just click the banner at the top instead of clicking back? xD. And thank you Z of Gunpla Inochi, GG of Gundam Guy, and Tsukinari of To Aru no Shumi Tsukinaru! :D

Other than the US, every country on this list is a huge surprise to me xD. I didn't know there were that many people in Australia or Malaysia that have checked out my blog :O

And with that, my readers, I once again wish you a happy new year! See you Friday!!

Delays, Breaks, and Resin

Hello everyone, just a quick update before I get to bed~ ^__^;;

I'm really sorry about the lapse in reviews D:  I was on break between quarters, so I was incredibly busy trying to pack as much fun with friends in as I could before school started back up again. I'll have this week's review up a bit early, as I'm going home this weekend again [for my brother's Bar-Mitzvah! :D ]. But yeah, the next month or so is gonna be pretty tough for this blog =\. Lots of traveling, places without computer access, etc so hopefully I'll be able to have a few reviews finished up so there isn't a huge lull for December.

One kit you probably won't be seeing a review of, though, is this fella. The HGUC Advanced Hazel + Resin G Parts Hrududu, combined to make the Advanced Hazel Rah! I put a hell of a lot of work into it, but it still could have come out better. If only I could find an original Hrududu kit...

And that's all I've got for you for right now, so I'll see you when my next review is up [should be in the next day or two~]

I'm not dead, I promise~

Hello everyone!!

I just wanted to let you know that I am indeed still here, and there will be a blog post tomorrow. My reasons for not posting one last Friday are that several projects and large homework assignments kept me from taking any pictures. While my blog is important, grades come first. However, now that things are a bit more under control, I can get a post out tomorrow with no problem at all! Though technically, it'll be J's post... xD

See you all tomorrow!! :D

~Blog Stats~

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd share how my wonderful blog has been doing since the STATS tab for blogger was added in June ^__^

Pageviews almost exactly doubled from July to August, which is awesome! :D. And September is going pretty darn well too, which makes me quite happy :)

Looks like, so far, the 1/60 Freedom Gundam is quite popular ^__^;;. I'm pleased to see that the HG Turn X has been getting some love too, it's a really awesome kit despite its age and I'd really recommend it!

I'm sorry for the misleading Perfect Grade tab, I promise there'll be something in there soon!! It also seems that people quite like the Master Grades, so I'll put a few more MG reviews up :D

Woo! Thank you for all of the redirects, Z!  I didn't screencap it, but there were a hell of a lot of readers joining me from the Philippines, which I think is really cool :D

So there you have it! Just thought I'd share some of this with you. I'll keep you posted on this stuff, so if anything monumental comes up, like a million page views, I'll tell you right away. After all, the readers are what make all of this possible! Thank you so much for your support~!

And I'll see you all Friday~ :D

Random Things VOL. 1

Hello everyone! I realize that it isn't Friday yet, but I thought I'd write about a whole bunch of random things that have been floating around in my mind for some time now. Plus, maybe this will help you all to get to know me a little bit more [and I'll make an ABOUT page eventually ^__^;; ].

My Apologies ^__^;;

Today's post is going to be pushed back to Sunday, as I'm going out of town this weekend and didn't realize how many errands I'd have to run before I left today. As a heads up though, This review will be pretty awesome, since it's on the HG Gaplant TR-5 [Hrairoo].

I'm really sorry, and I promise this is the last time this sort of thing will happen!! :O. In a regular Friday review's absence, though, I present you with two [three?] pictures of what would surely be considered the most overpowered Gundam in existence:

Ladies and gentlemen, the XN 00 Qan[T] Raiser Seven Sword. A grand total of three GN Drives, 24 swords, and five different add-ons [0 Raiser, XN unit, Seven Sword x2, and another 00Q binder]. 

I am so determined to make this right now. Like, you really have no idea. Having a HG kit of this would be simultaneously ridiculous and the most awesome thing ever. Though I don't know why the artist gave it two GN Sword IIIs instead of two GN Sword Vs. Also, instead of the right arm 00Q binder, it should be the Full Saber attachment. Regardless, someday, this will show up on my blog xD

See you Sunday with the HG Hrairoo review all ready for ya~

Questionnaire

Hello everyone! Baby TheEnd here with a mid-week post for you. This isn't going to be a review, as you can see, but more of a questionnaire. I've been trying to think up some ways to improve upon my site [I think tabs for different sections will be happening soon] and then I though, "Well, why not ask the people who visit my blog what they think? They can probably see what needs fine-tuning better than I can~."

So with that being said, what sort of improvements would you want to see here, both blog-wise and in my reviews? If you've got any ideas, feel free to leave a comment on this post! This may be my blog, but I share it with a group of awesome readers, so why not work together to make this the most awesome gunpla and toy review blog ever? :D

I'm not lazy, honest!! D:

...yeah, it really has been due to laziness that I haven't put up any more reviews since whenever my last post was. I just need to get back into the swing of things at home, and these past few weeks have been tough, but I promise I'll be back on schedule ASAP.

Another Minor Update [[EDIT X2]]

Hey folks, I'm sorry that today's review is taking so long to get up. 100% truthfully, I haven't taken any pictures yet. I've been sick for the past few days and it's really inhibited my ability to get much done, but fret not, readers! The review will be posted either tonight or tomorrow morning! [I'm pushing for tomorrow morning though :D]

[[EDIT]]
Hey fellas, as much as I regret saying this, I think I need to hold off on the Sinanju review. His joints are all very stiff, which may lead to breaking mid-photoshoot. I'd say it's equally Seraphim and my own fault, and I really apologize for the false teaser. Though technically, it still is a teaser, but the actual review won't be for a while.

Though it's no compensation for a review on the MG Sinanju Ver. Ka, I'll be putting together a replacement review that should be up by Sunday at the latest. Again, I'm really sorry for this turn of events, as I wanted to give you guys an awesome review of an awesome Mobile Suit.

I really have just had a difficult week, and while that's a lame and a vague excuse I really can't write a review right now. Let's call it a day off ^_^

I'll have a review for everyone on Friday, and I'll try to keep my Friday schedule as best I can. To those who read my blog and don't just look at the pictures, I apologize for the delay in new reviews.

T__T

Filler and Minor Updates~

Hey everyone, just a few things I want to say:

To those of you who have commented on my reviews / used the chatbox, thank you! I really like seeing what people have to say to how I review stuff, or even if it's just a "hey, that looks cool!" It just makes me feel that much more accomplished to know that there are people out there who enjoy my blog and its contents.

Next, I've put a new poll up. Personally, I feel like this is a big step up from just regular blogging, but my friend said it might be cool to give it a try. I'm not quite sure which direction I'm going to take that decision yet, and I figured, "Why not ask my readers?"

Also, a little update on Gundam Rasiel... or rather, me letting you know that its parts are all still on the runner. I don't want to start slicing it to bits until I can get my hands on the parts from HG Dynames and HG Virtue I need to give it articulation. I'll probably have those two kits in my possession at the beginning of the summer after school lets out and I'll [hopefully] have a job to make some money.

I'm not sure how many of you readers this applies to, but if you have a kit that you're itching to get on the internet and have a decent camera and can write up a little review and send me that and some pictures, I'd be more than happy to put up your review here! I might edit what you send me a little bit depending on whether not it needs fixing up, but if you've got something then let me know and we can work something out~

And that's pretty much it! Thanks for supporting the blog thus far, and hopefully there'll be even more of you as time passes! :D

Review Teaser

I thought it would be appropriate to put a little teaser up for this week's review. That, and Seraphim asked me to do this.

This Friday's review will not disappoint, I assure you~

Unicorn Gundam, TRANSFORM!

In a 2D Animation class I'm taking, our first project was to get a basic grasp of animating something. I chose to do a stop motion project, and this 27 second video is the result of several hours of photo-snapping. Let me know what you guys think, I might do more in the future~!



And a link if the embedded video isn't working: Unicorn Gundam, TRANSFORM!

Just thought I'd share this with my readers. See you tomorrow for a new blog post!!

EDIT: Seraphim of Seraphim's VK Blog insists on letting you all know that he guest stars in the video. You can see him at his desk near the end, but then he disappears.

Sefer Rasiel - The Top of The Wishlist

Surfing a gunpla site today, I stumbled across a kit that shot to the top of my Wishlist so fast it almost hurt. I am talking about the 1/144 GN-XXX Gundam Rasiel.

This fella was a bonus from Hobby Japan's January 2009 issue, and to my dismay is near impossible to find anymore. But let me explain this a bit better. Because this kit is a magazine bonus, it's not too complicated so it was labeled as "Furoku Grade." From what I understand, FG [which is different from First Grade] kits are used for magazine bonuses because they only require one or two uncolored runners worth of parts and still finish as a 1/144 scale kit. BUT!! This kit [I'm not sure if this applies for all FG kits] has next to zero articulation; it's essentially a statue. 

Bandai was clever enough, though, to engineer this fella so that if you wanted to give it some really basic articulation, you could cut parts of it away and add polycaps to the ankles, waist, head, and shoulders. But I want more than that. I want to see this thing move like any other HG kit, and in that issue of Hobby Japan are instructions on how to do exactly that. 

Gundam Rasiel was designed, apparently, during season 1 of Gundam 00 and was used as the test platform for the GN Arms and the 0 Raiser. And by itself, Gundam Rasiel looks like it's missing something, but that's where the GN Sefer comes in.

The GN Sefer really completes the look and changes the name to Sefer Rasiel. Up to five GN Sefers can attach to Gundam Rasiel, but I think I'm only going to get one.

It really does look a lot like 00 Raiser, and I love the design. It really adds some completeness to Gundam Rasiel. I really can't verbalize [textualize...?] how great this kit looks, and I'd be more than willing to spend the money on both Rasiel and a GN Sefer for a fair price!

So if any of you have an extra of either you'd be willing to sell me, leave a comment or shoot me an email! If not, then see you this Friday, readers!! :D

FILLER YAY :D

Sorry for taking so long with the next review(s), guys D:  I've just been super busy since winter quarter at college is coming to a close next week.

So, for your amusement, here's the list of Gunpla I plan on buying in no particular order :D

~HG Exia Repair II
~HG Reborns Gundam
~MG Sinanju
~PG 00 Raiser or PG Red Frame, can't decide which
~HG Gaddess
~HG Stargazer Gundam
~HG Susanowo
~NG 1/100 Cherudim Gundam Designer's Colors


It's definitely not too long of a list, but that should keep me plenty busy for quite a while [especially Sinanju and the PG, if I can actually get my hands on 'em]. And of course, I've got friends with Gunpla they want me to review, so expect to see some that aren't mine popping up soon [specifically, the MG F91!].

I really think it's so much fun reviewing Gundam kits like this, and while I'm not sure just how big of a following I have yet, I'm still going to move onward and continue the reviews. I think it would be so cool if my blog, one day, had an enormous fanbase and people occasionally sent me a HG kit to review. Or better yet, one to build and review! [I can dream... ^__^;; ]

I promise that I'll try to keep a more regular schedule. I just hope I don't run out of stuff to review... D: