Welcome to the Gunpla Networks first Anime Website post! The facebook page was founded by not discussing anime and spoilers, but as with the rest of it we are evolving and trying to cater to as many fans as we can.
So, with that we will post some anime related content here where you can discuss at the bottom of the page without offending or annoying anyone in our purpose made posts of the website.
What a better way to start then with the latest release by Sunrise/Bandai then Gundam Build Divers Prologue. Being the Prologue for the new series which won't start until Spring this year in Japan, we only have 14 minutes of footage so far.
THERE MAY BE SPOILERS AHEAD. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT AND DON'T WANT TO KNOW, THEN COME BACK AFTER!
From the outset, you know it's going to be a freaking awesome show. Its a little reminiscent of Model Suit Gunpla Beginning Builders G, a short OVA series from 2010 where the contestants build Gunpla and scan them to determine performance and play in pod style control units (Check it out) which seems more plausible then a special particle animating our gunpla in battles.
The plot seems great, we are shown that a 10 Vs 10 battle is about to take place, between 2 highly experienced teams. In this particular mode the idea is a bit like capture the flag but destroy the enemy suit which is the designated Flag MS. Team Avalon seems to be the protagonist for the battle while the 7th Panzer Division are the Antagonists. This all takes place in the GBN, Gunpla Battle Nexus online.
Kujo is the team leader and highly ranked, opposite Rommel who is the Panzer division team leader... And this is where it gets a little weird, and people were losing their minds online.
His avatar is a white ferret looking animal...So instead of playing as yourself you can choose your avatar! and as a side note he's named himself after the German military theorist. That is a really cool idea. Whilst build fighters is still based on a somewhat realistic situation where you control the Gunpla from a control station near the platform. This allows you to completely immerse yourself in the experience, and actually pilot the machine you've built inside a cockpit inside the unit. We get this shown to us when one of the contestants exits her unit after its taken out.
Recent kit announcements listed below, show that we're about to get some Gundam Age love finally! I didn't mind the series and the designs but it wasn't overly popular compared to 00 Gundam or Unicorn Gundam. If you're unfamiliar with the terms, HGBC = High Grade Build Custom, parts for the kits and HGBD = High Grade Build Divers.
*HGBC 1/144 Diver Gear [GunPla Display Base]
*HGBC 1/144 Tiltroter Pack
*HGBC 1/144 Changeling Rifle
*HGBC 1/144 Diver Ace Unit weapon set
*HGBD 1/144 Gundam 00 Diver
*HGBD 1/144 Ogre GN-X
*HGBD 1/144 Momokapool
*HGBD 1/144 Seravee Gundam Scheherazade
*HGBD 1/144 Grimoire Red Beret
*HGBD 1/144 GM III Beam Master
*HGBD 1/144 Gundam AGE-II Magnum
With most of the above being seen in the prologue, I can't wait to see how many more kit releases we have to look forward to for 2018.
After the battle has been decided, we get a view of a stadium of people watching it live as you would in GBF, except for the animal avatars of course...Love that Panda. But its also the first look at who is the main protagonist of the upcoming series and his machine.
Riku Mikami, and the Gundam 00 Diver. His friend and ally next to him Yukio Hidaka who will pilot the GM III Beam Master.
We have a couple of months until the show starts, I'll be waiting impatiently as usual, till then stay cool and build Gunpla.
