My Hobby/Habit: Gunpla

Hello Blerds and Nerds! I’m going to get a little personal with you all. Gundam is my favorite anime series. Seriously. I have seen almost every Gundam series that has been put out and usually re-watch a series or two every year. Since seeing “Mobile Suit Gundam”, I’ve always wanted to build my own Gundam and become a pilot.

When I was younger, I didn’t really pay attention to anything other than the Gundam anime. I found out years later that there were Gundam action figures and this thing called Gunpla. What is Gunpla you ask? Gunpla is essentially plastic model building various Gundam mobile suits.

When I first saw these, I assumed these were going to be extremely hard to build so I never purchased any. At the time I found out about them, Google wasn’t the force it was today so I didn’t bother looking up information about them. Fast forward to almost two years ago, I had recently moved to El Paso, TX and was exploring my new city. I found an anime shop on the other side town, honestly by accident (I did a post about it here).  I walked in wide-eyed and excited I found a place that Cowboy Bebop notebooks but that’s not what caught my eye first. To the left of me was a wall of Gundam models. I had finally gotten to a place where I could ask the millions of questions I had about them. Did all of them require glue and paint? What special tools did I need? 

The cashier from Robo Gato helped set me straight and I purchased my first three Gundam models, GP-02, Gundam X and SD Gundam Exia 00 . I took them home and took them like I would any other model (mainly plastic car models). As I started to build my first one, I started to feel a bit calmer. I didn’t expect building my first model to be lethargic as it was. It was a great feeling…an addictive feeling. After I finished my first one, I finished my second and third and before I knew it….I wanted more. No, NEEDED more. Not only was I fulfilling a childhood dream (besides actually piloting one).

I ended up buying more and building more. There are many different kinds of Gundam models, HG (High Grade), MG (Master Grade), PG (Perfect Grade) and RG (Real Grade). Honestly, I’m not sure what they really mean besides they go up in price. I have noticed MG and PG are bigger in size and details than HG. All the models I’ve built have been HG models which to me are a great place to start for beginner in the hobby.

I have joined a Facebook community of Gunpla that is local to me (Thank you Robo Gato). They have been very supportive and I’ve learned a lot about the hobby of Gunpla. At one point I want to get to the point where I can customize my Gunpla. When I say customize, I mean in the aspect of Gundam Builders. Literally mixing Gundam models to make your own original Gundam. They require paint and time. Most of the parts can be interchanged among models which I find to be pretty awesome.

If you were to start this hobby, start by finding a local anime shop in your city. If you don’t have one in your city, reach out to local groups on Facebook. It’s Facebook so it’s a 50/50 chance you’ll meet a group of assholes. Or you can just ask me as I continue to get more models and do more. I hope I didn’t bore you guys completely and if I did, oh well haha. Have you heard of Gunpla (besides Gundam Builders)? If so, have you ever built any? Would this be something you would want to try in future? Tell me in the comments! Until next time, Nerd out!

Be sure to start checking out our instagram here, and be on the lookout for more things in the future. If you have any other concerns, email us at noirnerdzone@gmail.com!

I do not own most of the pics posted here. Just wanted to let that be known…you know…copyright reasons.