Bearguy III

Build Fighter

Sazabi "Version Ka"

Reviewed by Toymaker

ODIN

REBOOT!

First Look

Review by Toymaker

 photo b25057d1-2a8e-4652-8627-502b93ccd5b6.jpg

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!


It's 5am local time. About time to go to the airport. Finally, I have the chance to go Hong Kong to experience the competition process. Chances like these are few and far in between, so I will treasure this trip. I am a bit worried though leaving my wife and the two children. But this is one I can't pass. And whenever I leave Singapore, it always feels like I leave my mom once more. 

After three years, the void left by her is still there and will never be filled. I miss her very much still and I do shed a tear or two sometimes. Well, life goes on and looking forward is the only thing I can do. And looking forward is what I will do for this Hong Kong trip!

To my wife, thanks for your support and I love you! (hope you read this post) 

And to the rest of you, Merry Christmas and happy holidays! 

"And ma, I love you too".  


Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Some updates

This Saturday I am flying off to Hong Kong for the Bandai Model Kits World Cup finals. So everything will be put on hold at the moment. I need to repair the base for the Trinity and also pack them to be hand carried up the plane. This is going to be a nightmare! The base is so heavy and at 38cm by 50cm, I kinda of worried about transporting it. 

Well, after I come back, I have a lot of work cut out for me:- 

-   Need to finish up the White Tiger (once and for all) 
-   I need to do a little maintenance base for the Formania Sazabi, for a customer
-   A write out on how I grafted to backpacks of the Sinanju FWS
-   Do a reviews on an Airbrush and several useful tools

That is quite a bit to be frank. And I will also start work on the 1/144 Kshatriya for the same customer. I am still at the conceptual stage. His requirements are simple. NO OOB! lol.... That a challenge I will certainly take!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Omegamon, Digimon Reboot - Review


Just a quick review on this one. I picked it up from HAG. I have always been a fan of the Digimon since young. And when Bandai announced this new line, I was thrilled. I thought if they are releasing this, it should be in safe hands. I am not disappointed at all....






 There are not many parts like a Master Grade. Assembly is relatively easy. Stickers are provided as well.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Leisure build

 After the competition, I need to relax and look for something to build. Thanks to Koba 215 for reminding me that I still have this build to finish. I took it out of the box last night and gave it thorough inspection. There are some minor corrections to be done and painting will start after that. Stay tuned...



Thursday, December 2, 2010

BAKWC 2010 Singapore - My Group Entry and others works

I just came back from the local BMKWC 2010 at Takashimaya, Orchard. I saw quite a few interesting entries and this year got to be the year of the Perfect Grades! I counted 6 PG entries, hardworking lads they are. Being the first Bandai Model Kit Worldcup, I expected everyone to really go for it. And judging from what I have seen, it is likely the case. Thanks to the organizers, the submission process was smooth and the showcases are very pretty good with ample lighting.Every entries can be viewed clearly. 

For me, I am involved in the Group instead of the Open category. As I was given a chance to work with Leon on a group entry, I agreed immediately. I will explain our group build in a later post and with better pictures. This one was a bit rush and I did not take any decent photos at home (I was still painting some parts two hours before submission).

Well, this is our entry for BMKWC titled "Trinity".







Wednesday, November 17, 2010

HAG special sale 2 - Formania Nu Gundam

In my recent post, I mentioned that HAG was promoting the Formania Sazabi and the Nu Gundam was not available. Well now, HAG have restock them and selling at SGD195 each. And of course, its while stock last. I did a little review on this product in April this year. 



Like I said, this series is worth buying and collecting. I am looking forward to the next release and hopefully it is something I like :) 

 

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Gundam Head Figures by Leon Ku

I have some photos of these resin Gundam Head figures painted by Leon. I think these kits make very good display pieces. And he has done a very good job here. For those of you who never tried resins I must tell you it is a whole new ball game compared to plastic. It requires more sanding work and resin quality varies after several recasts. And masking is required since several colours can be molded together sometimes.  


GP02A

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Just not meant to be...

A few days ago, I wrote about this friend of mine who had brain hemorrhage. On Tuesday, she succumbed to the illness. It was all too sudden. We couldn't accept it. Someone so young and full of promise just gone like this. You know life is so unpredictable. I was at the wake earlier to pay my respects and when I saw the baby girl, my heart just sank. What will become of a child without the love of her mother? Life is going to be tough for this little one. But I can't imagine the incredible burden that falls on her father's shoulders now. I wish them all the best.

Suddenly I feel that it is not worth to slog my whole life. My earnings are not much but I know I am contented. Just now, my son was asking me for his seventh Nerf Gun. I was like "what the heck! buy loh... money keep so much also no point..." I think my son totally agrees with my philosophy lol.

"To Judy, you may have left the stage, but you will always be remembered for all the good things you have done and the lives you have touched. Take a well deserved rest and may we meet again in the future."

Always...

Kenny

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Blog developments and a sad note...

For the past few weeks, I have been racking my brains on how to improve the quality of my blog. Compared to other Gunpla blogs, I am sorely lacking in giving timely updates and sharing techniques, tips. I know I could do more but I am wondering whether I have what it takes to do it. At one point, I went back to my first ever post, Why Toymaker?   

Good question though, why? To share or to show off? Well, definitely not the latter. Initially, I wanted to catalog my works and share with other aspiring modelers.  But after four years, I took a step back and viewed my "performance". Not bad considering that I am constantly distracted with other stuff. 

But I realize one thing. I have changed.Those goals I set for myself four years ago are no longer valid. Now I wanted more. I want to build a legacy for my children, my grandchildren perhaps. From this blog, they would know what I have gone through, ups and downs of life and everything else. That should be the way. 

On the other hand, I feel that I want to raise the profile of our Gunpla modelers here. Malaysia has many good modelers and three of them set up ebasenet a few years ago. I like that concept very much. Similarly, I am going to implement something similar on my blog. I already have Master Builder, Leon Ku on board and I needed another fella. And it is obvious that Benjamin Wong is the man. After all, he is the first person to win in two BAKUC finals. 

I will start by posting their works when they have new ones and see how things goes from here. I am taking this step by step and hopefully, I can make this blog interesting and informative. I am getting excited but have no idea why. Especially I don't even know what to do next. Well I just go with the flow :) 

Now something totally unrelated to the above, I just need to write something about it. I have a ex-school mate who suffered a brain hemorrhage last week and has been in a coma till now. The prognosis is very bleak but I am praying for a miracle. I am feeling very demoralized as her daughter is just a year old and there is so much things she needs to fulfill as a mother. 

For once, I pray that a miracle will happen .... 
 

Monday, November 1, 2010

Unicorn episode 2 screening

Last Saturday, I went for the Gundam Unicorn episode 2 screening right here in Singapore. I just want re-emphasize what lucky folks we are here. If not for the efforts by Shengtai and Bandai, I don't even know when we can get to watch this. Well the show was fantastic and there are goodie bags for everyone.  To top it off, ST even threw in a lucky draw! Man, are we pampered. 

You can read more of the event at Leon Chen's site, Open The Toy


 The lucky draw prizes. Blu-ray disc and various model kits from the Unicorn series. 

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Formania Sazabi (First Look)

I have being thinking of ways to improve the content of my blog and one way is by writing simple review. It will consists of some facts and of course my opinions.  I will try to keep it short and you guys do not need elaborate stories. So for my first official "review", I will write about MSN-04 Sazabi for the Formania series.

Manufactured by Tamashii Nations,  this new line of mecha displays are very detailed and the mechanisms are equally impressive. The die cast components add realism to the product too. I have no doubt this will appeal to both Gundam and Non-Gundam fans. 


In fact, I was skeptic when the announcement came and even griped about the pricing. However, I suspected that its may be something special or even a substitute for those resins. And it turned out that I am not disappointed at all. I am not interested in "painted" displays since I can do a decent paint job. But I am willing to overlook that part for this line. 

I bought this from HAG today and hurried home for this review. A limited edition acrylic base for your Sazabi is given with every purchase.
   

 Box cover (front) 
 Box cover (rear)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

HAG special sale - Formania Sazabi

Dropped by Hobby Art Gallery yesterday. I saw boxes of Formania Sazabi which had just arrived. I managed to convince Joyce to take one out for me to see and oh boy, am I excited. The quality is good in terms of the paint job. This one is certainly more impressive that the Nu Gundam. 

I got myself one knowing how hot this stuff is. The Nu Gundam is currently out of stock and I have seen people selling at high prices already.

Well, she told me HAG is currently having a little offer for this one. Together with the kit, a limited edition acrylic base will be given too. Each set going for SGD 288. Of course stocks are limited.

So if you ask me, better go own one today! What are you waiting for? LOL.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Coming soon...


Just to let you guys know I am not slacking but planning for my next project for Bandai Model Kit World Cup . I won't reveal much for now since this is meant to be a surprise. One more month and hopefully, I could come up with another good one!     

Sunday, October 10, 2010

A new family member, a new beginning

We wanted 10 October 2010. But I guess little Ashley couldn't wait to see the world. 

Saturday morning. After fixing my Gundam at 5 am, I went to sleep. An hour later, I noticed my wife sitting up on bed. I immediately knew that the first contraction had came. Having slept for less than an hour, I was dis-orientated but knew what I have to do. We quickly get dressed and have one good look at my son before heading out. 

Below my block, I was hoping that I could get a cab in the wee hours of the morning. The moment I stepped out of the road, this Mercedes cab appeared. Talk about a grand entrance! 

Anyway, we reached the Medical Center at 0630 hours and by the time all administrative stuff were through, it was 0733 hours. Now the long wait begins... 
 

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Some scans Nov Hobby Japan

I bought myself the November issue of Hobby Japan and thought that I could share some pictures here.  First stop, Gundam 00 - A wakening of the Trailblazer- most of the Gundams from these three installments looks pretty similar. Nevertheless, the new designs still very appeal to me. I did not get to watch the movie but I heard some mixed reviews. 

 GNT-0000 OO Qan[T]




Having dragoons is nothing new in the Gundam scene. Well at least this one can transformed into a saber and blaster. 

Friday, October 1, 2010

Time and time again

Today is the 3rd anniversary of her death. I have taken leave to pray at the temple. At the void deck, I looked up at the sky, it was gloomy, overcast. It reflected my mood perfectly. 

Three years. But it still feels like yesterday. The pain is still very apparent when I looked at my sister. Unwanted reality sets in. Mum is forever gone. However she has never left my mind since that fateful day. She is the first person I think of every morning when I am conscious and the last person I "see" before I sleep. I have a photo of her with me in my younger days saved in my phone and I will look at it when I am feeling down .Somehow it always relieve my pain and frustrations even if it is temporary.

(I am still in complete denial. I still miss her.) 

Sometimes, I ask myself, why do I want children and then make them go through the pain when we die? It seems heartless. On the other hand, I thanked my parents for giving me a shot at life. If not for their selfless sacrifices and perseverance, I can't imagine where I will be today. 

Now, it is my turn to do that. I may not be the perfect father but I will certainly try my very best for my son, Reyes and very very soon, my daughter, Ashley. Welcome to the family, my little girl :) 

As I looked at her urn, I made her a promise. If she can wait, please give me time. When I fulfilled my duties as husband and father, I will join her and resume my duties as her son. That is the only thing I ask for. 

It's beginning to pour outside. Could she be crying for us? Because we are.... 

Never Alone

I feel you in the morning
When at first I awake
Your thought is with me
With each decision I make

You'd been around forever
Since the first breath I took
Now I have to go on alone
But for love, I need not look

Cause by what you bestowed
In our short time together
Will last in my heart
Forever and ever

Although you've left
And now walk above
I'm never alone
I'm wrapped in your love

Enjoy now your long waited reward
Feel peace that your love continues on
What was taught to me, will be taught to mine
Cause you live on in me even after you've gone


  

Monday, September 13, 2010

Gundam Fiesta 2010 (Part2)

I attended the prize ceremony this evening. Man, I never expect it to be so grand. There was a huge crowd and the whole scene was abuzz with excitement.

That's me in the center (gray shirt).

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Duplication

I think I won't be touching the Sinanjus and Unicorns for a long time.....

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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Thanks...

On the 15th of the Seventh month, my sister had a dream. In her dream, she saw my mum sitting in her room surrounded by people whom my sister could not recognize. She was chatting happily with them. Oddly, she approached her and asked whether she has received all the items we "burned" to her, she nodded but there were no reaction when she asks about the subsequent offerings. That was when she woke up. Naturally, I am upset after she told me what happened and was pretty much pre-occupied by it the rest of the week. I have also heard that offering do not reached the loved ones after the first time. Although I see myself as the practical type. I can't help but think what we could have done wrong. It is rather disheartening to know that I could not give her a better life when she was around and in death, I could NOT do a single thing for her.

Some of you may be thinking that at this age, why am I so “old-fashioned” and superstitious. I cannot really say but one thing I know for sure is that I feel closer to my roots this way. That is what that defines me, as a Chinese. We are losing a rich part of our culture as time goes by and it is really a shame. I got to find ways to educate my son on our culture and the important values that come with it. What the younger generation are missing out they will never know.

I am going off topic. Going back to the main subject. Last night was the last days of the Seventh month, and she finally came to me. I knew that she did. I wasted no time in committing this to my memory the moment I woke up because the nature of dreams is such that they fade away before we realize. In fact I am scribbling this on my note pad as I walk to the bus stop for work... 

I immediately realized that I was on a trip with my family. Somehow I find the landscape changed. It has become more rural, or you can say more 70s. We went to a park with a really oldish looking entrance with three Chinese characters displayed at the top. I reckoned that this could be one of those popular places to hang out in the in the old days. I probably have been there myself at so young an age that I have no recollections at all. After that, we walked down this weather-beaten path and wandered into this little "Kampung" (village) area. In the distance I could made out a couple and oddly they seemed to be the only people around. I could still vaguely remember my son squatting at the side and watching the rapid flow of water in the drain. The water was surprisingly as clear as the sky and the place was bright and cool. I felt good and rejuvenated as I took in the surrounding scene. All this while, I knew that the rest of my family was standing nearby. Strange enough, I can “feel” another very familiar presence among our midst but could not pinpoint it.

All of a sudden, I was whisked back to my old home. And with uncanny similarity, THERE was a group of people but this time I was chatting with one of them in my own room. These folks seem very familiar to me and at the same time foreign. It is as if I know them but don’t know them. I know it sounds kind of weird but that was how I felt. I remembered gesturing that I am going out and as I turned around after locking the gate, there she was again. As peaceful as I last seen her. There was a hint of understanding in her eyes. And as hard as I try, I could not reach out to her. 

And cruelly, I was jolted wide awake by the alarm bell in the shape of my son's foot (in my face). Why do kids fidget so much when they sleep nowadays!? 

Everyday I yields to see her one more time and was only granted a split second, sigh.. Nevertheless, I am grateful to see her in the best of circumstances. For that, I am content and life seems a bit brighter today :) 

Miss you...

Monday, September 6, 2010

Gundam Fiesta 2010

I took leave on Friday and made my way down to Compass Point for the Gundam Fiesta Singapore 2010. This is like an expo similar to those held in Japan and Hong Kong alas at a much small scale. I ain't complaining. At least we have one annually. At one glance, this year's layout is pretty similar to last year. However, I find the displays are more interesting now... 



Saturday, August 28, 2010

HAG sale

Below are the list of items on sale today. Sorry for the crappy photos. One day only guys! hurry!!!!!

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Thursday, August 26, 2010

HAG Gundam Sales

NEWS FLASH! 

HAG is having a ONE DAY only sales event at Sculpture Square this Saturday, 28 August 2010. All Gundams and HobbyMate (HM)  products on sale that day will have discounts ranging from 35% to 50%. However, do note that these offers are only restricted to this event and not at the shop in Sunshine Plaza. And while stocks last! On special promotion will be the Perfect Grade OO Raiser with a supporting base that only comes with its initial launch. This set will be going for SGD 299.00! This got to be a "must grab"!!! And of course, stocks are limited. 


Again, here are the details:- 

Venue:                      Scuplture Square
Date:                        28 August 2010, Saturday
Time:                       11.00am to 5.00pm
Mode of payment:     Cash only    
Admission:                Free

Another important note is that the main event on that day, A.C.M.E II which is as I quote them is, 

"First of its kind in Singapore, A.C.M.E aims to be the local Comi-market, bringing anime and manga fans exclusive and limited merchandises from Japan, doujin works by artists from local and SEA scene, games on different platforms; and a great location for all fans to gather and share their passion." 

So you will see other anime stuff, Card Geeks Tournaments etc...  

So guys, book this date on your calenders and get ready to burn holes in your wallets this Saturday!!!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Perfect grade Strike Freedom

WOW! This is totally out of the blue! Bandai is going to produce a perfect grade Strike Freedom! Finally a PG i can look forward to. Better start digging out my Pg Strike. Maybe. I can finally attempt a Dio like the one i did with a MG SF and Launcher Strike years ago. This is exciting!!! This better not be another hoax....

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Saturday, August 21, 2010

New collection begins...

Before I begin, just want to say I am NOT suffering from Gundam burnt-out. But I cannot resist what Bandai is offering me, WarGreymon from the Digimon series. I watched the anime a long time ago but I still like it till today. This looks very like an action figure/ doll to me but I am buying it nonetheless when it release in November. 




Pictures form myfigurecollection



My first three and more to come.... 

And now another favorite. I have been resisting this for a long time. But the floodgates opened the last time I was in Hong Kong. Incidentally, my first toy was a Zoid which my mum bought me. I could still remember it was a frog like machine. Don't know when can I start building but I guess I can start to accumulate first :)... 


Monday, August 16, 2010

Gundam Fiesta 2010

You know, when I look at Hong Kong and Japan, I always envy the folks there who get to see large-scale Gundam events. Well, not anymore. With the success of Gundam Fiesta 2009, Shengtai the main organizer, look set to make this year's event even bigger. I could still remember the display of all the Gundams from the first series to the latest one and also the huge Gundam 00 and Three Kingdoms dioramas. This year promises to be even better looking at the website .



Starting from 1 September to 13 September at Compass Point, Sengkang, there are a lot of attractions and activities:-
  1. A giant 1:1 Gundam hand will go on display 
  2. A giant battle diorama
  3. Gundam displays from Japan (that is something that interest me!) 
  4. The usual event merchandise 
  5. Guest Appearance: Mr Kawaguchi, the father of Master Grade models. An important figure at BANDAI 
  6. And Gundam Girls!!
I have absolutely no doubt this year's event will be a blast! I will be there on the first day and maybe everyday! :)  Join them on facebook




Saturday, August 14, 2010

Latest raid from Hong Kong

Just come back from a three day Hong Kong trip. this time, I'm there purely to buy toys and modeling stuff. But in the end, i bought more toys than Gundams. Phew, damage wasn't really bad. I managed to curtail spending this time. The GUNDAM resins are sure tempting.....
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

LOST

How many times when you finished constructing your model and about to prep for priming when you discovered a part missing? Well, now I know how it feels. This has never occurred to me. So you can imagine how stunned I was. Naturally, I started scouting my work-desk for that elusive part and when that yields nothing, I expanded the search radius to the surrounding area.

After an hour of searching, panic starts to set in. Now I think to myself, "Did I unwittingly swept that part into the dustbin?", "Did I dropped it somewhere else?" And of course I am clueless.

Today, I spent the whole afternoon ransacking my room for that part, every spot was scrutinized thoroughly. And at the end of it, I have nothing to show for my hard work (or waste of time). 

As at 11.20pm 10 August 2010, I am sitting at my desk staring at my unfinished "product". Now come the crucial period, "two days". "I will give it two days" and hope that it will miraculously pop out of nowhere. If not... I think I will decide the next course of action  later. Dilemmas of a modeler....  

Back to Gunpla..... Well, at least my room is clean now. 


 

Monday, July 26, 2010

BANDAI Model Kit World Cup Singapore

Latest information: The forms are out. You can download them here. And the deadline for photo submission is 12 November 2010. So people, start those engines!!! 



Looks like there will be no Bandai Action Kits Universal Cup this year. In  its place will be the Bandai Model Kit World Cup. Sounds like a once every four year event! The Junior and Open categories are retained. But there is something new, a group category! A group of 2 or more can team up to for this category. It will be interesting to see what participants can come up with. Dimensions for the base have been increased - 50cm width X 50cm height X 38cm in depth. That is a lot of ground to cover!

Well,  there is not much information available, I will update once more details are released. 

I am already looking forward to this one. So my fellow modelers, what are you waiting for? Let's get cracking!!!

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