My Thoughts On GBWC 2012 Winners

Alright, GBWC is finally over! First and foremost, let me congratulate all the winners especially Eday from Hong Kong. And not to forget all the finalists and other contestants from their respective countries. You guys should give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. 

Well, I have decided to write my thoughts about the 3 winning entries at GBWC 2012. I like to stress that these views you find here are solely my opinions and nobody else. You can agree or disagree with me.

First off, the Champion entry from Hong Kong, Eday's Project Gwen-Rezel FA+FW. 

Call it what you want, "Clusterfu*ck kitbash", "Weapon Overload", "Bloody Mess of Option Parts", "Senseless kitbashing" etc... The bottom line is, it's the most impressive among all the Gold Class entries. And to be brutally honest, not many people can achieve this level of detailing at 1/144 scale.  

As for me, it's pretty simple. "Concept". Rezel to Rezel FA then to Rezel FA+FW. I could imagine how complicated the whole planning process was. You need to really sit down, absorb the whole damn thing and then you will realize how much work, dedication and skill it took to complete this. It is then you will learn to appreciate the ingenuity and creativeness of the modeler. I spent nights breaking up the parts (in my mind) into digestible levels to better understand what's going on and it was a learning experience for me. 

Another thing I want to point out is "Packaging". Not only does he make good models, Eday is darn good at presenting his models. From his website presentation to the base of this model, I feel that he sell his "product" very well. 

Next, Second placed entry, 1/100 AGE Titus by Aristeo Lamig Saavedra Jr. from the Philippines. 

Obviously, there are a horde of people out there asking this question, "Can that even be considered a Gundam!?" To which I will answer, "how do you define a Gundam?" Must it have a face with of a Gundam with the prominent "V" shaped antenna? Or it must it be in white, blue, red and yellow colour scheme? Of course not. Take Tieren for example if you must. There is absolutely no doubt that Gundam parts are used in this entry. But the modeler want to portray something else. Maybe a semi-humanoid shaped Gundam in another alternate universe. Anyway, it's just my speculation. 

But one thing is for sure. He did something nobody else dares. Something very unique and definitely worth a second look. That's what I did when the results was announced. I was surprised initially and looked up the internet for more pictures of it. It was a pity that there were no good shots of it. But I am beginning to realize the pictures online may not have done justice to this entry. Take for example the one taken at the GBWC Finals. With ample lighting, I am finally able to pick up the colours, details and design sense of it. And I have a idea of what's going on. The modeler offers something the other entries could not, that is uniqueness. I reckoned that the Judges or maybe even the audience are sick of all the huge monsters, highly detailed, full armors, full weapons models out there. 

So, how about some fresh air? I certainly welcome it.  

Third placed winner, Ko Kwon Chul of Korea used a 1/48 mega sized Zaku for conversion  to J.Ridden. Need I say more? I am fully aware of the difficulty in doing huge models. It is pretty taxing. I see a lot of proportional changes here. A glossy paint job that seem flawless to me. And once again, I can't find any WIP or detailed shots of this entry. 

So other than it's size (probably the tallest among all the entries) and the modeler's superb conversion skills, I can't comment much further. All I can say that this entry will probably look even better with a brighter metallic internal frame (the current scheme is too dull against the glossy armors). This will definitely gives this entry a more "heavy mecha" feel. At this moment, it looks a bit light weighted to me.

Now, I like to show you my favourite entry for GBWC 2012. Another interpretation of The-O by Katsuhiro Mukasa titled Jupiterian. You know why I like this? Well this entry gives me a very Metal Gear Solid (MGS)  feel. And everyone knows that I am a MGS fan LOL... 

I love how he revealed some of the internals and although the whole model seems uni-colour to me, it looks surprisingly good. I believe it has something to do with the way he shaded and weathered the model. A direct contrast between my Odin and his. 

All I can say is, his is a magnificent work of art :) 

Ok, I had my say. You guys can agree or disagree with me. It doesn't matter anymore with the results out. We can discuss it but we do it cordially of course. 

Just a final note, I believe in the hard work people put in for their works and deeply appreciates it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. At the end of the day, it's down to a simple thing called "Preference". It is absolutely pointless to do "Post Evaluation" or "Post Analysis" of the entries. It's like crying over spilled milk. 

Or maybe, just one from me. Why certain entries never feature in top 3? Well you can't have two entries with concepts so similar to each other in top 3 right? So naturally the best one won the coveted title, GBWC 2012 Champion! Once again, congratulations to Mr Eday of Hong Kong. You did your country proud.