Bearguy III

Build Fighter

Sazabi "Version Ka"

Reviewed by Toymaker

ODIN

REBOOT!

First Look

Review by Toymaker

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Monday, November 17, 2008

ST Article - Model robots for big boys



I came across one interesting article in the Straits Times last Sunday, an interview with Mr Leon Ku, one of our local gunpla pros which (if I'm not wrong)is a first for the Gundam Modelling. I thought that this was long overdue. And Mr Ku is the perfect candidate for this considering the trophies he has amassed over the years. It is about time to create some awareness to this hobby and it is better late than never.
I always have this problem of people commenting that "we are just playing with toys". To me, it is demoralizing. I take pride in doing Gundams and there is no bigger satisfaction derived than completing a model kit and to have it displayed to inspire others to do theirs.
However, I understand that our gunpla community is small compared to those in Japan, HongKong or even Malaysia. Well I guess that youngsters nowadays are more "into" computer games and other sports. Doing Gundam would requires time and effort which could be a deterrent for these young folks. To improve the overall standards of our Gunpla modellers could be a daunting task. In the recent BAKUC (Bandai Action Kits Universal Cup), a regional gundam competition, I am seeing more attractive entries in other countries compared to Singapore. There is a lot of room for us to improve!
Looking forward, I think we are all on the right track to make this hobby more popular and I hope for the day where people will recognise Gunpla as serious business and not some kiddo stuff for the young.
Well....see you folks at AFA!

-Kenny-

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Anime Festival Asia (AFA08)


Recently, chanced upon something I would consider to be very good news. Coming this november on the 22nd and 23rd at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Anime Festival Asia 2008 (AFA08) will be taking place. Organized by I-Promo Events & Marketing in partnership with Dentsu Singapore, this event will probably bring together all the folks out there who are into anime, cosplay, gunpla or what-have-you. Most probably there is something for everyone there!
And to my surprise, BAKUC will be making its appearance there too! That would really be a great motivation for participants. A bigger stage for them to showcase their works. What more can we ask for! Information of BAKUC 2008 for Singapore can be found here http://www.afa08.com/competition_bakuc.htm . There is an option for submission of the photos online which makes it even more convenient. Kudos to the organisers.

Could this event be as successful as those held in Hong Kong? I certainly hope so. This could be of some significance for the gunpla community here as far as I am concerned. See you guys there in November!


Something about the event at this website http://www.afa08.com/bandai.htm


"For the first time ever in South East Asia, Singapore will celebrate the diversity of Japanese Pop Culture.Taking place on the 22nd and 23rd of November 2008 (Saturday and Sunday) at the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Center, Anime Festival Asia 2008 (AFA08) will showcase a wide array of Japanese Pop Culture related content, spanning over 5,000 sqm of space with 6 experience zones: Akiba Town, Anime Live, Anime Blockbusters, Industry, Mangaka and Planet Mech, where visitors will gain access to exclusive content, merchandise and live acts straight from Japan. The festival targets children, youth, adults and industry visitors both locally and from around the region – with an expected turnout in excess of 80,000 visitors.Anime Festival Asia 2008 (AFA08) is organized by I-Promo Events & Marketing in partnership with Dentsu Singapore.



AFA08 is sponsored by Bandai, Japan’s leading toy manufacturer, with Animax as the official regional media partner.The festival, made possible with support from the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation, will be attended by directors, producers, manga artists and creative individuals from Japan’s entertainment industries.The festival is a pre-event introduction for the Japan Creative Centre that is scheduled to open next year in Singapore. The Japan Creative Centre’s primary objective is to be a platform for showcasing Japanese-related content and culture in Singapore.AFA08 will also provide an opportunity for international businesses and anime--related companies and organizations to network and participate in the fair. As interest in the Japanese anime industry increases throughout the world, this trade fair provides businesses and companies in South East Asia an opportunity to preview the latest anime content from Japan.“Anime Festival Asia will be an exciting experience for everyone in the family!


There is a program-packed line-up at “Anime Live”, where activities on stage will include an exclusive premiere of an anime short from “Genius Party Beyond”, the latest anime feature movie from Studio 4¡C. AFA08 will also have character appearances, music performances and competitions of all kinds related to the anime industry. There will also be live talk shows where anime enthusiasts can meet the creators of their favourite anime. Manga fans will also have a chance to enter the world of the artist with a display of never before seen sketch arts in the “Mangaka” zone. “Planet Mech” will appeal to robot fans who can get up close and personal with a Gundam Seed Destiny diorama display; and the list goes on,” said Anthony Kang, Chairman, Dentsu Singapore and Chairman of AFA08.“With Japanese Popular Culture in South East Asia currently undergoing tremendous growth in popularity, there is definitely a need for a global platform like Anime Festival Asia to showcase Anime related content in this region, much like the ‘Tokyo Anime Fair in Japan, and the ‘Anime Expo’ in the US. We will showcase exclusive footage, artifacts and creative scene materials such as storyboards, character and prop designs at ‘Anime Blockbusters” where fans can go ‘behind the scenes’, ” said Richard Tan, Executive Director of I-Promo Events & Marketing and Festival Director of AFA08. “We also have an ‘Industry’ zone to provide youths who are considering a career in the anime industry a chance to find out more about their opportunities, and there will be a business track for companies in the industry to learn more about content development and distribution,” added Tan. “We are excited to be part of the region’s first Anime Festival where Bandai will be organizing a galore of activities from Singapore’s Annual Bandai Action Kits Universal Cup Competition (BAKUC) to an exclusive showcase of the best Gundam plastic models in Singapore to ‘do-it-yourself’ demos to make sushi rolls and chocolate art. Favourite anime characters from Bandai, like the Power Rangers, will join new characters from the “Tamagotchi” family for meet and greet sessions and “live” stage shows to entertain the families visiting the festival,” said Wong Kah Fai,Deputy General Manager, Bandai South Asia.Animax Asia is proud to be the official regional media partner for Anime Festival Asia. Not only will AFA be a unique opportunity for the digital natives of Asia to gather and be immersed in this hugely popular entertainment genre and incredible art form but they will also have a unique opportunity to learn and share, to get inspired and fuel their creativity & passion. And more importantly, it will be a great opportunity to have fun!” said Gregory Ho, Vice President and General Manager of Animax Asia.Anime Festival Asia ’08 will be held at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Halls 403 and 404 from 10.00 am to 9.00pm."


Sunday, July 20, 2008

My apologies

It has been quite a while since my last entry. Fact is, I have nothing to comment or show recently. I wanted to start on a new kit right after the GN Arms Type D. But just not in the right mind to do just yet.
Looking back, this year must have been one of the worst years of my life. Lost my mum, overwhelming work load, illness and losing the motivation of do gunpla. When everything is starting to look rosy, it has to come to an abrupt end. Right now, I am perpetually tired. Sometimes, I really hope that time can go forward faster. So I can fulfill all my duties as a husband, father and friend and go and "die". How many days must I endure before I could see her? Of course, that's wishful thinking on my part.
I realised that a lot of people out there has been helping me cope and for that, I thank them. I will move on of course but these things takes time. People might see me as a wimp and I guess they could be right too.
For those of you who may be disappointed with my works so far ( I have nothing to show for this year). My sincere apologies to you all. All I can do is to promise that I will continue to build gundams. But for this year, I'm taking my foot off the pedel for awhile. There are lots of issues for me to resolve first.
Once I return, do rest assure I will really "whack" those gundams big time.
So once again, my apologies for the lack of new or better works. I will work on it soon....

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Strange but wonderful

Something mystifying happened to me last night. I do not know what happened but it was the best thing that ever happened to me ever since my mum has passed away....


At about 11.30pm I went to bed as I was tired. After sleeping which I felt was a long time, I woke up suddenly at 2 am for no apparent reason, I forced myself back to sleep only to wake up yet again at 4am. But this time, I sense something, the whole room felt alive and I distintively felt a presence. Feeling confused rather than scared, I stared at the surroundings for awhile and before I realised , I dozed off again.


Then it happened..


I was back in my old home in my bedroom shared with my sister. My wife was with me, so is my sister and my dad. I was quarrelling with my sister over a bag (which seemed pretty childish). Well, the usual tantrums we threw. My dad was enthusiastically showing me some gadget like he always do. Everything was like the past. Normal.


At that moment, I felt at ease, somewhat contented.


Then we were at the doorway preparing to go out. I slipped on my flip-flops and when I looked up, there SHE is! MUM! She looked so cheerful and healthy sitting by the doorway! I guess I must have looked pretty stumped because she told me and I remembered those words, "God has given me a chance to come back for a day". Then I did something I have never done in my whole life, I ran forward and hugged her...


I did not want to let go. I was joyous. I was crying.


I shot out of my bed suddenly. It was a dream but it was oh so real. "She was here" I thought to myself, "I knew she was".


I staggered to my feet and observed my room. Everything was serene and quiet. My wife and son was fast asleep as well. And I realised something too, I felt an inner peace that I never experienced before. All the resentment, sorrow, guilt and despair that was with me for a long long time have disappeared at that moment. I felt a tremendous weight being lifted off my shoulders. For the first time in my life, I felt "myself".


I couldn't wait and frantically shook my wife awake to relate my "encounter" to her. I have never had a dream that I could remember every single detail! To me, this is magical. I am a skeptic when it comes to anything paranormal or supernatural, but what happened to me really shook the very core of my being and my beliefs.


"Your mum has come to give you a wake-up call" says my wife. "You looked like a zombie ever since she's gone". I cannot help but to agree with her because something removed the shackles burdening my heart.


I finally realised one thing though. I have not forgiven myself ever since she passed away. I felt like the whole world has crumbled and everything was meaningless. I tried to be happy and even went be more open, laugh and smile more often, be cheerful rather than gloomy and to be more talkative. But all this while I was putting up a charade, I am lying to myself, mentally and physically torturing myself with all those sleepless nights, depressing thoughts. I looked at the past entries of my blog and was rather surprised how down I was.


I was wondering why doctors could not find a cause for my illness. Frankly, I think I have self-destructed. I was basically killing myself slowly. I did not want to let go nor do I know how to.


Finally, a very good friend of mine recently asked me this question, have I "stepped out of it". That question struck me like a thunder bolt. "Have I?" was my thought. I supposed I have, I was burying myself with work and did a lot of activities. I even forced mysef to join the gundam competition even though I know I was not up to it. All this while I was a big liar, to myself...

I guess my mum thinks that it's about time for me to snap out of it and she could not have find a better time to intervene, I was feeling really down and have lost direction at work and family life. My judgments was clouded and I have simply no goals in life.


Well, thanks to some divine help from her, I am feeling better now, my mind is clear (although I still have worries at work) and I am more focused.


I still miss her a lot but all feelings of guilt and regret has diminished. Recovery is not completed yet and I sincerely believe the rest is up to me.


My mum has did her part, so now is my turn. With the support of my family and friends, I will make it. I do not want to break my mother's heart again...


(I felt really awkward writing this but I just have to share with the visitors here this strange tale of mine...)


Kenny

Sunday, May 25, 2008

GN Arms Type-D

Right now, I am really exhausted. From tuesday through to friday, I have slept for less than five hours. I literally slept the whole saturday away.

Overall, I am satisfied with this entry although I would prefer to have more time to do a better base. At least it turn out to be better than I expected. It was fun scratchbuilding the various parts and I can say it's my first time doing gundam at 1/144 scales. So my efforts hasn't been in vain...

No pictures yet but I did took some at the display site. Here they are...







WIPs
































Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A Challenge

I am beginning to notice my stash of work-in-progress works piling up. This year has not been productive for me. Although I could always give the excuse of working late almost every other day, it is probably a matter of poor time management on my part. But I have to admit that having about two hours of modeling time everyday is simply not enough.


However, two weeks ago, I decided to do something insane, that is to join a local Gundam competition organised by Sheng Tai Toys Pte Ltd. I guess there is no turning back now since I have submitted the entry form. I do believe that the submission of the entries will be this weekend and hence, it is a mad rush to the finish. It has been proven from time to time that if you do last minute jobs, quality is bound to suffer (I can vouch for that). I certainly hope I could produce something decent in these few days.

Well, here's a preview of my "would-be" entry....


It's 12.30 am and I have just started priming and its gonna be a loooonnnng night.Hopefully everything go smoothly for me....


Friday, May 2, 2008

This May....

I was at the cake shop this afternoon buying some pastries. I noticed there were some promotion pamphlets and one in particular caught my attention. "Mother's day celebration". Sigh.... Mother's day has never been this significant to me. Every year I will try to bring my mom out for a meal. But I would not be able to do that anymore. Somehow I just felt I have not done enough for her. I picked up that phamplet and stared blankly at it. I was snapped out of my trance by the storekeeper, "sir, any cake you like for your mother?" I told her I wish to buy the most expensive cake they have but she would be able to see it. I just walked away.... It might have been a rude gesture but I was in no mood to explain myself.


Yes, I am still sad, my attachment to her is still as strong as the day I was born. Although I have my committments and work, I feel like I am just doing my time. Things are just, "different" without her. Life is not complete. I know that it it pretty silly, but I am still hoping she will come back to me one day...


A good friend of mine keeps thinking of inventing a Time Machine and go back in time to salvage a relationship; I laughed it off. Now, I sure hope he can pull that one off one day. Just for a chance for me to see her again. Please...


Losing your life ones is a very painful experience. You lost your bearings and have to learn to "walk" again. I sure hope I do not outlive my family. I would choose to go first, because I just can't bear to be alone again.


My wife has just asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I whispered to myself, "MUM".





Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Updates

Progess on my WIPs has been really slow recently. I am not having enough time to do gunpla at all it seems. Due to increasing workloads and pressure, I'm in the office for more than ten hours a day and I'm not seeing the conditons improving any time soon. With less than two hours to myself every night, it's impossible to do anything decent. For me, it's both demoralising and despairing. Everyday it's like a battlefield in the office, handling the barrages of endless calls and all. I have talked to my wife, my dad and even complain to my son! (Heck he was staring at me blankly!!!) But I realise what I wanted was my mum. No matter how ridiculous the odds are, she was always there for me (my pillar of strength). She protected me. Now, I'm left to fend for myself and that there is really no two ways about it. I'm reaching my breaking point very soon....
I really hate it when I have little time for gunpla, and to top that up, I saw blemishes on my SD Zaku Warriors EVERYWHERE!!! I wanted everything to be perfect but was too distracted to do any quality work.
Well.... hopefully things will eventually right itself although I am not at all optimistic....

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Zaku Warriors WIP [SD]

Well, rather than being demoralized about my situation, I thought I could afford myself some form of a distraction.
And I just can't but helped myself to the three SD Zaku Warriors! Building super-deformed mechas offers me a "break" from all those heavy modding and construction. This will certainly prepared me for one major project I'm planning to do pretty soon!

This time, I'm doing some minor modifications and detailings and most probably, a simple display base.






I begin by hollowing out those vents and replacing them with pla-plates. Added details behind those vents too.





Using the hobby knife, I scrapped at the edges at an angle to make them looked sharper. Drilled out the "camera view" at the back of the head and added some details.





Drilled hole at the eye piece and Kotobukiya parts to create the "eye". Using the clear lenses from WAVE products and stick it to the stock stickers provided.


Sharpen the antenna.


I'm almost done with the heads with some minor touching up to do later.


Right to Left (shoulder joints) Lengthening of the shoulders.



(1) Normal with stubs
(2) Remove the stubs at the base
(3) Inserted Zaku Pipes from Kotobukiya.





Adding pla-plates to lengthen the lower torsos.



Lengthening the chest with pla-plates so that it is proportionate to the modified torsos.
Updated 19/02/2008 - 01:25 AM


The mid torso are separated into 2 parts for easiler painting.



Added pla-plates to improve on the proportion since I extended the torso in the first place.



A look at the "improved" mid section.






Carved out a opening (for adding details) at the sides of both feet.




I have removed the spikes and replaced them with Kotobukiya parts. The edges of the shields were scored with a art knife for a sleeker look. And finally gaps behind these shields were filled up with epoxy putty since they looked unsightly to me.

Updated 01/03/2008 - 11:15 AM






Filled up the hollows, it's always an ugly sight for most SDs.









Getting ready for priming, awful lot of stuff.

Updated 16/03/2008 - 10:55 PM



I have painted the main colours for the zakus and will proceed to do the smaller parts soon. Some previews.....







Updated 26/03/2008 - 11:40 PM

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