In 1979 one of Japan's greatest anime series was born. Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most well-known anime franchises in the history of anime. The show is about 60 foot tall mechanized robots that fight in a modern society. The first series started in 1979 and ended in 1980 with a span of 43 episodes each around twenty minutes. This anime series started a fan chain that allowed for over 15 more Gundam series to be made, and Gundam is still a popular anime in present time. We all know that with a great film or television series there are bound to be figures to come along with it. However Gundam took a slightly different approach. Instead of figures at first the Bandai started making Gundam Model kits known as Gunpla (Gundam Plastic). The first kits were un-articulated, cheap, and required glue in order to be put together. But in the last decade or so the model kits have become amazing works of art. The models that were made in the early to mid 1990’s completely blew expectations out of the water. The newer models don’t require glue as they are a snap assembly. They also have amazing articulation and are very light because of the cheap plastic they are made from. There are 3 main types of model grades which vary in size and complexity, but each is amazing in their own ways.
The smallest of the models are known as High Grades which are 1/144 scale; an average High Grade stands at around six inches tall. Some are taller, and some might be slightly smaller. The High Grades have decent articulation and amazing detail for their size. On average a High Grade takes about 1-2 hours to completely assemble. They are also the cheapest of the grades, spanning from around $8-25 dollars USD, they have the largest selection because of the cheap cost to make them. High Grades are getting better and better as newer versions of older characters are coming out with modern technology.
The second grade is known as Master Grades which are 1/100 scale. These models are slightly more limited in that they only make large characters. These models are around 7-9 inches and have twice the amount of detail including an inner frame which the armor fits over top of. These range from about $30-100 USD. These kits also come with a tiny pilot figure to display next to your model robot, but these tiny figures aren’t painted, however if you have the skill and a small enough brush painting is no big deal.
The last of the grades is known as a Perfect Grade which are 1/60 scale. These models are by far the most intricate and have the smallest number of Gundam characters. Because of their large size (around 12-16 inches tall) they have only made the main characters from a few Gundam series. There are only around 15 Perfect Grades. The one amazing thing about the Perfect Grades is the detail that goes into these models. Not only are the most detailed but they also have some amazing gimmicks. Opening hatches, pilot figures, LED units, amazing amount of decals, and fully articulated hands. Each finger has 4 points of articulation allowing the hands to do everything a human hand can do. The only downside to Perfect Grades are the price, ranging from around $150-300 USD per kit.
There are a few special grades but they are very rare, the 1/48 mega scale are the largest however they are only as intricate as the high grades. There is also a new line of Gundam models known as the Real Grade which are in the 1/144th scale but they have the detail and as are as intricate as the Master Grades if not slightly more. These models are amazing things to have if you are a model builder or love Gundam. i just started collecting Gunpla in January of 2015 and I already have a sum of 35 kits, 31 of them being High Grades, 3 Real Grades, and 1 Perfect Grade. Each model is different and it never gets boring. There are also tons of customization and repainting opportunities with every kit. Gundam has been alive for 30 years, and im sure it will be around for 30 more. Look at what's out there here and here.