Sword Impulse Gundam

Perhaps the most intricate and delicate hobbies out there are those who assemble and build model kits. Model kits come in mostly plastics, requires assembly, and is unpainted. Most model kits are designed so that you need additional tools and materials in order to finish it. Bandai, owner of the Gundam franchise, manufactures all sorts of model kits for the Gundam franchise. And you'll find that there are a lot of them to go around. Some of those model kits were released locally in America. But a lot of the big and fancier ones never made it out here.

I always liked that Gundam model kits are unique in its own way, in that they don't require painting and they don't require cementing in order to complete. Granted, there are several parts here and there that probably would hold better with cement. But the kit itself are designed so that they can hold their own for the time being. At least, that's the original idea.

One of the model kits have been continuously sold out and backordered. The design is very attractive and looks to be interesting to assemble and handle. But there's a slight problem. The kit is often out of stock and backordered. Also is the fact that I have not touched model kits in years. The last Gundam model kit that I have didn't exactly turn out well, due to the design being before what they are today. Since then, I have not touched any model kits. I do find that model kits back then were not for those who does not have much experience or have any patience. In order to fully bring out the beauty of the model kits, one has to care for them greatly and have all the right tools and materials needed to finish it, one piece at a time.

After waiting for 2 weeks longer than the usual delivery time for the model kit to arrive, I looked over the parts attached to the sprue tree and the assembly booklet. At first, it looks overwhelming as there are many parts and pieces to deal with. But I cannot assemble the kit just yet. I needed the tools to cleanly cut the pieces off. Each assembly session lasted 3 to 5 hours, with a bit of break in between. But after 5 days, and many minutes spent grinding away the excess plastics, the kit is 95% completed. The rest are accessories, effect parts, and other equipment parts. And so far, the model looks amazing. Granted, some areas do need some cover up in order to hide the plastic discoloring due to grinding and cutting. But overall, the model looks good and satisfactory.

Perhaps the only thing that I will regret in the future is that I did not have the paint and tools needed to make the model more detailed. But perhaps this is one aspect of my abilities that is not suited for assembling models. At the very least, this is something I can at least do and finish. And unlike the previous attempt, the result is much better than before, as I have placed much more effort and put in more dedication to this.

I do not know if there will be more Gundam kits to assemble. That really depends on whether or not I find another one as fancy, nice looking, and superbly designed as this one. I do know, however, that if there is a next time, I may have more tools and materials on hand to be ready for the next level and stage.