I HATE GUNDAM!!!

Well, that's not entirely true. Hate is a strong word, but I guess i'm kinda tired of Gundam. Before you two guys that read this blog (and are probably rabid Gundam fans and possibly the same two Votoms fans) flame me, send me hate email, DNS attacks, worms and viruses, hear me out. I know Gundam is Bandai's cash cow and is the original mecha of all mecha series, blah, blah, blah. Please know that Gundam is what got me back into Japanese toys and models. The quality, articulation, paint, accessories of Bandai's model kits, toys and action figures are undeniable. I have to say that the Fix Figuration Series action figures are some of the best in the industry, period.

So, where's the Gundam love, you ask? It's hard to put my finger on it, but it's kinda like McDonald's. You used to love it as a kid and you even probably still go there, but it's not like you say McDonald's is the bomb and the best burger out there. You're more sophisticated than that now, and probably would go to an In-N-Out if given the choice. Actually this analogy is already breaking down since I prefer McDonald's french fries much more than In-N-Out. How come they can't get the fries crispy?? Sorry, I digress.

Annnnyhooooo, When I go into any Japanese toy store, the owner or manager will inevitably ask, "what do you collect?" My standard reply lately has been: "mecha. anything but Gundam" Funny thing is, they invaribly knod their head knowingly like they feel the same way, or something. There are a gazillion Gundam mecha designs out there, but they all sort of feel and look the same: very robotic in a generic kind of way. These pictures illustrate my point.

So what kind of mecha do I like? Funny enough, when looking for examples of Gundam that I despise (see above), I was reminded that there are a lot of Gundam designs I do like a lot. One of my favorites is MS-Dom for example, Rick Dias, MS Kaempfer or the Gerbera. I like mecha designs from Armored Core, Front Mission, Evangelion, Five Star Stories, Panzer Galiant, etc. Yes, I know. Many of the designs I like are derivative from Gundam. I agree, but they are DIFFERENT. I'll have another post of mecha design that I really like.

So, while we all owe everything to the mighty Gundam, My suggestion to Bandai for the next Gundam universe, anime and therefore toy line is something completely different. It's time to step out of the box and come up with some really different mecha designs. What do you guys think? Hellllllllllooooo? Is this microphone on?