Latest news with #MetalBuild
Forbes
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Metal Build God Gundam Toy Sells Out In Japan, But Is Coming Westward
Since the reveal of the Metal Build God Gundam toy at the Gundam Figure Exhibition, it has sold out three times in Japan, but the good news is that it's coming Westward. At the time of writing this, the Metal Build God Gundam toy has sold out three times on Japan's Premium Bandai website. This is extremely rare, and the only other major release that did something similar was the Robot Damashii Zwauth back in 2017. It's clear that the demand for this Metal Build toy is extremely high, and the fact that it has been a Premium Bandai release has only exacerbated the issue of its availability. Despite the three batches of pre-orders all selling out, there is still a chance in Japan to buy one via a lottery option. The toy itself is still 44,000 yen (or around $299 at the current exchange rate), so it's not exactly a cheap lottery to enter. Obviously, if you don't win the lottery, you won't be charged. The good news here is that Bandai are bringing this toy Westward this September (shown above). This likely means the availability issue won't be quite as much of a problem as it has been in Japan. This is because Mobile Fighter G Gundam is an anime with a great deal of wuxia elements, and Metal Build toys are highly coveted in China. So much of the fervor about this toy's release and its subsequent lightning fast pre-order sales are probably down to Chinese fans wanting to pick one up. The toy itself is indeed lovely and while the original design was penned by Kunio Okawara, this Metal Build iteration is more stylized and comes with extra weapons. The original anime was also released back in 1994 and finished in 1995, so we are still in the window of its 30th anniversary. The latter being likely why the God Gundam has also been featured in the upcoming Super Robot Wars Y. In any case, this Metal Build toy of the God Gundam is nothing if not hugely popular. Here's hoping its Western release will have enough stock to meet demand. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Upcoming Metal Build God Gundam Toy Looks Truly Incredible
The Metal Build God Gundam goes on pre-order today in Japan. The upcoming Metal Build God Gundam has finally been given a release window and a pretty steep price tag, but it still looks astonishing. It's taken a good while for this toy to shake out from its previews a good while ago, but we're finally getting a proper Metal Build God Gundam toy this August. The God Gundam is the final iteration of Domon Kasshu's ride of choice in Mobile Fighter G Gundam, replacing the previous Shining Gundam. In the US release, it's often called the Burning Gundam, with the Devil Gundam also being changed to the Dark Gundam. This was apparently because there was an incident where employees at Walmart went through every box of a shipment of Gundam Wing toys and removed and returned all instances of the Gundam Deathscythe Hell, so the names were changed in G Gundam to avoid similar issues. In any case, we haven't had a really good God Gundam toy in a really long time, and this Metal Build version looks to be one of the best yet. As with other Metal Build releases, the styling is overly athleticized, which makes sense considering the host anime it comes from. This Metal Build God Gundam release is certainly comprehensive. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Normally, I prefer mecha toys to be treated as per the anime they originate from, especially when they are designed by people such as Kunio Okawara. However, this stylized version is most certainly in keeping with the spirit of G Gundam, so it does feel right, at least. The only downside is that this is both an expensive toy, coming in at 44,000 yen (or around $293 at the current exchange rate) and also a Premium Bandai release. Pre-orders start today in Japan, and it's not clear whether this Metal Build toy will come Westward, although I'm hopeful we will see it released outside of Japan at some point. After all, G Gundam was a popular anime when it came Westward in the early noughties, and its later release on Blu-ray, which I also reviewed, was received well. It's also still available to stream via Crunchyroll, so it's definitely an available and relevant anime (with a nice high user score, too). The only thing here that does puzzle me is that the Metal Build Zeta Gundam costs the same, but this Metal Build God Gundam doesn't transform. Yes, it has other gimmicks (shown above), but the engineering is arguably less complex, and yet it still has a similar price point. In any case, I'm glad that the Metal Build God Gundam is finally happening. I just hope Western fans get the chance to pick one up in the near future. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The ‘Gundam Figure Exhibition' In Tokyo Displays Decades Of Excellence
One of the big tentpole franchises for Bandai Spirits is definitely Gundam, and its latest exhibition at the Tamashii Nations Store in Tokyo goes all out. From the long line of Robot Damashii figures to the high-end Metal Build toys, a lot was covered. For the most part, the exhibition is about showing what Bandai Spirits has done to date with the various Gundam properties they look after, and the results are suitably comprehensive. What with GQuuuuuuX being the latest Gundam work, there were a lot of new items on show, from the various Metal Robot Damashii toys of the new Gundam designs by Ikuto Yamashita to the cutesy Figuarts Mini of the characters. Amate Yuzuriha even got her own larger-than-life statue (shown below). Amate from 'GQuuuuuuX' looking suitably upbeat. Ollie Barder What was interesting was seeing all the chogokin releases for the various life-size Gundams, from the Walking Gundam to the Freedom Gundam and Nu Gundam. Even the upcoming Osaka Expo Gundam is getting its own chogokin and Robot Damashii figures. Apart from that, the Metal Build Zeta Gundam still looks amazing, and the Metal Build God Gundam also made another appearance, although I will be covering that particular release separately. It was also nice to see the Metal Robot Damashii G-Self Perfect Pack up close. It's very faithful to the design from the anime, and while the anime itself was mostly incomprehensible it did have some very lovely designwork. With the Gundam Figure Exhibition opening today in Tokyo and closing in early September, entry is free, and there are a fair few store-exclusive items worth a look if you're in the neighborhood. In the meantime, feel free to check out the gallery below. Gundam Figure Exhibition Ollie Barder Gundam Figure Exhibition Gallery Location: Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo Duration: March 27 - September 8 Entrance: Free Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
