#Perfect Strike Gundam

[gundamfight]

[wavesinereverse-blog]

HGCE/EG Perfect Strike Gundam

using the HGCE Strike since the Multiple Assault Striker is bulky and unwieldy, possibly beyond what the EG Strike would be good at holding up

the combination looks neat with the wings and both shoulder pods, but the big weapons are hard to pose

[loth-caatgirl]

The Ascent

fully built and action-base'd, she's gorgeous 😻

protip: take a hobby knife to the spar between the front skirt balls to gain more freedom of expression in your poses

[sylviegunpla]

Gunpla: Completed Collection of Minis: Part 4: Gundam SEED

Next is the SEED Figures. These guys will have a lot of cockpit shots because i already finished off most of their models (though a couple of them were back before i was doing water slides, and just using the decal-stickers and dry-rubs that came with most non-ver-ka MGs)

PG Astray Red Frame: Lowe Gule

This was done before i had access to my magnifying binoculars. The panel lining was actually done with gundam panel line marker, over Mr. Super Clear Gloss. This kinda turned out well. However, his "brother" (the pilot figurine) wasn't so lucky: (under the cut)

This one i started panel lining, then messed up and erased, and it wound up not coming off right. So i just didn't bother and went ahead and finished it with a flat coat, no nuln oil for detailing or anything. BTW, the way i captured that backshot gives me an idea for what i could do with suit-less pilots.... but i'll leave that for another day. Anyway, i actually already water slide decaled his suit, so i could take pictures of him in the cockpit!

Oops, got a little carried away there.

moving on...

MG Strike Rouge + Ootori: Cagalli Yula Athha

This was THE first figure i tried nuln oil on. However, it turned out kinda messy, because it was a tutorial my friend was showing me. HOWEVER HOWEVER, i managed to recover it without too much work! I think she looks decent overall.

The pilot figurine was also finished with Nuln Oil, but after i knew what i was doing. I think she turned out a bit better.

Next, we're gonna go behind the scenes and see some of the movie magic i use to make it seem like these guys are in fully constructed models (I already tricked you with the post about the Hi-nu!)

Some basic shots showing the cockpit hatch structure.

And now you can't tell again that it's not complete!

The hatch is now closed. We move onto another pink gundam:

MG Infinite Justice: Athrun Zala

I finished him with only a little bit of panel liner, down the middle of his chest, and nuln oil on the face. A little blobby/messy but still achieves a decent effect from afar.

Here's the pilot figurine. No backshot because i pretty much left his back unfinished. You have to constantly change the thing holding the figure in order to paint certain sections and i was getting tired of trying to do the back.

His cockpit operates very simply, so i only have a few shots:

Yup, there he is. He's actually mostly fully built because i had to detach him from the sick ass plane he normally hangs from. Yes, the mecha suit i mean hangs from a plane. It's so sick, i'll have pictures in another post dedicates to this kit.

BONUS: So, for a while, i had this figurine that i THOUGHT was the pilot figurine for this kit. But then one day i opened up the cockpit hatch and saw the figurine. So who is this guy? what kit does he come from? I'm not even sure if it comes from a PG (1/60) or an MG (1/100), it seems closer in size to the PGs though. You can see i attempted to start painting it in Athrun Zala colors. I actually finished it but it looked so weird trying to force the sculpt to match the image. My friend thinks the sculpt looks like it could be a specific pilot outfit that Kira Yamato wears. It's equally likely it might be a Mu from a PG Sky Grasper. Can anyone positively identify the kit this figurine comes from? The few possibilities we think it might be are kits my friend used to have, but lost due to Moving Shenanigans. so we cannot confirm that those kits are missing pilots. ANyway, moving on, to the final figures:

2x RG Strike Freedom: Kira Yamato

Why do i have two of these guys? Because i have two of the kits! The Strike Freedom was the first RG I assembled, in 2020. In 2021, i got P-Bandai's "Titanium Finish" release of the exact same kit. Thus, i had two Kira Yamatos to paint. These both were painted in my first run of minis in Fall 2023, and they are the last of such minis to be shown off here! I did not panel line them, hell you can tell that getting the stripes on their tiny pilot suits was hard enough. They're very messy and have bad color separation. Honestly, i might try redoing one of them now that i have magnifying goggles. It would be worth it. And as a reminder, since these came with an RG, they are 1/144 scale, so a bit tinier than most of the others i've shown off (which are 1/60 or 1/100).

I believe that does it for Part 4. I just barely had enough image slots for all these pictures, but sadly not enough for some "gags" i wanted to do. there would have been 3 more images in the set of 6 pictures of Lowe Gule boarding the Astray Red Frame, but i had to cut them for extra space. To read part 5, Click This Link!

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

10. Day off becomes show off

Note: hope you know how to fight

Masterlist here

(Side note: i fcking love this gundam armoured aespa fr)

The morning sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting a warm glow over the dorm as Y/n checked his phone. As usual, his mind was prepped for the day’s chaotic schedule, expecting back-to-back appointments, rehearsals, and meetings. But as he scrolled through the group’s calendar, something strange caught his eye.

No rehearsals. No interviews. No photoshoots.

A day off?

Y/n blinked. It had been ages since they’d had a full, unscheduled day since MAMA, and for a moment, he didn’t believe it. After double-checking to make sure he wasn’t missing anything, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

This was the perfect opportunity to give the girls a break—away from the stress and cameras.

Throwing on a hoodie, he knocked on each dorm room door, rousing the group from their sleep.

“Wake up, everyone! I’ve got something planned.”

Giselle was the first to emerge, hair sticking out in all directions, still wrapped in her blanket. She rubbed her eyes groggily. “Is it breakfast? Tell me you made pancakes…”

Y/n chuckled. “Not quite. But get ready. We’re going to the park. I made a lunch basket for us.”

The reaction from the rest of the members was similar—confused but intrigued. Winter poked her head out from her room, eyes half-closed. “A park? What are we, in a drama? And why is it sound romantic�� She yawned loudly.

Karina followed suit, still looking half-asleep. “A park sounds… nice, I guess?”

“Hey, we can't just stay indoors when the sky is this nice.” Y/n grinned, clapping his hands together. “Now, let’s get moving.”

An hour later, the group found themselves standing at the entrance of a quaint city park. It wasn’t grand or flashy, just a small, peaceful spot nestled away from the usual bustling city life. A winding path led to a pond, ducks paddling lazily in the water, and a few bicycles stood nearby, available for rent.

“A park, really?” Winter raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “This was your big plan?”

Giselle stretched, taking in the scene. “I’m not complaining. It’s nice to have some quiet time.”

Y/n held up a tote bag filled with snacks. “Look, we’ve been running around nonstop for weeks. A relaxing day in the sun will do us all some good.”

Karina eyed him suspiciously. “What kind of snacks?”

Y/n smirked, pulling out bags of sandwiches. “The good kind.”

That seemed to do the trick. With renewed enthusiasm, the girls grabbed a few bikes from the rental stand, gearing up for a leisurely ride along the park’s paths. Y/n followed, feeling confident this would be a simple, peaceful day.

Well, until Ningning almost ran over a duck.

“Watch it!” Y/n called out as the youngest member veered off course, narrowly avoiding the waddling creature.

“I swear these bikes are taller than I remember!” Ningning complained, trying to steady herself. “Or maybe I’ve gotten shorter?”

Meanwhile, Karina wobbled dangerously as she tried to pedal forward, clearly struggling. “I think I forgot how to ride one of these things…”

Before Y/n could offer help, he was too busy dealing with his own issues. As soon as he pushed off, his bike’s front wheel jerked violently to the side, and he lost his balance, crashing into a nearby bush. The sound of his spectacular wipeout echoed through the park, causing an eruption of laughter from the girls.

“Nice strike, Y/n!” Giselle called out, barely able to contain her giggles. “You’re really setting a great example for us!”

Y/n groaned as he disentangled himself from the bush. “Okay, fine. Maybe I suck.”

It took a few minutes—and a lot more laughter—but eventually, they all managed to get moving smoothly. The group cycled leisurely along the park’s paths, the fresh air and rare freedom lifting their spirits. Despite the shaky start, the atmosphere was light and carefree.

At one point, Giselle and Winter challenged each other to a race, leaving the others trailing behind. Y/n, never one to back down, joined in—only to accidentally steer himself and Giselle straight into a patch of tall grass, much to the amusement of Karina and Ningning, who were practically in tears laughing.

“Maybe stick to managing, Y/n,” Karina teased as he pulled his bike free from the grass.

“So mean, Jimin” Y/n grumbled, but he couldn’t help grinning. “I’m just warming up.”

After a while, they parked their bikes near the duck pond and wandered over to feed the ducks. Y/n handed out snacks, though he wasn’t entirely sure feeding crackers to ducks was the right move.

Karina tossed a few pieces into the water, watching as the ducks swam around, fighting over the crumbs. “You’re supposed to give them bread, right?”

“I think we’re not supposed to give them anything, actually,” Y/n replied, scratching his head. “But... they seem happy enough.”

"Yea, they're the presences of their own kind." Winter joked. "Idiots…"

"I heard that, crybaby."

The group spent a good portion of time by the pond, laughing at the antics of the ducks. One particularly clumsy duck kept missing the food, prompting Ningning to point and say, “That one reminds me of Y/n.”

"See? I told you Ning." Winter chimed in, clearly amused by the comparison.

Y/n rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t stop smiling. For the first time in a while, it felt like they could just be themselves, without the constant pressure of schedules, rehearsals, or fans.

Well, except for one fan.

His eyes landed on a figure standing not too far away, partially hidden behind a tree. The person was wearing a hoodie, the hood pulled up over their face. It could’ve been anyone—a park visitor, maybe—but the way they lingered, half-concealed, raised alarm bells.

Y/n’s stomach tightened. He’d seen this kind of behaviour before. Sasaeng.

“Everything okay?” Karina asked, noticing his shift in demeanour.

Y/n kept his voice low, not wanting to alarm the rest of the group. “Don't wanna scare you, but there’s someone following us. Don’t look, he’s at 5 o’clock ”

Karina’s expression darkened. “Sasaeng?”

“Probably,” he confirmed, his eyes never leaving the figure.

Karina let out a frustrated sigh, clearly fed up with the constant intrusion on their privacy. “Can’t we just have one day? Just one?”

Y/n nodded grimly. “Unfortunately, no. But I’m going to check on him.”

Karina hesitated. “Be careful. Some sasaengs... they don’t exactly handle being confronted well.”

Y/n glanced over his shoulder, noticing that the figure had gotten closer. It was now or never. “Ehhh..I’ll be fine. Just stay here with the girls.”

As he approached the sasaeng, his heart raced, but he kept his voice calm and steady. “Hey, my guy, can I help you with something?”

The figure stiffened but didn’t move. Up close, Y/n could see they were holding a phone, angled just enough to capture footage of the group from a distance.

“I’m just a fan,” the person mumbled, their voice muffled under the hood. “I’m not doing anything wrong.”

Y/n clenched his jaw. He didn’t want to escalate the situation, but he also couldn’t let this slide. “Hey hey hey, I understand you’re a fan, and that’s fine. But right now, the girls are trying to enjoy some time off. This is their personal space. Please respect that.”

The sasaeng’s eyes flashed with something Y/n couldn’t quite place—frustration? Defiance? Either way, they didn’t budge. “I’m not leaving. I just want to see them.”

Y/n’s patience was running thin. “I understand, but they just want a breather from the public for today. Please don’t make this a bigger deal than it needs to be.”

The tension hung thick in the air, and for a moment, Y/n wasn’t sure if the sasaeng was going to back down. But then, with a huff of annoyance, they turned and started walking away, though Y/n couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t done.

He returned to the girls, who had been watching the whole exchange from a distance. Karina must've told them.

“Did they leave?” Giselle asked quietly.

“For now,” Y/n replied, though his gut told him this wouldn’t be the last time they saw that particular fan.

Winter’s expression softened. “You handled that well, you know.”

Y/n shrugged, trying to play it off. “Part of the job.”

When the fun resumed, Ningning was busy trying to feed a particularly stubborn duck while Giselle and Karina lounged on the grass, seemingly forgetting tension that had just passed.

“You good?” Karina asked, her tone casual, though Y/n could tell she was watching him closely. "You've been tense since that happened."

“Yeah,” Y/n nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. “Everything’s fine.”

But as the day went on, Y/n couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that they were being watched. Every now and then, he’d glance over his shoulder, half-expecting to see the sasaeng again.

It wasn’t until they were packing up to leave that he caught another glimpse—this time, from a different part of the park. The same hooded figure, lurking in the shadows, watching them.

Y/n’s stomach twisted. That guy hadn’t left.

As they piled into the van, he made a mental note to stay vigilant. Today had been fun, but he knew the peaceful days were always short-lived when it came to protecting the girls.

As the van pulled away, Karina, sitting next to him, gave him a sideways glance. “You think we’re safe?”

Y/n forced a smile. “We’re always safe... as long as I’m around.”

"Damn, Oppa is confident now." Ningning teased.

"That's how I blitz through things, Ning-ah."

But deep down, he knew things were getting more complicated. Being their manager was more than just keeping track of schedules and rehearsals. He had to protect them, even on their days off.

And something told him that this wouldn’t be the last time he’d face off with that sasaeng.

-

The fan meet was supposed to be the highlight of the week—one of those heartwarming moments where aespa could connect directly with their fans.

However, things were rarely so simple for Y/n.

The chaos of his daily life as the group’s manager had become his new normal, but today was different. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach, a gnawing anxiety he couldn’t quite shake.

It wasn’t just the usual nerves, either. Ever since the incident at the park with the sasaeng, Y/n had been on high alert, his senses sharper than ever. Though the obsessive fan hadn’t made a direct reappearance, there were subtle signs—cryptic messages left on social media, strange accounts following aespa’s every move, and more importantly, a lingering presence. Y/n knew they hadn’t been forgotten.

It already has issued into SM, but Y/n was still definitely on high alert.

Still, today was about the fans. The usual logistics of organizing a fan meet were challenging enough, but this time, Y/n had to be even more vigilant. He’d personally gone through each gift from the fans, carefully making sure there were no suspicious items. Everything seemed to be in order, and the meet was progressing smoothly.

The girls were laughing, chatting with their fans, and signing albums while cameras flashed, capturing every moment. Y/n was supposed to be standing off to the side, handling minor hiccups as they came. But the real trouble began when the gifts started piling up backstage.

“Y/n, can you help me move these?” one of the staff members called out, struggling with a box of gifts that had been left near the entrance. Y/n nodded, quickly setting aside his tablet and running to help.

The problem? He hadn’t exactly been paying attention to where the gifts were being taken.

Somewhere between moving boxes and juggling event logistics, Y/n realised he had lost track of the pile of fan gifts meant to be distributed to aespa later. By the time the fan meet was in full swing, fans were asking about their gifts, only for Y/n to feel a rising sense of panic as he scanned the backstage area, the gifts nowhere in sight.

“Where are they?” he muttered to himself, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Giselle, noticing his distress, sidled up to him with a teasing grin. “Lost something, Y/n?”

"…maybe?"

"Oh." Giselle replied nonchalantly. "Surely not the fan gift right?"

He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. “I may or may not have misplaced the gifts... all of them.”

Giselle let out a snort of laughter, causing Ningning, who was standing nearby, to join in. “Seriously? All of them? Haven't seen you messed up majorly for a while.”

Y/n groaned. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But this is bad. The fans are going to freak out.”

Ningning shook her head, still giggling. “Don’t worry about it. Fans love sitcoms—it’s relatable. They’ll probably get a kick out of it. You know, seeing their gifts disappear into the void, never to return.”

Y/n managed a weak smile, appreciating their attempts to lighten the mood. “You’re probably right. Still... this is not my best image yet.”

The girls, seeing how genuinely stressed he was, huddled around him in support. “Don’t sweat it,” Karina said, giving him a reassuring nudge. “We’ve dealt with worse. Besides, the fans are here to see us, not obsess over some missing gifts.”

"Confident much?"

"Someone did say that's how he blitz through life." Karina mocked. "Now I thought about it, it was you, Y/n"

He appreciated their positivity, but the uneasy feeling in his chest refused to go away. The gifts were one thing, but his gut told him that something far more sinister was on the horizon.

As the fan meet began to wind down, Y/n made his rounds, keeping a watchful eye on the crowd. Most of the fans were energetic and cheerful, thrilled to be interacting with aespa, but he couldn’t help scanning for any suspicious faces.

That’s when he saw the guy.

Near the back of the room, hidden among a cluster of fans, was the same hooded figure from the park. His blood ran cold. It was the sasaeng, and they hadn’t come empty-handed.

"Guards on standby, we got a Code S." Y/n talked over the radio. "Please don’t cause a scene and find him."

Without causing a scene, Y/n subtly moved closer, positioning himself between the sasaeng and the girls. As he did, he noticed something glinting under the sleeve of the sasaeng’s hoodie—a knife.

His heart skipped a beat, and the world seemed to slow down. This is it.

Y/n had been trained for situations like this (he said trained, but he only had a taekwondo certificate a while ago), but nothing could truly prepare him for the moment it actually happened. He quickly scanned the area, assessing his options. Security wasn’t close enough to intervene immediately, and he didn’t want to alarm the fans or the group.

With a deep breath, Y/n locked eyes with the sasaeng. “Hey, you, nice seeing you again,” he called out, his voice steady but firm. “I need to talk to you.”

The sasaeng’s eyes darted to Y/n, and for a split second, Y/n saw it—the sheer obsession, the dangerous mix of admiration and delusion. The sasaeng clutched the knife tighter, their knuckles white.

"Ah fcking damn it…" Y/n muttered.

There was no time to wait for backup.

Y/n lunged forward, grabbing the sasaeng by the arm. The fan reacted immediately, swinging the knife wildly in his direction. He narrowly dodged the blade, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he wrestled the weapon from their grasp. The crowd hadn’t yet noticed the struggle, too focused on aespa.

The sasaeng fought back, landing a punch to Y/n’s side, but he didn’t let go. He managed to twist the fan’s arm behind their back, forcing the knife to clatter to the ground. Finally, security rushed in, pulling the sasaeng away and detaining them.

Panting, Y/n stood there, clutching his side, still trying to process what had just happened. The girls had noticed by now, their faces pale with shock. Ningning and Giselle were the first to rush over.

“Oppa! Are you okay?” Ningning asked, her eyes wide with concern.

Y/n nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah... yeah, still alive.”

The fan meet was quickly wrapped up after that, with security escorting the sasaeng out and the remaining fans ushered toward the exits. The event had been going so well until that moment, and the sudden chaos left everyone rattled.

Later, in the safety of their van, the girls were silent, the weight of what had happened hanging in the air. Winter was whimpering after her intense bawling from worrying about her childhood friend. Y/n could just only chuckle at his adorable best friend.

“You saved us,” Karina finally said, her voice quiet but full of gratitude. “That could’ve been so much worse if you hadn’t been there.”

Y/n shook his head, still processing everything. “I was just doing my job.”

But the gravity of what he’d done wasn’t lost on anyone, least of all him.

-

The next day, Y/n rolled out of bed with a groan. His body still ached from the scuffle with the sasaeng, and while he wasn’t one to complain, the dull throb in his side was a constant reminder of yesterday’s chaos. He stretched, wincing slightly, before getting ready for the day.

Today was supposed to be business as usual—another trip to the SM building for rehearsals and meetings—but nothing about this day felt normal. After all, it wasn’t every day that you made headlines for tackling an obsessed fan. And while Y/n wasn’t exactly thrilled about the attention, he knew it was inevitable. He’d been in the industry long enough to know how fast news spread, especially when it involved something as dramatic as a knife-wielding sasaeng.

When he met up with the girls during breakfast in the living area, they were already buzzing with energy. Kind of wild that they moved on from the incident that quickly.

Ningning grinned at him, clearly enjoying the spotlight this incident had brought to their usually quiet manager.

“Ready for your big day, supernova?” she teased, nudging him as they walked toward the van.

Y/n shot her a look, shaking his head. “Please, no, Ning. Can we not make a big deal out of this?”

“Too late,” Giselle piped up from behind, her voice full of amusement. “The whole building’s probably talking about you right now. Yunjin and Somi is gushing in the gc at the moment.”

As much as Y/n wanted to protest, he knew she was right. Ever since the news broke, he’d been flooded with messages—both from fans and people in the industry. It was surreal, really. He’d never expected to be at the centre of attention, especially not for something like this.

When they arrived at the SM building, the atmosphere was different. Usually, the bustling halls were full of staff going about their daily business, but today, there was an undeniable buzz in the air.

As soon as they stepped inside, heads turned. The receptionist, who usually gave them a polite nod, smiled broadly at Y/n, her eyes twinkling with admiration. “Good morning, hero,” she greeted him, her tone playful.

Y/n blushed, ducking his head awkwardly. “Morning…"

The teasing only got worse as they moved through the building. Other managers, particularly Minji and Joon, came up to him, clapping him on the back and offering words of congratulations.

“Hey, Y/n! Saw the news—man, that was some serious balls. How are you feeling?”Joon asked, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder.

“I’m fine,” Y/n mumbled, trying to downplay it. “Just... doing my job.”

“Doing your job?” Minji laughed. “You tackled a guy with a knife! I’d say that’s a bit more than your typical day’s work.”

Before Y/n could respond, a familiar voice called out from behind him. “There he is—the man, the myth, the legend!”

Y/n turned to see Taeyong and Mark from NCT walking toward him, grinning from ear to ear. Taeyong immediately pulled him into a friendly hug, his eyes twinkling with pride. “We saw what happened, Y/n. That was insane. Are you sure you’re not secretly an action movie star or something?”

Mark nodded enthusiastically, his smile wide. “Dude, you’re like the coolest manager now. Everyone’s talking about how you saved the day.”

Y/n’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I secretly invested my stats in strength.”

But the teasing didn’t stop there. As they made their way up to the practice rooms, other idols—some Y/n had trained with back in the day—came up to him with wide grins and playful jabs. It was overwhelming, to say the least.

The final straw came when they passed by one of the SM rookies who was clearly too shy to approach him directly. The young trainee whispered to their friend, their eyes wide with awe as they looked at Y/n. “Is that him? The manager who stopped the sasaeng? He looks so cool...”

Y/n sighed, shaking his head as the girls stifled their laughter. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, but there was no escaping it. He had become the talk of the building, whether he liked it or not.

By the time they reached the practice room, Y/n was ready to crawl into a hole and hide. But the girls, ever perceptive, noticed how uncomfortable he was and rallied around him.

“Look,” Karina said, giving him a rare smile, “you might hate the attention, but we’re really grateful for what you did. That was seriously brave.”

“Yeah,” Winter added, her voice soft but sincere. “You're maybe an idiot, but you were genuinely cool back there.”

Ningning, of course, couldn’t resist adding her own playful twist. “Plus, now you’re famous! Maybe you’ll get your own fanbase.”

Y/n groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Please, no fanbase. That’s the last thing I need.”

But despite his protests, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. The girls’ words meant more to him than any praise from strangers. They were the ones he had sworn to protect, after all.

As they settled into their rehearsal, Y/n leaned back against the wall, watching the group with a small smile. The chaos of the past few days had been overwhelming, but it had also solidified his place in their lives. He wasn’t just their manager anymore—he was part of their family.

Just as he thought things had finally calmed down, the door to the practice room burst open, and Seulgi from Red Velvet, his bias, poked her head in. “Ya, Y/n! Heard you’re the building’s new hero! When’s the movie adaptation coming out?”

"Seulgi-noona, not you too…"

The girls burst into laughter as Y/n groaned again, knowing he’d never live this down.

But deep down, he didn’t mind. He faced down a knife-wielding sasaeng, after all. He could handle a bit of teasing.

[partly-cloudyskies]

Red Birthright - Chapter 8

A Star Wars WFM AU

“Hey, Princess.” “Don’t call me that,” Miorine said. “You’ve seen my bounty posting. You know my name.” “I don’t like your name,” Chuchu said with a matter-of-fact ease. She sat across from Miorine and the two had managed to achieve a civil if frigid silence, though that mostly owed to the fact that they spent much of that time eating. They no longer had that luxury. “It seems that I’ve managed to achieve a perfect slate of dislike across the board,” Miorine said. “And all I had to do was exist. Tell me, is there some specific objection you have about me or am I just that lucky?” “Well,” Chuchu drawled. “You’re prissy, stuck up, sharp-tongued. You managed to upset that poor girl you came with using a single sentence. You come aboard my home and start criticizing it immediately. I watched your weird Mandalorian cult shoot up a space station and my ship because you decided to run away from your home. And I’m starting to wonder if they’ll do the same to mine. And while we’re on the subject, your Clan Rembran is a bunch of glorified highwaymen who think they can shake down us independents just because they’ve got shinier stuff.” “House,” Miorine said, distracted. She wondered if Chuchu would call Suletta a ‘poor girl’ after she saw her in one of her rages. Miorine thought uncharitably that she’d quite like to see that. “What?” “We—they’re not a clan. It’s House Rembran of Clan Benerit.” “Whatever. I don’t want to know. And I truly don’t care.” Most of the barbs did not find their purchase, but Chuchu’s baldly stated concern that Rembran would find their way here did strike at a fear Miorine had tried to avoid. She’d bring calamity anywhere she tried to put down roots. The people here had been kind. Well. Nika was nice enough though how trustworthy was a bit of a question. And Chuchu was unpleasant but it was in a forthright way that was far preferable to intrigue and rumors. Still, she did recommend a very good sandwich. Even that felt like a lifeline in this moment. “That look on your face could turn aside a storm cloud,” Chuchu said. “The hell’s on your mind?” “Too many things. As you established, nothing that you’d care about.” “I’d love to keep it that way but we’ve got time to kill and I get bored. You finished?” Chuchu indicated the food wrappers and Miorine nodded her assent. Chuchu cleared it away and Miorine noticed for the first time that the table they occupied had a pattern of dark and light panels, arrayed in a circle radiating from the center. Chuchu reached to the side where there was an instrument panel. She fiddled with it. Nothing happened. Then she frowned and struck it with the heel of her palm. A holoprojector within the table wheezed to life. Tiny, monstrous figures suddenly occupied the board, arrayed on the dark and light areas. They idled where they stood, waiting for commands. “Dejarik?” Miorine said. “You play?” “I… am familiar.” “Good. Then I won’t have to explain the rules. I can kick your ass a couple rounds and then it’ll be time to take you to see the others.” Miorine raised an eyebrow. “Do try to go easy on a novice such as myself.”

[brightblurr]

rant about Gundam SEED FREEDOM.

So there were some things I loved about Gundam SEED FREEDOM. As a movie, it functions as a great bit of fanservice, does not take itself seriously, and moves along fast. It includes so many throwbacks that remind you of Gundam SEED DESTINY. It had some high moments and some low moments. While I enjoyed it overall, I didn't enjoy some things about it, and they're eating away at me.

How they treated any female who isn't Lacus. This movie obviously intended to put Lacus leagues above every female. Any female character who threatens to outshine Lacus is stripped of time in the movie. Cagalli? The fan favourite character, who won in polls against Lacus? Has minimal screen time. She has no planned figurines ahead. When the director couldn't continue to push Meyrin between Athrun and Cagalli, he started to outright exclude her. Outside of some scenes where she's in video calls or meetings in Orb, she has no real interactions in the same room with any characters. She can't outshine Lacus if she isn't really involved, right? Nevermind that she helped fund compass, she apparently recreated the Strike Freedom, the Infinite Justice and the Destiny Spec 2, and gave it to everyone. Lacus gets the special piloting suit, Lacus takes the special Might Freedom attachment to Kira. Lacus ends up with the credit. It isn't just Cagalli, either. Lunamaria and Agnes don't have especially flattering pictures painted of themselves. Meyrin is very sidelined. Murrue's scenes are limited to where she is acting as Captain, or around Mu.

There is no presence of Flay in the movie. Outside of a single flashback scene, Flay is never mentioned. We know, based on Kira's depression in DESTINY, and his shock over Flay's death in the last part of SEED, that he was traumatized from her death. Her spirit said it would protect him. If Shinn can have Stella haunting his mind, why couldn't Kira have Flay protecting him? I strongly believe it is for the same reason as my first point. Flay would severely undermine Lacus as a character. If Flay had been protecting Kira with her feelings, it would mean Kira has a person in his life besides Lacus. They center Kira entirely on Lacus and don't have him interact much with anyone except her in the movie. It would have been nice if Flay had been in a scene, had some sort of closure for Kira who had mourned her.

Kira's co-dependency and toxic relationships. Kira was co-dependent on Flay. He was then co-dependent on Lacus. I think this movie, which tries to show Lacus and Kira are truly in love, does the opposite. Kira literally breaks down the instant Lacus is taken away and does not know what to do. He is so dependent on Lacus that he can't function without her. Before FREEDOM, in DESTINY, we see that their relationship is virtually non-existent. No intimacy, no romance - they hug and kiss on the cheek at the most. It is actions that are the opposite of Kira in SEED, who made love to Flay and was not afraid of showing his feelings. The sudden jump to Kira being intensely in love with Lacus is jarring. It just shows that Kira left one unhealthy relationship for another. Even if Lacus is not openly manipulative, she is still forcing his co-dependency. This movie portrays that their relationship is still unhealthy.

Lacus is perfect. She is not perfect. But this movie tries to portray that she is. Lacus goes from being a young girl who can influence others with her music and her popularity to... basically better than the Ultimate Coordinator? SEED and DESTINY's main focus, especially, is how Kira is the pinnacle of human growth, and that he is the most powerful person in existence. This movie basically undoes the entire premise of SEED, and DESTINY, by having a group of mindreaders, and Lacus, who is essentially more powerful mentally and has better abilities than Kira himself. It becomes worse when they undermine Kira as the Ultimate Coordinator by saying he is a failed Accord. Further, when Lacus is suddenly able to fly the Proud Defender, it contradicts what had been shown in SEED DESTINY. In Destiny, Lacus struggles to even move the Infinite Justice. This movie suddenly has her piloting the Mighty Strike Freedom, using its armaments, doing things Kira Cannot Do. It is the strangest transition. They took away Kira's status as someone who is above and beyond all, and made Lacus a God. I almost don't know how to comprehend why the writers thought that making Lacus that powerful suited her original place. She was already able to break so many rules, such as going stealing mobile suits from ZAFT with no consequences, had almost no emotions most of the time... Now she's basically a God. The only Accord left. I liked the character, I still tried to enjoy it, but she reached levels of Mary Sue that were unbelievable in FREEDOM.

The Strike and the Archangel. I think this is just me speaking for nostalgia sake, but they didn't need to destroy the Archangel. It was the only thing that tied together SEED and DESTINY. It was the legged ship. Destroying it destroyed an important part of the series. It was stupid how it was destroyed, too. I'd also have really liked to see the Strike in some form (not the Strike Rouge). It was Kira's first mobile suit, it was where he had the most innovation. But it seems like they want to avoid having Kira near anything to do with SEED and his early relationship with Flay. The Strike, especially when Kira piloted it, was Kira piloting it to protect Flay and the Archangel. It is clear the FREEDOM is how they want to portray Kira and Lacus, connected. Destroying the Archangel only further separates Kira from his past.

Kira and his old friends. Kira never interacts with Sai or Miriallia. He never thinks of Tolle, Kuzzey, Sai or Flay. The movie completely wiped out Kira's connection to his old friends. I think it's a shame.

The side-characters were more interesting than Lacus and Kira. This movie did a fantastic job of bringing the side-characters up to par. I found that Orphee's motivations were far more interesting, were more to discover. This movie did an amazing job of ensuring that Shinn owned the spotlight. They showed him at his lowest after DESTINY, gave him a new motivation (wanting to work WITH Kira and help the world), and gave him an opportunity to show his loyalty and growth. In the theatre I went to, everyone went crazy when Shinn was in the DESTINY. He was the star of this movie, if only because he deserved it. Likewise, the movie gives one or two moments where characters speak about Athrun as if he is a legend. When Athrun does make his appearances, whether in the Z'gok, or piloting the Strike Freedom (too deceptively well, might I add), and finally in the Infinite Justice, we just continue to see how Athrun has worked for his prowess and his reputation, and how it is truly there. The movie cements Athrun as a legend, despite barely being in the movie. This movie, despite being named FREEDOM, was truly the Shinn Asuka and Athrun Zala movie.

When Lacus said yes to eliminating Kira. I understand that in the movie, Lacus is in a difficult situation... but instead of believing in her love for Kira, the person she has lived with and known for over four years at this point, she makes the decision of believing Orphee and killing him? And this is never addressed again. We don't see consequences of her actions. Because she is essentially the forced, perfect protagonist of this of this movie, she never faces any consequences. It is forgotten.

The Accords don't make sense. Nevermind that mind controlling villains don't fit SEED, but they should have jumped in in DESTINY. They should have been major players much earlier. If they were so attuned with Durandal, why didn't he call on them? Why are they enacting his plan out now? What benefit is it to them? Why didn't they take advantage of the chaos after SEED or DESTINY when the world was recovering?

No Rau Le Creuset. Because he's the best part of these series.

I think overall I have a lot of complaints about this than I do compliments. I wish they had just listened to fan feedback over the course of 20 years, and given them what they wanted. We had a lot of Lacus and Kira. I personally wanted a human Kira and Lacus. Not the god!Lacus we ended up with.

[futurecentury]

i have a lot of complicated feelings abt char and lalah (and amuro, completing the triad) bc i feel like they’re a lot of things at once…like their interaction and relationship is sweet, especially sort of imagining that in the newtype realm at the end of CCA/Unicorn they finally all find peace together in some impossible-to-define way, but it’s also undeniably not equal and manipulative and lalah is too young for all of this shit.

lalah is really cool as a character, but she also mostly exists frozen in time as a perfect girl and a memory to make men sad, and doesn’t get to have any real independent interactions with anyone other than the other two boys in the triad. she sort of struggles to be a person of her own, and also knowing she was the basis for Anthy in Utena adds a particularly dark tone to that as well.

they’re held up as kind of the ur-example of newtype communication crossing boundaries, except it’s also kind of debatable whether they all ever really understand each other (and that’s also fully part of the point, imo, that newtype communication isn’t infallible or magic perfect and tragedy still strikes.)

as a huge fan of gundam Archetypes they are really compelling to me as this sort of mythological trio, the devil-comet-swan, and yet i sometimes fear im just reading too much into it and applying a sort of overaffectionate shipper/fandom brain onto something that’s a lot more tragic and ultimately futile or even meaningless in the end of things (when you consider that even after CCA, the world—and war— keeps turning, and in the far future, no one remembers their names.)

idk. i do like that it’s a complicated situation. i don’t think they’d be as compelling or interesting to me if they were simplistic. but it’s just always turning over in my mind. That’s Orbit Babe

[jaybuilds]

Wild Strike Freedom

Perfect Strike Freedom + Amazing Strike Freedom + Spare parts

I was in the mood to make something strange, so I thought it would be fun to do an asymmetrical-ish build. Color scheme inspired by Gundam Breaker 4’s Gunbarrel Strike.

[the-eeveekins]

Hey! Are you interested in Gunpla, but worried about investing money into tools only to not enjoy it? Then try out the Entry Grade line first! It's a line of 1/144 scale kits designed around getting people into Gunpla and they only cost about $10-$15 USD. They don't require tools to assemble and while they may be lacking the accessories of their HG brethren, they come with great color accuracy for their scale and look great out of the box without any extra effort!

There are currently 3 EG kits available: RX-78-2 Gundam, Strike Gundam and Nu Gundam! And EG kits of the Lah Gundam and Build Strike Exceed Galaxy for the new Gundam Build Metaverse series airing next month will be releasing soon!

The line is a little small right now, and sadly there aren't any G-Witch options for new fans, but it really is a fantastic and inexpensive first step into the hobby. They're perfect for dipping your toes into the gunpla hobby to see if it's for you or not, without investing more than $30+ on your first kit + tools.

That said, if you did get into Gundam with G-Witch and specifically want to take the plunge with a G-Witch kit first, absolutely nab anything from the line. They're generally easy to build, pretty good with color separation and very accessible! The Gundam Schwarzette or Demi-Barding are definitely my recommendations for an easy to build but great looking kit from the line!

(Disclaimer: These are my own kits, and I've put a little work into them via panel lining and minor painting.)

[gundamfight]

[loth-caatgirl]

holly schist brown panel was absolutely the way to go here. still heavily debating internally whether or not to hit the black with chrome

[vdrawsrobots]

Fighting Communication and Gundam Science in G-Fighter

I originally posted this on twitter, but I figured it would be easier to read here--- and I'd love to know anybody's thoughts about my rambles/speculation :) Edited/expanded a little because I don't have to worry about word count hehe

A possible interpretation of how "fighting communication" could be interpreted as a more literal phenomenon instead of Martial Arts Magic when considering the way Fighter-Gundam connections are described in the G-Fighter entertainment bible. Warning for spoilers under the read more!

Gundams in G-Fighter are (to an extent) powered by the emotions of the pilot. That emotional state has an influence on how well they can pilot/communicate their intentions to their Gundam, and in some cases, on the behavior of the Gundam itself.

This is alluded to a few times in the show--- the most direct acknowledgment I can find would be Dr. Kasshu referring to Shining’s “Emotional Energy System” being primarily powered by anger. It's also explored in the training that Schwarz Bruder gives to Domon in order to control Shining's super mode--- in order to properly communicate the pilot's intentions, their emotions must be calm and regulated, easier to translate into data that the Gundam can understand. Therefore, his techniques focus on getting Domon to see past just striking out in blind anger. It's about intention and clarity of communication.

This is more explicitly stated in the Entertainment Bible (which does a better job explaining it than I ever could):

This emotional data is then translated into something that the Gundam’s system can understand— therefore, the clearer/more controlled the emotional input, the more accurate the translation, and the better the pilot’s intentions can be “understood” by their machine. The Gundam understands the pilot on a level that no other human can, a pure knowing of the pilot's consciousness (or "soul").

As stated, mental training is also just as important as physical. After all, when this communication is unclear, it can have disastrous consequences. Master Asia encourages Domon to just get mindlessly mad in their fight in order to weaken him. Kyoji’s extreme emotional state when crashing to Earth, combined with the physical damage to Ultimate’s computer system, accidentally teaches the Devil Gundam to hate humanity.

No wonder the technique Schwarz teaches Domon is about clarity, control and inward understanding of emotion and intent.

Given this translation of emotional feedback into transferrable data, the concept of “Fighting Communication” and Gundam Fighters understanding each other through combat could be interpreted literally.

Battles in G-Fighter involve a lot of physical contact--- obviously, as they are battles, but there are a lot of scenes of the Gundams joining hands when struggling against each other, or otherwise maintaining prolonged physical connection at high-intensity moments of combat.

Often it is during these scenes when characters refer to fighting communication, or what the fists of their opponent are trying to tell them (all the references to the soul of a fighter being expressed through their fists, etc). Another important thing to notice here is that both pilots are in a heightened emotional state. They're also in as close to perfect connection with their Gundams as they can--- they're putting everything on the line, going all-out to win, and so is their machine. Gundam and pilot are one--- implying a very high flow of emotional data and neural input from Gundam to pilot in these moments.

Could it be then that this physical contact accidentally allows for some accidental crossover of emotional feedback? Is there an unintentional spillover caused by the Gundam reaching its limits to handle so much raw emotion, or possible crossover in the same way that electricity jumps between conductors? It's not impossible to imagine that the “understanding of the soul” the Fighter experiences is being caused by the accidental crossover of emotional feedback between the Gundams in these moments of prolonged physical contact— therefore literally allowing fighters to see into and understand each other’s true feelings in the heat of high-intensity combat.

And since the way emotion/thought is translated into something understandable to the machine in a way that goes beyond human comprehension, it could also be speculated that this could occur for the pilots, as well. That the high-intensity causes the literal blurring of the lines between the minds of two pilots (think of something similar to the Drift in Pacific Rim). Maybe for a Gundam Fighter, a battle with your opponent really does allow you to understand them on a deeper level than just words can allow. Maybe a fighter really can communicate with their fists in a way they don't know how to with words.

Or maybe I'm reaching and reading too much into it :) either way, let me know your thoughts if you have any!! I love writing about g-fighter, both fic and analysis (??? i guess???) stuff like this, and tumblr lets me be as long-winded as I want >:) I have a lot of Thoughts about each pilot's specific relationship with their Gundam, and I'd like to write more about them sometime soon...

[its-a-kasshu-thing]

This is just a random observation that I noticed about Gundam Wing:

After like 10 years, I decided to rewatch the series and then I reread Heero’s Episode Zero chapter. According to EZ, Heero and Odin were only together by “contract”. That, to me, implied that Odin is not Heero’s biological father and that he’s only taking care of him out of some sort of obligation.

Now I haven’t read Frozen Teardrop and I don’t really plan to because, (I mean come on, have you seen that plot lol) I could pick apart what I do know about it but, it just seems a little odd. Heero’s chapter seems to lead the reader to the conclusion of Odin obviously feeling guilty about killing Heero Yuy and then he just randomly has this little boy with him. It’s as if that boy was Heero’s son and since Odin killed his father, he felt compelled to take the boy on as his own.

I understand FT says that Odin is in fact the boy’s biological father with Aoi Clark (who doesn’t even have an official character design btw) **Neither does Solo from Duo’s official backstory but I digress** being his mother but I just find it strange that the kid doesn’t have a name if he was Odin’s after all. Maybe it was mentioned that his name really is Odin Lowe II but why would that name not be alluded to at all in the series? The series alluded to his mantra that Heero repeats throughout the series which is basically to listen to the heart. Obviously Odin cared enough about Heero to take care of him. It just doesn’t make sense why this kid wouldn’t know his name/have a name. Also, I just find it random that Heero is related to Trant Clark, some random Oz soldier, that was curious about the zero system, with nothing really substantial mentioned about him like idk a great revelation that he’s like Heero’s uncle or something. Heero didn’t even end up fighting him lol.

I personally think it would have worked out better plot wise if Heero was Heero’s son rather than Odin’s because it would have only emphasized further that Heero really is the “perfect soldier”. He fights for the “revenge” of the colonies while beneath the surface he actually fights to avenge his own father without even knowing it. That’s the thing that makes Heero so pure intentioned though. He fights solely for peace within, not only the colonies but, the Earth as well (as seen at the end of the series). Revenge was never really the goal of any of the pilots or else they would have fully taken part in Operation Meteor, wreaking havoc everywhere for everyone both oz and civilians on Earth alike.

Also, I love how Odin’s character design in EZ was retconed for the more Heero looking one in FT/Glory of Losers and, at the same time, Heero Yuy’s design also has a striking resemblance to the main pilot. It’s like they couldn’t decide who Heero’s father should be.

Also, the Sanc Kingdom sought peace from Earth while Heero Yuy preached peace in the colonies and then you have the heir of the Sanc Kingdom end up with the son of the colonies’ prominent pacifist.

My headcanon is Heero is still the product of a love affair just not with Odin as the main man but Heero Yuy. Like his wife probably ordered for her husband to be killed for cheating with some younger woman, making Heero his illegitimate son, adding to the chaos of it all, resulting in his birth to be the actual catalyst that sparks war between the colonies and Earth. Somehow, I think that would have made more sense and really tie everything together so neatly and dramatically.

[beadyeyes]

"perfect strike gundam mecha musume" by wdy1000

[gatormeister]

Gundam SEED Destiny Started!

Okay, first impressions. Good opening, not good enough for me to want to listen through it every episode like SEED’s first opening. Gruesome first episode, SEED does not often go into detail with its violence, but when it does it is shockingly gorey for the kind of show it is. IBO is more brutal more often for reference, but you very rarely see what actually happens to a person’s body there. Here we end up seeing bloody corpses and a severed hand and it works well to establish motivation for Shinn and a demonstration of just how awful war is for people.

Then we’ve got our not cyber newtypes who I am hoping will get better characterization than the not cyber newtypes of the previous series. They’re fine, but you don’t get to know much about them in the first three episodes. I like their designs and their Gundams. Really could have done without a “cop a feel on accident” trope. It wasn’t funny and it didn’t add anything to the show.

I already had Neo Roanoke’s identity spoiled, but wow are they not even trying to hide who he is. My only question is why is he doing any of this? It feels like something very out of character, so I can only assume something else is going on to lead to him going along with any of that.

I am so glad Athrun’s just not being allowed to get away with hiding who he is. Guy didn’t even grow his hair out and start wearing sunglasses. As for our other familiar face, Cagalli comes off as being somewhat out of her depth as a political figure which makes sense since she’s what? Just 18? And acting as a representative of an entire nation. It can lend itself to some good character growth and moments with Shinn if handled right.

The new chairman of ZAFT came off as at least somewhat genuine in the first episode and most of the second, but now he’s getting all the “oh no I’m sus” music queues. If he ends up being some sorta manipulative mastermind that’d be pretty disappointing since ZAFT having seemingly had most of its leadership killed off in the last show is actually in a pretty good position to be written as a more sympathetic group for this show.

Now for mobile suits, I like the impulse more than the Strike, and the Gaia, Chaos, and Abyss are just much better than the Calamity, Raider, and Forbidden Gundams. I like the Impulse’s multiple packs a lot more than the Strike’s thanks to the mobile suit colors changing to compliment the pack this go around. I do imagine that made its Gunpla a lot less readily customizable since it’d need multiple colors of the same parts to be show accurate.

As for the Zakus… I absolutely love their designs, I think all of SEED’s explicit redesigns of the Zeon mobile suits are fantastic and look incredible they’re my favorite designs in both shows. But why are they being used for an AU? Part of why the AUs are great is how they all have their own unique senses of style and designs, and the GINN was a perfect design that could call back to everyone’s favorite mono eyed army while still feeling unique to the Cosmic Era shows. Being so explicit as to have literal Zakus just takes some of that unique charm away if only in a small way.

All that said, I hope I end up enjoying this show. I like these first three episodes. They aren’t as strong a beginning as SEEDs, but it’s still good. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a worry in the back of my mind about the stigma behind the show, but the only way I can figure out if I’ll continue to enjoy it is if I keep watching, so that’s what I’ll do.